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.

While Clipped lacks focus at times, the story of V. Stiviano outing Donald Sterling as a virulent racist is too well-done to not recommend the show.

While Art Detectives isn’t really doing anything revolutionary format-wise, Moyer’s charm and the art-centric themes to the crimes Palmer and Malik investigate does make this show stand out from the sea of British mystery series that are streaming these days.

So far GdT’s CoC is terrific, and future outings hold even greater promise. STREAM IT, I say, and stream the HELL out of it.

We’re excited about what Robinson is developing, right from the first half-hour. It’s going to be a hangout show, sure, but a hangout show where Phoebe and her friend group are going to comment on everything they think is trash, which is pretty much everything. So social comedy, fun hangout situations, and character-driven jokes… The formula seems to obvious, we wonder why more current sitcoms don’t do this.

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.

Overcompensating‘s first episode has a few funny moments, but tries to[o] hard in other spots. But the friendship between Benny and Carmen is worth following, as long as Benny starts making his way out of the closet quickly.

Expats is a show that should be better than it is, given its cast and Wang’s pedigree. But its storytelling is frustrating and its characters are ones we feel we’ve seen on TV a whole lot over the past few years.

It’s a show that embraces melodrama, yes, but it’s also full of heart; it perfectly balances soul with soapiness, turning these students into characters but also keeping their cores intact.

The thought-provoking new direction will challenge, confuse, and likely divide viewers, but it will also deepen the show’s sci-fi roots and evoke more comparisons to Silo Season 2, LOST, and The Last of Us than ever before.

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

Stateless has the pedigree and the performances to match its prestige drama ambitions. But the first episode suffers from tonal mismatches and doesn’t bring the stories together in a satisfying enough way to make us automatically want to watch more.

We knew exactly what was going to happen, given we saw the French pilot. But we were so entertained with Olson as Morgan that the mystery really didn’t matter.

SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night takes a refreshing approach to Saturday Night Live’s history, and we hope that we see more episodes going forward, even if they have to change the title to SNL51, SNL52, etc.

The Penguin is compelling because of the very different but equally riveting performances of Ferrell and Milioti.

It treats Oly’s surprise pregnancy as a fact of this girl’s life, and it will be interesting to find out how she manages being a mother and an overachieving student.

We’re not completely sure that the story in The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself won’t get muddled again like it was at the beginning of the first episode. But we have faith that it will keep things focused on Nathan and his attempt to keep evil at bay.

Celeste Barber is funny as Liv. ... We’re hoping that the support around her, from Amy and her husband, Liv’s mom and brother, as well as others, will get a little more character development. ... We’ve got confidence in writers Amy Stewart, Nick Coyle and Romina Accurso that they’ll do just that.

The Leopard is boring, with a large ensemble that blends into the background, except for the three main characters. It’s definitely a show about a part of history most people outside Europe know little about, and the show’s dullness will make it hard for people to connect to that story.

Duster knows exactly what it mainly is, which is a terrific vehicle for Josh Holloway. Rachel Hilson’s chemistry with Holloway is also a win, and sets up a wily criminals-and-cops yarn that delights in period references and music cues and exalts in the kind of car-as-character hero shots that defined a previous TV age.

Tempest definitely shows potential in its first episode.

Sanditon Season 3 is the show at its soapiest, smartest best and it’s well worth the wait for long-time fans.

This show is just as fun and irreverent as its title, but there’s actually more going on beneath that surface of snark.

There’s certainly information in the first episode that we either didn’t know or forgot, and Having historians like Stryker and Jules Gill-Peterson give their perspectives of that history helps contextualize things. We hope that as the episodes move towards more modern times, the reliance on recreations will subside.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is beautifully-made and sweetly innocent, making it a radically rebellious take on a franchise that sometimes seems lost in its own lore.

The first episode of Buried draws viewers in by getting them on Eileen Franklin’s side, which will have even more impact once the other three episodes, detailing the trial’s aftermath, start to chip away at their initial confidence.

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.

In Treatment is saved by the performances by Aduba and the people playing her patients. But this is a show that feels like it’s from another time, despite the up-to-date references throughout.

It’s plenty strange and generates big laughs as well as tiny snorts of funniness along the way.

Twenties is definitely light on character development, but Gibbs shines as Hattie and the perspective the show presents is unique.

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.

With the requisite beautiful photography and a funny but warm narration from Oswalt, Penguin Town is definitely something you can either binge or dip in and out of, especially if you’ve bought into the penguins as something akin to sitcom characters.

Smith eschews his normally wordy dialogue style, but keeps the characters smart and real, which helps us want to follow all of them as they go on their journey. He also hews closely to the convoluted world that is Eternia, where there’s layer upon layer of intrigue and mysticism that needs to be restored or captured. The animation is an upgraded version of the ’80s Filmation style the original show had, but with just enough retro touches to keep the show connected to its predecessor.

