Summary of US press reviews so far for "The Family"
The reviews based on the first two episodes have been mostly positive, although with some minor nitpicks:
"addictively delicious... Like the British accent that occasionally slips into Rupert Graves’ delivery (he plays patriarch John, who’s made a career writing about the grief of losing a child), there are a few arcs on The Family that could use a little work. "
- The Family Review: Something's All Wrong With ABC's Newest Clan, and It's Definitely All Right, Michael Slezak, TV Line, 29-Feb-16
(ETA: I feel it's only fair to note the pilot was filmed months before the rest of the season and Rupert has had a dialect coach in the meantime so his accent probably is much better in the later episodes)
"For a network show with a patina of cable prestige, ABC’s new drama The Family is surprisingly quick to crank its burners up to 11 and get the pots boiling."
- ABC’s abduction drama The Family plays a risky game with a solid team, Joshua Alston, AV Club, 29-Feb-16
"Distinguished by a top-flight cast, including Joan Allen and Andrew McCarthy, this soap is a slow but reasonably compelling burn, with abundant possibilities wrapped in its opening hours"
- TV Review: The Family, Brian Lowry, Variety.com, 1-Mar-16
"Writing and structure aside, the real strength of the Family pilot was in the cast. The show amassed an ensemble of phenomenal actors who pretty perfectly embody their characters... For his part, Rupert Graves was solid, but he’ll need some meatier material to stand on equal ground with Joan Allen."
- The Family Review: ABC's New Drama Feels Fresh But Familiar In The Best Way, Laura Hurley, Cinemablend.com, 1-Mar-16
"well-plotted thriller... Gilford, Pill and Graves are also at the top of their game embodying the toll Adam’s disappearance and supposed murder have taken on their respective characters."
- Tragedy brings out the worst in ‘Family’, David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, 1-Mar-16
"one of the strongest drama entries from the network in recent years, in large part due to its stellar ensemble cast."
- ‘The Family’: ABC’s Twisty New Drama Keeps You Hooked, Michelle Regalado, Cheatsheet.com, 2-Mar-16
But it's not all good news:
"one more spin at the Broadchurch et al wheel with little that can hope to especially impress. It isn’t that the elements aren’t all there… or at least, I suppose, that some elements aren’t there, but nothing sets this one apart."
- ‘The Family’ Review: ABC Piles On Drama To Little Effect, Marc Eastman, areyouscreening.com, 26-Feb-16
"There is so much wrong with the manipulative, poorly written and executed ABC drama The Family, it's difficult to know where to begin."
(WARNING review contains possible spoilers!)
- 'The Family': TV Review, Tim Goodman, The Hollywood Reporter, 1-Mar-16
"little more than a protracted Lifetime original movie... fleeting glimpses of intuitive story structuring and interesting characters, but the show’s execution feels staid. "
- The Family Season 1 review, Mitchel Broussard, We Got This Covered, 1-Mar-16
"wants to be something but, even after a couple episodes, never quite gets around to what that “something” is."
- ‘The Family’ review: Abductee tale made for snoozing, Verne Gay, Newsday, 1-Mar-16
So, quite a range of opinions! I'll add more as they come in...
(Added 17:50GMT 2-Mar-16)
"husband, John (Sherlock‘s charming Rupert Graves, with an unfortunately wavering accent here)...while its serious tone and slightly less-frantic pace in general lend it some weight, one wonders about whether it’s built to last, since so many of ABC’s other mystery-laden, flashback-friendly dramas burn out so quickly"
- ‘The Family’ Review: Is ABC’s Twisty Drama Worthy of Obsession?, Allison Keene, Collider.com, 2-Mar-16
(Added 21:45GMT 2-Mar-16)
"The Family doesn't heavily rely on incessant shockers or preposterous "OMG!" moments to keep you invested. There are salivating twists and reveals, to be sure, but it is far more grounded...The Family wants to become one of those great mysteries, and after two episodes, it's way too early to say if that will be the case, but at the very least, it's a highly addictive one."
- ABC's The Family Might Be Your New Obsession, Joyce Eng, TV Guide, 2-Mar-16
There is also an article in the NY Post which isn't so much a review as a feature but has a couple of nice quotes from Rupert.
(Added 23:20GMT 2-Mar-16)
"Unfortunately, despite a fine cast led by Joan Allen, Zach Gilford, Rupert Graves and Andrew McCarthy, underneath Family’s “prestige drama” exterior beats the pulp-trash heart that animates Scandal, creator Jenna Bans' last series."
- Review: ABC's 'The Family' is dumb, pulpy fiction, Robert Bianco, USA Today, 2-Mar-16
"Yes, this show is guilty-pleasure fare, but, at least after two episodes, it holds interest rather well, and it has only just begun to open all those closets where family secrets hide."
