Oliver Beene (2003–2004) User Reviews (39)

This was a great show!

[brenswee · 8/10 · 26 August 2022]

I like to rewatch this show every so often. It's really funny and there are clever little touches peppered throughout the series. Season two's "Kissing Babies" is a standout.

It is a real shame the show didn't get to continue. It is amazing the amount of pure dreck that seems to get to last 10 seasons and quality stuff like Oliver Beene gets cut.

Very Under-rated.

[GiraffeDoor · 8/10 · 31 January 2020]

I find it quite amazing you never hear about this show more. It was such fun, it had an off-beat approach to humour with sort of realistic settings but with people acting characterishly.

It wasn't dominated by '60s nostalgia but gave this show a warm tone that tries to capture the pathos of friends and family being there when you really need them without the brutality of growing up.

Oliver is sweet and charming and not without his flaws. Adult him is the narrator like Wonder years but I never saw that. It plays very agreeably.

And he does win a lot of them.

The rest of the family are also interesting and when I first saw this aged about 11 I thought of it sort of like the other "Malcolm in the Middle". Except this is nowhere near as depressing or hard to watch.

Memorable fantasies like in Scrubs but funnier are the cherry on top.

Personally, I love the final episode but it's all good. It never had a bad one.

Cross between Wonder Years and Leave it to Beaver

[VanillaLimeCoke · 8/10 · 2 January 2013]

First off, in my opinion this was not the best sitcom but I am kind of surprised it lasted 2 seasons.

I remember my sister being into this show more than me. It seemed pretty good but just out of date and too original.

I had thought that after Season 1 the show didn't do so well but then learned it came back for another season and that was it. I thought it was doing so well. But I don't know.

I think airing it on FOX might have been the problem since Malcolm in the Middle was better at the time. Had it aired on another station it would have done better. Also I think Elkie kind of ruined the show. I just kind of found her annoying and bland after a bit.

The show was definitely funny and always kept you guessing. It had a very likable cast of characters. Oliver's parents were not the crazy control freaks like Malcolm on The Middle or The Wonder Years. Ted, Oliver's brother just for some reason reminded me of Wally from Leave it to Beaver.

I relate this show to The Wonder Years fusing with Leave it to Beaver, because The Wonder Years had a voice over and the show's characters seemed like ones from Leave it to Beaver, especially Ted.

Two of the best guest stars I liked were Louis Lombardi (from the hit show 24 as Edgar in Seasons 4 + 5) who plays a stressed out neighbor and Jon Polito (often a mobster in many films like Millers Crossing, but most memorably a reformed man in a MillenniuM episode) who played a very heavyset but yet unhealthy gym teacher.

Ted also had a friend named Harvey who would cause trouble like wildfires. One such incident was when he insulted a fat guy while the kids were home alone, resulting in the fat guy coming over and trying to kill the kids. Harvey had been supposedly banned after throwing a wild party with Ted while Oliver and his parents were out once.

Jerry, Oliver's dad plays as a dentist who is very friendly and cheerful but has a very short but funny temper. Not to mention the fact that he will act like a 10 year old at times.

Overall, I found the series pretty good and surprised that it lasted only 2 seasons instead of one or more.

If you enjoyed Wonder Years, Leave it to Beaver, Malcolm in the Middle, Grounded for Life, and/or The Bernie Mac Show, I would recommend seeing it (if they ever put them on DVD, Netflix, or Hulu (or wait, I left Hulu, so maybe (yeah right) there on there).

Too high-quality for Fox

[itsbarrie · 5 February 2006]

"Oliver Beene" was one of the very, VERY rare family sitcoms that was actually funny, and often hilarious. Well-acted, well-written, and almost entirely anachronism-free. Plus, Andrew Lawrence had to be the cutest thing to appear on TV since George Clooney.

Although Fox's animated programming is mainly daring, high-quality product, they don't support live action sitcoms the same way -- if they did, "Oliver Beene" and "Get a Life" would have run a lot longer.

