Angel from Hell (2016) User Reviews (25)

Okay - how much you enjoy it has a lot to do with how much you like Lynch

[cherold · 6/10 · 17 January 2016]

There's a video on youtube called "First Look: Angel From Hell on CBS" that has most of the story and the better jokes and is 5 minutes long. Having seen that before watching the full episode, I would say A) I might have liked this better if I hadn't already heard the best jokes, and B) this might work better as a 5-minute-episodes web series.

The first episode is generally cute, with a very unangelic Lynch claiming to be a guardian angel. It's one of those shows where they don't want to say she is or isn't, which is cute but seems to have less potential here than in Wilfred (U.S. version), which handled that "is it real" thing so beautifully.

One issue I have with this series is that Maggie Lawson really doesn't seem to need a guardian angel. Her life doesn't seem all that bad, certainly not George Bailey bad. This inclines me to think that Lynch is not an angel, in which case she's a very skillful and disturbing stalker and why isn't Maggie calling the police?

Still, if your favorite thing about Glee was Lynch, you'll probably like this show. While I find her generally amusing, I was never as big a fan of her as a lot of people, so for me the show just isn't worth pursuing.

Two shows in... rather weak

[rzajac · 6/10 · 19 January 2016]

Written to be airy wittified fare for casual TV watchers.

Cute, but not that funny. The writing substitutes largely weak, bubbly repartee where there should be stuff that I believe is supposed to be cleverly walking the tightwire between reality and fantasy. Surprised to see one flub in direction resulting in an embarrassingly unexplainable scenario. One saving grace is that the direction often enough does work and is at least consistent. So it's a matter of whether or not you go for that sort of thing. Think of it as a throwback to My Favorite Martian which we're supposed to see as fresh and updated, stylistically.

All the actors are dependably "on" when rolling; at least within the parameters of the coloring book character direction. Production is sufficiently professional. But (as you can tell) all the foregoing isn't compelling enough to quite get me to let my guard down and bask in the mythic glow normally associated with the concept of angelic presence.

If you just want a sweet little show about a doofy guardian angel, this'll do. If you want something truly dramatically/comically compelling, skip it.

It's too bad: If you're going to storm the barricades of t1ghta55ed American Evangelical pop theological correctness, you ought to go a little more full-bore than this. Give us some real irony, even if you're aiming for something lighthearted: They're not mutually exclusive properties of comedy. "God, the Devil, & Bob" is the best example, off the top o' my head, of a show that succeeded at nailing what "Angel from Hell" seems to aim for.

What Show were you people watching

[degaswilson · 7/10 · 8 January 2016]

I thought his show was pretty funny.

I do not know what type of television you people watch, but it certainly cannot be comedies, because you people seem to NOT have any sense of humor at all.

This show was believable and funny. I believed Jane Lynch in this role and I thought she did a good job.

Give it a chance, it's only be on once.

I mean really, if you people still enjoy 2 Broke Girls, you can love this show.

Now 2 Broke Girls is really a horrible show and it's been on for 5 years.

I just don't like the way Max and Caroline interact and tell jokes to each other then smile after they say their lines. It's like they are telling a joke, smiling and waiting for the audience to get the joke and laugh at them.

That's not a situation comedy, that's stand up.

Just all and all, give this show a chance to at least get more episodes out. Jeez

My new favorite comedy...

[Dr_Sagan · 8 January 2016]

Just saw the pilot of "Angel from Hell" and I really liked it.

It has a great premise which can lead to both comedic and touching situations, great chemistry between the two main actresses and fast pace and editing without being hasty.

Jane Lynch plays an unconventional guardian angel (or so it seems, the supernatural element is ambiguous so far, despite some serious indications) who looks after a young female doctor. She gives a nice performance. Funny enough, eccentric and quirky, yet emotional and caring.

I'm reading some negative reviews here, so I guess it is not anyone's cup of tea. For me this show has great potential if it's done right, and so far it looks very promising.

Overall: Quirky, (maybe) supernatural comedy with lots of potential for funny and touching moments.

Hopeful - The concept is good just not the scripts.

