[It] could be the best TV series of our times. Not for everyone, no. But for what it is, The Sopranos is near magical. [16 Jan 2000]

Some of the edge is off and the buzz isn't quite what it was. [4 Mar 2001]

Much of this is likely to go to waste, though. Homicide, possibly the best police series ever, may prove to be the biggest turnoff since Cop Rock. Imagine a series in which a cop walks up to a potential mugger and tells him, "Hey, we're police. Go rob somebody else." [31 Jan 1993, p.5C]

What is most riveting about Deadwood is the way it blows the dust off the Western to tell a contemporary story. [5 Mar 2005, p.14E]

Be forewarned that The Shield easily is the most graphic police series in TV history. That said, it's potentially one of the very best, too. [11 Mar 2002, p.12C]

Easily the best new series coming to TV...With enough rich characters to fill several series, Life could become the latest show to shake up network television. [25 Aug 1994, p.1C]

The Larry Sanders Show is still a first-rate, one-of-a-kind walk through a talk-show looking glass. [2 Jun 1993]

One could build a college sociology course around whether The Corner does more harm than good. Either side could make a strong case...At last check, though, this is still a free country. And HBO is both unbeholden to skittish advertisers and seemingly impervious to pressure groups. On broadcast networks, that combination has spurred the quick demise of provocative series such as Nothing Sacred; The PJs; God, the Devil and Bob; and Wonderland...For better or worse, television has never seen anything quite like it. [16 Apr 2000, p.1C]

This requires some patience at first, although getting a handle on the format is relatively painless. Once that's accomplished, it's thrilling to watch Boomtown navigate twists and turns like a topflight Grand Prix racer. [29 Sept 2002, p.3]

A smart, tart, daring comedy in a season that could really use one. Arrested Development and Mr. Bateman both deserve a long and prosperous run. What a nice, bracing development that would be. [2 Nov 2003, p.3]

If the season premiere is any sign, Arrested Development is going to be just as wacky as last season. [6 Nov 2004, p.13E]

Along with the material, Mr. Gandolfini is so good that viewers will sympathize even as they shudder. [9 Jan 1999, p.1C]

Innovative and compelling. ... The show gets off to a great start in its first highly eventful hour, with Mr. Sutherland excelling in his first TV series role. [4 Nov 2001]

Joe Flaherty, the former SCTV standout, chips in as a perfectly apt one-note pop who preaches that all of his former misbehaving classmates are now - "dead!" [25 Sept 1999, p.1C]

Sometimes he's just too grating. [4 Jan 2004]

Malcolm is much more than mega-jolts of Fox "attitude." It's both quirky and charming, edgy and reaffirming. [9 Jan 2000]

This might sound same-old, same-old, but isn't. Felicity has the look and feel of a small, bright feature film. Its ensemble cast is attractive and appealing. Most importantly, the acting is strong enough to pull off lines that on paper sound like groaners. [29 Sept 1998, p.1C]

Ed also is graced by Molly Hudson (Lesley Boone), another of his former high school classmates. Chubby and vibrant, she's another winning character in a series that's brimming with them. [8 Oct 2000]

A perceptive, powerful, five-star achievement in HBO's continuing championship season...Saluting it is a singular honor and privilege.[9 Sept 2001, p.3]

Lost so far is riveting, large-scale human drama. Get those Gilligan's Island jokes out of your system. Otherwise they might be sticking in your throat after the opening 10 minutes. [22 Sept 2004, p.12E]

Occasionally, Rescue Me hammers the viewer with facile speechifying meant to establish the series' point of view. It more than makes up for these lapses with vivid characters, a slick visual style and pop tunes that cut against the grain of what's happening on screen. [21 July 2004, p.13E]

Mr. Sandler is not the problem. Undeclared just loses course. Lizzie's long-distance boyfriend (F&G veteran Jason Segel) is OK with the Sandler liaison, but when he finds out later about her night with Steven, the entire episode is given over to slapstick and lazy humor...Now it's time to send the outsiders home and let these kids find their way on their own terms. [25 Sept 2001, p.10C]

Unsettling is understating it. ABC's Wonderland, which happens to be wonderful, could be one of the toughest sells in TV history. Buy into it, though, and you'll experience a truly remarkable look at the ins, outs and intricacies of mental illness and the doctors who treat it. [30 March 2000]

It is ambitious, evocative television with next to no hit potential. [24 Oct 1996]

The corny, almost maudlin conclusions, coupled with the show's we-are-family, us-against-the-network motif, is too sincere to swallow. [22 Sept 1998, p.4C]

