I rarely ever write reviews but I stumbled across this show and it has genuinely surprised me with its quality. I've only purchased Season 1 and seen 6-7 episodes but it's been consistently some of the best family fare TV I've ever seen, hopefully it holds up in seasons 2 and 3.
At its core it's a family sitcom but the sci-fi elements allow it to mix in much more varied plotlines than usual, in the few episodes I've seen they've already got the ghost of a 1930s gangster possessing the dad's body, Canadian secret agents recruiting the dad to help save their nuclear submarine (James Bond parody), and two time travel episodes to the Old West and the 70s. The costuming, writing, acting and cultural references all work together extremely well so there's a real sense of momentum and immersion in each episode - it really creates a setting and you're rarely ever bored in it. At the same time you don't get whiplash from moving all over the place as the core family cast does a great job off connecting the audience and keeping the show grounded.
There's generally several key guest characters in each episode (a badass cowboy, the Canadian secret agent, the 30s gangster, etc) that are critical for setting the tone for that episode and I have to really commend the acting job done there. Great side characters are a hallmark of quality TV shows and so far this show has nailed that aspect.
9/10, perfect show for family viewing.
At its core it's a family sitcom but the sci-fi elements allow it to mix in much more varied plotlines than usual, in the few episodes I've seen they've already got the ghost of a 1930s gangster possessing the dad's body, Canadian secret agents recruiting the dad to help save their nuclear submarine (James Bond parody), and two time travel episodes to the Old West and the 70s. The costuming, writing, acting and cultural references all work together extremely well so there's a real sense of momentum and immersion in each episode - it really creates a setting and you're rarely ever bored in it. At the same time you don't get whiplash from moving all over the place as the core family cast does a great job off connecting the audience and keeping the show grounded.
There's generally several key guest characters in each episode (a badass cowboy, the Canadian secret agent, the 30s gangster, etc) that are critical for setting the tone for that episode and I have to really commend the acting job done there. Great side characters are a hallmark of quality TV shows and so far this show has nailed that aspect.
9/10, perfect show for family viewing.