The Tourist hooked us in with its story, plus the performances by Dornan, Macdonald and Brune-Franklin.

We’re going to stick with The Dropout because of Seyfried’s pitch-perfect performance as Holmes as well as the myriad guest actor performances that are already looking promising by the end of the first episode. We just hope that the show doesn’t continue to make Holmes the hero of her own story.

Although Our Flag Means Death isn’t laugh-a-minute, it’s got a good-enough story to set up a unique workplace comedy. It may take a few episodes, but the funny stuff will come once the ensemble is well-established.

We hope the muddled first episode of Ragdoll isn’t an indication of where the series is going. The Ragdoll Killer presents an interesting case, but there’s so much thrown into the mix that we get the feeling the mystery is going to suffer under a pile of quips and contrivances.

Minx is effervescently fun, full of heart and smarts, and a heck of a lot of promise for what’s still to come.

Its breakneck pace and flashy mix of genre-bending elements combine to craft a series that’s difficult to look away from and impossible to ignore. HBO’s latest Sunday night offering isn’t so much of a layup as it is a slam dunk, delivering a fun, glitzy origin story of an iconic NBA dynasty.

Once all of the mania settles down and we get into the meat of the story about Kalanick’s fight to get Uber established and grow it into what it is today we actually got bored.

Snowfall is full of great acting from top to bottom, with family politics, big money crime, violent disputes, and power shifting intrigue to spare.

Just like its parent show, Vikings: Valhalla is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But for fans of the genre, Valhalla does a good job of continuing the story established in Vikings.

The original Law & Order is the TV comfort food we need right now. Whether the show will really go deep into examining the reality of policing in the post-George-Floyd era is still to be determined. But, judging by the first episode, it’s going in the right direction.

The Tex Avery-style sight gags on Cat Burglar can get tiring because they’re doled out at hyper speed. But Rowdy’s deaths, and even the vignettes where he succeeds, make up for that.

The Endgame is by turns boring and by other turns generic and nonsensical. It’s story isn’t compelling enough to follow beyond the first episode, and we’re figuring that the interplay between its stars isn’t enough to keep people watching.

All American: Homecoming has some generic elements that we hope get straightened out over time, but its compelling cast and some of the potential stories set up by the first episode have us intrigued.

Abraham Lincoln is a bit more ambitious and bigger in scope than recent Lincoln-centric docuseries, but it treats its audience with respect, both via well-done reenactments and fantastic interviews.

While it’s hard to say based on only three episodes that the show is anywhere near back to the heights of the beloved first season of the series, Neal has a steady handle on what works on Killing Eve. ... The show is at its best when it’s as off-kilter as Comer’s performance as Villanelle, and the first three hours capture that tone only sporadically

Lincoln’s Dilemma take an unflinching look at Lincoln’s role in the abolition of slavery in America, and isn’t shy about criticizing him, or at least putting his role — and his conflicted politics — in the right context.

Jeen-yuhs is an exceptional, engrossing documentary that peels back the accumulated layers of Kanye West’s career and celebrity, revealing the hungry creative at his core.

Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of Disenchantment, now’s a great time to start.

The Cuphead Show! has created something more than the sum of its parts. It continues Netflix’s trend of superb video game adaptations by creating an animated world so intricate and alive that it will make any animation fan swoon while remaining fun and relatable for any age. Just put on an episode and try not to smile.

Ali Wong cuts right to the chase. She wants the chase. She misses the chase. Wong demands your attention from her opening line.

It gives me no pleasure to share that the show is now fixated on its characters complaining problems of the characters’ own making. In one episode, Midge literally thinks her biggest problem is not getting free milk. Worse, the once guillotine-sharp dialogue that made the Sherman-Palladinos favorites amongst TV snobs has been replaced with nonsensical dialogue that constantly loops back on itself.

Severance isn’t just one of the most tonally honest versions of office life; it’s an entirely new genre of corporate horror that’s a force unto itself.

It’s off to a solid start, with good performances and a story that fits well in today’s television landscape.

The Real Dirty Dancing is a mindless distraction if you’re in the mood for it. It’s got plenty of nostalgia for the film baked in, and it seems that celebs are game. But the show is about as memorable as what you had for breakfast.

If you’ve seen Ms. Pat’s previous Netflix performance or her BET+ series, you know what you’re gonna get. And if you haven’t, then this hour may serve to tease and tempt you to explore more of her work.

Dollface gives viewers one of the coolest experiences of all: watching someone find their passion. This season is littered with little moments like these, honest parts of everyday life that only feel profound because we never see them portrayed.

