Netflix’s Best New Show Has A Perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score
This article was published on 8/23 and republished on 8/24.
Sometimes when I write these “thing gets 100% Rotten Tomatoes score” articles I’m accused of not waiting until enough critic reviews come in. That may be true, but this time? This time there should be no complaints.
Netflix’s best new show is Long Story Short, a new animated series that has 22 critics giving it a cumulative 100% score, and that’s enough to be “certified” by Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s the synopsis:
“A dysfunctional family’s shared history, inside jokes, and old wounds are explored in this adult animated comedy spanning multiple years.”
Long Story Short boasts a number of faces you may know for its voices. That includes Dave Franco, Veep’s Ben Feldman, New Girl’s Max Greenfield and Disenchantment’s Abbi Jacobson, among others. And in a major role, Dr. Lisa Cuddy herself from House, Lisa Edelstein.
Why is the show so good? Well, in addition to that voice cast, it’s created by BoJack Horseman’s Raphael Matthew Bob-Waksberg, the acclaimed Netflix drama that ran for six seasons. BoJack is a fan favorite and a beloved animated series, and it seems that Long Story Short is off to a similarly great start. BoJack Horseman racked up two 100% seasons, and a 93% score overall throughout its run.
Long Story Short is a breezy watch with just ten, 25-minute episodes. They are all literally 25 minutes to the minute, and I’m not quite sure what that’s about. What are critics saying about the series? Here’s a sampling of the only-positive reviews:
- Boston Globe – “This somehow feels like a series that we need right now: effortlessly intelligent, open-hearted, empathetic, and without a trace of saccharine”
- Rolling Stone – “The family comedy has no horsemen or bird-women in sight, but it continues the team’s impressive ability to balance extreme melancholy with delightful lunacy.”
- Guardian – “Again and again, the show reminds us that everything is an echo of what came before. This is a testament to Bob-Waksberg’s writing. This level of granular, non-linear character development must have been a feat to construct, and yet it feels effortless.”
It certainly doesn’t look like BoJack Horseman visually, not like Tuca and Bertie, but even if the animation style may not grab you from the thumbnail, this is clearly a series worth checking out, and you can get the full picture in a day or two. If BoJack is any indication, this may quickly become a classic.
Update (8/24): Since I wrote this, I was motivated to actually give Long Story Short a try for myself as again, you do not see all that many perfectly scored shows on Netflix, much less ones with so many reviews in to get certified.
Long Story Short is amazing. I was laughing out loud at a certain point and I genuinely cannot remember the last time I did that with a show. My wife was confused because that legitimately never happens.
I really enjoy the idea of “time traveling” where the show moves through different decades and moments of life of its family. The parents are hilarious in particular, and I can really “feel” the BoJack Horseman of this in terms of the writing and delivery, albeit this is not remotely as crass as that show and made for an entirely different audience. It’s centered on a Jewish family but it’s absolutely a must-watch for anyone. Don’t let it pass you by.
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