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Surface
SERIES: NBC, Monday 8:00p (60 minutes)


9.3

based on 23 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?

based on 281 votes
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Get more information on this show at TV.com.

Official Show Site

Starring Lake Bell, Jay R. Ferguson, Carter Jenkins, and Rade Sherbedgia

Strange creatures are found in the sea in NBC's sci-fi adventure which, unlike its last nautical series, is mercifully free of talking dolphins.

GENRE(S):	Action / Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
CREATED BY:	Josh Pate Jonas Pate
FIRST AIR DATE:	September 19, 2005

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...

Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd

"Surface" is steeped in Spielberg, and is better Spielberg than Spielberg has managed in quite some time.

Miami Herald Glenn Garvin

Surface has no complex or cynical subtexts; it's straight-ahead sci fi.

PopMatters Cynthia Fuchs

It helps that Bell is able to suggest complexity, emotional and moral, even when the dialogue fails her.

LA Weekly Robert Abele

So far the stern-faced Lake Bell’s independent-minded oceanographer is too conventional a protagonist, while the series’ government cover-up thread... feels globally warmed over.

Entertainment Weekly Dalton Ross

This by-the-numbers entry is pretty damn toothless. [23 Sep 2005, p.81]

Detroit Free Press Mike Duffy

Lame storytelling and dialogue.

The Onion A.V. Club

Surface can be creepy fun, but the obvious debt it owes to the oeuvre of Steven Spielberg--from the hidden beasts and government stonewalling to the suburban angst and working-mom pluckiness--makes the rest of the show feel blandly familiar.

Chicago Tribune Sid Smith

Though relentlessly ominous, "Surface" is, so far, only good for surface scares.

Newsday Diane Werts

The pilot serves up flashy ooh-ah instead of anything tangible to wrap our arms around.

Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker

The most enjoyable moments go to the North Carolina boy (Carter Jenkins). It's too bad Surface didn't narrow its focus and become "A Boy and His Blob."

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Melanie McFarland

Interesting, but the sprawling pilot doesn't do "Surface" any favors.

USA Today Robert Bianco

There isn't a moment of wonder or suspense in Surface, or a single performance or character that is even remotely involving.

Variety Brian Lowry

The best thing about "Surface" thus far is NBC's promo campaign, which, sliced into bite-sized bits, actually makes the program look considerably better than it is.

The New York Times Alessandra Stanley

Offers a ho-hum monster and the kind of stock characters that we've seen too many times before.

Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert

It's a bland Spielberg wannabe that doesn't succeed in evoking much creepiness or wonder

Hollywood Reporter Barry Garron

There's nothing particularly appealing about any of the folks having the close encounters.

Kansas City Star Aaron Barnhart

Whoever wrote the first episode of “Lost” didn’t crowd the screen with dimwits forced to recite grade-B TV drama drivel. By that standard, “Surface” doesn’t get a pass.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen

At first glance... it comes off as silly sci-fi, a not-so-intriguing series that wades into all-too-similar waters as two other fall shows. The difference in this one is that the water is noticeably more shallow.

New York Daily News David Hinckley

Desperately trying to be mysterious like "Lost," this show, by any other name, turns out to be an ironically diluted version.

San Francisco Chronicle Tim Goodman

You won't really want to spend another hour with these people.

Time James Poniewozik

The series hopscotches to so many locations (the Carolinas, the Antarctic, the ocean trenches) that you briefly forget that it gives you no reason to feel afraid or intrigued or anything else.

Chicago Sun-Times Doug Elfman

The most confusing ensemble drama of the new season.

Philadelphia Inquirer Jonathan Storm

One of the lead characters is an evolutionary biologist, which makes sense, since there's not a lot of intelligent design here.

The average user rating for this tv show is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 281 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Rach E. gave it a9:
The intellectual standard must not always be met to deliver an entertaining piece. This show, it one such case. While diverting from plausibility at times each episode is consistently entertaining with a charismatic leading cast. It's a fun hour to have with enough curious plot twists to tickle the imagination. It's a simple, honest show that deserves to be en joyed for the purity of what it is. A good program.

Adrian H. gave it a10:
Absolutely fantasic, an original story line that breaks the boundries of scifi and the family, a must for any family with teenage kids and parents alike

julie y gave it a10:
I loved this show and was very disappointed when it was cancelled

Masha M gave it a9:
My 9-year-old son and I happened to stumble on the Surface just this year on the re-runs and we are both very disappointed that it only made thru first season. WE are bog fans of the Stargate and that is canceled too. Some people mentioned Lost-- Lost had me lost, it felt like too complex to follow. Maybe Surface was too simple for the critics, but it sure made sense. I am so sick of getting hooked on the show and have the network cancel it. And, no, Sci-Fi channel won't pick it up either, they really don't care about the fans. It is really too bad!

Walter D gave it an8:
What happened with the show? It's over? Without disclosing the specimen origin's? It was a good show, with a very good argument, but it lost a lot when the scientist (i don't remember his name) was killed.

maridy n gave it a10:
Its so captivating that my whole family fell for it! It was so good! It is the best series our family has seen in a long time,to bad we found that out by buying the dvd! WOW now we want more! This show ROCKS! I don't know anyone that could sit through one episode without wanting to see more! This show is a big hit! BRING ON MORE!

Mike M gave it a10:
I'm not a big sci-fi fan but, Surface is the best No matter how busy I was I always made time to watch every episode. This is one show that needs to be brought back!

Surface SERIES: NBC, Monday 8:00p (60 minutes)

Surface
SERIES: NBC, Monday 8:00p (60 minutes)