No Direction Home is a soul-stirring Scorsese masterwork. His The Last Waltz, which documented The Band's final concert, is generally considered the big screen's best-ever rock performance film. Now he's outdone himself with a lyrical, magical film rich in both context and subtext. [26 Sep 2005, p.1G]

Together, the writing and the sets make The Tick one of the sharpest satires of the superhero genre ever. Part of its appeal is simply that it's different. With so many yuppie comedies and cop dramas dotting the TV landscape, it's nice to see an intelligently silly parody taking a shot. [8 Nov 2001, p.1C]

Deadwood is the equivalent of Roy's Trigger returning as an ill-tempered, bucking bronco that's dead-set against galloping off into the sunset. Saddle up anyway. This is going to be one helluva ride - to points unknown. [21 Mar 2004, p.3]

Think of it as My So-Called Afterlife or Nancy Drew Blood: Despite some lapses into acute self-awareness, Buffy is a biting, stylish high-school drama masquerading as a vampire-movie spinoff and cleverly combining the dark humor of Heathers, the homeroom angst of Beverly Hills, 90210 and the goofy, mystery-solving camaraderie of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? [10 Mar 1997, p.15A]

From the Earth to the Moon, your 12-hour, Tom Hanks-piloted paean to NASA, goes boldly where we've gone again and again. And again. It's kinda like Mom and Dad surveying the old two-story after the last of their five kids has flown the nest. "Honey, do we really need all this space?" [5 Apr 1998, p.1C]

Wonderfully textured... ER has hit potential. [18 Sep 1994]

The season's brightest, darkest new drama. [3 Oct 2004]

Sometimes you just have to know when to stop. Scrubs is still learning. [2 Oct 2001]

Critics keep saying that this doesn't look like a Fox show, and they mean that as a compliment. Sure, the cast is attractive enough to guest star on Beverly Hills, 90210, but with a subject ripe for overwrought treatment, Party of Five holds back just enough. [11 Sept 1994, p.11C]

The Wire is by no means a worthless enterprise, and Episode 2 is an improvement over Sunday's comparatively off-putting premiere. It'll be tough to go the distance with this one, though, and far easier to look away. [1 June 2002, p.1C]

All the president's men and women are deftly drawn and seamlessly woven through a crackerjack opening hour. Whether they'll be able to hold our interest remains to be seen. [22 Sept 1999, p.1C]

Beneath the humor, Joan is a dark, daring drama with the guts to explore what God might be thinking. [26 Sept 2003, p.1E]

The first episode is as complex, wise, questioning, darkly funny and, yes, entertaining, as television gets. It broaches life's paradoxes with hard-edged melodrama, gallows humor and bravura acting. [10 Oct 2000, p.1C]

Chicago Hope is an affecting, involving series solidly anchored by Mr. Patinkin. [18 Sep 1994]

The intermittent blare of pop songs, telegraphing how the audience should feel, also breaks the fourth wall, undermining the power of the action sequences and the few poignant scenes between Sydney and her in-the-dark boyfriend (Edward Atterton). [30 Sept 2001, p.9C]

Sean Hayes, as Jack, is the overriding reason to watch. [21 Sep 1998]

Without a Trace ends up delivering enough twists and turns to hold up its end of the basic TV show-viewer contract. It also visits the cliche corral on occasion. [26 Sep 2002]

In place of the by-now clichés, House substitutes wit, taut writing and a performance by British actor Hugh Laurie that should put him immediately in the running for a best-actor Emmy. [16 Nov 2004, p.14E]

Splendidly cast and appealingly off-center, it's a genuine summertime gem. [7 July 2002, p.3]

But by the third episode, Maximum Bob turns into minimal entertainment. The plot contrivances become strained beyond repair, and the farcical edge is blunted. [4 Aug 1998, p.1C]

Whether darkly funny, deeply moving or spookily surreal, Six Feet Under is seldom less than bracingly original. It's another landmark series for HBO. [3 June 2001, p.3]

Like his other work ... Mr. Kelley's new show dares to strain reality in search of simple truths. But before you go running in the other direction, let me hasten to add that he prods and preaches with such panache, passion and emotional punch that you may not even notice that The Practice is good for you. [1 Mar 1997]

A first cabin production with superb special effects, an intelligent script and an intricate plot. [5 Jan 1993]

Farscape is thoroughly first-rate in the special-effects department. As for the writing, it at least shows flashes of promise. [19 Mar 1999]

