Sharply scripted, well acted and crisply directed by James Burrows, it makes comedy its main agenda, and reaches it with an authentic, matter-of-fact tone. [21 Sep 1998]

Although the promising drama has its self-conscious moments when the offbeat stuff seems a trifle forced, Laurie delivers a consistently fascinating performance as the abrasive diagnostician. Even with the labored interludes, the series stands as, to borrow an old rock lyric, “a very, very, very fine” House. [16 Nov 2004, p.E4]

Not all of the plots work at a high level. Still, even when things go wrong, you know the grand performances will save the Downton day. You're always in good company with this series.

While Pugh, Skarsgard and Shannon hit vastly different emotional notes, each finds the shadings and conflicts that make these characters more and more compelling as the plot gets thicker, the players dig deeper and the stakes get higher. It is, Pugh, however, who makes the grandest impression in what is both a star and star-making turn. You might find yourself quibbling with some of Park’s direction, but never with Pugh’s performance.

If not a triumphant return to form, Big Little Lies is the best new Kelley series in quite a while. It contains all of his considerable strengths (sharp and clever dialogue) and some his weaknesses (precious and labored moments). It is nothing less than fun, if never much more than that. But that's more than enough to keep you engaged and keep you watching.

The pilot episode for CBS' Supergirl does manage to get off the ground, yet it never really soars to the heights of the supercharged "Gotham" and "The Flash." Nor is it as immediately intriguing as those two DC-inspired shows.

Six Feet Under is as artificial as the AstroTurf funeral directors place around a grave site. [3 June 2001, p.91]

Might be the fall's funniest and most satisfying show. ... Smartly written and well cast, it sparkles with characters, situations and dialogue that owe more to real life than TV contrivances. [12 Sep 1996]

The writers do take the occasional misstep along the trail. The series has it didactic moments, to be sure, as well as the occasional cartoonish character (usually among those chasing the runaways). But these drawbacks are more than offset by the riveting narrative, the outstanding lead cast and a seamless weaving of the greater historical context into the ongoing story.

An engaging and promising debut, despite some overcooked acting and the fact that legal complexities sometimes take a back seat to emotional stand-offs. [4 Mar 1997]

This show manages to give us the hilarious, horrific and heroic... and it has brains.

Indeed, it is, at times, quite thrilling. It's also, at times, tedious. It is a mixed bag of impressive strengths and frustrating shortcomings, which, of course, is precisely what Wright is telling us about the intelligence community before 9/11.

It may not be the Second Coming, which is how hard-core fans have awaited it, but it's a lavish and inventive spectacle that lives up to "Star Trek" tradition and shows why the franchise has flourished. [7 Jan 1993]

And yet, given how derivative it is, (say it with me now), Humans turns out far better than you'd think possible. The performances, pacing and direction are that compellingly good, at least in the first two episodes made available to critics.

There are many incredibly suspenseful and deeply fascinating stretches. The problem is that fascination is wrapped around frustration in this second "American Crime Story," which is wearisomely lighter on details and slower of pace.

The ingredients aren't always in proper proportion, yet enough of the magic works in this series to keep you under its spell, episode after episode. The acting styles can be all over the place as well, and still, due to the strong cast, it doesn't undo the spell.

If you have a strong enough stomach to get through the yuck-and-yikes surgical procedures, the dramatic rewards are great. If you prefer shows with an edge and an attitude, make your appointment with Miami partners Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon)...And if you like your television served up with wit, intelligence and a bit of daring, you won't have much to say if someone asks, "Tell me what you don't like about Nip/Tuck. "[22 June 2004, p.E1]

It stands as King's best and most effective TV project to date. Best of all is the human dimension of the drama. Where some King minis have built to fantastic payoffs so preposterous as to be laughable, this one uses his bag of tricks and special effects to pose a moral dilemma. The absorbing climax finds its ultimate horror not in a monster, but in the ethical choices of average people. [13 Feb 1999, p.1E]

An extremely smart, wildly eccentric and very adult comedy. And if Bacon is bringing the heat, then Hahn is the aching, searching heart of this series.

Murder One survived on appeal after approaching cancellation. It makes a great case for itself tonight. [10 Oct 1996, p.8E]

As raw and raunchy as the comedy sometimes gets on Crashing, there's something incredibly endearing and downright sweet about this new HBO series. That something is the performance of the immensely likable Pete Holmes.

