The Long Song hinges on the relationship between July and Caroline, and both Lawrence and Atwell’s performances meet this challenge. Atwell is terrific as the benign but awful Caroline, and Lawrence matches her as the whip-smart July.

Despite the fact that there are some very funny and weirdly satisfying aspects of Fake Famous, it somehow seems incomplete. ... Instead of trying to find new people willing to go with the experiment, he essentially concentrated on Dominique leaning into the experience. Yes, the social experiment still worked, but we would have liked to have seen more examples of it working than just a single person.

Even if melodrama isn’t your thing, you have to bow down to these performances. Netflix Firefly Lane is irresistibly addictive, even for the hardest of hearts — even if it definitely falls into the predictable pitfalls of the genre.

We Are: The Brooklyn Saints is designed to be heartwarming and inspirational, and Valdez hits the mark on both.

The first hour of The Lady And The Dale is a bit slow, but we know it’ll pick up once we get into the story of Carmichael’s marketing of The Dale and how it all came crashing down.

We grant you that the first couple of episodes of The Investigation will be frustrating to watch, given what you know about the Wall case. But seeing these cops and prosecutors make their way through Madsen’s lies to get to the truth will be interesting to watch.

The show is off to a great start. ... Tudyk’s performance makes Resident Alien work, but there’s a quirky-enough world around Alien Harry that the show should be more than a one-note joke.

While the start of Réunions leans a little on the silly, the performances are generally good and there’s real potential for a heartwarming story about two brothers who never knew each other existed to become real family.

This special installment of Euphoria slows things down and presents a truly gutting character study and a breathtaking performance from Hunter Schafer.

Bridge And Tunnel is potentially a good show, with some funny situations and a good amount of drama in the mix. Burns’ dialogue is generally spot on and well-delivered by the cast. But by the end of the first episode, there wasn’t one character we could latch onto and root for or against.

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.

If the focus was just on Bloom and how she figures out if she’s a changeling or not, that might have worked. But the “Scooby gang” approach to this story seems all too familiar, and not at all interesting.

Losing Alice is setting up to be an interesting erotic thriller. But, more than most shows, it hinges on its main character. And Ayelet Zurer absolutely hits the right notes as Alice.

Painting With John does take some getting used to, but once you’re into the show’s rhythms, it feels like a relaxing way to end your day.

Once things settled down, we appreciated the thoughtful approach of the new series. ... Padalecki’s version of Cordell Walker has a real family situation he needs to address, all the while trying to protect his home state from drug cartels and other bad guys. It’s a refreshing new take on a character that was very one-dimensional in the 1990s.

Secrets Of Sulphur Springs is a smart mystery thriller that just happens to star teenagers. But it doesn’t try to insult the intelligence of the parents who are watching, which is always a plus.

Bling Empire mostly follows the tried-and-true reality formula, but with just enough new wrinkles to get fans of that genre excited to binge its first season in one or two sittings.

With performances like those delivering scripts this tight, surrounded by period-accurate sets, lighting, effects, credits, costumes, etc., WandaVision is itself a masterclass in sitcom history and a sincere depiction of what the format means to people. This show is more than a Marvel show, and that’s evident from the first three episodes.

Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer might be to[o] grisly for some viewers. But for true crime fans, it’s a well-paced series that has a different perspective than most series in the genre.

Everyone Is Doing Great is a navel-gazing portrait of two guys who have refused to grow up on top of not embracing the roles that made them successful. We’re not sure who in the current financial, health and political environment are going to find any entertainment with these two sad sack characters.

There are some sitcoms that have first episodes that are so bad, there isn’t even a glimmer that you can identify that will make you think the show can find itself. Call Your Mother is one of those shows.

We’ll give Trickster points for having a mostly Indigenous cast and writing staff. But the show itself has to become a bit less bleak for us to want to keep watching.

You can’t help but feel relaxed while watching The Great Pottery Throw Down, and it’ll be interesting to see how the ante gets upped not only during the first season, but across all of the show’s three seasons.

With fine performances and spectacular cinematography, the new version of All Creatures Great And Small will definitely make fans of Herriot’s books want to go back and revisit them, and it will also bring new fans into the fold.

Few shows are as skilled at sorting through the intricate, hypocritical, and quiet forms of hurt better than this thriller. But just because Servant has gotten more introspective this go round doesn’t mean the chilling drama has lost its edge.

Lupin’s twists and turns, and a fine performance from Omar Sy (who is also the show’s artistic director, helping to establish the series’ lavish look) makes the show eminently watchable.

Lebowitz is hilarious, and Scorsese captures her humor, as well as her love of New York City, very well. You may not want to binge Pretend It’s A City, because one can only take so much “New York humor,” even those of us who know the city well. But it’s certainly worth taking in an episode or two at a time.