Your patience will only be rewarded to a point. Although capably acted and edited, Traffic doesn't hit enough green lights. Instead it stops and stalls too often, particularly during a concluding Part 3 in which you'll see a latter day bad guy a mile away, even in Seattle's fog. [26 Jan 2004]

Had enough? Or want more? Nip/Tuck still can be gripping, gratifying drama when it's not trying so hard to be either salacious or capital Q quirky. But it's not off to the great start of last summer despite the presence of esteemed thespian Vanessa Redgrave in the second season's initial three episodes. [20 June 2004, p.3]

Without Mr. Benzali and archvillain Richard Cross (Stanley Tucci), and without last season's meticulously unfolding story, year two of Murder One is not groundbreaking. It's just another solid TV drama. But because the action moves more quickly, it might draw more viewers. [10 Oct 1996, p.1C]

It will take an uncommon effort for most viewers to get entirely through even the first episode. Those who return for more will be rewarded in due time. [19 March 2000]

Mr. Kelley otherwise fills too much time with extraneous law cases and Ally's narrative meanderings and fantasies. ... There are sparks, though. Ms. Flockhart is an actress of considerable promise, and some of the dialogue zings home while Mr. Kelley walks his latest high wire. [7 Sep 1997]

The show's global scope, scenery and overall sense of adventure make it a veritable Doctor Zhivago of the [reality] genre compared with most of the swill lately in play. [2 Sep 2001]

The new 24 is off to a more interesting start than its sophomore edition. [27 Oct 2003]

Amusing in spots. ... Future episodes will have to pick up speed if the series expects to really take off. [28 Mar 1999]

Fun without being campy, poignant without being syrupy and probably too heavy on interpersonal situations to suit most of today's young male comic readers. [12 Sept 1993, p.10C]

Amply seasoned with treachery, lechery, debauchery, depravity, nudity and infidelity, HBO's Rome also tends to fall victim to filmmaking's cardinal sin - tedium. [28 Aug 2005, p.3]

This broad, bawdy style of humor usually doesn't work because it's hard to hit a target with silly jokes. In this case, the producers know exactly what they're doing; the jokes may be silly, but they're also sharp. [14 March 2000]

Beyond the cursing, nudity and brutish behavior, Mr. Fontana makes the most of his opportunity by pushing TV's visual and storytelling limits.[12 July 1997, p.1C]

A comedy worth telling your friends about. [20 Mar 1995]

Wow, a good-guy IRS agent in a land of loop-de-loopholes. Any show that can sell that premise is well worth your time and attention. [17 Sept 2002]

Nip/Tuck delivers its jolts within the context of an intelligent script underscored by first-rate performances. [20 July 2003, p.3]

Perhaps The Fugitive will slow its frenetic pace in future episodes. The original show had its share of narrow escapes but didn't rely on heavy-duty action every week. They instead focused on Kimble's close encounters with strangers, some kind, others sinister. [6 Oct 2000, p.1C]

Its first cases ... play out cheaply as setups for one-liners, only a few of which land squarely. [3 Oct 2004]

A textured drama ... Intelligence takes precedence over "sassiness." [25 Jun 2000]

Flexing the foolproof formula and first-rate production values of its predecessor, this spinoff quickly proves to be a turn-on. [23 Sep 2002]

Most of this is enjoyable, some of it a bit much. But Bette is Bette, as is "Bette." She's a hothouse rose, not a shrinking violet. But on a weekly basis, too much scenery-chewing could make even the "Divine Miss M" wear thin. We'll see how it all plays out. [8 Oct 2000]

The show seems sophomoric at first, but gradually graduates to an interesting look at Hollywood's fast-lane ups and downs. [18 July 2004, p.3]

Victims Unit also imports Mr. Belzer's sardonic John Munch character from NBC's canceled Homicide: Life on the Street. His wise-guy asides are a little forced in this first hour, as are some of the recurring sexual references. But the featured case gets more compelling by the minute. [20 Sept 1999, p.1C]

King of the Hill walks a fine line between celebrating its characters and making fun of them, between being populist and reactionary. Only time will tell if it can successfully negotiate that line. [12 Jan 1997]

As the episodes have continued, something unexpected happens - the action begins to take a backseat to characters. It's not so much that you begin to care about this collection of cartoonish misfits, but the depth and breadth of their weirdness becomes the show's primary source of entertainment. Reno 911! ends up being more a surreal soap opera than a Cops parody. [25 Aug 2003]

