Friday Night In with the Morgans review: Just like old friends

AMC’s new show Friday Night In with the Morgans is fun and endearing, offering a look inside life at the Morgan household with lots of laughter and love.

The Walking Dead’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his wife Hilarie Burton Morgan kicked off their new show, Friday Night In with the Morgans, with an evening of laughs, love and special guests. As the age of “quarantine television” starts to materialize, it’s a welcome addition to AMC’s lineup and it is sure to be a hit that will keep self-isolating fans entertained.

The series premiere featured Supernatural star Jensen Ackles and his wife Danneel (who co-starred with Hilarie Burton Morgan on One Tree Hill), The Walking Dead’s Christian Serratos and the Morgan family physician, Dr. Sharagim Kemp.

Friday Night In With The Morgans: Is It Worth Watching?

In a word: Absolutely.

Unlike a traditional late night talk show, Friday Night In loses the pretense and functions more like an Instagram Live session between good friends. In fact, the lack of formality works to give the show much of its charm; instead of feeling scripted, it’s more like the audience is standing next to the couch while a group of old friends sit and reminisce during a holiday party.

The audience is welcomed into the conversation with fan questions peppered throughout the show, along with a fan who shows up for a segment. There are several moments when the Morgans speak directly to the fans, which is a nice touch.

From the first moments, the Morgans welcome viewers into their world and it’s a comfortable place to be. Like AMC’s pseudo-travel show Ride with Norman Reedus, starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s friend and co-star Norman Reedus, the appeal of both shows is their informality and down to earth feel. Both shows are as appealing to first-time viewers as they are to longtime fans.

The only downside to the show is that it is too much for a mere 30 minutes. Given that AMC airs movies on Fridays, there is no reason not to give the Morgans the whole hour so that they can really spend time with their special guests. Though it is made to have a “live” feel, the show doesn’t air live so there is no reason the segments couldn’t go a bit longer to fit in a 60-minute time slot.

Friday Night In received a great deal of buzz on social media from fans who, like the Morgans, are stuck indoors. With everyone staying home right now to help stop the spread of novel coronavirus, it’s exactly what fans need right now and the format will lend itself well to future seasons should the show continue past quarantines and shelter in place orders.

What did you think of Friday Night In? Let us know what you thought of the show in the comments section, and be sure to watch on Fridays at 10pm ET on AMC.