Based on Tennant’s performance alone, Des is a compelling watch. But Mays and Watkins put in solid performances, as well.

It plays fast and loose with history and political ideals, sure, but more than anything, it’s a fantasy – and a spooky one at that. La Révolution is indulgent, bloody, and mysterious. What more could you want?

It’s more creepy than scary and the first episode does nothing to make us want to watch and find more of those scares. ... Helstrom was slow-moving and dull, and is more interested in brooding dialogue than actual scares.

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

The fact that this group has such good chemistry with each other despite not being in the same room, and the fact that Gero and Gall are able to craft story arcs as we go through the pandemic is almost miraculous. We genuinely laughed many times through the three episodes NBC sent for review.

The episodes we watched did fine during the funny parts, not as fine during the serious ones. ... But what we appreciated was the sophisticated nature of the humor we saw in each 16-22-minute episode. ... It’s also refreshing to not hear those [“remember when we did this?”] lines, and just have stories about how the humans relate to each other has so utterly changed because of COVID. Let’s hope the rest of the episodes follow suit.

If you’re a West Wing fan, you’ll love this special. If you’re not, you won’t even go find this on HBO Max. And that’s what makes us wonder about if the special’s message will actually land with the people with whom they’re trying to communicate.

Ultimately it’s the characters who shine this season, and that hold the show together. The ensemble has hit its groove in Season 3, and everyone gets time in the spotlight. ... The first four episodes feel sleeker and breezier; lighter, like Burnham.

The Haunting Of Bly Manor is entertaining to watch even during the times it’s not trying to scare the audience, and that’s something that not many horror series can do.

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.

This series plays like a quickly-written nostalgia trip and nothing more.

Despite the presence of Graham and Mays, Code 404 just isn’t funny enough or interesting enough to spend any time watching.

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.

Despite all our reservations, we’re recommending Gangs Of London because it feels like the story is going to be relatively straightforward, despite all the characters that will need to be addressed. At least that’s what we hope will happen.

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.

Slattery’s presence makes it a watchable mess.

The Comedy Store is looking like a pretty comprehensive history of stand-up comedy over the last 50 years, especially comedians who made their name on the west coast. The fact that it’s directed by someone who went through the grind himself makes it all the more intimate and surprising.

The Salisbury Poisonings should hold your interest, especially if you don’t know a lot about the case on which this show is based. But even if you do, the show’s concentration on the people affected instead of the investigation itself helps keep the story moving.

Soulmates boasts a ton of great actors putting in fine performances, but you may want to look at the episode descriptions first before plowing forward. There are some that we think will be way more satisfying than others.

We’re not sold on The Walking Dead: World Beyond just yet, though we like Royale and the rest of the cast. We’re just not sure we care enough about the zombie apocalypse or these young characters to follow their journey.

Hawke’s titanic presence as John Brown makes The Good Lord Bird move along quickly and keeps its comedic undertones intact. The rest we can take or leave, but we’ll keep watching mainly because of the show’s star.

The spectacular cinematography on Tiny World is more than enough to tune in, but the storytelling and Paul Rudd’s narration support the cinematography well.

Just like the podcast that spawned it, your enjoyment of a particular episode of Song Exploder depends on how much you like the song being exploded. ... Here’s a sign of how much we liked Song Exploder: We just subscribed to the podcast and the Spotify playlist.

Ultimately, the opening foray into Monsterland isn’t quite exemplary, although it has its share of strong moments. Here’s hoping its thematic ambition, not its narrative sloppiness, is an indicator of episodes to come.

While Emily In Paris seems to be a bit of a lightweight series, Collins is a winner in the lead role, and Star is a pretty dependable storyteller, so we’re hoping for the best.

It might not be for everyone, but it’s hard to imagine who wouldn’t be charmed by the dulcet tones of beloved actors lulling you to a place of desperately needed tranquility.

The recreations on A Wilderness of Error are irritating, and it doesn’t really feel like it’s going to answer any questions or break new ground in the 50-year old MacDonald case.

I’m on the fence with The Comey Rule — it’s not revelatory, and mostly tells us what we already know. When it’s entertaining, it seems almost unintentional. But ultimately, it’s a curiosity watch that’ll compel you to stick with it through its entirety.