Why so much hype?

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

My family and I started watching this show via streaming video only because my wife and I were impressed by Steve Martin's film of the same name. That film was surprising to us due to its complexity, seriousness and character depth which was unexpected considering the advertising and actors involved, we did not think it would be as excellent as it was. So - there's my plug for the film.The television show also is of an equal quality. I found the characters believable and mostly legitimate, though I must say in the later episodes Lauren Graham's character was so irritating (my wife said, "can she ever just stop talking??") we could not stand to listen to her and fast-forwarded past her dialog. Max Burkholder is our all-time favorite and who doesn't love Dax Shephard? What kind of name is Dax, anyway? My son always asks this as he liked him in "Zathura". Sarah Ramos is a talented studio staple, she was spectacular in "American Dreams". The content of the series although written as California-oriented most of the family issues could be found anywhere; however, the wide, wide liberal premise is a bit Ozzie and Harriet for mainstream non-inner-city America such as Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. But that's what television is - an escape from reality. All in all a good show, but we would have enjoyed it more if the writers had Ms. Graham and Whitman shut the heck up.

This is a great, great show. I'm only on Season 3, but so far I love it and am crossing my fingers it doesn't go downhill from here. The characters all seem more real than any I've seen on any other show, and are beautiful in their flaws (of which they all have many). The episodes are far from boring, and the daily successes and struggles of the Bravermans as they make their ways through daily life never fail to provide entertainment. A warning: when you watch this show, you will cry. You will feel as if you are being emotionally manipulated because, let's face it, you are. You will cry tears of joy and anger and sadness, because all of the stupid mistakes and tragic accidents that befall this family. In short, it's a good show. I may sound sarcastic, but every word of this is true.

I tried to like this show, because my husband enjoys it I thought it was something we could watch and enjoy together. I tried. But the Braverman's have to be the family of the oldest brats in television ever. Whine, whine, whine, ordinary bumps in life are portrayed as tsunamis' every single time. No one can get a word in edgewise they are always talking no screaming over one another and saying absolutely nothing. I have no idea why Adam's wife has not been written out of the show what does she add to it nothing. Last night Crosby and Adam bickering over an incident that occurred between the two of them 40 years prior, well good ole dad sits pained at the dinner table, to whatever to speak up and tell them to shut up, and ever suffering mom looks on to her over grown middle age brats who apparently emotionally are stuck at 12. Watching two grown men whine about childhood hurts that should be a distant memory if a memory at all is like listening to fingernails on a black board. But if any of the Braverman's ever heard fingernails on a black board 30 years ago they would still be crying about it. Ray Ramano should run for his life as far away from this annoying liter of 40 something almost 50 something brats before they suck the life and humor out of him and he turns into an emotionless drone like Adam and his no more exciting than white paper wife. This show should have been six feet under 4 seasons ago. Good bye

All the screaming and yelling! Continually talking over one another! So exasperating! The only reason I would occasionally watch is to see Craig nelson and the wife. The rest is a mess!! Each family either whining or screaming and yelling or all three! Just TOO MUCH craziness! It's not even drama. And then that annoying theme song! Oh dear Lord! Thank goodness I finally have a DVR and can roll right through it. It had nothing to do with the "storyline" or was there even a storyline. The overdramatizing of Max character---you just want to reach in and ring his neck. And Ray Romano comes on the show and that's when I quit watching after a couple shows. His character is always the SAME. Only now, more annoying. And the dumb sister that he started the relationship with--they actually might match up well, as they are both equally annoying! All I can say is AMEN!!!