Celebrity WoF needs the celebrities to be competitive and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played, and the first set of celebrities do just that. The puzzles are slightly easier than the ones you may see on the regular version, but that’s just to encourage bigger winnings because of the charity angle. But, if you weren’t looking too hard, you wouldn’t really be able to distinguish the celebrity version from the civilian version, which is a good thing.

The premiere episode of this new American version of The Chase didn’t deliver as much tension as we expected, and did drag in parts. But we do see the potential of the format, especially with the three Jeopardy! champions in place as Chasers.

Even if the action doesn’t keep a game show fan on the edge of his or her seat, it should still be engaging enough for the viewer to want to play along. The Hustler, despite the efforts of Ferguson to will the show into something interesting, doesn’t ever get to that level.

There’s something about Coyote, created by David Graziano, Michael Carnes and Josh Gilbert that feels a little bit off. It’s not the performance by Chiklis, which is his usual combination of tough but with seeds of doubt.

This new version of Name That Tune has some clunky aspects to it. But the party vibe in the studio, Krakowski’s strong hosting presence and Jackson’s great band make those clunky aspects less annoying.

Mr. Mayor has some very funny moments, and a growing chemistry among its ensemble. But it also has two ace stars in Danson and Hunter. We can’t wait to see how their characters’ relationship grows over the season.

History Of Swear Words packs a lot of information into each 20 minute segment. And though the segments stray from their respective topics a bit, everyone looks like they’re having a cathartic good time talking about the biggest curse words in the English language.

There’s enough going on during 30 Coins to keep a viewer interested. But at times, there’s too much going on, and it doesn’t give any time to explore the relatively small main cast and what their characters’ motivations are.

The doc succeeds in its pacing, its storytelling, and its genuine capturing of such an only-in-America story: that desperate hunger to be (and remain) one of the most influential athletes and public figures of all time, and the ultimate reminder of how someone can have it all, and yet, never enough.

It’s not that The Watch is a complete mess; some elements of the first episode gave us hope that the show will settle down. But the first episode was so jumbled and so proud of how witty it was, it forgot to establish anything about most of the characters we’ll be seeing for the entire season.

The Great North has some work to do to get to the level of its cousin shows, Bob’s Burgers and Central Park. But with a great voice cast and Bouchard overseeing things, it should get there eventually.

Elizabeth Is Missing is a film that will leave you depressed, especially after the final scene, but happy you were able to watch the great Glenda Jackson put in a great late-in-life performance.

We hate to give Call Me Kat a thumbs down, given all the talent in front of and behind the camera. But the show sacrifices character for gimmicks, and the parts that aren’t gimmicky are mostly hacky and unfunny.

Cobra Kai still has a great combination of character depth and self-referential humor that makes it one of the best shows of the reboot era. We’re just a tad afraid that the story has nowhere to go and will get more ridiculous than the first two seasons, but not in a good way (like those first two seasons).

The novelty of the approach here is worth a viewing, and they do sneak a STREAM IT for me just for keeping me intrigued as to what they were going do to next. It didn’t make me want to stop watching after 20 minutes like Death to 2020 did.

The cast is game — in addition to Milioti and Kudrow, Leslie Jones and Samson Kayo also seem to be invested in their characters — but there’s just not enough funny material for their performances to overcome the special’s structural problems. 2020 has been bad enough; there’s no need to relive it via an unfunny special like Death To 2020.

If you’re a fan of The Masked Singer, this show should be just as fun to watch. ... [Robinson] moves the show along without trying to center the spotlight on himself. Jeong is still at his most annoying, which we hate to say because we’re fans, but there’s also a reason why he’s the only carryover from the original show; he’s divisive like a Simon Cowell, but in a happy sort of way.

Just because a show goes in the direction of a procedural-type show doesn’t mean that it can’t be elevated by a good cast and sharp writing. After the ace performances by Millman and Griffiths, we’re looking forward to seeing what direction Total Control goes in.

It’s the quieter parts that make the show truly special. ... You have an emotional rollercoaster that is evocative in the way few other TV shows can hope to reach; but one that is well worth riding. Emily and Sue aren’t the only stand-out characters this season, which finds every member of the cast struggling with growing up in different ways. ... By season’s end, everything — for Emily, for Sue, for all of the Dickinsons, for America — has changed. But in our world, we at least have these two perfect seasons of television to hold on to.

Ultimately what makes Bridgerton such a gem is its adoration of the historic romance genre. The attention to detail in this show doesn’t cater to fussy historic accuracy, but the way the romance genre drowns readers in fantasy. Bridgerton is a swoon-inducing treat that will leave you hot, bothered, and begging for more.