[miaculpa-29602 · 6/10 · 17 January 2016]

The concept is timeless and has incredible potential for storyline. With Jane Lynch it shouldn't fail. Maybe there will be a future parody that will do it justice. This perspective just sucks the intrigue from any future episodes. The pilots trailer is deceiving, since suggesting mystery and intrigue which engages the audience with inspiration and curiosity "Amy" is a fallen angel or a person with psychic ability who's identity is a mystery and she claims to be a guardian angel. BUT INSTEAD the episodes emphasize this persona Amy leaving no faults untold and NOTHING to the imagination, as more like a fallen human, more like a surrogate mom, who has cyber abilities,legal boundaries issues even psychological problems and is shaping into a looser. It seems the humor is in that she cant run her own life but is helping Allison run hers. I am hoping for an improved direction with this theme. Still, either way Jane Lynch nails the role and steals the show.

Excellent Start To A Terrific Comedy

[m_lecarre · 8/10 · 19 January 2016]

A somewhat naïve co-lead meets her guardian angel with some natural disbelief. Perfectly cast and the "angel' in particular is absolutely superb in her role as an obviously wise but oh-so-earthly hilariously unconventional woman - even for a hippy on booze. The costume designer deserves mention here especially for the angels outfits which are as beautifully whacky as her character. Actions and facial expressions are not blunt or forced but carry subtle nuances which is a very refreshing change to the more 'type-cast' in stone snarls or grins of the goodies or baddies that pepper so many TV shows and this may go unnoticed by some viewers, especially if you are expecting a stand-up comedic show. I wouldn't want to miss a single future episode if the show keeps to its high standards. It may be inappropriate to comment upon episode 2 here ergo I will just say it was even better than the first. Highly recommended.

somewhat fun

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 31 July 2016]

Allison Fuller (Maggie Lawson) is a dermatologist working with her father Marv (Kevin Pollak). She is confronted by Amy (Jane Lynch) who claims to be her guardian angel and that her boyfriend Evan is cheating on her with her best friend Jill. Brad (Kyle Bornheimer) is her brother. Her mother died a year ago and she has been taking care of everybody except herself.

Some people may be tired of Jane Lynch's brash character acting. I still find it fun if not funny. Everybody is good in this. The show could have helped itself by making Amy's guardian angel claim less proved. It could add intrigue to a rather simple comedy. Instead, it is definitive right from the pilot. This is still watchable network fare but it gets canceled after five episodes.

Serious Waste of Time

[Gianni1948 · 1/10 · 12 January 2016]

Terrible writing and acting. I can't believe Don Scardino is part of this mess. The time and money could have been used for something better. With scripted television in such dire straits, one would hope better efforts would be put forth. I hope Scardino got a decent paycheck for ruining his reputation. This is a much used premise still in the right hands it could be brilliant. Instead the time, money and talent was wasted on something inconsequential. Jane Lynch is a one trick pony and apparently has no range. Everyone else is forgettable. This is not worthy of anyone's time. It's sad because it has no respect for the viewer. Throw it out and start all over again.

Enjoyable Humor

[marta-womack · 8/10 · 29 January 2016]

This is a fun work of fluffy fiction, not to be taken too seriously and I really like it. Do we even know if the character of Amy is an actual angel? No! She could just be a good hearted nut case. It hasn't been revealed and leaves it to your imagination...so far, anyway. The show doesn't have a heavy religious message, so after a hard day's work, it's just what you need to relax to. The show is funny, enjoyable and who doesn't love Jayne Lynch?! She's fantastic, bringing likability, humor and a bit of chaos to the part quite well! Through all her mildly annoying traits, she still manages to be helpful and kindhearted, so if there were a real message, I'd say that would be it!

Very disappointing

[katieintoronto · 3/10 · 27 January 2016]

I first watched this because I'm a fan of Jane Lynch. I've seen her in quite a lot of other shows over the years, some big hits, some not, but I always liked her. But this show just doesn't work for me. First and foremost, the premise: a straight-laced, work driven professional (a highly respected doctor) gets stalked by a loud, abrasive middle aged woman who appears to be a drunk and behaves like a loose cannon, and claims to be the younger woman's guardian angel. Not only that, but the woman also knows amazingly intimate details of the professional woman's life. And begins to interfere in her relationships. And encourages her into reckless behaviour. She has never met this woman before and has no idea how she knows so much or what she wants. But what does the educated professional woman do? Not run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. Not call the police. Nope - she decides she needs a wacky friend. And this bizarre total stranger who gets way too close and causes trouble everywhere she goes will be just the ticket. A wacky friend who's twice her age, who thinks she's an angel, and has a criminal past. I don't know... maybe better writing could've made the premise work better. The acting's okay. The casting's okay. But of the first three episodes I've watched so far, I find nothing to make me buy into this plot line. The relationship seems creepy rather than funny and, because of that, the jokes don't work. I just find myself thinking, "Run! Run while there's still time!" Whether I'm saying that to the character in the show, or to the audience...well...