Rupert Murdoch must have handed down a memo to the effect that Fox's non-cartoon comedies must be all-junk-all-the-time, in order to reach that huge demographic comprised of those who find tired sex jokes ("The War at Home," et. al) and/or people incessantly screaming at one another ("Malcolm in the Middle") to be hilarious.

everything but the boy

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 12 April 2019]

Oliver Beene recalls his childhood. He's 11 in 1962 New York with his dim-witted older brother Ted, loving mother Charlotte, and cheapskate dentist father Jerry. Joyce and Michael are his best friends. Bonnie is the pretty classmate. Ted is infatuated with Swedish foreign exchange student neighbor Elke.

Oliver can be a bit annoying but I do like the family and his friends. It's like everything around him make it enjoyable as a show but the central character can infuriate me at times. Compared to other boy-centric network shows, this has all the basic building blocks. It's a matter of the appeal of Oliver. He's trying too hard and his weasel moves aren't as funny. He does grow on me as his family and friends' relationships make him more appealing and sweeter.

It's a great show....

[jk90 · 21 April 2003]

I totally disagree with the other user comment. I think this show is great. Yes it is a mix of "Malcolm In The Middle" and "Wonder Years" (in fact, the narrator sounds exactly just like Daniel Stern, the narrator from WY), but it's still funny as hell. The characters are fun to watch and the actors seem to have a great time with them. I say take a look.

So what? It's a good show!

[prezkot · 17 April 2003]

Ok, it DOES seem like 'Oliver Beene' is 'Malcolm' meets 'The Wonder Years', but so what? In a world of scarily crappy reality shows, and 50+ years of TV history, isn't better to venture 2 GOOD TV shows, rather than extend ideas from bad ones?

I agree that this show will probably be canned shortly, only because producers don't give shows enough of a chance to improve ratings anymore. I loved Family Guy, and wish it was still on, but it is like the original Star Trek was 35 years ago: a mass cult following formed, but not enough of an overall appeal, like American Idol (joy).

Comedies are a dying breed outside of FOX. CBS focuses on dramas, ABC invokes reality shows and 'family comedies' (which is producer slang for targeted middle-aged audience). WB wants the teenagers, and NBC rounds up the 'intellectual 18-29 who live in New York' (Is Fraiser even funny anymore, or was it REALLY EVER? I mean if you're gonna spin-off Cheers, get George Wendt or John Ratzenberger, not Fraiser Crane). Friends is still funny, but not fresh. And their 'target' audience is not ethnic, so we don't see any NBC leading roles filled by etnicity, only supporting. What happened to Cosby, Fresh Prince, Different World?

Is UPN still even a prime-time station??

But at least FOX, albeit focusing on the dyfunctional slice-of-life, has funny comedies. The Simpsons. Malcolm. That 70's Show. Bernie Mac. King Of The Hill. Family Guy (defunct). Futurama (soon-to-be defunct). Oliver Beene.

And hey, we'd be able to give all these new shows half a fighting chance if they weren't being filled with reality shows (which producers LOVE because they're short, and by now, a guaranteed lock in viewership) like Married By America (the most degrading yet) or until Mr. Personality airs. One day, reality shows will be so ugly, we'll see a televised version of Russian Roulette. I swear we will.

And while Grant Rosenmeyer is no Frankie Muniz, he tries to be real. After all, we all can't be scary bullsh*t like V.I.C.I. in Small Wonder can we?

So to sum up, Oliver Beene is cool. Cherish it now, because you might miss it when it's gone, kinda like Family Guy. And for whoever earlier said Family Guy is much better than The Simpsons, he obviously haven't seen more than 2 episodes. Simpsons still rule.

"Oliver Beene" (Good Show)

[Blooeyz2001 · 4 May 2003]

I like all the characters on this show except the mom. She's too much of a whiney dimbulb. Oliver is chubby & likable. The dad is a big, lovable dolt in a crass, enjoyable way. Andy Lawrence is adorable. He's more of a dizzy himbo (male bimbo) than a monster like the older brother on "The Wonder Years". Oliver's pals (effeminate boy & nerdie girl) are also fun to watch. The colorful, 1960's setting is very nostalgic, but producers should pay more attention to details. In many ways it is a hybrid of "The Wonder Years" (which took itself too seriously) & "Malcom In The Middle" but I was never crazy about either of those shows, but I like this one.

Very Funny Show!

