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.

While Krapopolis could be funnier, there’s more than enough character and story, as well as good voice performances, to keep us watching. Fox had to have seen something to give the show three seasons… right?

While there’s a lot about Uncoupled that’s frustratingly shallow, Harris’ performance and the show’s frequent funny moments are more than enough to keep us watching.

While there are still aspects of Squid Game: The Challenge we don’t love, like how the eliminated contestants are “killed,” we liked how the producers made the early stages of the competition more intimate and personal, despite the hundreds of contestants.

The Irrational works mainly because of Martin and the backstory he has with Hill’s character and the bombing case. The mysteries themselves are pretty bad, but that will matter less if the continuing story is good.

The Last of Us Season 2 is a mixed bag, full of gorgeous craftsmanship, from riveting turns from celebrity guest stars to carefully-concocted faux fungus. However, it ultimately feels a bit unsure of its own reason for being.

D’Elia’s charm and charisma work better when he can play off of his friends and colleagues.

We hope that Season 2 of Perry Mason comes together in subsequent episodes, because the first episode was a bit all over the place trying to establish where all of the characters are this season.

We trust Neil Cross knows how to tease out the truth of the story without annoying viewers. But the first episode just doesn’t give us a whole lot of confidence that we won’t get more annoyed the more the truth is teased out.

All five of the leads put in fine performances. ... But the show lacks focus, at least at the outset.

Though this isn't an exceptional true crime series, it does provide the ins and outs that fans of the genre look for, and it's not a huge time commitment.

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.

We’re on the fence. At times, High Desert comes off as an overflowing sack of chaotic scenes passing for a story, but at other times, when it’s focused on where it’s going, it can be fun to watch.

Owen’s performance transcends the languid plotting in the first episode of Monsieur Spade. Will Owen make us forget about Bogart’s portrayal of Spade? Absolutely not. But he does a good job of bringing Spade into a more of a modern context.

This feels like Netflix wanted to make sure that this adaptation didn’t get too saccharine, but in doing so, it just made things ever so slightly weird and off-putting.

We’re not sure if Utopia Falls is going to get better than the first episode, which we found hokey at times. But we’ll keep watching just to hear more Snoop Dogg, and if the show improves, all the better.

While there are aspects of The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox that we found annoying and unnecessary, we appreciated how Grace Van Patten portrays Knox, showing the aspects of her personality that annoyed Italian authorities so much they sent her to prison for murder.

With a tried-and-true formula, SNL UK‘s cast most likely will find their voices and establish themselves as a separate entity, albeit with the same plusses and minuses that the American show has. Some sketches and performances will become legendary; but most, forgettable. Unless SNL UK can break out of this formula and determine what makes them special, the show may never match the heights of Monty Python, or even the Canadian alternatives from SCTV through Kids in the Hall.

Because Accused manages to tell the story of how the accused in each episode finds themselves in that position, and does so without a lot of gaps, makes the series worth a look.

The Buccaneers is entertaining enough, but just doesn’t feel like it’s going to go much deeper than the Yanks vs. Brits trope we see throughout the first episode.

The new Frasier isn’t as awful at the beginning of its second season as it was at the beginning of its first. But it’s not great, either. The recommendation is because of all the guest stars that we’re going to see this season and a hope that the first episode of the season won’t be an indicator of what the rest of the season is like.

The storytelling of Angelyne leaves a lot to be desired, but Rossum’s performance cuts through the script gymnastics, making us curious about what parts of Angelyne’s life the series will explore.

We were happy to take in the contemplative pace of The Madison as well as watching Pfeiffer’s performance. But we’re also concerned that Sheridan’s penchant for leaden dialogue and sketchy portrayals of female characters are going to ultimately drag this show down.

There is a germ of a good overall show there, especially because Kyla-Drew is already a mature comedic performer at the tender age of 17. The relationship between Sasha and Brian will be the key to whether Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! becomes anything but a showcase for Foxx to do his shtick.

While Douglas Is Cancelled has a lot of story flaws, the dialogue is funny for the most part and is expertly delivered by Wilkinson, Gillan, Kingston and the rest of the cast, which might be enough to endure this non-controversy for four 40-minute episodes.

Dirty Pop smartly ties its year-by-year timestamps to songs, like Backstreet’s “I Want It That Way” and “We’ve Got It Goin’ On,” or NSYNC with “It’s Gonna be Me,” which allows us to follow how huge the 90s boy band phenomenon really got, and wonder how those groups allowed themselves to be swindled for so long. .... The AI thing is a weird outlier in contrast to how any of the other footage in Dirty Pop is used. The docuseries readily admits the footage was manipulated. But it gives off a reek of also manipulating the viewing audience.

