Critic Reviews

Like so many reality shows, Below Deck takes the idea of disparate types thrown together in a controlled environment and capitalizes on two seemingly inevitable results: Friction and sexual tension.

The premiere episode is a fairly entertaining, voyeuristic look at a made-for-reality-TV crew, though it's a toss-up as to who's more obnoxious: the bickering crew or their first guests.

The dramas, at least up front, feel pretty mundane. Someone thinks the boss is being too strict and picking on her. Someone doesn’t think someone else is carrying enough of the load.

The real issue with this series is that the crew members aren’t all that interesting. There are the usual catfights and territorial disputes, as well as some hints that intra-crew sex might happen. But no one really stands out.

Certain elements of Below Deck, a listless docu-series that follows the staff of a 164-foot charter boat, seem so scripted--the stereotypical spoiled crew members, the neatly wrapped-up “plotlines”--that it’s hard to take seriously, even in the dubious cable reality show genre.