Cuckoo (TV Series 2012– ) Poster

(II) (2012– )

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7/10
Watch season one...then STOP!!
planktonrules3 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Cuckoo" is a very frustrating show to watch. Season one was amazingly fresh, funny and worth seeing. Season two was...well...crap and I stopped watching the program after a few of these unfunny and very inconsistent episodes.

So what happened? Well, the main character of the show, Cuckoo, was played by Andy Samberg. And, at the end of season one, Samberg returned to the States to star in "Brooklyn Nine Nine"....and never returned. After all, more money and more fame certainly would have appealed to any actor. The problem is that someone thought it would be a great idea to pick up the series two years later---starring Cuckoo's son that no one knew about....and he's played by a guy just barely younger than Samberg. This made no sense. Nor did it make sense when one of the main characters, Cuckoo's wife, has a personality that was a 180 degree turn. Instead of young, carefree and flakey, now she's with a dull man and living a very dull life...at least until she eventually hooks up with the newly discovered son! Huh?!! Who thought any of this made sense? And, most importantly, it just wasn't funny. The final straw for me was the scene in one of these season two episodes where a couple are making love in a tub when suddenly he has explosive diarrhea...and you see it! Funny as cancer.

My advice it by all means watch season one...then please, please STOP!!! Your brain will thank you for that. And, if you don't believe me, read through the reviews. Almost all those who gave it 9s and 10s were written during season one....and those written later nearly all hate the cast change like I did.
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7/10
Andy Samberg 9 Stars, Taylor Lautner 1 Star
clintstevens18 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I wondered why a show was named after the main character since he (Andy Samberg) disappeared after season one. After doing a little checking I noticed there was a year gap between season one and two. I assume that Samberg must have had other commitments and couldn't return after the first season. I have never much cared for Andy Samberg but this role was tailor-made for him. He plays a dim-witted hippie type who's personality drives his father-in-law batty. I rarely laugh out loud but 'Cuckoo' made me chuckle more than once. That being said, seasons two and three were nowhere nearly as funny. The family still has their funny moments, but Taylor Lautner is horrid. His role as Cuckoo's son is not at all funny and I couldn't help but think how much better it would have been if Andy Samberg had continued his role. I find it interesting how the reviews are divided; some hated season one but loved seasons two and three and vice-versa. Put me down for one of the viewers who preferred the first season.
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7/10
Love the first season
heather_lynn_brown2114 January 2019
I honestly had no clue Cuckoo was Andy Samberg, the character is amazing. Every 9actor and character is great and hilarious. It was a great season, but of course series keep going and change. I'm not as crazy about the new character and actors. I binged watched the first season in a few hours, but it took me much longer to watch the next few. And I didn't even finish the last season and I don't care to.
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7/10
Enjoyed it
Daaaave11127 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
We really enjoyed this show. However we're pretty frustrated at the fact that Dale (Taylor Lautner) is written out with no explanation whatsoever. We simply get a 'Dale's gone' line and that's it. To be honest we only finished season 5 hoping they'd be more closure with his character. To build up his relationships over 3 seasons only to write him out only with a 'he's gone' frankly is an insult to viewers. Surely the writers are creative enough to come up with an on screen send off of sorts. How anyone thought that was a fine enough idea is beyond me.
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9/10
Just maybe we have a classic here...
steven-2221 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
After watching the first episode, I wasn't sure I could watch more, not because the show was badly made, but because it was so excruciating...the subjection of hapless father Ken to the sheer madness of his various family members might just yank too many chains! But with each subsequent episode, I found the evolving relationship between Ken and his dithering, maddening son-in-law more compelling..loved it when they inadvertently took E together!..and by episode 6, I was actually quite moved by Ken's acceptance of his situation. How this happens is utterly believable (within the logic of a comedy show!) and very subtly accomplished. There is a sweetness here that transcends the surface story, acknowledging in equal parts the absurdity and the strange beauty of existence. When a comedy series achieves this level of storytelling, it may just become a classic.
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6/10
One season too many.
kuhlman-2594226 April 2019
The 5th season is awful. Andie MacDowell is terrible and the show is no longer funny. Needed to end after the 4th season. No Dale? No laughs.
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9/10
This is the one to watch if you enjoy British Comedy!!!
tkf-110 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I stumbled across this series after watching "Bad Education" featuring Jack Whitehall looking up the title on Wikipedia revealed this statement;

"At the time of the series launch it broke BBC Three's record for the highest-rated first episode of a comedy, which was previously held by Horne and Corden, but is now held by Cuckoo"

Intrigued I decided to look up and view what Cuckoo had to offer. After watching the firsts episode I must admit that I wasn't majorly impressed. The pilot was "OK" and didn't instantly reel in my attention.