Interesting

[hjalsayegh · 8/10 · 14 January 2016]

Jane Lynch plays a guardian angel (word angel being used loosely here) that's watching over Maggie Lawson character Allison who is an uptight doctor with a "no fun just work!" policy.

The pilot is interesting and light hearted which got me interested in following this series.

There are two issues I can already spot in this series.

First off this is a one camera production even though it really doesn't have to be! you have a supernatural being that is arguably more demon than angel, why not dramatize it? a single camera approach is more appropriate for more realistic settings and slices of life stories.... or blair witch projects knockoffs! not in a supernatural series, it just cheapens the production.

Second is the dialogue, for the most part the lines are OK, the main actresses are fine and Jane Lynch is living for this role but... some of the lines here are beyond saving, they're so bad they actually take you out of what was supposed to be a heart felt moment! Now admittedly they aren't too many of those but still when they come up you'll notice them!

Over-all this is an interesting series with flaws, still the good out ways the bad by a mile so give it a shot and see how it goes!

Angel from hell should have gone to hell.

[afijamesy2k · 1/10 · 7 January 2016]

Already the new year and already an early candidate on my list of the worst TV of 2016 and it's called angel from hell and it is so bad and so franticly unfunny on so many counts, it makes you wanna scream, now Jane lynch who is fine in glee and some other stuff is awful here as the angel from hell who watches over a woman name Allison fuller played embarrassingly here by Maggie Lawson forming an unlikely friendship, how pity that is and then she becomes truly annoying all the way through just like this piece of junk, angel from hell tries to the comedy version of CBS's former series touched by an angel (which was a drama by the way), but touched by an angel had talent, great acting and great stories, this TV show is just so stupid it makes you cry so hard, why did they even try to make this a good show who cares?

Cause this show is not good to wipe your feet in

thankfully roma downey didn't appear in this mess.

Angel from hell should have gone to hell and I Give it an F.

Very funny show.

[cliffmccartney-59777 · 10/10 · 6 August 2016]

Quick banter, wry wit, and the right kind of silly. (Shades of the well done gem, "Psych") It is a perfect blend of Jane Lynch's sardonic style, and Maggie Lawson's superb comedic straight-man skill (wrapped in her effortless beauty). And Kyle Bornheimer brings a his game by making the cool-guy-jock character sensitive, a little clueless, and hilarious. "Angel from Hell" is a funny show with characters I actually care about, and humor that feels organic. If you like "Life in Pieces", "Modern Family", and even Maggie Lawson's long running home, "Psych", then you will appreciate this character driven comedy as the fun, smart, playful comedy that it is.

Not that bad to cancel...but then again..

[Deathracer · 4/10 · 24 April 2016]

I watched all the episodes without a clue about the show beforehand and I was somehow enjoying it. I think this is a show you can pass time without pain.

After watching I found out that this show was cancelled. I agree that this could have been a disaster, but when Jane Lynch do what she does, it is really good TV. I mean very few can play the fine line between an angel and a crazy person at the same time.

Then again I found episode 5 was really dull and not what people would expect..something that make you give up watching.

Cast is not bad at all and the story is decent for what it is. It sure seems tailor made for Jane Lynch. Since I have seen wayyy baaaad TV shows than this, I can without a doubt say this show is not that bad.

----UPDATE-----

So I watched the rest today and I was right. After episode 5, it was going downhill fast. Very stupid jokes and the fast nonsense talking becomes irritating and lame. I really enjoyed the first 4 episodes and it's like after that the writers quit the show.

Fab!

[anniesa2603 · 10/10 · 24 January 2016]

It takes a lot to make me laugh watching t.v shows and movies. It also takes even more to make me want to write a review. This show really cracks me up, It's so funny. Love the idea of Jane Lynch been an Angel. Great humor and I hope it continues. I think anyone a fan of Lynch would love this show. The other leading actress is pretty good too. Love some of her facial expressions in the show. Top comedy. One of the best I've seen in a long time. If I think about it in my mind if Jane Lynch was to be an angel she would probably behave just like her character in the show. I think it's Fabulous! I would recommend it for sure.

