The latest sitcom from “Cougar Town” co-creator (and longtime AICN contributor) Kevin Biegel, “Enlisted” follows a trio of brothers who find themselves reunited after the eldest sibling punches a superior and is “punished” by being transferred from bloodsoaked Afghanistan to a much safer Florida base to oversee a group of military misfits.
The franchise stars hunky Geoff Stults (“The Finder”) as the smart one, hunky Chris Lowell (“Private Practice”) as the sarcastic one and hunky Parker Young (“Suburgatory”) as the dim one. The great Keith David (“The Thing,” “They Live”) plays the base commander, an amputee who served with the boys’ killed-in-action father.
... All in all, the terrific "Enlisted" is one of the most pleasing network comedies to come along in quite some time. …
... gets a lot of laughs out of life in the military while still demonstrating respect for the military and its soldiers, and genuine affection for its characters. …
... really, really wants to be “Stripes,” but it has none of its panache. …
... has a heart that could beat stronger if the stereotypes get dialed down. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... It's not great comedy and most of the time it's not even very funny comedy, but it's innocuous and the bond of brothers theme keeps us mildly interested. …
... in The Post’s fall season guide, yours truly negatively compared the show to old “Beetle Bailey” comic strips and gave it a C+. But having seen some more episodes, I think they’ve charmed their way up to at least a Grade B-.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... Created by Kevin Biegel, co-creator of "Cougar Town," the humor in "Enlisted" is less gonzo than in his previous series. But "Enlisted" is often still funny, and the bond among the brothers is sweet without getting too cloying. …
... Fox is taking a gamble, a worthy one …
... No one is expecting Enlisted to be M*A*S*H. But in 2014, do we really need F-Troop? … Enlisted may feel curiously dated and dangerously slight, but it's not offensive (a low bar many Fox comedies fail to reach) and it's not cynical. If nothing else, this is clearly a show with heart. Now if only it would show some sign of brains.
... It’s harmless enough given how broadly most of it’s played (think the Three Stooges in basic training) but nothing here is particularly distinctive. …
… just as it managed to find comedy gold in another very difficult genre -- funny cops (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) -- so too has the network found a real gem in Enlisted.... as much as I laughed at the pilot -- which was plenty -- I was slightly worried that the silliness Biegel mines in that first half-hour would seem too over-the-top and dissuade those looking for more subtlety in their humor. But fear not, the balance equals out rather impressively. …
9:30 p.m. Friday. Fox.
