--- title: "Friday Night Dinner: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/friday-night-dinner/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/friday-night-dinner" critics_score: 60 critics_reviews: 8 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." --- # Friday Night Dinner (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 60 from 8 reviews: 4 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics warm to Friday Night Dinner, and the praise gathers around the same things: the weekly dinner that goes wrong in the same ways, the family’s specific habits, and the cast. Paul Ritter’s Martin is the performance named most often, with the parents and sons admired as an ensemble. Several reviews argue that the repetition is the point rather than a weakness, and that the show gets its laughs from how reliably the evening falls apart. The reservations cluster on whether the premise can carry a series. The Guardian finds the opening episode underwhelming and not funny enough for its cast, and Radio Times thinks the farce wears thin quickly. The Telegraph goes furthest, calling one series bleak and a catastrophe, chiefly for a subplot involving a child. The spread is wide, and it runs with time: the coolest notices judge the first episode, while the warmest look back over the whole run. Mark Heap’s neighbour divides them too. ## The AV Club — Myles McNutt Rating A-. 30 July 2011. The critic finds the series develops into a charming and energetic comedy thanks to its simple, repetitive premise of weekly family dinners that spiral into chaos. The familiar rhythms of family interactions and recurring character traits are singled out as the main source of its appeal and success. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/friday-night-dinner-1798169088) ## The i Paper — Jeff Robson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 May 2018. The critic praises the show's character-based humour and the strong performances from the central cast, particularly the parents and sons, while noting some familiar sitcom tropes and less effective elements like the neighbour's mannerisms. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/friday-night-dinner-channel-4-review-still-a-delicious-mixture-of-slapstick-and-acid-after-five-series-151444) ## The Times — Andrew Billen Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 28 February 2011. The new sitcom has specificity going for it and asserts that all families are funny in their own way, with Paul Ritter's detailed performance as the eccentric dad standing out, though it may be funnier to those familiar with the family. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/weekend-tv-friday-night-dinner-r7kt977qlm5) ## Radio Times — Alison Graham Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the episode's farce and outrage wear thin quickly but singles out the guest actor Harry Landis for his gloriously awful performance as the mean-spirited boyfriend. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-5fk1oc/friday-night-dinner-season-2/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 26 February 2011. The opening episode of the new sitcom is particularly underwhelming, like a less interesting version of Grandma's House, with a premise that is not funny enough despite a good cast. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/feb/26/first-cut-teen-horse-whisperers) ## The Telegraph — Jake Wallis Simons Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 20 June 2014. The critic found the series bleak and depressing, calling it a catastrophe due to its plot and humor that fell flat, particularly an uncomfortable subplot involving a child character. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10906830/Friday-Night-Dinner-review-a-catastrophe-on-stilts.html) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 March 2024. The critic praises the show's insight into family dynamics through its highly specific, eccentric characters and habits. It highlights the core Goodman family's believable oddities and the standout performances, especially Paul Ritter as Martin and Mark Heap as Jim. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/friday-night-dinners-goodmans-are-the-perfect-horrible-comedy-family/) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 March 2020. The review defends the show's repetitive structure as its strength, delivering reliable comedic chaos and strong ensemble chemistry. It notes the familiar format keeps the series fresh and engaging through clever escalations and surprises. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a31940356/friday-night-dinner-season-6-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/friday-night-dinner.md