What’s Next? The Future With Bill Gates is informative, and Gates and the producers speak to an impressive array of experts and A-listers. But we wish it had a bit more of a wary eye about its subjects.

We have a lot of reservations about Dr. Death, but considering the show will examine just how a butcher like Duntsch can keep getting hired by major hospitals who should be vetting their hires better. The cast helps things along, despite their sometimes over-the-top performances.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Cosmos: Possible Worlds transcends its muddled first episode. But we’re wondering if the concept has reached its limit for now, and maybe we should wait another decade or two before seeing another version.

The show isn’t interesting enough to get past its glaring flaws.

STREAM IT, but only if you’re a huge fan of soccer in general or Beckham in particular. There’s lots of great footage of Beckham on and off the pitch over the past three decades and just enough personal stuff to keep viewers engaged. But don’t expect too much in the way of revelations or controversy.

Pieces of Her is fast food storytelling presented on a high end plate. Collette and Shapiro do their best to lend depth to an otherwise shallow story. Which means if you just want a tawdry thriller to zone out to, Pieces of Her will suffice. But if, like me, you want something deeper, you’ll find Pieces of Her’s biggest mystery will be how this tonally mismatched, structurally messy show came to be.

We like Iliza and hope that the first episode of The Iliza Sleshinger Sketch Show was just loaded with a lot of duds.

This is a premiere that would’ve greatly benefitted from being one of two episodes released today, or part of a longer episode that actually took us somewhere — anywhere — new.

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.

Masters of the Air is a thrilling, entertaining watch that lacks the depth of its HBO-produced predecessors.

It’s entertaining in a flimsy, forgettable way, giving us everything we’d anticipate expect from a period drama, and not much more.

Tales From The Loop feels like something that should be hung on a wall, admired and interpreted rather than a show that a viewer can lean in, watch, and get involved in.

There’s nothing that’s awful about Devils; it’s not eye-rollingly dumb and the performances are decent. It’s just that the first episode grinds along so slowly, you just wonder when the real story is going to kick in. It does, at the end, but by then you might be too bored to care.

It’s going to be a reluctant STREAM IT from us. The series has a lot left to accomplish to roll the tide, but if Netflix invests time in the show to establish the characters and build on the storyline, it can easily build towards something bigger and scarier, and less mismatched.

His humor works best onstage and onscreen when he’s trying too hard or moving outside of his comfort zone (as the boxing sequence demonstrates), or when he’s playing against a solid foil, such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Ice Cube in multiple movies. This hour only seems to prove that as a husband in his 40s, Hart truly gives zero f**ks; as a comedian and famous person, however, he still cares too much about where he stands.

Because a) there’s the seeds of a good character-driven sitcom there, and b) Lorre and his writers have a track record of improving their shows. They’ll get every chance in the world to make it a decent show, but it’s not one right now.

Cursed works when it sticks to Nimue and Arthur, and doesn’t when it comes to just about anything else. But it still may be worth watching for those who want to scratch their fantasy itch.

Whedon is adept at utilizing the large casts of his shows and movies and making sure the stories he writes services all of them. In The Nevers, he succeeds in some respects but other parts of this show need some work. ... It feels like Whedon has set up a very complex story for himself, one that we’re not sure he’ll have the time to explore the way it should be explored.

We’re recommending Depp V. Heard for the edited-together trial footage, especially the back-and-forth testimony from Depp and Heard themselves. The rest of it is just irritating, but not irritating enough to keep us from watching.

We’re recommending B Positive mostly on the strength of the cast and the ability of Lorre and his showrunners to make the adjustments they need to find the show’s sweet spot. ... But this is one of the shakiest premises we’ve seen yet in a Lorre sitcom.

The thing that’s frustrating about Anatomy of a Scandal is that it’s ostensibly about serious issues like sexual violence, entitlement, and grey areas of the law, but it’s actually just a stupidly breezy thriller.

If you’re looking for light-hearted laughs, this will do the trick. But SKIP IT if you want something better. Dig into Lopez’s back catalog on HBO Max for harder-hitting material, or for a fresher perspective from a younger generation, go with Cristela Alonzo’s Lower Classy on Netflix or Jesus Trejo’s Stay At Home Son, which just came out a month ago on Showtime.

STREAM IT if you’re an NCIS fan. NCIS: Hawai’i will give you more of the same stuff you love, with the Aloha state as a beautiful backdrop. If you’re expecting anything deeper than that, though, you should SKIP IT.

This is a really tentative recommendation. The performances in The Crowded Room should be compelling enough to hook you in, but we’re just not sure the story is going to progress fast enough for people to not throw their hands up in frustration by the second or third episode.