Love Is Blind Season 2 reveals what the show really is, what the producers want to focus on and what kind of applicants they want to cast. The result is a show that is a bit more structured but infinitely more chaotic — and yet somehow still uncomfortably genuine.

Even with an occasionally clunky script, Inventing Anna is ridiculously watchable, aided in part by another scene-stealing performance from Julia Garner and a top-notch ensemble.

I found The Girl Before frustrating, if not downright ludicrous at times.

Although I expected the docuseries to dig a bit deeper into the specific history of the showcase and how it spawned Black-themed comedy nights at clubs across America, I still appreciated all of the extra detours into the various aspects of the cultural history of the 1990s.

It feels like Suspicion is a bunch of espionage scenes in search of a cohesive story. The story may reveal itself at some point, but right now, the whole operation feels bland and generic, to the point where we don’t think we’ll be engaged with the story in subsequent episodes.

The series has a sly, puckish humor and inexhaustible bravado that more than makes up for some of the more ridiculous aspects of the plot. Reacher succeeds thanks to an abundance of charm, an interesting central mystery, a slew of exhilarating fight scenes, and dynamic performances and undeniable chemistry from Ritchson, Goodwin, and Fitzgerald.

Murderville isn’t a show you watch for any sort of story; you watch it to see how the guest stars react to what’s going on around them. And you watch it to laugh. And you’ll laugh a lot.

We Need To Talk About Cosby is definitely hard to watch, and that’s the point. It brings up many of the same feelings Bell himself is working through via his direction. But that discomfort is a big indication that Bell is doing his job.

On From The Cold is one of the worst Netflix original series we’ve seen in some time. ... We would be OK with the clunky dialogue and wooden acting in In From The Cold if the show wasn’t so ridiculous. But it’s absolutely ridiculous, and not in a good way.

Beyond the visceral thrill of watching zombies chow down on their unfortunate victims, All Of Us Are Dead puts social hierarchies and human beings’ mechanisms for survival under a microscope.

Vox Machina is a fun, chaotic ride through the world the players in Critical Role have been building upon for years. It takes the characters viewers are likely already familiar with, and establishes a story that both fans and newcomers can get into without catching up on the series.

You might not learn much that’s new while watching Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness, but you’ll spend an entertaining half hour watching the ever-funny JVN get his questions answered.

The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window is a smart parody of a very parody-ripe genre, but it also works well because Kristen Bell plays the main role with the right degree of seriousness.

Janet Jackson’s reticence to reveal herself is well known, especially when it comes to her personal life, so this doc’s access is very much without precedent. But it’s also revealing in its wealth of incredible archival footage.

So far, Raised By Wolves Season 2 isn’t trying to appeal to a wider fanbase, but is playing to its core audience of weirdos. The new season doesn’t just feed us; it gorges us on knotty science fiction and bonkers plot twists. Again, if you liked the first season, you’ll continue to love Raised By Wolves in Season 2.

The series is worth watching for Lily James’s phenomenal, career-redefining turn as Pamela Anderson. However, the strengths of the series are ultimately undercut by its own wild ambitions. It wants to be a darkly comic true crime tale, a tragic love story, a cruel satire, and a reclamation of Pamela Anderson all at the same time. Ultimately, these divergent tones don’t come together in perfect harmony.

Come for the celebrity jokes and encounters, stay for the kinder, gentler message, and use the Notes app to write a note to self to look into a flip phone.

Secrets Of Playboy does go into aspects of Hugh Hefner and his empire that people may not have heard before if they’re not following people like Madison closely. We just wonder if the revelations will start becoming repetitive or less shocking as the series examines each part of Hefner’s life and the brand he started.

March is a bit of a frustrating show, because in one respect, producers Cheryl Horner McDonough, Jamail Shelton, Shari Scorca and Marcel Fuentes have shown viewers a world that has been largely unexamined until now. But in other respects, it doesn’t seem like it goes deep enough in its first episode.

We have to give credit to Matt Lopez for making Promised Land an enjoyable, soapy show that doesn’t insult the intelligence of its viewers. Its messaging is tightly weaved into its multigenerational plot, and the direction and acting are refreshingly nuanced.

As We See It may occasionally veer towards the saccharine, but its big heart, outstanding central trio, and wonderful supporting cast make it must-see TV.

Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock has all the charm that made the original series so popular, and it’s made in a way that it’s completely easy to make a new generation of fans get into the show immediately.

Ozark only gets better by the minute. If you need us, we’ll be waiting with bated breath to see how it all comes to a close. Ozark remains one of the best dramas on TV in its fourth season, a showcase for career-best performances from Bateman, Linney, and Garner.

