--- title: "Flight of the Conchords: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/flight-of-the-conchords/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/flight-of-the-conchords" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Flight of the Conchords (2007): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like it a good deal, and the warmth is spread fairly evenly. The praise clusters on the tone: a low-key, deadpan style in which two New Zealand musicians drift through New York and songs break into ordinary conversation at odd moments. More than one review calls it the most charming or simply the best comedy on television at the time, and most single out the unshowy performances of the two leads and the manager, played by Rhys Darby, as its strongest assets. The musical parodies, ranging across a wide spread of genres, are admired almost everywhere. The spread is narrow apart from one clear dissent. Variety finds the plots close to irrelevant and the episodes dragging whenever the music stops. Elsewhere the reservations are mild and concern the second series: Empire and Den of Geek both think some of the later songs are weaker than the first run, and The Independent notes that a slightly bigger budget costs it a little of its ramshackle feel, though all three still rate it well. ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Rating A. 21 November 2007. The critic praises the show's redefinition of deadpan humor through the co-dependent New Zealand musicians and their manager, highlighting how music invades everyday life in surreal, incongruous ways. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/flight-of-the-conchords-the-complete-first-season-1798203422) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2007. The critic calls the HBO series the best comedy on TV, praising its low-key, quirky style and the natural, unshowy performances of its two leads as struggling New Zealand musicians in New York. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2007/nov/22/peterbradshawthursampic) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 April 2009. The piece highlights the cult HBO sitcom's rapid rise and calls it the most charming comedy on television, praising its sweet and whimsical mishaps over more cringeworthy modern sitcoms. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/5206664/Flight-of-the-Conchords-fasten-your-seatbelts.html) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2009. The reviewer expresses initial concern over the quality of new songs and episodes after the success of season 1, noting some forced moments early on. Later episodes improve markedly thanks to strong guest direction and inventive subplots, preserving the show's whimsical charm about two hapless musicians. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/flight-conchords-season-2-review/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2009. The DVD review describes the second series as a delightfully deadpan sitcom that is bolder and funnier than the first, despite a slightly bigger budget reducing some ramshackle charm, and singles out the manager character for praise. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dvd-flight-of-the-conchords-for-retail-amp-rental-warner-1767138.html) ## The Times — Ed Potton Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 November 2007. The review praises the sweet comedy series for its gauche chutzpah, inventive musical parodies and inviting world, noting influences from The Mighty Boosh, Peep Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm while highlighting its own distinctive appeal. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/flight-of-the-conchords-vtsf0x6wsjh) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 June 2007. The series comes across as a standard slacker comedy until the characters launch into song, at which point the eclectic musical numbers deliver clever moments across a wide range of genres. Plots feel irrelevant and the show drags without the music. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2007/tv/reviews/flight-of-the-conchords-2-1200558592/) ## Collider — Max Steven Miller Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 September 2010. The review praises the show's unique blend of self-deprecating humor, spontaneous musical numbers spanning various genres, and strong ensemble including memorable supporting characters and guest cameos. It singles out the rewatchable quality and how the short run kept it fresh without going stale. [Read the review](https://collider.com/flight-of-the-conchords-complete-collection-dvd-review/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 4 out of 5. 6 August 2009. The critic finds season two easily as good as the first, with equally sharp writing and clever use of sitcom conventions that juxtapose the characters' naivety with the harsh city around them. They single out strong performances, especially Rhys Darby as the manager, and note that while some songs are weaker than the debut season, others like 'Carol Brown' remain catchy and funny. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/flight-of-the-conchords-complete-second-season-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/flight-of-the-conchords.md