In spirit, mood, tone and execution, this somber and sodden series feels more like an attempt to do a Stephen King-like horror series.

Smartly and humorously written, spiced with cartoonish mayhem and over-the-top acting, it visually resembles the "Dick Tracy" and "Batman" movies, deals in the sort of speculative scientific fantasy that distinguished "Quantum Leap" and the miniseries "Wild Palms," and provides ... escapist fun. [19 Mar 1994]

This first hour is all about reinvention. It's a rather clunky attempt to remake the 1993-2002 vehicle in a manner that will please loyal fans and new viewers. The second episode, with guest star Doug Savant ("Desperate Housewives"), pushes this redesigned vehicle into a higher gear.... Now this is the X-Files we fondly remember. Can they push this to yet a higher gear? Why, yes, they can, and they do with the third episode.

It all comes together spookily well, with Lore resembling nothing more than six late-night trips to the campfire for some splendidly spun creep-out stories.

The major characters, one and all, are extremely well acted, but the winter of their middle-age discontent produces a comedy that leaves the viewer a little cold.

While the two episodes that the network sent to critics stumble baldly into the humor-impaired category, each manages to sparkle for a moment or two. And Emmy winner Louis-Dreyfus provides most of the sparkle. [26 Feb 2002]

A terrific vehicle for commenting on the state of the world? It should be. God, the Devil and Bob, however, is rarely as funny or as insightful as it should be. [9 March 2000, p.4E]

From the casting to the writing, the show has class, leaving you with the hope that Jack will be destined to a long stay in Toledo.

A smart, stylish, sexy romp full of sizzling patter and clever chatter. Behind the glitz and glamour of Sin City are solid performances by Caan and his immediately likable co-stars. [22 Sept 2003, p.D7]

Obvious similarities to the Jason Bourne films and other espionage stories are only part of the derivative drama's problems. The lurching plot turns are preposterous. The supporting characters are thinly drawn. The structure is terribly disjointed. And the dialogue ranges from ham-fisted to stilted.

Amiable but not memorable, Friends becomes an overcrowded "Ellen," which remains a junior-varsity "Seinfeld" wannabe. [22 Sept 1994, p.7E]

The troubling questions and terrific performances are enough to keep you following this murky trail, if you're not seriously burned out on serial killers. There seems to be one waiting around every corner in television, and this dark corner can be found near the intersection of trite and tremendous. Absentia is both.

The creep factor runs high, and it had better in a series called "Supernatural." But the series also has its overly familiar and just-plain-silly moments.

What Mars lacks in consistency, it makes up with scope and scale.

An ambitious but uneven show based on the colorful and controversial life of Jack Parsons.

Why does this murky version of Christie’s 1936 novel occasionally hit wearisome and plodding stretches? It’s never because of Malkovich’s portrayal. It’s the directing and writing that comes up short. ... Despite the erratic nature of the direction, “The ABC Murders” often is gripping fare, with each installment serving up more than its share of fiercely memorable moments.

The setting and crimes are interesting, and Petersen in particular is terrific, but C.S.I. tries to show the thoughtful nature of its characters by underplaying them - and it relies for liveliness on stomach-turning lab work. Slick but plodding, C.S.I. could be DOA. [6 Oct 2000, p.5E]

It's a bit of throwback, which makes it sort of a time trip in itself. A fun ride. [21 March 1995, p.7F]

It’s a frustrating run of intoxicating highs and off-putting lows, at least in the early going. ... As it stands, uncertainly, at the starting gate, it’s poised somewhere between pass and fail.

If not as sharply realized and profoundly resonant as the "Battlestar" reboot, this "Lost in Space" is a visual stunner packed with exhilarating action sequences. It's not a great drama, but it is great fun.

the pilot episode is briskly paced and told with a certain amount of flair. Technically, it's not without merit..... [But] It needs to get smart or risk being exposed as a pale impostor lurking among the elite TV operatives.

So relentlessly watchable it's likely to be habit-forming after two doses, City of Angels is more than a promising midseason addition. It makes an immediate case for itself as the best drama on CBS. [16 Jan 2000, p.6I]

The writing and direction are uneven as ever, lurching clumsily from intriguing to annoying. [8 Jan 2005]

It's grittily atmospheric, sharply scripted and acted with a depth that becomes more apparent as the series goes on. It will leave you on the edge of your seat. [4 Apr 2000]

The writing on "Commander in Chief" often is so distressingly thin and pale, this West Wing drama will suffer in comparison to the robust early years of, well, NBC's "The West Wing."

Wielding a satiric sword badly in need of sharpening, Disenchantment meanders along a medieval middle ground, often fun but rarely funny.

What's missing from Blunt Talk is any degree of wit, any genuine character development, any sense of comic structure that delights, rather than depresses, the viewer. What should be winning leaves you wincing.

Emphasizing action more than character, Babylon 5 is a show that's simply grittier, more exuberantly freewheeling and more fun [than "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"]. [25 Jan 1994, p.9D]