That's Life encapsulates what's most frustrating about network television: lots of obviously talented people working on a fundamentally weak and/or worn-out idea. The show and its cast struggle valiantly to have genuine moments shared by real people. [1 Oct 2000, p.7C]

The O.C. looks as though it will be hard-pressed to build and maintain a loyal base of younger viewers. Sure, it's worth a look. But no, it wouldn't be terribly missed. [4 Aug 2003, p.12E]

It all makes for an easy-to-take sitcom whose best moment finds Jake and Charlie singing the theme song he wrote for Maple Loops cereal. There are some funny lines at a poker game, too, where the kid turns out to be quite a bluffer. [22 Sept 2003, p.12E]

The hour ends with a ludicrously over-the-top, outside-the-courthouse sequence. A downpour gets musical accompaniment from Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" Then a drenched Lilly's hard-driving countenance is framed in a climactic close-up after other key players in the case look somberly upon the scene. Cleansing? Symbolic? No, just way, way overdone.

It's unlikely anyone will be racing home to watch it. What we have here is a B-minus comedy that you can take or leave. Sort of like Wings. No harm done. No chill-bumps either. [3 Mar 1997]

As well as The Next Generation and better than Deep Space Nine, the new series' two-hour premiere entertainingly balances action/adventure with sociology. [16 Jan 1995]

Mr. Cohen is better served - and better disguised - as the suited, shorthaired Borat. He's reminiscent of Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau, a painfully sincere bumbler who gets smashed on wine with the Mississippians on Sunday night before addressing an Oklahoma city council meeting next week. [18 July 2004, p.3]

It all comes together in impressive fashion, with Mr. Bakula primed and ready to take command and keep the faith. [23 Sep 2001]

Its depiction of rap's gangsta element is laughable, at least in the first episode. And the quick-cut editing often seems more haphazard than cutting edge. Platinum otherwise is distinctive, provocative and possibly even trailblazing. [13 Apr 2003]

There's a thrill of discovery here that's missing from the mostly formulaic new series marching into view this fall on broadcast networks. [14 Sep 2003]

It's an inventive, affecting and sometimes amusing hour. [20 Sept 2002, p.6C]

It all makes for an intriguing series that's out of the normal without being out-and-out ludicrous. [16 June 2002, p.TV-3]

Yes, this series is as cornball as it sounds. [3 Apr 1994]

Dave's World is a little flat and pretentious at times. But it's comfy enough to earn a long stay on CBS' formidable Monday-night lineup. The first episode's finale is inspired, funny, even touching. No need to spoil it, but Louie, Louie has seldom sounded or looked so good. [19 Sept 1993, p.9C]

The show is both derivative and distinctive, proving that standup comics can still adapt their acts to the sitcom form if it's the right comic and the right act. [20 March 2000]

South Park is either the funniest new show on the air or the next sign of the apocalypse. ... When it's not in gross-out mode, and often even when it is, South Park is weaving a surrealist satire of small-town America. [11 Aug 1997]

Barbershop is inventively edited, consistently funny and decidedly not for kids. [14 Aug 2005, p.3]

If there's hope, it lies in the original version, which after getting off to a slow start did a wonderful job of distinguishing who was who and made you want to know more about them. Hopefully, Fox and Whedon can find a happy compromise, and the cultists can start their keyboards. [20 Sept 2002]

Yet for all its obviousness, Showtime's Queer as Folk is something rare: a look inside a formerly forbidden place. [3 Dec 2000, p.1C]

The Office, although derivative, is also bracingly fresh and funny. Not that it's likely to be a breakaway hit, or even a modest one, when paired on Tuesdays with the under-appreciated, ratings-impaired "Scrubs." [20 Mar 2005, p.3]

The story proves interesting enough, the visuals are impressive and the acting lands somewhere above average. [10 Sep 1995]

With the silly, overwrought Charmed, the network of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawson's Creek and Felicity is pushing its luck. [7 Oct 1998, p.1C]

Whether intended or not, this emphasis on serial killers and other antisocial freaks indulges a morbid fascination with sicko behavior at least as much as it celebrates smart and dedicated crime fighters. [22 Sep 2004]

The cast is appealing and the freeze-frame camera tricks mostly are inventive instead of intrusive. [7 Oct 2004]

Set in snowy Colorado but filmed in serviceable Utah, it's a stick-to-your-ribs hour with mush and syrup served on the side. This might induce a few groans, but Everwood overall finds the fine line between effective sentiment and overdone melodrama. [16 Sept 2002, p.12C]