Stream it, but only because all of the characters from The Full Monty that you loved in the ’90s are back and as quirky as ever in the new series. But, just like the dog that got kidnapped in the first episode, the show is a bit shaggy and aimless, which may make your goodwill for these characters wane after a few episodes.

Human Resources is by no means a bad show. If you love Big Mouth, it has the same humor and characters that first made you a fan. But it’s also not a show that lives up to its full potential.

Restaurants On The Edge won’t show you anything about running a successful restaurant, but at least it’ll be easy on the eyes.

Stream it if you loved SpongeBob; Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years might have more generic animation, but it retains a lot of what made the original show a hit. But if SpongeBob makes you want to run screaming, definitely SKIP IT.

We’re not looking for edge with Amazing Stories, but in 2020 even family-oriented shows should have more complex and less Hallmark-Channel-worthy stories than what we saw from the first episode.

STREAM IT, but only for the fantastic racing scenes. If you’re looking for a show that’s got any drama that happens off the track, Senna will probably disappoint.

Stream it, but only for the performances of Roberts, Penn and the rest of the cast of Gaslit. The series leans too hard on the farcical to help viewers come away with any real information about the Republican side of the Watergate scandal.

If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or if you are super into the zombie apocalypse genre, then you’ll want to STREAM IT, because this show was made specifically for you. Otherwise, despite the vivid animation and high-octane action sequences, Marvel Zombies isn’t the most accessible title, so if you’re not the target audience, you may be better off SKIPPING IT

If you were a fan of The Weakest Link in the early ’00s, you’ll like this version. But it suffers from the same issues the American version did back then: The show’s pacing is slow and repetitive, and the insults hurled by Lynch are more funny than truly intimidating or designed to tick off the contestants.

We’re just not sure that this is anything but a money grab by them and Netflix. ... We still recommend it to anyone who watched the first season and wants to find out more. But, it certainly isn’t essential watching to anyone, whether they liked the first season or were repulsed by it.

The more enjoyable aspects of the special came during the bits that had nothing to do with Trump but everything to do with how weird 2020 is. ... Other sketches hit or missed as much due to the celebrity co-star’s willingness to throw him or herself into the character. So, much like SNL, then.

We’re not sure what is interesting to see on Clarkson’s Farm. It’s basically episode after episode of Clarkson stumbling around as a gentleman farmer, making bad business choices, and dealing with the quirky characters that he’s hired to help him on the farm. ...It feels like a show for Clarkson completists.

The world doesn’t necessarily need one from Coleen Rooney’s POV in order for us to understand the situation better. If you’re a fan of football or WAG culture, you’ll certainly appreciate the level of access this series gives to the Rooneys and their inner circle, but general audiences can safely SKIP IT.

It’s an uneven, uninspiring season of television that fails to live up to the high standard of past seasons. ... It’s not all disastrous, though; there are some excellent things about this season, too. Namely, Lesley Manville’s Princess Margaret. ... Key members of the new ensemble cast feel like downgrades from the Emmy-winning stars of seasons past.

We’re really reluctant to give “Part 2” of That ’90s Show a recommendation, but what we’re hoping is that the teen characters blossom now that most of the That ’70s Show‘s main cast isn’t going to suck up screen time this season.

This workplace comedy feels more silly than sharp.

We want to see more of both of these guy’s worlds, like the obvious attraction Dan has for Jess and his interest in Zayna’s education, or what Kevin is building with Jasmine. The situations both get in might be funny, or (like in the premiere) they might not. But the more they’re steeped in the relationship between the two friends and their worlds, the better the show will be.

Snowpiercer‘s middling pilot is saved by its leads. We’re intrigued to see what Manson can do with the characters and story he inherited from episode 2 on.

There’s nothing glaringly wrong with it, just as there’s nothing so intriguing about it that you want to watch it week-to-week or even binge it once Starz has aired all the episodes.

Only if you’re a Letterkenny fan and love watching Shoresy curse between tobacco spits. Otherwise, SKIP IT, because the show isn’t that funny.

We’re giving The Ex-Wife a marginal recommendation because we’re not sure if the characters or story are going to get any deeper than what we saw in the first episode. We’re pretty sure it won’t, but at least Buckens and Montgomery are compelling enough to keep us watching.

If you’re a Chappelle fan, nothing I say will change your mind. But if you want just the heart of the comedy matter without all of the unnecessary cruelty or trolling, then SKIP ahead to the 33-minute mark, where you can then STREAM IT for his closing story.

If you want to know about the mission and the crew, read up on it and skip the first two episodes of Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space. We’re hoping that once Hehir turns to the mission itself, the docuseries will get more interesting and less of a butt-kissing exercise.

