Some Assembly Required (2014–2016) User Reviews

Some Assembly Required - Good and bad at the same time.

[divyanka · 6/10 · 26 February 2015]

At first, I really disliked this show. It was very dull and boring, and definitely did not make any use of its potential. But now, the show can be funny if the viewer engages with the characters. After getting used to the various characters and their diverse personalities, the viewer can find some entertainment and humour in the episodes. Even then, however, this is a pretty bleak show. The story plot, which is about an entire toy company run by young teenagers, gives the sitcom a lot of potential, but the show fails to make use of this potential. Unlike other shows, which have one or two dim-witted characters, majority of this show's characters seem to be goofy and dumb. It is not always funny for characters to come up and say something that makes no sense, which is something that happens frequently throughout every episode. This show is good and bad at the same time. The characters do not do justice to the storyline and ability of this show. Another very sad element - the show has a strong female character, and ironically, aims a whole load of sexism at her. Perhaps this is intended for humour, but I do not find it to be funny at all. It really defeats the purpose to show a strong character and then downplay all of that with sexist crap. People should stop bullying Piper and insulting her for being, apparently, not 'girl-like'. Gender is a social construction and I would like for shows to not enforce these stereotypes.

*6.5/10

Kids Love Shows Adults Hate

[nickaedwards-67243 · 6/10 · 22 August 2021]

If this nightmare was intentionally made to be the worst thing on television, it would be an instant cult hit. Heck, maybe that is what's going on and the joke is ultimately on all of us offering a serious review.

It is indeed just as bad as everyone else has claimed. There aren't many things that actually make my skin shrink by three sizes when I watch it, but this does the trick every time.

That being said, like all other shows that make my hair grow in reverse, my kids can't get enough. I don't get it at all, but I don't need to because this show is not made for buzzkillers like me.

Little above average

[marcosfelipemagalhaes · 5/10 · 25 June 2020]

I noticed something with people reviewing this show, they either hate it or love it, but i kinda say i'ts funny at times, but it's also annoying and obnoxious at a rare occasion. I say that you should give it a try, but it is not so bad, but also not incredible.

One of the worst shows I've ever seen

[iloveyoulikeanerdlovesmath · 1/10 · 14 April 2017]

My daughter has been watching this on Netflix and I'm going to have to make her stop. If you want to watch a show with simply awful acting where the characters are shallow, rude, and stupid, this one is for you. I literally can't stand having it play in my home. We all lose brain functionality every time it's on. Can't believe it made it through 3 seasons!

The actual worst!

[shannonbellanca · 3/10 · 18 August 2018]

I simply hate my life when my children have this on the TV. I appreciate the thought, but the acting is awful, the timing is awful, and the way they portray the characters is horrible. The two characters who are supposed to be the "good looking" ones are portrayed as airheads. I just can't. But, there's no cussing or sexual themes, so I suppose I'll allow it.

How is this allowed to happen?

[screaming-yeti · 1/10 · 30 July 2019]

I can't even imagine how someone in authority gave this the green light. It is unimaginably bad. I'm not using hyperbole either. This literally has no redeeming factors. Absolutely none. I feel embarrassed for the 'actors', and I use scare quotes because nothing that these 'actors' do could be even closely defined as such. It's an insult to actors everywhere. Did they give them classes to get so bad? I mean, you see the occasional bad actor in kids shows, but this show's entire cast must be made up of high school drama club rejects. Yes, it really is that bad. Sometimes I will rate a show or movie 1 star because of how badly it failed to meet expectations, but this one gets 1 star because it genuinely deserves it. Don't ever let your kids watch it because you will love to regret it.

Misfire

[Man99204 · 3/10 · 11 January 2016]

The best thing this program has going for it is that it was NOT filmed by Disney. This is a children's program that parent can actually feel comfortable having their children watch. There are none of the annoying Disney clones in this one. No hyper active "mini adults" acting like over caffeinated people to tossing off one bon mot after another.

This is a "Canadian Children's Program". This means smaller budgets and WAY more realistic child characters.

I applaud Netflix decision to produce independent programming. I have liked many of their attempts at adult series. This one ... is just not so successful.

The basic problem with this series is awkward writing. Not even the most talented child actor could shine with this amateurish writing. The characters are bland and not well developed. The adult characters are even worse.

With all its rough edges, it is still considerably better than anything Disney has to offer.

Innocent and charming

[jenarul · 10/10 · 29 June 2019]

Okay, it's a bit cheesy, but quite charming and full of puns and innocent humor. I enjoy watching this with my 8 and 10 year old. 😁

It's funny! Don't listen to the others on here.

[julie-ford · 7/10 · 20 July 2018]

Some of the reviewers on here are way too harsh for what this show is - it's a kids show. It's for KIDS. I personally find it hilarious at times, and much more watchable than some of the Disney or Nickelodeon shows I'm forced to watch.