Excuse Me, I Love You is admirably performance-heavy. While the snippets of crosstalk and behind-the-scenes chatter are fun, and will certainly be revealing for fans (the choreography rehearsals are particularly interesting), it’s a thrill to see and hear all of the singer’s most giant singles come to life onstage, complete with that elaborate choreo to go with each one.

Despite our objections, On Pointe is still an interesting look at something we usually only see on scripted TV shows, exaggerated to dramatic effect. It shows that the life of a ballet student isn’t nearly as dramatic as what you see on shows like Tiny Pretty Things.

This new version of The Stand is off to an intriguing start, whether you’re a fan of the book or not.

Even though the case has been settled for almost 40 years — and Sutcliffe died in November — The Ripper is fascinating to us because it will examine the underlying factors that slowed down the investigation, instead of talking about the killer himself.

While Couples Therapy: The COVID Special won’t give you as much insight into its subject couples as Season 1 of Couples Therapy does, it certainly feels like a way to see how the couples Dr. Guralnik treats are coping with lockdown just as poorly as you are.

The women of this family certainly come off well here, and that’s refreshing; they’re not fighting or gossiping, and their stories are still interesting to watch. We should see more of that on reality shows.

Stillwater is a nice Zen alternative to the noisy and grating kids’ shows out there. If you’ve got a kid who doesn’t mind calm TV, this will give both of you a break for 25 minutes.

Tiny Pretty Things will make you never want to enroll your kids in a ballet class, given how emotionally scarring the art is portrayed to be here. Between that, the cliched characters and the clunky dialogue, you’re better off watching Bunheads over and over instead.

Adult Material is a smart blend of genuinely affecting interpersonal drama, workplace comedy, and it seems like there may even be some crime elements ahead, based on that cliffhanger. It feels like a British Boogie Nights for the digital age, but with a welcome focus on a woman’s experience.

The Wilds is a show that could have been a kitschy disaster, or one that’s so grim that it turns viewers off. But the girls who have to fend for themselves on this remote island are so well-defined that we’re finding ourselves intrigued by how they’ll change during their time together.

Queue up the original 1966 Grinch special, or even one of the two movies before even considering Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical! You’ll never see the Grinch the same way after watching this mess.

The Surgeon’s Cut tries to humanize the surgeons who have pioneered amazing procedures, and for the most part, it succeeds in its mission. Could it be a little less laudatory? Absolutely. But the laudatory nature doesn’t take away from the medical miracles they perform.

It is an absolute joy to watch two excellent actors bounce off each other. Zendaya rightly won an Emmy for her performance as Rue in Season 1, and it’s quite possible she could nab another nomination off this episode alone. ... As an episode that digs towards some truths, illuminates the best parts of Euphoria, shows off two seasoned actors at the height of their abilities, and provides a little bit of light in an otherwise very dark year, “Trouble Don’t Always Last” is a triumph.

Earth At Night In Color gives a fascinating look at nature in a way the human eye has never seen before, and that alone is reason to watch.

Nurses is a Frankenstein monster’s mess of piece-parts from other, better medical dramas.

Bryan Cranston puts in a typically compelling Bryan Cranston performance. It’s really the only thing saving the show from being clichéd and dull.

We think that the chemistry between Campbell and Elliot will be enough to keep people tuning into this version of The Hardy Boys. But we’re also wondering when gritty reboots of beloved kids’ literary characters is going to stop.

Whether you’re a true crime junkie or a casual viewer there’s plenty in Heaven’s Gate to interest you. Robert Balch and David Taylor’s accounts of going undercover into the organization are especially compelling.

There are still plenty of gruesome jokes to make you nearly gag, like a platoon of tampon surfers and a teenage boy’s penis that has a Long Island accent for some reason. But this time around the changes everyone is going through are a bit more abstract, for the better.

All in all, Selena: The Series is pleasantly diverting, but it feels like a missed opportunity.

It’s an intimate portrait of artists at work, and stands in stark contrast to the very public, very pop persona that has characterized Swift for much of her career.

The Saved By The Bell reboot makes the smart decision to be much more about the new kids at Bayside than about the middle-aged versions of the characters who went to the school 30 years ago. Sure, there’s going to be some self-referential jokes on the show, but Wigfield has that aspect under control so it won’t overwhelm the series.

Black Narcissus just doesn’t have enough story to latch onto and pay attention to for three hours. It’s slow and talky, and it doesn’t have any characters that you want to follow by the end of the first hour.

STREAM IT if you are just interested in seeing the dogs compete on The Pack. SKIP IT if you want to watch an interesting reality competition.

