Critic Reviews

Poignant and smart, and its cast is a pleasant lot that mixes unknowns with vet thesps Bess Armstrong and Jeffrey Tambor. The upside is strong --- it's sweet and sentimental --- but the downside is a fate similar to critical faves "Freaks and Geeks" and "My So-Called Life," two skeins that won raves but no ratings. [27 Sept 2002, p.6]

All this should seem precious and dumb, but it doesn't, thanks to the cast's deadpan intelligence and some sharp, self-aware writing (the characters' names often refer to characters in fiction by J.D. Salinger ). Best of all, Travis fails to wrap everything up in a neat, happy way; the second episode, which is much better than the first, essentially starts all over again, picking up on the time-travel mayhem Travis wreaked a week earlier. [27 Sept 2002, p.59]

An often entertaining series.

Occasionally bogged down by hokey dialogue, the drama is ultimately redeemed by a veneer of hope and some wonderful performances, notably Jeffrey Tambor as Travis' cynical bookmaker father and Labine as his follicle-challenged best friend.

Not that That Was Then is poorly done. The production is polished, and performances are excellent throughout, particularly those of Jeffrey Tambor as the self-absorbed father and Tyler Labine as Pinkus, Travis' manic pal...But the atmosphere is awfully heavy, self-consciously sober. [27 Sept 2002, p.E-7]

This family show isn't in the same area code as that paragon of television, but for those of us who can't go time-traveling, it'll do in a pinch. [27 Sept 2002, p.E11]

You could do worse than check this out. [26 Sept 2002, p.E1]

The show offers up a stale fantasy, but it does have a few fresh moments.

It's good to see Dr. Phil look-alike Jeffrey Tambor and "My So-Called Life" alum Bess Armstrong working as his bookie dad and frustrated mom, respectively. But someone should tell Tyler Labine that Jack Black wants his act back. [27 Sept 2002, p.49]

This is, of course, the stuff of all serial dramas, but we usually see baby steps in some direction. That Was Then promises only chaos. [27 Sept 2002, p.1C]