Are these critics watching the same show? Terrible production values, cringe worthy dialogue, cardboard characters, constant scenery chewing...I could continue but I won't.
I don't hate this show but it's popcorn entertainment at best. I jut can't wrap my head around the idea that it's somehow critically acclaimed.
At best it's a serviceable genre show, at worst it's outright unwatchable.
shareIt's been very well received by critics, has gotten solid ratings for the network and was renewed for a second season after only airing three episodes. So while you're entitled to your opinion it's clearly not shared by a large number of people.
shareRotten Tomatoes is pretty much useless for TV shows, particularly low-budget cable TV shows. There just aren't enough reviewers to get a reliable consensus. They only have 11 reviews for SyFy's Van Helsing. Contrast that with the number of reviews (215) for the awful 2004 Van Helsing movie. Anything with under 50 reviews is going to result in a wonky Tomatometer.
If you insist on using Rotten Tomatoes to evaluate TV shows, forget about the Tomatometer and just concentrate on the average rating. Van Helsing has an appropriately low 5.5 average rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
I disagree. Of course movies are going to have more reviews. Films are released all over the world roughly at the same time and countless different reviewers weigh in. I believe Van Helsing only airs on SyFy right now so it's only going to get reviewed by American TV reviewers for the most part. To dismiss the average score from 11 sources, including most of the major trade publications like Hollywood Reporter and genre sources is to suggest that ALL reviews are worthless. And that's certainly ONE way to view them.
Point still is, the show gets decent numbers for the network and got renewed faster than a lot of the other shows there who got past a first season. So it would seem, as much as you want to discount it, the show has a following and support from the broadcaster, credible media and a lot of viewers. Your distaste for it doesn't change that.
Hell...MILLIONS of people love Sharknado and I'll never understand that. But I don't go on that forum and claim to know better than them. To each their own.