I Enjoyed It!

[xetaprime-64257 · 8/10 · 8 January 2016]

I'll give this an 8 out of 10 for room to improve and I'm really disappointed by all the negative reviews around the web. I enjoyed everyone's performance and the snappy witty dialogue. Jane Lynch is perfect as an Angel with a tendency to get sloshed. And who doesn't love Maggie Lawson? Anyway, it was good to see Kevin Pollack, though he didn't have much of a role (yet) as Allison's father. Was it an original storyline? Perhaps not and as a pilot the writer's should have really pushed something new with an Angel from Hell theme. But still I was happy to have seen it. Pilots often suffer and some with horrendous critiques, just look at Seinfeld. I hope they don't cancel it before given a chance. Fingers crossed.

A show perfectly made for the lead

[soporific · 9/10 · 11 January 2016]

It's scandalous that the author of the featured review for this show admits he hasn't actually seen the show and bases his entire review on one 10 second clip! Work it out, IMDb!

I gave this show a chance purely out of spite, especially when I saw it had Jane Lynch in it. She was half the reason to watch Glee and, as it turns out, this show is the perfect vehicle for the style of humor we've come to expect from her, but this is a better and updated version: sharper, darker, and, most importantly, funnier! All the people behind this show need to do is keep up the quality of the writing and to not waste the talent they've brought in. I love the hell out of Kevin Pollack and I hope he gets to do another episode.

But Jane Lynch is the reason to watch. If you liked her in Glee, you won't be disappointed. I should point out that this show is nothing like Glee so if you hated that show, please don't be put off!

9 laughs out of 10 from me.

has potential - light comedy (spoilers)

[ikbencalimero · 9/10 · 8 January 2016]

Quirky beginning but captured my interest halfway through the first episode, keeping in mind that it's a pilot. I really liked the story line that is similar to my own life story: a woman named Alice that lost her mother and takes care of everyone around her and with that attracted a jerk as a boyfriend. Consumed by grief she decided to work as much as she can to keep her mind busy. She meets her guardian angel who can not help but intervene personally. Her personality keeps the show interesting. She is funny, weird and likes booze, but she has the attitude that is necessary for the way too sweet doctor Alice. I can only say: the end was moving and sweet and made me wanting for more. This series has potential if done right, but only a few more episodes can tell. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before me before watching the show. Very harsh. Just sit back, enjoy,relax...

Please return

[MintMelonSorbet · 10/10 · 14 January 2022]

I just learned about this show and binge watched the entire season in a day. I can't believe there will never be anymore new episodes. It's a charming light comedy that doesn't get boring. There was more meat left to this story but it's still satisfying escapism if you need entertainment. I've noticed some raters are saying that you'll like this if you liked Jane Lynch in Glee. I should mention that I liked neither Glee nor Jane Lynch's character in Glee yet I adored her as Amy in Angel from Hell.

One of the best sitcoms ever made that wasn't given a fair chance!

[MyMovieTVRomance · 10/10 · 15 January 2018]

When I say this show is one of the best sitcoms ever made, I'm not kidding! How so? Well, in the way that it took the traditional lightheartedness of the sitcom format, and combined it effortlessly with the twists and turns of the more complex drama format. No, this was not heavy, or deeply intellectual. In fact, many might call it fluff. But, it's fluff with substance! It's amusing, uplifting, surprisingly inspirational, and in the end, keeps one guessing and wanting more!

At the start of this series, we aren't sure if Amy is an angel, as it goes on, we begin to believe she is (and at one point, we're even teased with the possiblity that she might literally be an angel from actual Hell- the place), and even further into the show, just when we start to be sure of Amy's angelic being, it is revealed that she is a married woman, and her husband comes knocking on the door to take her home. So, one could conclude that Amy was just a crazy lady- but then again, there were some things that seemed to be supernatural about her. So, I'd say there was so, so much more to the story left to tell, and many twists left to turn. Therefore, canceling this show was one of the dumbest decisions CBS ever made!

Good Show

[broseidon42 · 8/10 · 20 August 2016]

The writing was lackluster at first, but really started to find its voice by the end of season/series.