Although not anywhere near as epic in scale as Fox's Batman prequel, "Gotham," The Flash does have a better sense of what it has set out to be: a sturdy superhero drama with an engaging lead character played by likable young star.

Aspects of Battle Creek seem familiar, to be sure, yet it registers high on the giddy scale thanks to energetic direction, clever writing and the comic chemistry generated by Duhamel and Winters.

This is hardly a one-character show. Ray is at the center of the movie-land maelstrom, to be sure, but everything around him is intriguing. And everything speaks to danger.

Both different and diverting, when the self-conscious style doesn't intrude on the storytelling. [8 Sep 1997]

The show at least moves at a fast clip and blazes past some impressive scenery ... Despite the higher production values, "The Amazing Race" offers little more than a blur of people shouting, "Which way do we go?" [5 Sep 2001]

It's quite a good one. It boasts a brisk pace, strong direction by Rick Famuyiwa and a superb cast led by Kerry Washington as Hill and Wendell Pierce as Thomas.

The comedy simply doesn't come as fast, as funny or as fresh. [28 Mar 1999]

An endearing and often-poignant eight-part adaptation of John Green’s first novel. ... They [writer-producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage] are aided in this mission by performances that are every bit as refreshingly genuine as the writing.

While The Strain is pretty much a cauldron churning with familiar ingredients, the dark brew bubbling inside is served up with a great deal of panache.

Drenched in whom-do-you-trust paranoia and dripping with suspense, "Invasion" grabs you by the throat in the opening seconds and never lets go.

It’s difficult enough staying on track having seen the previous two seasons. If you want to make up your loss, go back to the beginning and work your way toward the third season. And be prepared to be challenged. ... What hasn’t changed is that “Legion” remains an intoxicating experience laced with a grand sense of wonder. The humorous touches are every bit as clever as the visual treats. The performances are every bit as compelling as the production team’s command of the narrative.

Many aspects of the 12-part Rome might leave you cold. While certainly impressive in scope and scale, HBO’s awkward stab at a series is being made with a programming weapon that’s often blunt, dull and unwieldy... Where Rome gets tripped up is in the uneven performances and lackluster writing. This is what truly causes the fall of this particular Roman empire. [28 Aug 2005, p.J1]

The bigger question will be whether viewers accept the new character - and whether the writing, so far uneven, can match Fox's exertions. [17 Sept 1996, p.9E]

Eventually, though, the series will need to get past some growing pains and mature into a drama that fully embraces the comic-book elements. You may have doubts about Heller reaching that destination, but, with this blazing a start, you'll want to be along for the thrill ride as he sets out to solve that riddle.

Bouncing between bloody good and bloody brilliant. [12 July 2006, p.D1]

An intriguing and surreal serving of fun fantasy. It’s an ideal role for Rudd. Well, make that two ideal roles for Rudd.

The result is a delightful horror hodgepodge packed with eerie surprises, colorful characters and Gothic plot twists.

It starts at a dead run and never slackens its pace.

An intoxicating mix of wicked comedy and "Lear"-like tragedy. ... There's nothing all that likable about the Roys. They are a vain, petty and avaricious lot. But they are incredibly fascinating, thanks to the riveting performances and the razor-sharp writing.

The problem is not the simple lack of an original idea. It's that the material is so staggeringly lame. [21 Mar 1995]

It's a free-wheeling good time with a good heart and some good laughs.

The dreary, leaden dialogue is the real crime in this drama. Around every Miami corner in the early episodes, you catch the writers in the act of assaulting viewers with self-importance and stilted banter. [1 Oct 2003, p.E9]

A mixed-bag hour that, in the parlance of the cosmetic-surgery world, could use a little work. [22 July 2003, p.E1]

Due to faulty programming, it's a mixed bag of delights and drawbacks. The performances are exceptional. The dialogue is ham-fisted and stilted. The dark, grim tone is intriguing. The pace is choppy.

It's an ambitious and engrossing combination of mystery story and medical drama - and a powerful reminder that docudramas can be more than true-crime sleaze. [11 Sept 1993, p.1E]

despite some clunky moments, Daly's The Fugitive sprints well past the vast majority of this fall's freshman series. [6 Oct 2000, p.5E]

It hits a few sour notes, to be sure, and there are some off-key moments, but, for the most part, Empire artfully draws you into its high-stakes game of throne envy.