Lets be fair here, even some of the best series' like "Spaced" had a pretty slow and boring first episodes which merely sets the plot. Cuckoo was very much so, true to this statement.

I am so happy I went on to view the second episode because it was hilarious. The third episode however, has to be my favourite, which shows our once beloved Greg Davis who played Mr. Gilbert in the Inbetweeners, completely off his face on MDMA and crashing a party his 16 year old son is attending, where he is trying to impress a girl he has a crush on.

This is a British comedy through and through, dark and gritty, with a slight hint of American thrown in there by Adam Samberg (but only the best bits). Topped of with some fantastic acting and killer laugh out loud scenes (and I genuinely laughed out loud, which is unusual for me). I'm going to have to be honest here, the only problem I found with this series was that the first episode wasn't as gripping as the rest and that there are only 6 half hour episodes in the series. I was left wanting much more because you really connect with all of the characters and the plot is fantastic.

Look, if your not hooked by the third episode then you are waisting your time, but it saddens me to know I have an entire year to wait before the possibility of another series :P Fantastic series and I really hope it does well for itself.

9/10
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Awesome Fresh Comedy that the Whole Family could Enjoy!
meltinzone25 October 2012
What a truly funny, really funny, show! Where to start? Well if you're a fan of Andy Samberg (That's My Boy, Hot Rod) then there's a pretty good chance this'll quickly become your favorite new comedy! Even if you have no idea who he or any of the other cast are, well I'd still be willing to bet you'll get at least one, really good, laugh out loud moment per episode.

I'm a 24yo dude who really enjoys a good laugh. Therefore I have no doubt that others around my age (or older/younger - who also have a mellow outlook on life) will also be able to relate to this show on soooo many levels. Hell, even my folks find it funny. The difference between them and myself, I burst out in uncontrollable laughter throughout entire episodes of Cuckoo, whereas they being parents (and probably relating their/my relationship and their/my views), well let's just say I've still heard a few good chuckles escape their bodies ;)

The cast are awesome, particularly the on-screen chemistry from the two leading men. Add to that the fact you can root for both characters, and at the same time! Well what more can one want from this funny and amazingly written gem? I've got to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how well Cuckoo addresses modern families and relationships through comedy. We've come a long way from the classic stigmata of working man, stay at home wife and kids, etc. Well, Cuckoo gives us a pleasant look at one type of modern family environment and relationships, that many either have experienced (first or second hand) or will very likely experience themselves at some point in their journey of life across this modern yet ever changing world.

Before you judge it, give it an episode, or two or many :) Just remember what comedies are for, unwinding and having a laugh at other people and their predicaments. I personally find having experienced something like Cuckoo first hand only adds to the show/scenario and makes it even funnier. I'm sure many will relate to it on many different levels.

My idea of comedy? Well here's some other funny TV shows I enjoy/ed; South Park, Crank Yankers, Bored To Death, Chuck, Fonejacker, That '70s Show, Wilfred, Robot Chicken, Workaholics, IT Crowd, Family Guy, Futurama, Boston Legal, WKUK, Beavis and Butthead (new season) -- there's a ton more but that's a pretty diverse list of shows that have all, at one point or another, had me (quite literally) in tears laughing.