The presentation of The Puppet Master: Hunting The Ultimate Conman is pretty basic, but the story is so compelling — and compellingly told — you’ll look past the production’s cheesiness.

La Fortuna’s distinctive story, combined with the standout performances from Tucci and Peters, make the show one we want to stick with.

Single Drunk Female gets off to a strong start with its first episode and gets better as it goes along, because it builds a world of nuanced characters right from its first scenes.

Fellowes has attempted to recapture the magic of Downton Abbey in other projects, like Doctor Thorne and Belgravia. Here, though, he actually pulls it off. Each new episode left me more ravenous for more. ... It has all the escapist charm of the historic costume drama blended with the savage energy of most evening soaps. It is the show Downton Abbey fans have been waiting for.

The Afterparty is the best of the bunch. Apple TV+’s newest charmer exceeds even the loftiest of expectations as it delivers an uproarious, cleverly crafted murder mystery that’ll leave you wanting more.

Bridget Everett’s subtle and charming performance is just one reason we like Somebody Somewhere. The first episode also does a good job setting up a great ensemble that we look forward to getting to know.

There are enough good things about the show to think it’ll work eventually, but it might never click on all cylinders like the parent show did at its peak.

While there’s something undeniably charming about the world of After Life, its final season is bland and forgettable, weighed down by cliché dialogue and a muddled tone.

We’re still wondering if Archive 81 can effectively put its timelines together into a coherent thriller. But it’s off to a promising start, due to good performances from both Athie and Shihabi.

The House is certainly off-putting and weird at times, but the animation is great and the stories moved along just quickly enough to keep us interested.

We’re giving a cautious recommendation to The Journalist because we think writer Michihito Fujii has established the bones of a good story. But it needs to avoid getting bogged down in the details of the corruption and just get down to the business of examining everyone’s motivations in the scandal.

Wolf Like Me is more drama than comedy, but it works either way, despite its strange premise. Much of that is thanks to Gad and Fisher, but it’s also because Forsythe has ground the show’s more supernatural elements in reality.

It’s intriguing enough to keep us watching. And, given the fact that the show gives a montage of Peacemaker’s story in The Suicide Squad, you shouldn’t need to see the film in order to get the series.

It does seem like Naomi is going to take its sweet time to explore its main character’s story. And that’s just fine with us, especially if it gives us more time to get to know what seems like an anomaly on TV these days, which is a teenager with her head on straight and a strong desire to find out more about herself.

Cheer Season 2 is, like the first season, an addictive triumph. It expands the narrative to include a rival cheer team worth (begrudgingly) rooting for and a new cast of characters to love. But the most impressive thing Cheer Season 2 does is honestly examine the fallout of Season 1. The documentarians capture the good, the bad, and the ugly. ... Cheer Season 2 is The Empire Strikes Back of contemporary sports docs.

It’s certainly not for everyone, but if it is up your alley, it elicits tears-streaming-down-your-face laughter, the kind of horrified guffaws only McBride and his team can deliver. ... All the hi-jinx and hysteria and humor are what make The Righteous Gemstones a thorough joy, but the deeper questions are what make it memorable, a true gem in a sea of shallow content.

Pivoting works because of its three leads, but they’re dealing with uneven stories that we hope will be worked out as its first season goes along.

Euphoria Season 2 is good, but not quite great. ... Without seeing the final pieces of the overall puzzle, it’s impossible to say if Euphoria Season 2 manages to succeed as a whole. What we have seen is as masterful as it is messy. Euphoria remains an imperfect gem that works best as a showcase for the next generation of towering acting talents.

Search Party cements itself as a modern comedy classic. ... Once again delivering perfect performances and writing sharp enough to cut.

While the writing is sharp on the miniseries, created by Marissa Jo Cerar (The Fosters), the performances take already strong material and make it resonant.

Mainly because Sophia Bush and Jason Isaacs are compelling to watch — individually and together — Good Sam rises slightly above the run-of-the-mill network medical procedural. But the relationships and characters will have to evolve to keep us tuning in.

The show touches on so many topics that can make for really compelling drama, but there seems to be a penchant for the show to default to action scenes and “scary cartel” tropes more often than not. ... We’re OK with a more action-oriented, good guy-bad guy show because Yung and the rest of the cast do a good job with the material they’re given.

A bittersweet, magical trip down memory lane, Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts offers everything you could possibly want out of a reunion special.

The Book Of Boba Fett continues this run of quality, giving us insight into a character that has long fascinated fans of the franchise. ... Morrison gives Fett a sense of regal humanity that makes his desire to reform the galaxy’s underworld under his watch plausible. And Wen, as she’s proven in the MCU, kicks major ass as Shand. Both bring the requisite senses of humor to their roles.

