At the show's conclusion, James Poniewozik at "Time" opined that it had "quietly been the best family comedy on TV", calling the show's ending "one of the most moving things I've seen on TV this year." Alan Sepinwall of "The Star-Ledger" described it as "sweeter and more human than the great majority of live-action sitcoms that overlapped its run." Genevieve Koski of "The A.V. Club" described the program as a "steadfast, down-to-earth series", while noting "the show saw its fair share of silly conceits and contrived setups—and got fairly repetitive in the final seasons."