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Harper's Island
62
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Thursday
Southland
69
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Thursday
Parks and Recreation
58
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Thursday
The Unusuals
63
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Wednesday
Rescue Me Season Five 
84
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35
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85
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72
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38
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Harper's Island
SERIES: CBS, Thursday 9:00p (60 minutes)
Starring
Elaine Cassidy,
Christopher Gorham,
Katie Cassidy,
Cameron Richardson,
Adam Campbell,
C.J. Thomason,
Jim Beaver, Matt Barr, Amber Borycki,
and
Richard Burgi
A group of friends at Harper's Island for a wedding are slowly being murdered one by one.
| GENRE(S): |
Drama,
Mystery & Thriller
|
| CREATED BY: |
Ari Schlossberg
|
| FIRST AIR DATE: |
April 9, 2009 |
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...
80
Miami Herald Glenn Garvin
That single season will be hellacious fun. Stuffed with visual puns and sly homages to horror movies from Jaws to Poltergeist, Harper's Island relentlessly mocks film grammar with set pieces that take off in unexpected directions.
80
Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker
Harper's Island is different, and Agatha Christie probably would approve because it's a bloody good time.
80
New York Daily News David Hinckley
Harper's Island is an elaborate horror movie, a twentysomething slasher flick with a really good wardrobe, a first-rate cast and 13 weeks worth of twists and subplots.
80
Washington Post Tom Shales
The fact is, Harper's Island is a cunningly constructed, habit-forming mystery that makes for an intriguing departure from normal episodic television.
75
San Francisco Chronicle Tim Goodman
The writing is just clever enough to probably make the killing-a-week conceit work. And if you're into watching a phalanx of almost-recognizable actors you've seen in work you can almost remember, this is the series for you. Beyond that, it's just plain fun.
75
USA Today Robert Bianco
As much fun as Harper's can be if you're inclined to recline into it, the show was clearly produced with too little talent and, odds are, too little money.
75
Newsday Verne Gay
What a hoot. What a ridiculous, soap-operatic cutup of a series. But if you can stop giggling long enough, as I managed to--quite a feat, let me tell you--Harper's Island is also hugely enjoyable.
70
Philadelphia Daily News Ellen Gray
I managed to gallop through the nine increasingly addictive episodes CBS provided for review.
70
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen
It's an entertaining enough diversion that may grow more intriguing as other series end their season-long runs next month and viewers become more desperate for fresh entertainment.
70
Los Angeles Times Mary McNamara
Harper's Island does not attempt to rise above the confines of its genre because it's too busy rolling around in them. It's tense enough, mysterious enough for those of us who enjoy occasionally watching the screen from behind our hands.
63
New York Post Linda Stasi
It's written like a dopey daytime soap, it basically makes no sense, but it sure is silly good fun.
63
Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan
As guilty pleasures go, Harper's Island may hit the spot. Though perhaps it would have worked best as a summer series?
60
Philadelphia Inquirer Jonathan Storm
Part soap opera, part horror movie, all whodunit, Harper's is diverting, and only infrequently frightening, fantasy soap opera.
60
Kansas City Star Aaron Barnhart
It is a stew made from a teen-slasher base with chunks of prime-time CBS crime shows and some daytime spice stirred in. If the first six minutes work for you, you’ll probably want more.
60
The New York Times Ginia Bellafante
After the first few episodes it remains unclear who, or what, is behind the mayhem, so points, as cringe making as it is to acknowledge, for suspense. The show has missing cash, stolen cash, a freaky black sheep and a menacing brother-in-law.
58
Entertainment Weekly Ken Tucker
R-rated horror flicks have rendered the scariness of Harper's abrupt murders mild stuff; the series could have used more of Christie's tight plotting.
50
Variety Brian Lowry
Harper's Island too often indulges in slasher-movie absurdities, with a murderer who seems to be everywhere at once and genuine clues in too-short supply.
50
Chicago Sun-Times Misha Davenport
Harper's Island is at times suspenseful and intriguing, but it's also a tad confusing.
40
PopMatters Marisa LaScala
Unfortunately, clumsy writing gets in the way of potential insight.
30
Hollywood Reporter Daniel Carlson
Ultimately, the series commits the greatest sin of the thriller genre: It's boring.
30
Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert
After July 2, you won't need to worry about stumbling across this enervating, vapid, and obscenely over-promoted thriller when you're channel surfing.
 The average user rating for this tv show is 5.5 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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