It's got a fast pace and lots of jokes, and yes it's silly, but that's it's charm. And unlike some of the other jaded reviewers on here, I find the kids extremely talented. I hope they all continue to act.

For a kid's show it's a 10. For general audience a solid 7. Give it a try on Netflix if you have a kid who is around 7-8 and see what their reaction is. My daughter loves it and I enjoy watching it too.

Ehhh

[elliesophmiller · 2/10 · 13 October 2015]

Well, it does one or two things well. I enjoyed the character Piper, (Charlie Storwick) and one episode where they have a beauty pageant. (except for the preachy and forced ending.) Other than that, the show ranges from mediocre to terrible. The humor is forced, and the laugh track really doesn't help either. The characters (Save for Jarvis) are stereotypes. Geneva is the dumb blonde obsessed with her looks, Bowie is the nerd (yet he somehow manages to be almost as dumb as Geneva), Piper is the tech nerd\Goth Chick, Aster is the shortest of the bunch, and a fashion obsessed jerk, and Knox is the dumb jock. I understand that it's a kid's show, but kids aren't dumb. I think it needs to make actual characters and have them develop throughout the story instead of making cardboard cut outs.

To all those who gave this show a negative rating,

[botcuddlesg · 10/10 · 9 December 2019]

The problem with people's terrible summarizations are: well, they say it's terrible and then give no basis for it. As for a kid's sitcom, it's pretty good. Also, an opposition to a laugh track is ridiculous; it's not hurtful... Why are you complaining about it? After you watch and binge enough sitcoms to tune out the laugh track, it's basically not there. Now, to the people who say they are going to put their children up for adoption if they continue to watch the show, and this is a serious comment. Screw you, you are going to burn in hell.

A good, clean show.

[fireflyfan619 · 7/10 · 2 September 2019]

No there are no lessons to learn, and yes the plot is razor thin, but with the rest of today's programming having adult concepts sprinkled into their shows it is refreshing to have a clean show that my kids can watch. There needs to be more programming like this out there.

Something feels really wrong with the pace and timing.

[julianmexico · 2/10 · 28 August 2015]

I really like the idea on which the TV Series is built. The cast is great as well as the production, but something feels wrong while you are watching. It's hard to explain but it seems to be "home made". I blame the pacing of the show, the editing, those fractions of time between the lines, the timing of the laughs, some void between dialogues... It just feels an unnatural flow, like forced. Like that play in grade six where kids are waiting for their cue to say their lines. My two kids, in middle and elementary school, say this is the show they like least of YTV (Canadian Network similar to Nickelodeon). We find that a lot of episodes have such a lousy story, not funny at all and with very basic plots with dull resolutions, sometimes we just don't laugh at all during the whole show, and what's the point of a comedy that is not funny. Yes, there are some episodes that we have enjoyed and had a good laugh, especially with Mrs Bubkes, but not enough to give the show a better rating.

Can we inspire please?

[haburwell · 1/10 · 2 September 2018]

"Why should we be punished to do Math?" Are you kidding me? These stereotypes really damage students' attitudes towards math. Maybe inspire for a change. Overall, this show is a bunch of obnoxious scenarios that contribute nothing unique or noteworthy to entertainment.

Can't give it negative

[natemansur · 1/10 · 17 December 2019]

The fact anyone would let their child watch this is disturbing.

Mom! Corporate companies are trying to be hip again!

[nukeman-00359 · 1/10 · 3 February 2016]

This Netflix original is a sitcom, this being the sitcom with their original idea. Their first one being Richie Rich, with an interesting way of how he got rich.The pilot has a kid named Bowie go to visit his friend Jarvis at his house at Christmas, Bowie comes in and just begins to open his presents. What? A regular friend would tell him to stop, but then again this is the guy that celebrates every holiday in August. When getting out the usual present from Jarvis' aunt, it blows up their house, and that's the last time they will ever be seen. They go to the company and complain, the two get no luck and they through a pretty funny joke sue the company and now they own it. With this they began to hire people at their school, and i gotta say the actors in this show are supposed to be fourteen yet they look like they're sixteen to eighteen. They hire multiple people and out of the four to five, two are only qualified for work. All the other people are idiots, Bowie is hired because no reason. Even though it was his idea, he gets hired because of his 'come on' speech and that's the plot, we also get Ms. Bubkes because Candace needed a disguise so a cleaning lady would work so no one's the wiser. Yes, they make so many annoying jokes and not just that Bubkes schtick is saying random gibberish in another language yet that's the best part. Let's talk about the characters Jarvis is bland, he just the the text book straight man that is full of himself and is totally blind that a girl likes him, Piper is the only decent character in this show and by that it is very little in the valentine's day episode she manipulates a person's feelings until karma strikes back. Aster the one with the smallest bit of decency. He's the jerk character that insults people's outfits, because that doesn't get annoying. Geneva is one of the idiots that does absolutely nothing and is a generic blonde character, and she complains about how hard it's being her. We have Knoxville the other idiot, he's supposed to be the human crash test dummy and yet we don't see him doing anything that needs safe runs. The final one reminds me of the idiot characters of Schneider's's bakery, Bowie. That's the one that celebrates holidays in August and almost didn't get a job because i don't know. There will be another character that dresses like the character of Knickknack toys and gives this story so stupid. The episodes besides pilots are horrible, there's one that was an 75 anniversary for some bimbo doll and to redesign with what Piper's mind is more bimbos. It's not until he snaps back into reality and Piper wins the pageant, and then we get more insulting jokes for people that aren't bimbos. Most of these jokes on the show are basically the Geneva character is given a tasks and actually doesn't do it, the next episode after the bimbos is that Piper tells him that Geneva is so stupid that she can't tell the difference between a Volvo and a Lexus. Jarvis trying to prove her wrong, and then jokes that go nowhere. She acts like an idiot and proved time and time again to being a total idiot