What truly makes the Bays-Thomas collaboration smarter than your average sitcom is the storytelling chances taken by the script.

While unquestionably a strange brew, No Tomorrow also is quite bewitching. It's fun falling under its spell.

American Dreams will need to change and develop if it has any hope of mimicking the success of American Bandstand. But tonight's opener has a nice beat and is easy to dance to. [29 Sep 2002, p.2]

The cast is first rate, delivering sympathetic and believable performances. The writing is intelligent, providing intellectual grist to the grisly moments. And the direction is as crisp as it is clever. [20 Sept 1999, p.1E]

There is no shortage of chuckles along the way, but the hit-and-miss nature of the writing keeps the series from staying on track as it heads for moments both humorous and poignant.

The problem with The Young Pope is that it never artfully draws you in deep enough to care. Created and directed by Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino ("The Great Beauty"), it is drearily paced, choppy and often self-consciously bizarre. It's beautiful to gaze upon, filled with sumptuous shots that look like majestic oil paintings. And the supporting cast is impressive.

Williams never makes a wrong step, but, sadly, the same can’t be said for the writing and direction.

Murder in the First is an immediately engaging crime drama boasting a deep cast and crisp direction.

Extant is a hodgepodge that serves up some creepy moments but gets bogged down by the inelegance of its copycat nature. It rumbles when it should roar. It stumbles when it should soar.

A darker, more complex reimagining of the Archie universe. Did I say dark? Let's add moody, murky and, at times, creepy. It also is surprisingly engaging, thanks in no small measure to the winning performances of KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge and Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper.

It's familiar enough territory, to be sure, yet it's covered in lively fashion, thanks mostly to Katims' breezy script and the delightful comic chemistry between Walton and young Stockham.

At the black heart of this uneven but often-mesmerizing crime drama is Donald Sutherland's sly and spellbinding portrayal of the richest man in the world, J. Paul Getty Sr.

Checking in means checking out what's in store for the second season, and the tantalizing possibilities are gleaming like the surface of a highly-polished knife blade.

Moving uncertainly in fits and starts, the handsomely produced Victoria nonetheless gleams with first-rate performances. The overall storytelling execution is poor, but individual scenes can be quite rich in detail and nuance.

Comrade Detective does is not overstay its welcome. There's just enough here to sustain six episodes. That works. Anything more would have been a crime.

Trial & Error is more a case of hit and miss. Wildly uneven, it tries way too hard to be eccentric, often following big laughs with wearisomely forced and labored moments.

Fueled by these performances, it frequently and undeniably rises to great heights. But add up everything that When We Rise has going for it, which is considerable, and, well, the whole is somewhat less than the sum of its parts.

Like many an anthology series, it is a bit uneven, sometimes corny and clunky, sometimes wonderfully sweet and sentimental. But when on top of its game, “Modern Love” produces some magically romantic results. The touching first episode is enchanting proof of that. ... Another superb entry stars Dev Patel.

"Just Shoot Me" has some heart and smartness, and it shows a solid sense of how to build a series. [4 Mar 1997]

Comedy isn't the idea behind the "Voyager," the newest spinoff in the Federation franchise, but tonight's debut delivers campy laughs galore... That said, it's also evident that "Voyager" offers more energy and action than either of the previous spinoffs, "The Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine," with an adventurous and distinctly less solemn spirit that more recalls the original "Star Trek." [16 Jan 1995]

This is a solid case of so far, so pretty good.

Much of this takes a by-the-numbers approach, but the cast is strong, and you get the feeling that the second episode is more indicative of where the show is heading.

Much of this sounds grim, but Breakthrough is anything but depressing in its overall tone. After putting towering problems into chilling perspective, the series humanizes the issues, keeping the focus on individual stories.

The Strain continues to rely too much on action and not enough on compelling character development. The uneven results are entertaining but hardly infectious.

The closer The Bomb gets to the present, the more frenetic and less effective it becomes. You can't expect a two-hour study to be in any way comprehensive, but some surprisingly big swaths of the historical territory get little or no mention.

It's an auspicious start for the fifth live-action "Trek" series, with less moralizing, less preaching and more action than past incarnations. [23 Sep 2001]

So many strong ingredients could have gone into this brew, but, no matter how obviously the casting tries to turn up the heat, it's still a half-empty glass of weak tea.