[DemonicXero · 20 April 2003]

This is one of the best things that has come out of FOX for a while. Compared to the mindless comedy of "The Pitts" this show is gold. I wouldn't call this the best show that FOX has to offer, but it is very entertaining and humorous, Hopefully this show will get better ratings and not get cancelled like most of FOX's wonders.

Second episode much more promising

[DaADA1 · 19 March 2003]

It's got heart, and that says a lot. I mean the first episode wasn't a stellar premiere, I'll give you that. But the acting is great! The comedy is more family oriented, and it does a great job at accomplishing what it's set out to do. Isn't that what it's all about? I thought the second episode was very funny, and it's so strange that you can't help but love the way the jokes just seem to just fall out of the scene. It's truly a good-hearted show with some serious moments and real chemistry between these actors. Great job!

They shouldn't of gone for Fox

[General_G · 29 August 2005]

Oliver Beene was a great, funny show. It upsets me that they went to Fox though. Fox isn't exactly the best network to go to for new shows. If they had gone to CBS this show would have probably been successful. Fox doesn't even give the shows a chance. Oliver Beene, The Pitts, The Jury, Quituplets..... Anyway, what I liked about this show was the time setting and also I have always seemed to like shows with weird or goofy families. Jerry was my favorite. Hes always mad at someone and trying to get even with them or coming up with some strange idea. My all time favorite episode was the parking space episode where Jerry was fighting Mr. Novogroder to get the best space out in front of the building. It was funny at the end where Novogoder won and kept that old Ford Galaxie there for eternity.

11-year old boy's comedic struggle to make sense in a world of twisted adults and mostly mean kids

[shpress · 6 May 2003]

Oliver Beane is simply the freshest, funniest show to hit the tube in 2003. It's almost a surreal parody of Leave it to Beaver, with straight clueless parents, an older brother and weird little friends. Every episode yields delicious absurdity and quotable punchlines. Predictably, it won't be lasting long. C'mon Fox, do the right thing and renew Oliver.

Are YoU GuyS Nuts?

[monica555 · 16 March 2003]

come on people, this is a good show. yes, it may be similar to the wonder years, but its different. And just as good. Its a generally funny show and its nice to see andrew lawrence (ted) again. I hope this series lasts more then one seaon, its gunna be good.

luv it !!

[peppyleprechaunofxfiles · 30 April 2003]

I LOVE this show and love is an understatement. It's so funny. Even though I'm not from that time period, the jokes relating to it are still funny. In my opinion it's not really a cross of anything. I love it. In Divorce-o-Rama with the children's show I can relate to it a lot. It is just so fri**en funny.

Dont Listen to the critics.. Its no Malcom or Wonder Years, but its still funny..

[Jdc102 · 11 March 2003]

Alright, first off there's only been 1 episode that has aired in U.S. so far, so there's really no telling if this series will get better or worse.

I originally heard bad reviews of this and I was not going to watch it, but since someone already TIVOed it, I watched it. It was much better than I expected. The reasons why its getting bad reviews is because of its similarities to two better shows, Malcolm in the Middle and The Wonder Years. To be honest, I think the worst problem of "Oliver Beene" is the odd casting. Sure, the kid who plays Oliver looks the part, but he's not really likable and seems he's trying too hard, but maybe he'll grow into the part more, like the kids on "Malcolm in the Middle". The story of the pilot episode was good, especially the way it ended.

Bottom Line: Its not going to change your life, its just an entertainment show and it does entertain.

Thank You

OK -- I changed my mind

[saimahuq · 21 April 2003]

I've watched a bit more of this show, and it is hilarious. Even if it it treading old ground, there is enough comedy to make you laugh out loud. And I love the character of Michael, whom Oliver tells us will grow up gay and adopt a Chinese orphan with his life partner. The kid who plays him is just hilarious!

File This Under The Worst Show Ever Catagory!!!!

[Blue_Jedi · 11 March 2003]

This show is beyond HORRIBLIE...it's like, the worst show EVER on fox. It it trying way to hard to be like that 70's show and malcom in the middle...Fox had some good shows going, like Greg The Bunny, That 80's show, Titus and Family Guy that all dissarpered. I want those shows back!! But NNNOOOO...they have to take those shows off the air and give us a big fat piece of CRAP like Oliver Beene. They should pull this show now and burn the blasted thing...come on fox, quit while your still ahead.