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.

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.

We appreciate the fact that American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez treats its story with respect and not as a tabloidy story ripe for outrageous dramatic scenes. That and the generally good performances make the first season of this new franchise worth watching.

Stanley Tucci isn’t exactly the most relatable or warm presence as a travel host, but he is thorough, and Tucci In Italy is a good continuation of the journey through the country that he started on CNN in 2021.

While the evacuation aspect of Families Like Us makes us almost as queasy as one of the characters became while hearing that news, it does set up an interesting circumstance to explore family bonds and how they change in extreme situations.

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).

Solar Opposites is weird enough in its own unique way to separate it from all the other animated comedies out there, and its anarchic vibe might be just the ridiculous distraction you’re looking for right now.

Based on the first four episodes that were given to critics, it’s too early to tell if The Old Man will be the indisputable masterpiece is promises to be. Regardless, one thing is clear: FX has something special on its hands.

Raw and impactful, the new season will keep viewers on their toes in more ways than one.

The first episode of House Of Guinness shows more than tells, and that’s because of Steven Knight’s expert skills in making his characters vibrant right out of the gate.

Even though the repetitiveness of some of the stock footage — closeups of recorders, Farrow looking at papers behind a microphone but not talking into it — might get old, the story is structured in a way that brings viewers in immediately, giving them information on it that they may not have known if they didn’t read Farrow’s book or listened to his podcast.

Mindy Kaling’s knack for creating three-dimensional characters makes The Sex Lives Of College Girls a funny and addictive show, despite the fact that there’s really no new ground being broken by its premise or characters.

We really wish Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. was less one-sided, but at least the side we see makes for an entertaining story.

We’re expecting a lot of tension and action in The Day Of The Jackal. The performances of Redmayne and Lynch give us hope that the tension can be sustained over 10 episodes, but we’re not sure if the intensity of the first episode can be maintained.

We’re intrigued by the time period depicted in Spy City, simply because it’s a part of that period in East-West relations that has been under-documented, at least for people who aren’t huge Cold War history buffs. It helps that the acting and production design are both excellent.

Sharp writing, charming performances, and the undeniable appeal of an entertaining underdog story combine to make Disney+’s newest series one of the most enjoyable shows of 2021.

It's a fun extension of the 'Sesame Street' brand and a good way for kids to get into the fun that a talk show format can be.

It’s not a stretch to say that Tehran is certainly a good-looking, well-acted series. Sultan is excellent as the conflicted Tamar, and Toub, whom Americans have seen in Homeland and a ton of other shows, does a great job as Kamali.

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.

If you don’t consider yourself the biggest Steve Martin fan or you need a refresher course on how he became the most popular comedian of the late 1970s, then by all means STREAM IT to the first episode, but everyone should make sure to watch the second part, which provides a much richer, fuller portrait of the comedian, actor, playwright, art collector, and in his later years, husband, father and comedy partner.

If you’ve ever wondered why you never won more than free french fries while playing Monopoly, you’ll want to watch this docuseries.

Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. is a delightful remake of a well-loved ’80s show that immediately distinguishes itself from the original by its setting and the well-thought-out cast of characters.

Take your average police-involved murder mystery and amplify it with creepy goings-on of both the real and imagined variety, questions of deja vu and busted memory, spooky kids, and some terrific performances from Jessica Raine and Peter Capaldi, and you’ve got The Devil’s Hour.

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.

We’re on board for Crime for Dougray Scott’s lead performance. The rest of the series feels like it could be from any procedural we’ve seen on either side of the Atlantic.

Karen Pirie continues to be a refreshing detective series because of its enthusiastic main character and format that really lets the show’s writers dig into the characters both past and present.

While the procedural part of Will Trent needs a lot of improvement, the characters are so well-established from the start that the first two episodes are entertaining and make us want to see more.

The first episode of Territory is a bit cluttered with characters and stories, but the sweeping vistas of the Northern Territories, backed by good performances by Torv, Taylor and Dorman make the show very watchable.

The first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are visually gorgeous, densely lived-in, and awe-inspiring at times. ... There is a big problem, though. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power might have a strong start, but its plot is laden with so many moving parts and far-flung heroes, it’s easy to see the story cratering. ... Without watching beyond the two episodes provided for review, we can only be cautiously optimistic — and skeptical of what’s next.

Dr. Brain is a well-written exploration of science that perhaps goes too far, especially in the hands of someone so curious. We just hope it keeps that interesting premise and doesn’t become another run-of-the-mill thriller.

We felt instantly immersed in this 18th century Pacific island world, before contact by Westerners, where omens and prophecies are all powerful and the stars above are as important a guide as what the land and sea can give.

