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Burn Notice
SERIES: USA, Thursday 10:00p (60 minutes)

Burn Notice
Critic Score
Metascore: 69 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.2 out of 10
based on 21 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?
based on 94 votes
read user comments
rate this tv show

Starring Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, and Sharon Gless

A former spy works as a private investigator in Miami while he attempts to learn why the CIA terminated his services in this darkly-comic original drama.

GENRE(S): Comedy, Crime, Drama
CREATED BY: Matt Nix
FIRST AIR DATE: June 28, 2007

What The Critics Said

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...

83
Christian Science Monitor Gloria Goodale
Brisk and witty, this is a good showcase for Donovan's super-tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold persona.
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80
Baltimore Sun Robert Lloyd
I'll take Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen in USA's delightful new action comedy Burn Notice.
Read Full Review
80
Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan
If “Burn Notice” can keep up the energy and the inventiveness of its pilot, it’ll be a must-see summer series for me.
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80
Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd
The dialogue is always to the point, yet it gives even the bit players enough room to create something memorable.
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80
Newsday Diane Werts
These folks know how to hit a note, and hold it, which means "Burn Notice" doesn't wobble around wondering how serious/silly to be. Its pitch is perfect.
Read Full Review
75
New York Post Linda Stasi
The show is slick and funny and a lotta fun.
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75
Detroit Free Press Mike Duffy
It makes a smart, charmingly irreverent first impression, thanks to its pleasantly warped, deadpan writing and performing.
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75
Entertainment Weekly Gillian Flynn
A standard detective story that's brightened by unusual characters and snazzy dialogue.
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70
Hollywood Reporter Barry Garron
A little heavy on exposition.... "Burn" is at its best when Westen is outwitting and outracing bad guys.
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70
Philadelphia Inquirer Jonathan Storm
Looking for something new and different on TV? It's not Burn Notice. Looking for some summertime fun? It is Burn Notice.
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70
Variety Brian Lowry
Graced with a sly voiceover and strong supporting characters, it's the kind of breezy romp that dovetails nicely with [USA's] most popular fare and which manages to look more effortless than it surely is.
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70
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Melanie McFarland
This show has no illusions of being anything more than a solidly made and terrifically entertaining TV distraction, neat and crisp as citrus soda.
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70
The New York Times Alessandra Stanley
Mr. Donovan is likeably lighthearted and cool as a smart-mouthed loner; his character is a watered-down version of the kind of wiseguy once played by Michael Keaton.
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70
LA Weekly Robert Abele
It’s got a low-hum basic-cable charm, fueled by personality, breezy cloak-and-dagger ingenuity and smart-ass dialogue rather than a flashy, budget-driven broadcast network complex.
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63
USA Today Robert Bianco
The goal is little more than light, disposable summer entertainment — and the show may even get there, if it can strip away some of its more annoying drags.
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60
Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker
The show stumbles at maintaining a breezy tone and a professional sheen.
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60
San Jose Mercury News Charlie McCollum
The series is not great television by any means, but it has a kind of breezy charm and sly wit that make it one of this summer's better new shows.
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60
Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert
Entertaining, stylish, and, most of all, slight.
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60
Miami Herald Glenn Garvin
Lovably silly.
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50
Newark Star-Ledger Alan Sepinwall
It wants to be a smart-aleck comedy/thriller hybrid in the spirit of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, but the jokes are rarely clever enough and the thrills rarely exciting enough.
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40
TV Guide Matt Roush
The pilot is neither thrilling nor funny enough to earn notice.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this tv show is 9.2 (out of 10) based on 94 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Alex Y gave it a10:
The critics here are clearly on drugs. A 6.9 to 9.2 discrepancy? C'mon guys, all us viewers aren't completely off our rockers. This is a superb show. The acting is perfect, the characters are far more intriguing and relatable than any other show of its type, the humor is dry and punchy, and the action scenes are not overdone and rely strictly on the plot. What is NOT good about this show? If you don't like it, you may want to consider surgery for getting that stick removed from up your a**hole.

Kimberly S gave it a10:
I love Fiona. The others are great too, but she is the best. My favorite episodes are the ones where the crew outsmarts the bad guys and racks up a win for the underdog.

pe pe pe gave it a10:
The best show ever. For those who say that the stunts or inventions are fake or unbelievable: THEY ARE VERY POSSIBLE. This show is not Swordfish. I am very critic about other films that show impossible gadgets. 99% of the improvised gadgets, techniques are very realistic, and it is not me who says it, a SOF (Special Operation Forces) who was in intelligence confirmed me the plausibility of it, and that is the reason he loves it too.

Dick M. gave it a10:
Great show, A-team/McGuiver mixed with Miami Vice and a touch of Bourne: fun, engaging and silly all at the same time.

John L. gave it a9:
Entertaining and original - The writers seem to know a lot about crime.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
James Bond meets Macgyver. Hilarious, innovative, and practical. I learn something with each show and laugh my ass off at how the main character uses psychology against the bad guys. You'll love it!

Gene A. gave it a10:
I think it is the best show on tv. I am a new viewer. Won't be watching though because of the profanity especially using God's name in vain.

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