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The Ranch |OT| Netflix cues up the laugh tracks on April 1st (Kutcher, Masterson)

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GK86

Homeland Security Fail
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Being a pro athlete didn't pan out for Colt. Now he's helping his dad and brother keep the ranch afloat, and figuring out how he fits into the family.

Release date: All 10 episodes hit April 1st.

Links:


Reviews:

  • Hollywood Reporter:

    A multicamera sitcom created by a pair of Two and a Half Men veterans (Don Reo and Jim Patterson) and driven by a reunion of That '70s Show stars (Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson) is an invitation for derision if you're glib or dismissal if you're just too busy to pay attention. Those who take either approach will be missing something surprising in The Ranch, which turns out to be unexpectedly sensitive, well-acted and formally adventurous, in addition to often being broadly funny.
  • Deadline:

    The Ranch is really two different shows put together. On one hand, the Ashton Kutcher-starring multi-cam sitcom from Two And A Half Men showrunner Don Reo and producer Jim Patterson is a fairly standard, broad-humored Big 4-type show that really has nothing new in it. That show, with Kutcher as an out-to-pasture semi-pro footballer now back on the family ranch after 15 years away, is worth taking a pass on.

    The other show is a surprisingly more acute accomplishment about family relationships and failure than you would expected from the pedigree of this streaming service offering – and that’s something making the effort for, especially thanks to the performances of Debra Winger and Sam Elliot.
  • Variety:

    As noted, Netflix has enjoyed some success (as measured by media attention, since nobody knows the viewer numbers) by seeking to zig where other outlets are sagging, such as its family-oriented “Fuller House” revival. Yet while there’s clearly room for a wide array of original product, “The Ranch” doesn’t exactly feel like the sort of series that merits shelling out money for a subscription. It’s more a mild way for committed Netflix users to pass the time – something to graze on, presumably, once they have consumed pretty much everything with any substance in their queues.

Created by: Don Reo and Jim Patterson

Cast:
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Ashton Kutcher as Colt

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Danny Masterson as Rooster

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Sam Elliott as Beau

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Debra Winger as Maggie

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Elisha Cuthbert as Abby

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Kelli Goss as Heather

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Megyn Price as Mary

Promo photos:

 

Akim

Banned
Variety said:
It’s more a mild way for committed Netflix users to pass the time – something to graze on, presumably, once they have consumed pretty much everything with any substance in their queues.

ouch
 

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
Some more reviews:

Entertaintment Weekly:

But almost. There’s no adorably quirky suburban family or upwardly mobile urban singles looking for love on The Ranch, only hardscrabble “just folks” who steer cattle all day and drink a lot of Budweiser deep into the night. No Blue State liberal worldview, either; the state of mind on The Ranch is a soft, sunset red. There’s some genuine edge, too, and not just because the lines are dirty with F-bombs and randy innuendo. The Ranch is admirably interested in ragged people grappling with shattered dreams and broken relationships.

The Ranch is far from great. It takes time for its blend of broadcast and premium service sitcom sensibilities to gel (or for us to decide to just roll with it), and the laughs just aren’t good enough. But it ropes you with its peculiarities and fantastic cast and keeps you by making you care about the characters.

LA Times:

If he seems a little too dense at times, Kutcher has a good way with amiable idiots, and Masterson does well with bittersweet sarcasm. Still, it's Elliott and Winger (it's exciting just to see her working, I admit), coming from outside the genre, who make "The Ranch" feel at least a little new. Each plays with an economy of expression that makes the dialed-down performances of Kutcher and Masterson seem flamboyant in comparison; their scenes together, as restrained as they are, are the show's most emotionally resonant. You will want to check them out.
 

Bladenic

Member
Not sure how I feel about Elisha Cuthbert being in this. I give just about anything on Netflix a shot though.
 

Mat-triX

Member
I just saw the trailer today (April 1st) and I thought it was a decent April Fools joke from Netflix...than I saw the date of the the trailer...oh no...
 

ahoyhoy

Unconfirmed Member
Damn this looks terrible. How/Why did this get greenlit?

Netflix you are better than this

They're trying to appeal to CBS watchers. It makes sense that they're attempting to cover the board in terms of original content.

Unfortunately, I can see them hitting a ceiling eventually. It's hard for one traditional "Network" to please everyone. Netflix is going to have a hard time funding a vast variety of shows. Hopefully they can control their hemorrhaging license agreements and continue to supplement their original stuff with more outside shows to keep them ahead of the other guys.
 

Grizzo

Member
I love most of the cast (huge fan of That 70's Show, Elisha was awesome in Happy Endings and Megyn Price reminds me of that great Grounded For Life show), so I'm willing to give it a shot.

