Midnight, Texas could have been called “True Blood: The Next Generation” or even more precisely “True Blood: The Low-Budget Network Reboot.” Either way, it can’t shake a fang at the original.

The violence is stunning, shocking, messy and unexpected. Bateman, who also serves as executive producer, directed four episodes and is a master behind the camera. His work squeezes the suspense in any scene. The locations are both beautiful and sinister, and the show is superbly scored. Ozark will resonate with fans of “Breaking Bad,” although Walter White has little in common with Marty.

Germann plays Sam’s husband, who at first seems distant but then reveals touching devotion to his family. If only the main cast had such material to shine.

The conspiracy element is easily the weakest part of the show and seems present only to drum up some modicum of suspense. The tech babble, however, is a delightful callback to “Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The shifts from comedy to bloodletting can be unnerving, even if the whole thing is unconvincing.

This hyper-violent crime soap from creator, executive producer, director and writer John Singleton is punctuated with some terrific performances fighting against predictable plot bumps.

For anyone engaged in psychotherapy, Gypsy presents a nightmare, but its lazy execution is not worth the time commitment.

Their characters--Welfare Queen, Fortune Cookie and the Old Biddies, to name a few--are wildly over the top, borderline offensive and true to the era. The crowd has no choice and falls in love. It’s no tilt-a-whirl crossbody, but GLOW gets close.

Like King’s last TV series, “Under the Dome,” The Mist would seem to have a short shelf life. One hour with these people and you’ll be rooting for the critters.

The fallout, partly because of the size of the sprawling cast, partly because of the tonal shifts, sometimes within the same scene, can be jarring. Orange nails the dramatic moments. It’s the comedy that ranges from banter to slapstick and back that feels out of place, especially as the rioting wears on.

The fifth and final season of BBC America’s Orphan Black finds Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany turning in some of her most subtle, authentic work. ... The mythology of the show, like many of these genre shows (“Lost,” “Alias”), can be more convoluted than the tax code.

Dying drops a killer set but doesn’t know how to close the room.

Some comedies lull you to sleep; The Carmichael Show gives you a slap, pushes your head out the door and still gives you something to laugh about.

World of Dance has stars, style and spunk. It’s also wildly over­produced and seems a bit out of step.

The writing is so scattered, it’s hard to find anyone, Montague or Capulet, to root for.

Its three-hour remake is poorly cast, badly choreographed and auto-tuned to an inch of its life, with a “La La Land”-inspired plot twist that is sure to make no one happy.

Twin Peaks: The Return was creepy, surreal, bizarre, and often unintelligible. Just like its predecessor.

The film jumps erratically across the years to show how Madoff’s arrest in 2008 for a $65 billion Ponzi scheme ruined his family, depicted here as much victims as those who trusted Madoff and lost their fortunes. Yet it’s as if you are watching the work of a first-time director who read about his craft off a flash card.

The weird, creepy comedy about the world of a struggling copy writer from her dog’s perspective. ... Three episodes of this show and I was fantasizing about dropping this flea bag off at a shelter and speeding away. Oh, some of the bipeds here are endearing, when they get their moments.

While I share Aziz Ansari’s appreciation for the people, the food and the sights, I really hope he and Netflix got a nice tax break for the first two highly skippable episodes of his otherwise enjoyable comedy series Master of None. ... Ansari proves his show is best when it tells a little story about a large idea.

It’s a dizzying, bewildering, wonderful joy to watch their communal moments.

Gods has its own dark humor--as when the erratic widow of Shadow’s best friend tries to have sex with him in a cemetery. “I’m trying to get my dignity back here,” she says. Gods takes delight in magnifying images hundredfold--a match being struck, a tile being cleaned. This can get a bit precious.

A loopy, likable new NBC comedy.

The script and the pacing do not always serve her well, but [Oprah Winfrey] delivers her very best, as fans--and Winfrey herself--have come to expect.

The Handmaid’s Tale has a lot to say in 10 episodes. Clear your schedule for one of the best series of 2017.

Giving McGregor two roles seems at first like an oddball casting choice for a show that doesn’t need any more weirdness. Two episodes aren’t enough to say whether it is justified as more than Emmy bait for McGregor. Of the two roles, he seems more convincing as Ray. Thewlis oozes menace and charm as a mobster who has seen the world. ... Pack light. Fargo moves fast.

Return of the Mac looks like a pleasant family project, one they can look back on fondly. For the rest of us, it’s just a step up from watching someone else’s home movies.

One of the smartest dumb shows, TBS’ Angie Tribeca, created by Mass. natives Steve and Nancy Carell, returns for a third season tomorrow night with the same silly sight gags, absurd jokes and a parade of guest stars coming out to play.

The Son rises and sets on Brosnan’s work. Everything else is distraction.

Later episodes suggest Brockmire will try to become a better person. That’s a bad call. The fun is watching him spin out of control like a drunk pitcher’s fastball.