nasty and horrible things being taught.

[howardkatlyn · 1/10 · 30 December 2020]

Awful show for kids, for example in the first episode, the girl with blonde was reading a magazine and she though when it said shorter it meant short skirts, and all the guys said "its does" and "the shorter the better" which is clearly disrespectful since the girl clearly didn't understand. This show is normalizing disrespect towards young and all girls in general, its teaching children that's saying stuff like that's okay.

Ingenious

[andersberner · 10/10 · 3 September 2019]

Absurd, funny and well thought. I love it - and I am far away from the target age.

What??

[CpOhUeRnToNiExY-1 · 1/10 · 21 August 2017]

Worst show I've ever seen in my life. If my son chooses to continue to watch this garbage I may have to put him up for adoption. Hopefully by tomorrow he will come to his senses. We are on the first episode. I'm 12 minutes in and I literally can not take it any longer. That laugh track is enough to send you over the edge. Is is necessary to play the laugh track after every other sentence??? This makes me want to cancel Netflix for the rest of my life. The fact that this show has multiple seasons Blows my mind.

Way better than these reviews say

[dpreiss-40391 · 8/10 · 17 October 2021]

Look, this show isn't winning any emmys, but I think the writing is way more interesting than other kids shows. I watch when my kids have it on and I can't quite predict the punch lines they deliver - they stay just half a step ahead of the easy one-two punch. Of course the premise is ridiculous but it's a ridiculous show! It's magic realism. It's fantasy. It reminds me of Gilligan's island humour but way more enjoyable. I don't mind it as a mindless show for my kids to watch - don't be so hard on it, guys.

Awful

[kateziegler-36700 · 1/10 · 15 February 2019]

This is one of the worst shows I have ever seen. Even for a kids show this show is incredibly stupid with some of the worst writing and acting I have ever witnessed on TV.

Horrible

[qwerty-86331 · 1/10 · 12 July 2015]

The show was obviously written by a bunch of monkeys. The jokes are dirty and make no sense whatsoever. All the characters in the show are all stupid and are completely oblivious to their surroundings. The humor is dry and does not have high ratings. It's obvious the makers of this show were trying to rope in a quick buck. It's not a funny show and should not air. Take your chances and watch something better or perhaps instead of watching this maybe you should go have a root canal instead. It's better than watching this garbage. If I were to rate this show, I would probably give it a 1. What I mean by all the characters are stupid, THERE ALL STUPID! No clue in the world whatsoever on how to do things

Stupid

[londonredford · 3/10 · 23 February 2020]

Why is this even on Netflix!!! It's sooooo dumb! 3/10 rating

If I could give negative stars I would.

[schoenfeldjulie · 1/10 · 1 September 2019]

Way to go Netflix! Teaching young people that being blonde and stupid is the way to go, and if you actually have a brain in your head your unattractive.Terrible show!

Awfully Awful

[martinroach-86915 · 1/10 · 4 July 2017]

Sorry I hate to be cruel but I couldn't help myself and this show really is scraping the bottom of the barrel so hard that the bottom of the barrel is wearing away. "Some Assembly Required" is truly a terrible TV watching experience and in my opinion it fails badly on every level.

The writing is absolutely atrocious with fake and hackneyed dialogue and jokes that literally make me cringe time and again. You can usually tell exactly what the joke is going to be and basically get buried under an avalanche of terrible punch lines and then an over the top, desperate laugh track.

The acting is also terrible. I know these are just children, or teens playing children and young adults playing teens, but they're just not very good. Every single cast member misses the mark. Of course this isn't entirely their fault... like I said the writing is terrible and the casting department really missed the mark here as well.

The effects are also complete rubbish. I mean, every single thing about this show is just cheap and bad. I can't believe this lasted more than one season, or that it even made it on the air at all. Spectacularly bad TV.