Season 1 – Central Park

Audience Reviews

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Dave U I can't believe no one talks about this show and that Apple literally hides it on AppleTV+. It can only be found through search, so you have to be looking for it, you can't just discover it. My family just heard about the cast and decided to watch it and we've been having a blast! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/29/23 Full Review Corey W Created by Loren Bouchard, the mind behind Bob's Burgers, Central Park dazzles with an exceptional cast, exciting showtune songs and an engaging, if sometimes hefty, plotline. More of a musical split into 10 parts than it is a sitcom, Central Park tells the story of the Tillerman family led by patriarch Owen, played by Leslie Odom Jr. Owen is the groundskeeper of Central Park and the show revolves around him and his family. His children, Cole and Molly, played by Tituss Burgess and (for the first season anyway) Kristen Bell respectively clearly copied notes from the Belcher children. To appreciate Cole's weirdness and ability to fire off hilariously unexpected throwaway lines is to thank Gene Belcher for the archetype, at least in part. Molly isn't as clear initially, but as the season goes on it's clear that she's Tina with a couple dashes of Louise. It's not distracting or disappointing, rather it's a nod to just how solid Bouchard's characters from his popular Fox show really are; not only won't he deviate much from these archetypes, but we also don't really want him to. Paige Hunter, a name too clever by half for a reporter, is the matriarch of the Tillerman family and is played by the exceptional Kathryn Hahn. Other notable voices belong to Josh Gad, Daveed Diggs, H. Jon Benjamin, and Stanley Tucci. Gad plays Birdie the narrating bard that hangs around Central Park. Birdie is a fascinating character in that he is aware of his narrating and breaks the fourth wall constantly, but he is also an integral player in the story leading to some interesting conflicts of interest regarding his impartiality as a narrator. Daveed Diggs plays Helen, the droll and pessimistic assistant to Bitsy Brandenham- an exceptionally wealthy New Yorker. The selfish, quick to anger Bitsy is played by the always delightful Stanley Tucci with a playful venom. Think a less sharp Cruella Deville with more money and time, minus the obsession with Dalmatians. The godfather of voicework, H. Jon Benjamin, plays the mayor. Benjamin is utilized sparingly but the scenes containing Mayor Whitney Whitebottom are typically the best in any given episode. As the season progresses Bitsy attempts to make the park look like an eyesore so that she can get New Yorkers to agree to let her buy it up and renovate it for business. Of course, it's literally Owen's job not to let that happen, meanwhile Paige is on the case trying to get to the "who" and "why" of the whole situation for her apathetic editor at an unsubstantial newspaper. The whole thing can get a little busy at times and the show starts moving faster than we'd like it to in attempt to drive the plot. The moments when the show taps the breaks and allows itself to have a pace more befitting a sitcom are the most enjoyable overall. It's not that the plot is bad, just that you might feel like you're losing out on the richness of the characters when the scenes jump so quickly. Overall, though, Central Park is witty and full of heart. The musical numbers take the established ability from Bob's Burgers and turn the dial way up. The songs are longer, more musically complex and they're baked into the episodes in a way that Bob's rarely did. Sometimes the linear story trips itself up with its pacing. It can be tough to distinguish between plot points and what seems to be a one-off character development to give some characters something to do while others progress the plot. An example includes one excellent subplot wherein Molly gets good at chess but then it's never mentioned again throughout the first season. Is this a skill that Molly gets to take with her like a linear story suggests? Or is it more like a sitcom wherein it's never discussed again because the story resets after 30 minutes? This is where Central Park needs help, undoubtedly. But even with the occasionally stuttering plot the other elements are so well-realized that Central Park is ultimately forgiven. Here's hoping their song is just as good in the season two reprise. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Peter J This series is absolutely phenomenal! The cast has such wonderful chemistry, dozens of fantastic musical numbers mixed with moving emotional moments that have at times, brought me to tears. Fingers crossed for season 4! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Three stars for the always excellent animation. However, Bob's Burgers this is not. But I guess we can't have nice things anymore... Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Jim K Not a big fan of animation, but the music and talent kept me engaged and I enjoyed this a lot. The cast is amazing and that alone makes the show worthy of a watch, but the songs are also so fun and clever. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/27/22 Full Review ahmad m A sensational new side, driven by a great musical plot, although we could use a little less of the music and more of the story. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Central Park — Season 1

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