Under the Banner of Heaven turns Krakauer’s sprawling look at the roots and evolution of Fundamentalist Mormonism into a well-made detective drama. It’s not as transcendent as its source material, but it is a gripping watch, full of fantastic performances and horrifying reveals.

With naysayers proven wrong, the newly confident Bel-Air hits its stride in Season 2.

By the end of the first episode, we were rooting hard for Andy, Gabriel and Jake to become a strong family unit, which is certainly a product of the show’s strong performances and inventive storytelling.

We’re a bit wary that all the stories the first episode of The Crow Girl introduces won’t come together, and it’s a tonally inconsistent episode. But we’re also going to keep watching, mainly because of the potential twists and turns involved with those stories merging at some point.

Only Murders In The Building continues to be funny while presenting solid mysteries for Mabel, Charles and Oliver to solve.

Devs emerges as an indisputably stunning mystery.

There are multiple reasons why Wedding Season works so well. The first are the two leads. ... It feels like an adventure that’ll be fun to watch. Lyttelton has also done a good job sketching out the supporting characters.

The second season of A Man On The Inside may or may not have as much of the sentiment and emotion as the first season, but it should be just as funny, thanks to Schur, Danson, and a great cast.

There’s some genuine big laughs and a few story questions that should keep us intrigued.

Thompson is definitely the main draw on Down Cemetery Road, but good performances all around and a sense of humor that makes us snicker makes up for a mystery that might be frustratingly slow to develop.

Eyes Of Wakanda can definitely drag at times, but the lively action sequences, well-done animation, and the moral dilemmas faced by the stories’ antagonists make the anthology worth watching.

It has the all-consuming romance, gritty action, gorgeous costumes, shocking melodrama, mystical magic, feudal politics, and enchanting Celtic backdrop that made Outlander such an intoxicating hit over a decade ago. Outlander: Blood of My Blood is going to be your new favorite escapist obsession.

While we have some issues with how The Testaments is structured, given how depressing the world of Gilead continues to be, we are looking forward to seeing Agnes and Daisy starting to agitate for change as the show goes forward.

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.

Every aspect of Big Mood, from the chemistry between Coughlan and West, the sharp, comedic commentary on pop culture and social media, and the nuanced handling of mental illness is responsible for this show being a must-watch.

Because the series is so one-sided and speculative, The Man With 1000 Kids has to be seen with a bit of jaundiced eye. But that doesn’t keep us from being fascinated at the results of what happens when one man feels the need to donate his sperm everywhere he can.

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.

Stranger Thing Season 5 Part 1— streaming now — is full of gaudy special effects, nonsensical lore, and insane plot devices, and yet you will still somehow fall under the show’s spell. That’s because it was never the spectacle or super-sized episode run times that won audiences over. No, the best part of Stranger Things is still, as it’s always been, the sheer humanity of its characters and the incandescent talent of its young cast.

If you’ve seen some amazing LEGO sculptures and wonder who does that sort of thing, LEGO Masters will be a good insight into master builders’ skill set and thought process.

Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. suffers from not only being not as funny as it should be, but it also pumps the fan service gags instead of actually developing the world around its star supervillain.

The frothiness of the first season is replaced by real grief and adult emotions, but it’s a welcome change in Belly’s journey to adulthood.

Welliver’s ability to keep the quaking emotions of his character consistently interesting – has always been a highlight of Bosch: Legacy and the series it emerged from. And with Bosch as PI existing untethered by department rules and regs, it’s enticing to consider what walls he’ll run through next.

While there’s a lot about Supacell that we’ve seen before, there’s also enough that’s new to keep us watching, especially given the performances of its main cast.

This City is Ours features a few wrinkles in its setting and approach that set it apart from the many, many similarly sprawling family crime dramas. We’ll stick with it and see what an impressively deep cast can bring to the story, which features a lot of other elements that strike us as pretty familiar.

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.

The Beast In Me benefits from a focused story that puts its Emmy-winning leads in a good position to do their best work, especially when they’re on screen together.

Season 3 of The Witcher has enough story and action to satisfy fans of the show. We just wish the characters had a bit more to say.

Can You Keep A Secret? is a funny show about a family who tries to get something they think they deserve, without much of an idea of how their plan will play out.

If you want to watch a cringey but hilarious show about the music business, go find Dave, which is also on Hulu. Maxxx will just make you cringe.

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 wish that the multi-level humor of the original series was here, rather than just a series of bug eye gags and heavy items falling on the characters.

Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy is a bit more detached than some of CNNs other documentary series, but it’s still an interesting look at a country that is much more than its tourist hot spots.

With so many characters harboring so many secrets, or in some cases, secret feelings toward each other, the tension is already building in episode one. It’ll be a fun ride watching where this season of Ginny & Georgia goes.

Wayward has two very compelling lead performances from Martin and Collette, and a good balance between the dark and the darkly funny.