Even Bravo has too much class for this four-hour misery. ... Holmes and Donahue share some affecting moments, but the miniseries has no imagination and re-creates tabloid snapshots.

You don’t need a CGI delusion whose one skill is pratfalls. Elfman is game and charming, and Scarrwener could be the reincarnation of Janeane Garofalo. Imaginary Mary just needs to go away.

Forgive the salacious hook for a show that is not so much titillating as it is gripping, surprising, at times humorous and even a bit thought-provoking when it comes to exploring how sex is just as valuable as money or power.

Shots Fired’s biggest sin is its lack of urgency. For a story this topical, Shots seems constructed like a LEGO model--one scene is pressed onto another.

Judging from the first two episodes of the 10-hour season, the show is riddled with characterizations that are meant to be humorous but are just dumb or offensive.

In its casting, Trial & Error gets every­thing right.

It’s like attempting to empty the ocean with a bucket. But this season of“American Crime makes the case if you aren’t trying, you’re the problem.

The challenges are right out of “Survivor” and MTV’s much missed “Road Rules”--so much so that loyal fans will be able to scream out the season, if not the episode. Some of the game rules seem arbitrary, even for the genre.

It’s just as audacious as ever, combining American history (the Underground Railroad) with plot swerves right out “24.”

The show needs more juice. Instead of skirting away, it needs to embrace the story that inspired it.

Feud edges at times to camp but always veers back into meatier fare.

Like all time-travel shows, paradoxes can emerge like sinkholes. Still, the cast works so much charm, they must be exhausted by the end of the day.

Time’s biggest takeaway is that cases like this--indigent defendants being abused by the judicial and then the corrections system--are more the norm than the exception.

As vital as it is, political strategizing just isn’t that engaging to watch.

When it comes to Sun Records, the hook is there, but it can’t sustain the beat.

HBO made the first six episodes available for review, and they’re all entertaining.

While the cast is competent, Cox seems to have difficulty with her lines in some scenes. With time, she may relax into her role, but I have misgivings Doubt will be around long enough for anyone to get comfortable. Imitation Shonda Rhimes just isn’t as good as the real thing.

The show toggles primarily from 2014 to the present, but some of the twists seem right out of Bad Thriller Handbook, especially the climax of the second night. ... Yet as these players elevate every turn and twist of this dark drama.

The Collection can be pretty to look at, but first impressions will not lead to second glances.

For its own good, Legion needs to get out of its head.

APB never settles its own version of its existential dilemma: man or machine? It argues for both. But as this uninspiring drama proves, sometimes when you split the difference, you end up with nothing.

Usually “24” descends into silliness in its final third act, and by that time, it has built up a reservoir of goodwill so viewers are determined to finish the day. Not so much with this one.

The premise and the bloodletting, however, might be too much for some viewers. Santa Clarita Diet is an acquired taste.

Hudgens is delightful as a young woman determined to show she can make a difference in the world even without superpowers. Pierson is only listed as recurring, and she needs to be upgraded pronto for her heroic, hilarious meanness. Pudi can do great things — he proved that on “Community”--one can only hope the scripts will give him a chance to soar.

Training Day veers toward the funny bone when it should be going for the jugular. Paxton acts in the pilot as if he’s in a remake of “The Dukes of Hazzard” and he’s playing Cooter. He tones it down in future episodes, but he’s never menacing or scary or even ambiguous.

In this, the last 10 episodes, the drama detonates long-standing alliances and brings to the fore grudges with lethal consequences. ... The premiere Sunday features three set pieces that are brilliant and terrifying.

Ricci serves as an executive producer and delivers the best work of her career. ... Z is helped by an unusual format--the drama unfolds in 10 half-hour episodes, making it especially binge-worthy. More providers should try half-hour dramas. They don’t feel like endurance challenges, as many one-hour shows do.

New Edition paved the way for New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men and *NSYNC. At the very least, this miniseries will get a new generation of fans grooving to their timeless music.

This is the best young adult cast for any drama in years, and you’ll even be able to overlook Apa’s horrible dye job.

Given the continuity gap between the cliffhanger at the end of the first episode and its resolution in the second, it’s as if the producers aren’t watching their own show. That’s understandable. Frontier proves some places aren’t worth the visit.

If you’re doing the math at home, add shocking violence to a side of soap opera and you’re left with Six. At the end of the night, that may not be enough for you.

It’s smart writing for smart characters. Six seasons in and Danes and the writers keep Carrie a complicated character who sometimes does the wrong thing.

If the queen of England isn’t enough drama for you, then something is amiss. Victoria gets close to the gold crown and then backs off.

All The Young Pope proves is that absolute power is absolutely boring.

Hardy rocks the period clothing, strutting around in an open overcoat practically down to his ankles and a commanding stovepipe hat. With anyone else, this show would not be half as engrossing.