At this point, "Carnivale" is a frustrating blend of intriguing and annoying elements. The writers are taking chances, and you have to give them credit for that, but they haven't quite perfected this mystical mixture of metaphor and metaphysics, mystery and magic. [13 Sep 2003]

If it's time for a new military comedy, this is a good one. It marches to the beat of its own dumb drum.

A riveting, suspenseful, briskly paced drama packed with intriguing performances.

Every bit as intriguing as it is intelligent. [13 Jun 2005]

The cast, led by Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, is exceptional. The intricate web of story lines is intriguing. And there are several moments when “City On a Hill” jumps to startling life, providing us a glimpse of the series it could become.

There's deliberate and there's plodding. This is plodding. Indeed, the jittery camera work and abrupt flashbacks almost take it from plodding to stumbling.... The acting styles differ greatly, yet none of the capable regulars hits a false note, whether playing subdued rage or over-the-top fervor.

A wildly uneven action-adventure-fantasy drama from executive producers Eric Kripke ("Revolution," "Supernatural") and Shawn Ryan ("The Shield," "The Unit"), it awkwardly follows a scientist, a soldier and a history professor pursuing the mysterious criminal who stole a secret time machine.

Fallon, 39, made an energetic and charming debut Monday night as the Tonight Show host. But providing the real rocket fuel for this high-profile launch were the many stars dropping by to wish him luck.

Thornton is sensational as the shattered Billy McBride, a one-time star litigator who took the ruins of his life and crawled into a whiskey bottle. When he's not on screen, you grow impatient for his return.

A sturdy family drama. [2 Apr 1994]

In a season overloaded with domestic sitcoms, Dave's World is distinguished by featuring the least annoying and most realistic kids, and by being based on the work of a Pulitzer Prize winner, humor columnist Dave Barry. [20 Sept 1993]

The jokes weren't marginally different in tone and quality than those delivered so expertly for so many years by his predecessor, Jon Stewart. It was all about his delivery, which seemed breathless, slightly rushed and a little uncertain.... New correspondent Roy Wood Jr., reporting on the discovery of running water on Mars, made a stronger impression Monday night than Noah.

Like "The X-Files," a series it resembles in both look and tone, "Threshold" is as much a horror show as it is a science-fiction program.

It’s raucously funny in its own right and in its own way. If the first season’s remaining nine episodes are anywhere near as laugh-out-loud hilarious as tonight’s opener, Barbershop: The Series will be nothing less than Showtime’s strongest entry yet in the comedy field. [14 Aug 2005, p.J1]

Peyton List stars in this immediately riveting mix of police drama and time-bending fantasy.

Worth watching? Oh yeah, particularly for the genius of Rush and Flynn. Despite the inconsistent nature of the dialogue, the series obviously has much to recommend it. It's superior, if not superlative.

[Carey is] a fresh and winning presence, but so strong that the show will have to work to see that the other characters hold their own. [13 Sep 1995]

It's another faulty futuristic fantasy drama patched together with used parts and overused designs.

While often great fun, the series' premiere occasionally shows the strain of trying to blend all of those genres into one sleek package. On the plus side of the Firefly universe, the show is expertly paced and is full of those wickedly humorous asides that fans of "Buffy" and its ever-improving spinoff, "Angel," expect from the mischievous Whedon. [20 Sept 2002, p.E1]

It's moving so fast that the missteps never turn into a full-fledged fall. More than compensating, Anderson and Mulroney deliver big time, while Gross and Erenberg make a surprisingly winning odd-couple team. If there is a weak link in this cast, it's probably Taylor, who has yet to convince us she's a savvy and experienced FBI agent.

Will is as sensual as it is suspenseful, as bawdy as it is bloody, as lusty as it it is lyrical.

If all of the characters were as 14-karat authentic as Goldie, I'm Dying Up Here might have had a fighting chance. Instead, even with Jim Carrey on board as an executive producer and Tom Dreesen along for the erratic ride as technical consultant, this Showtime newcomer only intermittently finds its rhythm and hits its stride as compelling drama.

The good news is that Snowfall, the searing FX drama about the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles, does start moving at dazzling speed after a slow, plodding start. The bad news is that this occurs somewhere about the fourth episode.