Apple TV’s “Central Park” is a glorious gift for comedy and musical fans and, well, everyone. ... It’s the best show on Apple TV by some stretch, and one of the best shows of 2020 anywhere. I can’t wait to see more.

Its jokes are rat-a-tat yet unpredictable, its characters are quick to understand yet ever-deepening, its performances are delightful, its animation is crisply fluid, and its songs? Wowee, its songs. They get you right in the heart upon first listen, and I promise you the first listen will not be your last listen. Simply put: Central Park is a knockout.

There’s a lot of potential within an already streamlined package, even if it’s threatening to burst open at any minute. So long as the season settles into a groove and manages to avoid overwhelming itself, “Central Park” looks to be a worthy successor to a landmark sitcom — even if there’s still room for improvement along the way.

Setting up the long game slows down the first episode, but the series builds in the four episodes screened for critics, powered by goofy, good-hearted humor. It has ideas and ideals, but it wears them lightly and keeps the messages to a minimum.

As an animated family comedy, Central Park is pleasant, amiable and sometimes funny, but probably not hugely impactful. As a musical, Central Park is something wonderful, a joyful and elating experience almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face at a moment when pure pleasure is a welcome salve.

Central Park is ultimately a fairly simple show about a family of strange, sweet people who are all trying to do their best in the world. But it’s also got a hefty amount of associated premise — probably more premise than is strictly necessary — and at times seems to trip over its own silly, ornate trappings. With some time to work out the kinks, though, it has the potential to become an extremely endearing show.

The good news for anyone familiar with Bob’s Burgers is that it also stumbled in its short first season. There’s every chance that Central Park can get funnier. (When the show was announced, Apple TV+ picked it up for two 13-episode seasons.) But the first four episodes only prove that the pieces for a good show are present. The good show has yet to arrive.

excellent ! if you like Bob's Burgers, you'll like this. the key is that it is a pleasant and unoffensive place to go for a little bit. this show (and BB) bring so much joy and peace to my life for 30 min a week. the songs really aren't something i love but if you go with it they can grow on you. i only started watched because of whats-her-name leaving and i support that but will be sad to see the show end. stanley tucci is the standout here, i would watch a spinoff just of him.

Meh. There's a few good parts, but I feel the characters are mostly flat and boring. Most of the "funny" parts miss the mark. I hope season 2 is better.