Plus it can't be worse than Fuller House, imo.
 

Sesuadra

Unconfirmed Member
Well just watched the first episode and Kelli Goss is the best part of the show...
God the first episode was some depressing stuff.
 

Mossybrew

Member
I'll watch Sam Elliott in just about anything so I'll give this a shot even if it doesn't really sound like my kind of show.
 
Reviews are a lot kinder than I was expecting. May check out a few episodes.
Yeah..maybe kinder than they should have been. Laugh track alone is corny as hell lol. Think I've laughed once or twice for each episode (on episode 5 now. Why did I pause to find a thread?)..it's THAT good.

Explains the pillow tho..
 

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
Vanity Fair:

But I’d say the oddest thing about The Ranch, which was created by Two and a Half Men writers Jim Patterson and Don Reo, is simply how compellingly watchable it is, in all its messy, macho, undercooked Real Americanness. It’s unlike anything else on television, even though so many of its forms are re-purposed from TV shows from 20, 30, or more years ago. It deserves credit, at the very least, for doing something different and strange—even if that something is giving us a show whose characters, for the most part, reject difference and strangeness.
 

McBryBry

Member
I'm currently on episode 4 and I'm really enjoying this. Always been a fan of Ashton, plus I didn't realize Danny was Hyde until a bit ago.

Overall though, it's given me more than a few laughs lol. Well done!
 

I think that is ridiculous. The r rated sitcom thing, where established sitcom writers make their own show, that is part sitcom part premium cable, is not original at all.

Showtime has been doing it forever. I haven't seen enough of the show to conclude how much I like it, but I don't think it's particularly original or strange at all.

Nah, I think I would say that about John from Cincinatti or Enlightened.
 

TheYanger

Member
First episode was bad. but I've had it on in the background while playing games and it's gotten better as it's gone on, significantly so.
 

cacildo

Member
I thought sit-coms died a few years back.

I wish sitcoms made a comeback. I love 90s sitcoms

And judging by how much the internet loves to quote seinfeld, friends and the like, i guess a lot of people want them back

But no, this "The Ranch" isnt it.
 

Quick

Banned
I haven't gotten into any multi-camera comedies since How I Met Your Mother, but I'm willing to give this a shot.
 

ryseing

Member
The actors are way too good for this material. I don't have a problem with the concept but there are a couple of problems. Running time is too long (what is with Netflix and extending running times) which leads to long stretches of boredom. Somewhere a better version of this show exists with shorter episodes and slightly snappier writing.
 
The actors are way too good for this material. I don't have a problem with the concept but there are a couple of problems. Running time is too long (what is with Netflix and extending running times) which leads to long stretches of boredom. Somewhere a better version of this show exists with shorter episodes and slightly snappier writing.
Hyde is the only funny person on the show. He's just good at being that character..obviously, from many years of experience.
 

Apt101

Member
This is bizarre. I didn't know anything about it, just saw it on Netflix and fired it up. A laugh track sitcom with filthy jokes and cursing. I'll give it a shot.
 

Caspel

Business & Marketing Manager @ GungHo
Better than I expected. Girlfriend likes it more than Fuller House. Elliott and Matterson are entertaining.
 

U2NUMB

Member
I am enjoying it so far.. not taking it serious but I kinda like the primetime style comedy with full on dick jokes and F bombs. Its an odd mix and I am getting enough out of it to finish the season.
 
I watched the first episode.

Aside from the cuss words, it's a completely typical unfunny traditional sitcom. I'll give Netflix credit for trying to appeal to a more conservative audience I guess. Some of the jokes are painful. This is the type of show that I'd imagine CBS would normally pick up.
 
I hadn't heard about this until I saw a TV spot for it. But it's Netflix only, and I'm not a subscriber, so I guess I'm SOL for now.

It looks mildly entertaining, and I do like the cast.
 

woolley

Member
I liked it overall. I just hope they drop the fake accents. Sometimes they have it and sometimes they don't but it's never a good accent and doesn't add anything to the show.
 

lcd

Member
Didn't care for the first episode that much but found myself enjoying it more in the later episodes.
 
Watched the first six episodes... just wanted to chime in and say that this is legitimately good... probably not as good as Kimmy Schmidt season 1 (yet), but better than some of the reviews I saw on Rotten Tomatoes would suggest.
 

Akahige

Member
I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday and figured this would be something alright to throw on if i fall alseep. Shockingly not bad, not great by any means but it's an okay sitcom. It's safe as fuck even with the f-bombs but it's a nice easy watch.

Like most sitcoms the show lives and dies by the cast and their chemistry, everyone works well together here.
 
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