On
Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 71% based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 7.34/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "
Hatfields and McCoys is a violent and gritty spectacle that perhaps takes itself too seriously." On
Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Linda Stasi of the
New York Post commented:
Entertainment Weekly Ken Tucker gave the series a B+, stating: "In stretching the tale over three nights, the pacing sags at times, and recriminations can get repetitive. It also doesn't help that
Reynolds shot the miniseries in that perpetual sepia tone that gives everything a faux-antique look. But overall,
Hatfields & McCoys is engrossing, and enlightening about a feud that proves to be a lot more than the
bumpkin brawl of pop legend." Mary McNamara of the
Los Angeles Times wrote: Among the negative critics was Verne Gay of
Newsday who called the series "violent and dull", adding:
Washington Posts Hank Stuever also gave a negative review:
Ratings Part one drew the largest ever ratings for a
History program and one of the biggest in cable TV history. 13.9 million viewers tuned into the first of three parts, making it the most-watched single broadcast on ad-supported cable ever, excluding sports. Demographic numbers were high as well, with 4.8 million viewers in the adults 18–49 demographic and 5.8 million viewers among adults 24–54. Part two was watched by 13.13 million viewers with an adult 18–49 rating of 3.7, the highest rated programming on cable of the night. Part three was watched by 14.29 million viewers with an adult 18-49 rating of 4.0, making it the number-one program of the night.
Accolades Hatfields & McCoys received 16 nominations at the
64th Primetime Emmy Awards, the most since the History Channel began operations. ==Home video release==