At the beginning, all the characters except Amy sounded too similar. Their dialog was mostly the same and quite boring. If I had to read the script without character headings, I wouldn't have been able to distinguish who was saying what. That's how similar they were.

It took a solid five or six episodes for the characters to establish their behavior patterns, which was unfortunately too late as the network had announced its cancellation. The eps burnt off during the summer were slightly different in tone and were actually quite funny because the series had enough time to establish itself.

Allison was also a problem. Her character is poorly conceived because she's too generic. There have been countless attempts at Amy/Allison duos, and they are always the same dynamic. Allison could have had a more interesting backstory, profession, or some other trait to make her stand out. She starts as a copy of her dad, and her character growth is mostly stagnant, but differentiates from Marvin because he's now dealing with his own issues (age, relationships, etc.) that make him more dynamic. From a casting perspective Maggie Lawson's resume seems to have similar types of characters.

There was too much time wasted for setups, and this usually hurts a show and its ratings. Rather than consuming half a season to establish the character universe, plot arcs, or behavior patterns, Angel from Hell likely would have been more well conceived had it jumped straight into the chaos without warning.

Jane Lynch is divine in all her scenes and steals the show. The cast has a chemistry with each other toward the end and it's apparent they enjoyed working together.a

It's evident from watching the show that the series concept wasn't fully developed prior to shooting, and used valuable time to do so as the writing room explored its possibilities. That's why ratings tanked and it's unfortunately gone.

It was just a nice show to watch. I don't really know how to describe it, but Angel from Hell was entertaining and that's all I can ask from in a TV series.

Jane Lynch is so good

[SteffieB · 9/10 · 20 January 2024]

Found this show by accident on Paramount and what a bummer that it was yanked in 2016 because it's pretty hilarious. Jane Lynch needs more opportunities to shine like she does here. I'll watch her in anything. Lynch and Maggie Lawson (loved her in Psych!) are a great comedy duo, but the whole cast is spot on. Kevin Pollak is always reliably good, with Kyle Bornheimer perfectly cast to round out the stars. Silly fun, with adult humor, too, this a totally binge-able single season that will leave you asking for more.. if you, too, like quirky adult comedies. So now I'm left to find "more like this"..

big mistake ...

[meshannon · 10/10 · 10 January 2017]

... canceling this show. This show was really cute. If people weren't watching it, it was simply bc they didn't know about it. There is so much crap on air today ... it was nice to see something funny. Now I am just writing to make the 10 lines minimum which is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. You won't see any more reviews from be because of this. How can you expect everyone to have diarrhea of opinion. I said what I needed to say in 2 lines ... but you are going to make me continue to write until I reach 10 lines??? this is total insanity and I am sorry I started ... should have just quit on the first error message. I can't believe there is a MINIMUM ... I hate this forum and won't be back! OOOPS that is 11 lines will that be another error?

Just A Fun Show

[cshine18 · 8/10 · 24 July 2016]

Angel From Hell is hilarious and just a really fun show, if you give it a chance. It really puts a fun twist on the guardian angel concept, without being offensive. Jane Lynch is hilarious as always, but for me Kyle Bornheimer and Kevin Pollak really steal the show. The two have great chemistry together, but everyone on the show is really great though. Plus the writing is funny and clever. It's disappointing it got cancelled so early, it really grew on me and got funnier as the season went on. I think if people actually gave it a shot, they would find how funny it really is. Even though it's only one season, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a new fun show.

I think I've figured it out

[peebolp · 8/10 · 7 October 2023]

Maybe I have? I've loved Maggie Lawson in everything I can think of her being in, but I think, chemistry wise, she's the 'it' that is missing. This isn't meant to be a cruel review. She's great in the show, but chemistry is lacking, and I think it's simply her style. She's so fantastic that it's hard to put a finger on the problem, but look at the style of the other main characters. Jayne Lynch, Kevin Pollack, even Kyle Bornheimer... They're off the cuff people that give that "Anything can happen" energy... improve. When it's cut off by stylized humor the jokes fall a bit. I understand she's supposed to be uptight, but it isn't about the character. It's about the chemistry between the actors and the flow. Revamp the show with Emma Stone. I'm not saying she'll do it OR it'll work, but I think this really could be a hit with someone that can be uptight, but not shut the humor down entirely even though their lines are funny, too. Rhythm. The rhythm is off, and I think I figured out why.