- Review: In ‘The Family,’ a Lost Son Might Be Back From Limbo, Neil Genzlinger, NY Times, 2-Mar-16
"addictively delicious... Like the British accent that occasionally slips into Rupert Graves’ delivery (he plays patriarch John, who’s made a career writing about the grief of losing a child), there are a few arcs on The Family that could use a little work. "
- The Family Review: Something's All Wrong With ABC's Newest Clan, and It's Definitely All Right, Michael Slezak, TV Line, 29-Feb-16
(ETA: I feel it's only fair to note the pilot was filmed months before the rest of the season and Rupert has had a dialect coach in the meantime so his accent probably is much better in the later episodes)
"For a network show with a patina of cable prestige, ABC’s new drama The Family is surprisingly quick to crank its burners up to 11 and get the pots boiling."
- ABC’s abduction drama The Family plays a risky game with a solid team, Joshua Alston, AV Club, 29-Feb-16
"Distinguished by a top-flight cast, including Joan Allen and Andrew McCarthy, this soap is a slow but reasonably compelling burn, with abundant possibilities wrapped in its opening hours"
- TV Review: The Family, Brian Lowry, Variety.com, 1-Mar-16
"Writing and structure aside, the real strength of the Family pilot was in the cast. The show amassed an ensemble of phenomenal actors who pretty perfectly embody their characters... For his part, Rupert Graves was solid, but he’ll need some meatier material to stand on equal ground with Joan Allen."
- The Family Review: ABC's New Drama Feels Fresh But Familiar In The Best Way, Laura Hurley, Cinemablend.com, 1-Mar-16
"well-plotted thriller... Gilford, Pill and Graves are also at the top of their game embodying the toll Adam’s disappearance and supposed murder have taken on their respective characters."
- Tragedy brings out the worst in ‘Family’, David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, 1-Mar-16
"one of the strongest drama entries from the network in recent years, in large part due to its stellar ensemble cast."
- ‘The Family’: ABC’s Twisty New Drama Keeps You Hooked, Michelle Regalado, Cheatsheet.com, 2-Mar-16
But it's not all good news:
"one more spin at the Broadchurch et al wheel with little that can hope to especially impress. It isn’t that the elements aren’t all there… or at least, I suppose, that some elements aren’t there, but nothing sets this one apart."
- ‘The Family’ Review: ABC Piles On Drama To Little Effect, Marc Eastman, areyouscreening.com, 26-Feb-16
"There is so much wrong with the manipulative, poorly written and executed ABC drama The Family, it's difficult to know where to begin."
(WARNING review contains possible spoilers!)
- 'The Family': TV Review, Tim Goodman, The Hollywood Reporter, 1-Mar-16
"little more than a protracted Lifetime original movie... fleeting glimpses of intuitive story structuring and interesting characters, but the show’s execution feels staid. "
- The Family Season 1 review, Mitchel Broussard, We Got This Covered, 1-Mar-16
"wants to be something but, even after a couple episodes, never quite gets around to what that “something” is."
- ‘The Family’ review: Abductee tale made for snoozing, Verne Gay, Newsday, 1-Mar-16
So, quite a range of opinions! I'll add more as they come in...
(Added 17:50GMT 2-Mar-16)
"husband, John (Sherlock‘s charming Rupert Graves, with an unfortunately wavering accent here)...while its serious tone and slightly less-frantic pace in general lend it some weight, one wonders about whether it’s built to last, since so many of ABC’s other mystery-laden, flashback-friendly dramas burn out so quickly"
- ‘The Family’ Review: Is ABC’s Twisty Drama Worthy of Obsession?, Allison Keene, Collider.com, 2-Mar-16
(Added 21:45GMT 2-Mar-16)
"The Family doesn't heavily rely on incessant shockers or preposterous "OMG!" moments to keep you invested. There are salivating twists and reveals, to be sure, but it is far more grounded...The Family wants to become one of those great mysteries, and after two episodes, it's way too early to say if that will be the case, but at the very least, it's a highly addictive one."
- ABC's The Family Might Be Your New Obsession, Joyce Eng, TV Guide, 2-Mar-16
There is also an article in the NY Post which isn't so much a review as a feature but has a couple of nice quotes from Rupert.
(Added 23:20GMT 2-Mar-16)
"Unfortunately, despite a fine cast led by Joan Allen, Zach Gilford, Rupert Graves and Andrew McCarthy, underneath Family’s “prestige drama” exterior beats the pulp-trash heart that animates Scandal, creator Jenna Bans' last series."
- Review: ABC's 'The Family' is dumb, pulpy fiction, Robert Bianco, USA Today, 2-Mar-16
"Yes, this show is guilty-pleasure fare, but, at least after two episodes, it holds interest rather well, and it has only just begun to open all those closets where family secrets hide."
- Review: In ‘The Family,’ a Lost Son Might Be Back From Limbo, Neil Genzlinger, NY Times, 2-Mar-16