We don’t recommend watching every episode of Marvel’s 616, but there should be enough material in the eight-episode first season to keep you occupied for a few entertaining hours.

If there’s anything we need right now is something reliable to make us laugh. And Animaniacs fills that bill, just about as well as it did in the go-go ’90s.

Based on the first episode, it seems that Abrossi and Calvo can handle this back and forth pretty well, but as we expand out the universe around Cristina’s life, we’re wondering how well they’ll be able to keep track of everything.

The first episode of I Hate Suzie was an effective exercise in seeing a person’s life fall apart around them in short order. But we’re really intrigued with seeing Piper’s interpretation of how Suzie tries to put the pieces back together.

No Man’s Land presents an intriguing story of a man getting sucked into the fight against ISIS, joining forces with the little-known (at least in the West) YBJ.

Like a night plastered at your favorite bar, it may not be the most important or essential show this year. But, god, is it a blast.

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.

We Are The Champions shows contests that you may have never heard of or seen, but even if you have seen them before, the show treats them with such reverence that you’ll become fans.

It’s not a new classic, but it’s nice that Star Wars fans finally have something watchable to put on during the holiday season.

Watching Murder on Middle Beach often feels like spying on Hamburg’s most private therapy sessions. This is thanks to Hamburg’s deeply intimate filmmaking style that refuses to turn off the camera even when he’s at his lowest moments. ... Altogether that’s where Murder on Middle Beach excels, in its intimacy.

The Reagans is obviously a partisan production, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching. By re-contextualizing Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the series makes a clear case for how we got to this point as a country. It didn’t just start with Donald Trump.

Oh Cook! is low-key funny, but definitely generates a number of laughs. ... But it’s surprisingly informative, due to May’s grasp of food history minutiae, and the meals he makes are surprisingly well-done.

Alex Rider is definitely an above average entry in TV’s spy genre; it takes its main character seriously and develops him enough that we can actually believe he’ll do a good job as an agent. That’s saying a lot.

This is the time to embrace absurdity and silliness, and the six episodes will fly by in under two hours. When the world feels upside down, leave it to three men from Down Under to make you feel right again.

The parts just don’t make a cohesive whole. ... Aside from Maya Rudolph’s narration, Eater’s Guide To The World doesn’t offer anything you haven’t seen in dozens of shows on Food Network and elsewhere over the past 20 or so years.

Trial 4 takes some time to get going, and the first episode ironically shows very little of Sean Ellis, it’s still a compelling story of corruption and the determination of a man to clear his name.

They seem to be eager to share too much and show their fractured relationships as they strive for that “perfection is attainable” life. It’s an awareness previous Housewives spent multiple seasons learning, but these ladies are already savvy. This all adds up to one of the most confident starts to a Bravo series we’ve perhaps ever seen, and one that is boldly ready to bring Bravo into a new era.

The Liberator would not have worked if it wasn’t animated, due to its speechifying corniness. But the fine acting and arresting visual style takes the WWII drama from mundane to at least watchable.

The Cost of Winning is more feature-profile than hard journalism. But it’s at least a thoughtful, well-made and engaging feature-profile.

The South Westerlies is as refreshing as an ocean breeze, with a fine cast that has great chemistry from their first scenes together.

While we didn’t laugh much during the first episode of Moonbase 8, we still saw the beginnings of three interesting characters and a great chemistry among them.

The Charles and Diana soap opera shines in part because of its built-in cache, but mostly because Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin are the season’s standouts. ... Less impressive is Gillian Anderson’s Margaret Thatcher. ... But it’s a credit to showrunner Peter Morgan and Emma Corrin herself that Princess Di doesn’t takeover the entire show. There are still standalone episodes devoted to peculiar moments for the monarchy.

The fact that we have a solid idea of who Kim is at the outset is more than enough for us. ... While Two Weeks To Live needs to deepen a few other characters, it set up its story very well in its first episode, aided by the fine lead performance of Maisie Williams.

Dash & Lily is effervescently charming and brimming with real emotion. It is a Christmas rom-com that even the most grumpy of grinches will fall for.

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.

It’s that very back and forth that makes Industry so much fun. This workplace and its employees are so callous, so singleminded you want to see them trip over their own inflated egos not once but a dozen times. You want to see them rise from the ashes of their own mistakes and try to make it, even if doing so will make you hate them just a little bit more.

There’s little about A Teacher that should feel comfortable. FX on Hulu’s latest miniseries focuses on the relationship between a teacher and her underage high school student, and creator Hannah Fidell does everything possible to sell this romance. Yet it’s that grueling feeling of discomfort that makes this miniseries work.