So take from all that what you will, even if it helps just one other give Cuckoo a chance, then it has done its job! Happy laughing :p
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7/10
Season 1 is amazing
nilsonsc19 January 2020
I'm not a big fan of comedies, but the first season is really good. Love the construction of all characters. Cuckoo is annoying as hell, but you learn how to tolerate him (and he is supposed to be annoying). Unfortunately in the next seasons they had to replace the main character and even changed his wife, so it looks like a completely different show. I tried continuing, but it wasn't good...
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10/10
Truly Hilarious
evronfountain16 May 2016
This show is severely underrated. Not many shows get me to truly laugh out loud, but this one takes the cake. Most people don't give it the credit the show deserves because it is based in England where most people can't relate to the culture out there, but it still captures the attention of comedy lovers who truly understand comedy. The cast is phenomenal. For being a UK series, it deserves 10 out of 10 stars. Taylor Lautner in season 2 really shows his true acting ability. Cuckoo truly deserves to be broadcast in America because the show genuinely has great writers and the plot is really good. If you are a fan of good comedy, I highly recommend Cuckoo.
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6/10
First season is good, the rest are bad
ssvfolder-19 February 2021
Started watching this one on netflix and actually really enjoyed the first season. Obviously from all current British comedians Greg Davies is good, but make no mistake it was Andy Samberg's comedic touch and the chemistry that made the first season such a hit. Replacing Samberg was a bad idea. I understand they wanted to cash in on the success of the first season, but it really wend downhill and fast. The fifth season is the worst, so if you want to have a good impression of it, just finish up after the first. You won't be missing much afterwards.
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8/10
"He's gone"
lorynnicole18 June 2019
Did you really just muck up 4 seasons of greatness with the joke that is season 5?

Dale's just "gone". Really? So, basically no one could be bothered to come up with a creative story as to why a major character left.

The script writing has been ok for season 5 at parts, but it's very unrealistic and over-the-top for some of the scenes in comparison to the usual Cuckoo that the fans once loved. Yeah, like everyone would coincidentally be at some random mansion at the same time for their own reasons. Totally believable...smh.

Please fix what you have broken before people the show sinks into a complete mess.
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7/10
Season 1 awesome, rest meh
DieterVDW8 March 2020
We discovered this by accident, and absolutely loved session one. Laughed our assess off!

Andy Samberg is absolutely great in playing the goofy annoying but loveable step-son, driving the always genius Greg Davies up the wall.

We started season 2, but not loving the acting of the new guy. Maybe it's a European thing, but the acting of the English actors seems way better than the new American guy. Apparently he has done big roles before, but contest doesn't seem to be his knack. (Andy's screwball comedy was awesome contrast with the English humour though!) The new actress playing Rachel is a bit boring and in no way as good and funny like the actress from the first season.

Don't think we'll make it far in season 2...
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5/10
What happened to Taylor Lautner?
saadgkhan26 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Cuckoo - B (Good)

Season one was funny with hippie Adam Sandberg with crazy InLaws. However, in 2nd season Andy Sandberg left and they added new Rachel who has no characteristics of season one's Rachel and acts all doe eyes Infront of Taylor Lautner was just cringeworthy. Also, the incest mom joke for 100th time is not funny. I haven't seen Taylor since Twilight, geez how the cookies crumble. He tries to be funny and seems genuine but I couldn't shake off how he ends up here from a budding movie career like Robert Pattinson and Kirsten Stewart. And what about that Laugh?!? It's soo cringeworthy.

I really enjoyed the comedic timing of rest of the cast Greg Davies with Emily from Friends and brash son Dylan. I wished instead of changing Rachel, they should just introduced new Rachel as another daughter or something.

Anyways, its time-pass show gets worst and dumber season by season.
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Watch season 1 forget season 2 and 3
dogonu-215-96573829 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The first season is excellent. The chemistry is great between all the cast members but after losing half the cast season two and three go off the rails in chemistry and writing. They ruin the whole premise of the show. The first season is a great funny series that works well and they should have left it at that. Instead they tried to create some off the wall story line where Cuckoo's son of some island girl comes back as a type of shaolin monk who falls in love with his step mother. Its too disturbing and not really funny. You may get a few chuckles here and there but over all its DOA. I thought it an American thing to try to keep a dead story going way past its sell by date but the brits have shown they can screw up a good thing as well as the US.
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7/10
Shame about S5
vanessapoyser24 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This should have ended at season 4 when Taylor Lautner left. Season 5 was so over the top, hated Andie Macdowell's character. The way they wrote out Dale was just disappointing!
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10/10
Hilarious, lovable comedy
benedwards84828 August 2014
One of my all-time favourite comedies, Cuckoo makes you watch it with a smile on your face, at times makes you laugh uncontrollably but also creates real connections with the characters. Some of the lines are simply priceless, and still make me laugh days after the episode. Series one takes a couple of episodes to get going, but by the third of the series, the characters have all bedded in well and it reaches its potential. I would urge anyone who is unsure after watching one or two episodes to persevere.