Another version of That's 80's Show and Unhappily Ever After

[Y2p731 · 5 March 2003]

This show is a pure stinker. I mean it's basically ripping off other shows. I saw an episode from the preview party and it's going to be a major bust for this show. Let's see it needs better actors. I don't think that an overweight kid will be good for the show. His character is just not there. A teenage brother's acting is terrible, the mother could be anymore dorkier. The only star of this show is the father who played the producer in Murphy Brown.

Another underdog family tale...

[GlennFerrell · 9 March 2003]

First off, this show cannot be compared to "That 70s (or 80s) Show." If comparisons are in order, it can only be called "Malcolm in the Middle" meets "The Wonder Years." It looks like this will be another tale of an underdog family in their surrounding "hostile" world (1960s in Queens, NY) as seen through the eyes of one of the children (Oliver). It is narrated by the youngest boy (earlier referred to as "chubby" for whatever reason (What, is everyone required to be anorexic in every TV show?). The older, hormonally unstable doofus of a brother (played well by Andrew Lawrence) obsesses over his yet to arrive "first time."

At any rate, it's a rather enjoyable tale. I suspect that it will grow old and lose its appeal as the kids get older and the jokes run out, but enjoy it for now.

Andy was so cute and the show was so funny

[mmkh1 · 30 March 2003]

Andy was so cute in the the show i wish he would be in more part but i am just glad he is in it. Oh and the show was really funny i almost feel out of my seat when the dads caught them kissing each other because i was laughing so hard and when the dads were screaming at each other

Oliver Beene

[cmbowker · 13 June 2005]

Oliver Beene is about a 11 year old boy growing up in the 60's with his weird but wonderful family.

Oliver and his Dad Jerry are the most strongest characters and the Mum Charlotte is a bit weak. Grant Rosenmeyer (Oliver) just cracks me up every time, he has such a grown up face for such a little boy. I like the character of Joyce (Daveigh Chase) she is so grown up for her age and her one liners are hilarious. Most of the characters I hadn't heard of but I did know Andrew Lawrence (Ted) from Brotherly love.

Even though it is a comedy it still has some historical moments in it e.g. John F Kennedy's assassination, racism in the 6o's and th missiles in Cuba. But the programme is still really funny. Most of the jokes are from the characters reactions to the problems e.g. how Oliver copes with bullying.

I don't know why people hated the first episode I found it quite funny. My favourite episode is when Oliver and Ted are left in the flat home alone and they have a fat guy trying to get them. How Oliver deals with it so so funny but just like a normal family sitcom it all blows over. But because it isn't a normal family sitcom it ends in a joke. This programme has left me in fits. I give it an amazing 9 out of 10.

We were led to believe that no one had covered this era before...

[kimkat · 9 March 2003]

I don't know about you, but I think the writers of "The Wonder Years" may have a good reason to be upset with this show...Has Hollywood run out of original programming ideas? Even the narrator is just like Daniel Stern from the Wonder Years! According to the ads, this was going into an area of time no show had ever gone before...Wrong! Fox programming mentality meets the "Wonder Years"...Ouch!

Not Bad At All

[jg185 · 12 March 2003]

This show is a great TV show, though it may not be as funny as other shows out there, it still is a great show. Also, stop comparing it to "The Wonder Years" and "Malcolm in the Middle" this show may resemble those TV shows, it is not a complete rip-off of them. The "chubbiness" of the main character Oliver, adds to the more realism of everyday people, not everyone in the world is picture perfect.

Sadly boring.

[lexorousmith · 10 March 2003]

I watched the premire last night, and I practically fell asleep. It was very unrealistic. Oliver is played by a short fat kid who has a crush on this tall, skinny girl that's probably four years older than him. The big brother looks too young for a woman to take him in a room and show him her bare chest. It's a stupid show. I laughed once or twice, but it wasn't worth it. Don't bother with this show...let it get cancelled like all the other shows on FOX.

Pretty Good

[lauren5589 · 10 March 2003]

I just saw the first episode of this show, it wasn't amazing or anything, but it did have it's really funny moments and I think it will get a lot better as the episodes go on. I thought that the characters of the mom and older brother were actually really good ones, even though the acting wasn't wonderful on any of the characters parts. So it doesn't seem like it will become an instant hit, but I did think it was pretty good.