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Testees
SERIES: FX, Thursday 10:30p (30 minutes)

Testees
Critic Score
Metascore: 37 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.4 out of 10
based on 12 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?
based on 32 votes
read user comments
rate this tv show

Starring Jeff Kassel, and Steve Markle

Two friends experience odd side effects from the different products they test.

GENRE(S): Comedy
CREATED BY: Kenny Hotz
Derek Harvie
FIRST AIR DATE: October 9, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

70
Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd
There are people in this world who find flatulence mightily entertaining, and they should be happy here.
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70
Washington Post Tom Shales
The two-zany formula still works for movie after movie, and the occasional TV show. Case in point: Tonight's Testees, airing on the risk-happy FX network; the comedy doesn't push boundaries so much as trounce and trash them.
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60
Newark Star-Ledger Alan Sepinwall
I don't know that there's a long-running series here--even the pilot runs out of steam before the end--but I did laugh several times.
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50
San Francisco Chronicle Tim Goodman
In FX's Testees, viewers get a good premise gone sophomorically sideways.
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40
Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert
The crass gags--some of which I laughed at--ultimately overwhelm everything else. Better to dole out the tastelessness carefully, so that each crude zinger has some value.
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37
Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan
At least these comedies are upfront about what they are: Cheerfully raunchy shows that lean heavily on adolescent obsessions with bodily functions. If that’s your thing, you may enjoy the deadpan Testees.
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30
The New York Times Ginia Bellafante
All of this might be vaguely defensible if “Testees” were trying to satirize the abuses of Big Pharma, or the limited opportunities for dumb white men, or really if it were trying to satirize anything at all. But it just sits there, inert, like a patient on a gurney.
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30
Salon Heather Havrilesky
A show so strange and vile and stupid that I really wish I could strongly recommend it.
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20
Miami Herald Glenn Garvin
Testees probably shouldn't be considered part of the fall season, but let's be fair--it's as lousy as anything the broadcast nets have come up with.
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16
Newsday Verne Gay
It's horrible, horrible, horrible, and you will hate yourself for laughing--although I'm afraid you will.
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10
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen
There's no need to go any further. Testees makes "Kath & Kim" look smart and savvy, a nearly impossible feat.
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10
Variety Brian Lowry
Mostly, this is poor man's Farrelly brothers material, without the explosive wit or glee that would make the raunch irresistible, if not palatable to watch while eating.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this tv show is 7.4 (out of 10) based on 32 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

James L. gave it an8:
Absolutely hilarious, despite what some of the critics say. You probably shouldn't watch this if you're over 35 - except if you smoke pot. There's no backstory which brings my score a bit down.

Amber gave it an8:
I love this show! it can be hard to watch sometimes (like the gay amnesia episode) but its like a clown car got hit by a travailing Circus train. you have to watch it. it disturbingly funny!

Embarrassed Watcher gave it a3:
Shock humor that's too much shock and not enough humor. The concept seems great, but the jokes aren't there. The only redeeming value is watching their bodies undergo various changes, most of which, make me want to vomit and turn off the tv, of which only the latter happens.

Derek F. gave it an8:
This show follows in the traditions of the more oddball and insanely original shows like Sunny in Philly and Stella, Sarah Silverman Prog., Trailer Park Boys, How Not To Live Your Life, Knights of Prosperity, Arrested Development, Etc.... If you are a fan of the ANTI-Sitcom this will be right up your alley. Yes it is juvenile, and lowbrow as hell, but it IS funny and intelligent as well. I am shocked at how many prototypical by the numbers sitcoms get good reviews and major viewerships on a regular basis. Frankly, if you think Two & A Half Men is a "good" sitcom, then you will NOT like this show. If on the other hand, you define a good time by watching someone get hurt while their best frind pisses their pants laughing and pointing at them, then this show is probably gonna float your boat. I hope they will continue to be this funny in future episodes.

Russ B. gave it a9:
Never heard any hype about this show other than the brief commercials leading up to it. I have to say, I didn't think that FX could top the crude (yet awesome) humor of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia but they knocked it out of the park on this one. If you have delicate sensibilities, I would recommend you just go ahead and block FX completely because this is obviously not your forte. I for one am now a fan of the show.

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