The second series is arguably even better than the first, with 'Tribunal' in particular one of the funniest episodes of anything I have ever seen. What makes this comedy great is the characters, who all complement each other perfectly. Greg Davies' performance as Ken is a highlight, and Adam Samberg and Taylor Lautner play their wacky, new age characters to perfection and without stealing too much attention, despite their fame.

In conclusion, I could not recommend Cuckoo high enough, and would urge anyone to watch it.

10/10
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6/10
Started really good. Got destroyed by production.
milk_graff21 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The first season was so enjoyable that we binged it in a afternoon. Andy Samberg's presence was obviously uplifting for the whole cast. The show is named after his character... Then for a few reasons unknown to us, Samberg's character dies OFF SCREEN in the first few minutes of the S02! And then, we are introduced again to Rachel, as she was recasted. Well.. It took us less than the whole episode to realize that the show lost it's initial vibe and closed it with no intention of trying it again. It's sad.
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10/10
The Best of Britain and America joined together!
dawn-7817 September 2013
Born British and living in the USA, I usually appreciate keeping my cultures separate. However in this case a bit of co-mingling of USA and British comedy works really well.

The premise of a really "good" daughter jaunting off with friends and on a whim marrying this man who is so different from her, actually makes sense and of course a great basis for a British Comedy.

Greg Davies is brilliant as the bewildered father who week after week cannot fathom what has happened in his household overnight.

Andy Samberg is so meant for the role of the hippie, pot smoking, free loving, non-working husband of the "good" daughter.

You have to watch all of the episodes as the relationship between father and son-in-law changes and grows, because that's what this series is really about.

I loved this and cannot wait for the second series which I heard will air in 2013. Maybe Andy will be able to balance filming Brooklyn Nine-Nine in the USA with a hop back over the pond to continue his evolving relationship with Greg Davies!
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7/10
1st series the best
stly99917 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This is how it goes:

Series 1 Great (9/10) Series 2 (BIG change of cast) Not so great but I got used to the new cast members (7/10) Series 3 and 4 ... Like series 2 - some funny episodes but I still miss actors from series 1 (7/10, 7/10) Series 5 (Another big change of a cast member) Just really never worked for me.(5/10)
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8/10
Why Andy McDowell??????
agkona25 April 2019
I absolutely can't stand her voice. What a stupid character. The show is ruined. Can't watch it now.
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6/10
Season 1 was great!
nicholsonbridget24 January 2019
Season 2 is falling flat for me. They replaced Rachel, and the new one isn't as charismatic. And Andy Samberg was replaced too!

I'm going to power through, maybe it'll get better.
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8/10
Lautner Funny
lantaguy7-858-55839012 August 2019
Lautner has obviously struggled over the years to find his niche, but with this series I think he's nailed it: Comedy!
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7/10
It started good.
chulapito26 April 2019
Season 5 brings the show down a step, simply awfull, out of ideas.
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5/10
First season is gold, but the rest is barely bronze
janmanden21 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
It's really a matter of taste of course. If you love bizarre, wacky (and slightly romantically suited for your girlfriend) shows with uniquely crazy characters like Nine-Nine, New Girl, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and so on you'll grow to love the first season after the second episode which is about the same time that you finally realize why Cuckoo seems so familiar..

Unfortunately it all ends after the first season and after watching the first episode of the second season you'll be sinking into a dark hole, because Cuckoo is gone and Rachel has been replaced with someone else and while Ken and Lorna do a pretty good job they are sorely missing Cuckoo. The disappearance of Peralta, erm, I mean Andy Samberg is a massive blow to the show. The chemistry is all gone and as the show goes on it becomes more and more apparent that the series move in a completely different direction.

The second season is basically a spin-off starring Ken and Lorna. I wonder what the rest is, but the loss of Cuckoo was a major turn off point for my wife and I.

10 with both thumbs up for the first season. 0 for the total disappointment of the turn after first season.
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