Is ABC trying to kill the sitcom? … The show is so painfully witless and dull, your daily commute may begin to seem entertaining in comparison.…The New York Times says:
… it is hard to see how “Carpoolers,” a new comedy created by Bruce McCulloch, might have made it onto the air. The show, which begins tonight on ABC, deploys a single camera, a format that seeks to elevate sitcoms to the sensibility of film. (“Malcolm in the Middle,” for example, used it too.) But here it feels self-aggrandizing. “Carpoolers” cannot maintain the cool distance that its visual style implies. …The Los Angeles Times says:
… A low-rent "Big Shots," "Carpoolers" doesn't have enough edge to be offensive. It just isn't funny. Which is a problem, you know, for a comedy. …The Washington Post says:
… has a certain loopy cuteness to it, but the show lacks a beating heart, some strong central figure to care about and root for. … it's nothing to vilify, but not really TiVo-worthy either.The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… a trip to skip. …The Boston Herald says:
… destined for the breakdown lane. …Boston Now says:
… opens with a great scene - taking a familiar joke and pushing it even further - but alas it's all downhill from there. …Variety says:
… shockingly dull and unfunny … as unlikable as the guys are in "Big Shots," "Carpoolers" takes it one step further with a team of dullards commuting to a random office in L.A. This sitcom is a Sigalert in progress. …The Hollywood Reporter says:
… the equivalent of a breakdown in the HOV lane. … The best thing in the show's favor is its single-camera style and a cast that knows its way around a punchline, though these are few and far between. In general, stories are contrived and exaggerated, and they fail to deliver even a mild comedy payoff. … "Carpoolers," a clunker of a comedy, is stalled in the fast lane. …8:30 p.m. Tuesday. ABC.