In its best moments, the drama has the grit of something more likely to be found on cable channel TNT.

Serenity arrives in surprising ways. Whether Mike makes it in this arena or not, Taking on Tyson suggests he's already won his toughest battle.

At times, the show careens from black humor to near tragedy and then back again.

'Real World III' seems to have learned from the past. While there is the requisite amount of conflict, this group seems to be able to deal with it without the angst, the anger or the attitude of its predecessors. These roommates seem - hang on to your flannel shirts - mature. [23 Jun 1994]

She’s Gotta Have It proves a charismatic cast can make a shaky premise watchable.

His [creator/writer/executive producer Tony Tost's] critique of capitalism is overt and bracing for scripted TV, and perhaps, like many science-fiction shows, from “Star Trek” to “Black Mirror,” its faraway setting will make its message more palatable. But the weight is undercut by moments that border on black comedy.

Like a lot of reality shows ranging from the silly "Real World" to the loathsome "Jersey Shore," All-American Muslim ends up reinforcing some stereotypes while defying others.

At a half-hour, Song of Parkland is too darn short. And some perspective from the parents of the teens here would have been welcome.

Witches of East End is the campiest hot mess on TV.

A&E reboots the legend of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” but Bates Motel plays like a slow-burning riff on David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” sparked by some fascinating, nuanced performances.

Elementary turns the myth into CBS' answer to "Castle," with a shade more intelligence.

ABC’s “Reef Break” is everything that CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0” should be — breezy, bright, a wee bit sassy, a whole lot silly, the ideal summer show to catch as a nightcap before bed.

Spartacus fetishizes violence even more than it depicts sex and nudity, which is often. There’s a whole lot of B.C. banging going on here.

Of the cast, Winger seems to be the weakest link, brittle and uncertain, but it's too soon in her arc to write her off. The series is like a mystery novel, but the crimes of the heart here are ones the patients unwittingly inflict upon themselves and the lengths they'll go to hide from the truth. Watching Byrne's sullen shrink match wits with Ryan's cool therapist is the best reason to book an appointment with In Treatment.

Sit through TNT’s The Hero and “72 Hours” and REELZ’s “Race to the Scene” back-to-back, you realize how much the genre lives on the tired bone marrow of “Survivor” and "The Amazing Race."

If the show can strike a balance between chuckles and capers, Covert Affairs won't be a secret. It will be USA Network's biggest hit.

Telenovela can be fun, if only the show knew the difference between silly and dumb.

Carter’s journey is rushed. If the show just pumped the brakes a bit, it might discover a heart worth following.

Mattfeld delivers a nuanced performance as a woman who has chosen to meet the world with hostility as a calculated defense. No matter how middling the story, she’s always worth watching.

The X Factor is "America's Got Talent" with lockjaw, "The Voice" with a smoker's hack and "American Idol" on steroids. It is a garish, crass spectacle, and just might produce America's next superstar.

The twist in the final moments suggests the series already could be catching a case of the stupids, in which case, no cast, no matter how talented, will be able to save this show.

A&E’s Wahlburgers is a thick heaping of Boston baked silliness starring two of Hollywood’s biggest stars and their beloved mom.

Quibbles about the premise aside, Ritter makes and sells this show. He balances the pathos and the comedy. In lesser hands, this hour just would not be appealing.

The second season of Direc­TV’s MMA fighter family saga Kingdom circles familiar territory, but the third episode is a knockout, with a swerve that could permanently divide this fractured family.

[Jane] Buckingham is likable and, in a genre better known for its bombastic Chris Harrisons, presents good tips and doesn’t make the show all about her.

Oh, you'll laugh. But you probably won't remember much of it the next day.

Is the show still funny? Sure. But it now seems about as cutting edge and relevant as "Alf" or "Suddenly Susan."

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