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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 89 votes
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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.
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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.
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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 89 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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.

Tom G. gave it a10:
A damn good hour of TV. It should be a crime to miss watching this show. Honestly, if you complain about profanity, you're over protective. Kids are introduced to the F bomb at a much younger age, so hearing "wiring crap to a car" and "you lying son of a bitch!" isn't close to being profane.

Hulk H. gave it a10:
One of the best shows that I have ever seen. It is witty enough to be smart, but not enough to come off as pretentious. Along with this theme of moderation, There is enough homemade spy gadgets to intrigue any fan of James Bond, or MacGyver for that matter, but the show delves in to the personal issues of Michael Weston enough as to balance out the fire fights.

James C. gave it a10:
Smart and engaging. Easy both to follow and catch up. Always two plots to follow -- earning an immediate living by turning a good deed and figuring out the long-term burn issue -- that hold my attention. Well done USA.

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