STREAM IT, but only because we like watching Adam Devine and Sarah Hyland in scenes together. Otherwise Pitch Perfect: Bumper In Berlin is too silly for its own good, especially because the silly isn’t even all that funny.

Stream it, but only for Ormond’s fine performance and vulnerability. The rest of Gold Digger has yet to show us that it’s going to be anything more than Dirty John for Brits.

There’s nothing actually wrong with All Her Fault. But we’re just so tired of these kinds of thrillers that we just don’t have the energy to spare watching rich people in nice kitchens trying to keep their secrets from getting out.

Of her three specials on Netflix, I’d still point you toward her middle hour, 2019’s Growing, instead of this. But if you have been missing some Amy Schumer in your comedy diet, by all means STREAM IT.

It’s more in that same vein – or in the vein of competing series at Bravo – with a lot of big money looks and lux properties in the mix, and Ryan Serhant’s established reality TV persona at the center of it all.

Stream it if you’re into all the conspiracy theories surrounding the disappearance of MH370. Otherwise, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared will just be frustrating to anyone seeking concrete answers.

Overall it feels like one of those shows that’s hard to judge from the first episode. What we’ve seen so far we like, but we don’t know enough about where the show is going to get excited over what’s next.

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.

We’re still not sure of God’s Favorite Idiot will right itself or just become a train wreck. The second episode definitely gave us signs that it will try to make McCarthy’s character more than an ad-lib machine.

Stream it, if only for the presence of Ford and Mirren, and the fact that we know that Sheridan’s shows get better as they go along. But the first episode of 1923 does not do the presence of its stars justice, has disjointed stories and a glacial pace.

We’re just not sure where the show is going to land on the tonal line. Takei and Munn’s characters could go either way. And, given that we don’t know a ton about Bryce, we may learn things about him that bring out Sudeikis’ considerable dramatic acting ability. We don’t need Hit-Monkey to be all serious or all funny. But it’s really hard to get a handle on what it wants to be, much less where it’s headed.

We like Tucker and Steele’s chemistry and there’s potential for the stories of the week to strongly support the greater mystery as the season goes forward. But it could also collapse under its own weight. At this point, we’re just not sure which way it’ll go.

Coleman delivers her lines in such a stiff manner, you wonder if Jolie is really upset or just annoyed. In general, though, the show is inoffensive fare that you can watch with your teens and tweens.

If the cases of the week get a little better, and the backstories of the regular characters — especially the biggest one — are written well, Found has the potential to be an above average network procedural.

There’s something about Clickbait that seems a bit off, whether it’s the flat plot or the concentration on characters that are less than interesting. But Kazan puts in a magnetic performance, and that may be more than enough to keep viewers watching through a mystery that stumbles out of the gate, weighed down by technological nonsense.

For them [fans], it’s a definite STREAM IT. But for the less invested, the show’s obsessions with sex and swearing might feel one-dimensional.

There’s enough to like about La Brea that will keep viewers watching, despite the show’s more silly and cheesy elements, especially the mystery of where the “lost” Angelenos are and why they’re there.

We’re really just recommending Sexy Beasts for Rob Delaney’s narration. The rest of the show is just weird at times, creepy at others.

If you’re not a big Brady fan or a Patriots fan, then the three hours will feel like a slog. But if you’re a fan, then I don’t need to tell you to STREAM IT.

Only because of Osment’s lead performance and the hope that the characters in Pretty Smart will have their extreme quirks edged off a bit as the group and Chelsea start to bond.

Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance Of Sherri Papini is informative enough that we would give it a STREAM IT to people who know nothing about the Papini case. But for those who are familiar with the case, the way the show manipulates the sequence of events leads us to say SKIP IT.

Its formula is tried and true — but has also grown stale. Hardcore fans of Stranger Things will likely find nothing wrong with the new season, as is their wont. They’ll love the nods to Barb (Shannon Purser) and character reunions. They’ll obsess over potential love triangles and thrill over creepy new flourishes. I personally wish the show had reined it in a bit, focused on the core cast over the newbs, and tried something truly creative with its storytelling instead of just nostalgia baiting.

STREAM IT If you grew up watching iCarly and are happy to see most of the old gang again. SKIP IT if you’re expecting the grown-up Carly and her friends to give you a more grown-up sitcom.

Edie Falco is one of those actors we’ll watch in anything. And Tommy certainly is anything.

Marginally recommended, based on the fact that Drescher, Weber, Pally and Elliott are an extremely talented and funny cast, and there’s hope that the writing will improve to accommodate their talents.