I wanted to check out the moment Dorothy Gale was waterboarded.

When it comes to One Day at a Time, it’s best to go moment to moment. You might get hooked.

Bright Lights shows both women knew that fame was just a distraction. The only thing that mattered was each other.

The score ably amps up the foreboding, and the action sequences are gritty, scary and especially well-staged.

Ransom needs some stirring. Ex-cop Zara Hallam (Nazneen Contractor, “Heroes Reborn”) rounds out the team, and she gets little to do in this hour, a crime one can only hope will be rectified in future episodes.

Fox’s new comedy dangles the promise of outrageous high jinks just around the corner, but at its heart, it’s a conventional story, the misfit forced to become the parent to three wayward kids and, of course, become a better person.

Even the cotton-candy fantasy “Glee” had more depth and reality to it than this show.

The production budget is almost up to the challenge. Some of the costumes--especially of the French court--look cheap. But there’s such a delight in seeing such a gifted ensemble deliver lines that still resonate.

The real reason why “Mariah’s World” seems stale is that it comes off as a TV remake of “Madonna: Truth or Dare,” and Madge did it better in 1991.

Key for any great sci-fi show, Incorporated’s creators, brothers Alex and David Pastor (“Carriers”), excel at filling in the details of their world.

The show, like so many unscripted series, can be repetitive. ... But in taking a light to an alley few dare to tread, Remini may have given some viewers out there more than a hope and a prayer.

Bishop is just so authentic as a widow finding her way that she deserves an Emmy. Some things, of course, will never change, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way. Sherman-Palladino’s dialogue still races, stuffed with pop culture references.

A superb, bracing look at the terrorist attack on Boston and its aftermath.

Ice doesn’t have pretensions of high art or maybe even good drama--but as a crime show that constantly keeps moving, Ice pops.

The problem with building an action drama around a sniper is that the work by its nature requires people to be several yards away from each other. A climactic gunfight in the season finale goes as far as to show the math--the mental calculations the shooters have to do to make their shot--to juice up the action. It doesn’t work. Shooter excels in one area--grotesque head shots.

The talking-head portion plays like a video Kickstarter pitch for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, his private rocket company determined to get man to Mars and keep him there in a sustainable community. The drama plays like a low-budget Ron Howard film, which it is, sort of.

In its final season, with but eight episodes total, Rectify continues to take risks.

Netflix’s The Crown is a sumptuous treat, a lavish costume drama with subtle performances and an astonishing attention to detail.

Stan Against Evil toys with horror cliches and assures you that whatever you fear, something worse--or funnier--is right around the corner.

A few jokes from the BBC-produced series won’t translate to this side of the pond, unless you’re familiar with British pop culture. ... Don’t like a skit? Another one will be along in a minute or two, and Ullman just might sing and dance, two more of her talents.

Nobody registers much of a connection. What’s missing from this show is heart.

McHale, as he proved on “Community,” has great timing, and he’s aided by his office colleagues, especially the delightfully deadpan Ko and Fry, who combines sweet and weird. With its office-as-asylum atmosphere, Great Indoors echoes “NewsRadio,” not a bad influence.

This is one of the least authentic family sitcoms on TV, right down to the horrible home set, which looks like it was cribbed from the scraps of canceled shows.

The tone bounces cannily from humor to pathos to suspense. The one knock against “Gently”? So much is going on here, the plot is so dense, this is a show that might be better off binged in a marathon. Just one more thing to look forward to, then.

Fox’s creaky re-imagining of the cult classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show” misses the point about what makes the original so beloved.

There’s much about Chance that makes no sense, but the perfor­mances are terrific.

As the cliche goes, you may think you know the story, but this telling is ­utterly compelling, with some terrific performances and a balanced, compassionate look at not only President Reagan (Tim Matheson, “The West Wing”) and first lady Nancy (Cynthia Nixon, “Sex and the City”) but of the would-be killer, John Hinckley Jr. (Kyle More, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) and his family.

Thornton seems to be playing against script. His Billy seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself, despite the dire circumstances he finds himself in. It’s about the only surprise in Goliath. By the end of the second episode, it becomes obvious there are forces in play that will stop at nothing to thwart Billy’s quest for answers.

Hopefully the pilot will move beyond weight and get to what really is intriguing about this show. Not since “Roseanne” has there been a prime-time comedy so poised to poke fun at economic class.

This show details the death of a marriage by a thousand cuts, a few hundred insults and a bag of clothes thrown in the trash. Maybe that’s your appointment TV. I’d rather binge watch root canal videos on YouTube.

Those familiar with the source material will recognize the pilot is essentially the first two-thirds of the film. Some convincing performances from Smith and List get Frequency humming. But that’s just not enough buzz.

Anderson is charming and sells her sweet character. Sasse’s Xavier comes across as an amalgam of Russell Crowe, Jake Gyllenhaal and the sort I’ve always figured to be an urban­ cannibal.