Around the World in 80 Days isn’t an earth-shattering Jules Verne adaptation, but it is a lovely one. Thanks mostly to the way it understands how to harness David Tennant’s magnificence on screen.

Stay Close benefits from fine performances and a story that gives just enough clues in the first episode to keep viewers intrigued and — more importantly — not frustrated with purposely obtuse writing.

With a few small exceptions, Emily in Paris Season 2 is basically just more of the same, and who could ask for anything more? ... Emily in Paris remains an undeniably watchable delight, short on substance but long on satisfaction.

We’re concerned about the pacing of 1883 and how it depicts Indigenous people, but the story is compelling, and Sam Elliott’s multi-layered lead performance is more than enough to keep us interested.

If you find Hallmark’s holiday movies to be a little too sappy for your taste, With Love will scratch that itch you may have for a warm family-oriented romcom, with just a bit more representation and edge.

The entertainment value of the show comes down to the personalities of the cast. For now, the cast members haven’t distinguished themselves from each other for the most part, but there are definitely beefs there.

Station Eleven is brilliant television. It’s one of the most profound meditations on love, loss, grief, and community I’ve ever seen.

Grand Crew, like its fellow freshman sitcom American Auto, has a lot to like but still needs some time to find its way. But at least the show will be entertaining to watch as it finds its comedic footing.

There are plenty of funny character-based situations, and the cast is displaying good chemistry in the first two episodes. But the “been there, done that” feeling of American Auto is pervasive, even if the first two episodes have some funny moments.

The Larkins is a good-natured bit of British comfort TV that is a great antidote to the heaviness of most current dramas.

We’re recommending Saturday Morning All-Star Hits! mainly because Kyle Mooney and Ben Jones do a good job of recreating the cheesy cartoons and teen-oriented shows we used to watch in the ’80s and ’90s, and we appreciate that the satire goes super dark at times. But we so wanted it to be a whole lot funnier than it turned out to be.

If you’re expecting another outlandish chapter of Tiger King, you’re going to be disappointed with The Doc Antle Story. In fact, the more we watched, the more we wanted to take a shower for a good half-hour just because we turned it on.

The Witcher Season 2 is the best kind of adaptation. It takes something known and creates something wholly unique while always respecting its source material. No matter if you’ve read and played everything or if you’re entirely new to this world, you’re going to have a blast.

While the lack of laughs in the first episode is a bit concerning, we think Bloods still has promise because of the ensemble that settles into a good rhythm almost immediately.

This revival may not be great – especially with our outspoken minx missing – but it’s watchable, even when it feels like a trainwreck. I can’t wholeheartedly recommend And Just Like That… to the casual viewer based on this strange mess of a pilot, but for those who still harbor a soft spot for Carrie Bradshaw and her crew, there’s something worth indulging in here.

He can also host a nature show like nobody’s business, bringing a down-to-earth quality to the genre that we don’t often see from the mostly-detached style we see most of the time. ... Amazing shots and a tension-building score add to Smith’s presence, whether it’s the scenes he’s in or just the ones he’s narrating.

Live In Front Of A Studio Audience: The Facts Of Life/Diff’rent Strokes succeeded because it doesn’t even try to come close to the way the original episodes were staged. Everyone had fun with embodying the iconic roles they were given, and it showed.

Abbott Elementary is not only funny, but its pilot sets up a workplace family that can endure for multiple seasons.

While the video essays in Voir sometimes dip too far into pretentiousness, the dreamy visuals and insightful analysis make this a compelling watch for aspiring critics, as well as viewers looking for fresh reasons to watch classic films like Jaws.

Landscapers not only benefits from great performances by Colman and Thewlis, but it’s a dark comedy that’s actually howlingly funny in between all of the darkness. That balance is very difficult to achieve.

Despite the sloppiness by the show’s producers, and some of its repetitiveness, we still appreciate Underwood’s coming out journey enough to make Coming Out Colton a worthwhile watch.

In a lot of ways, the show is a workplace comedy with a lot of gender politics mixed in. If you look at it like that, and appreciate Silverman’s performance as Candy for the low-key seethe it is, Santa Inc. becomes enjoyable.

Harlem may feel like a show that you’ve seen before, but the four stars are more than charming enough, and the writing is clever enough, to make the show stand on its own.

That comedic vibe is really what makes Baking It distinctive from TGBBS. ... If you want a gentle, family-friendly baking show that’s pretty funny, then Baking It is a good choice to watch over the holidays. Rudolph and Samberg are on their A-game here, but the opinionated grannies are the show’s secret weapon.