Viewers should expect a bit of exposition before the series shifts into high gear. By the third episode, bada bing, it's off and running. [13 Jan 2000]

The series remains smarter and funnier than most anything on television. ... But be forewarned: the 'Sopranos' season starts slowly and a bit unevenly. [4 Mar 2001]

Despite its endlessly flat landscape, FX's Fargo is elevated by the most spellbinding direction of any drama currently on TV. Season 2 achieves new heights, thanks to writer-director Noah Hawley. The music is exaggeratedly dramatic, and the split-screen device is a throwback to early TV and film's bold experimentation.

The key characters remain compelling although the multiplying coincidences and overlapping relationships are becoming trying.

One of the best series anywhere. [8 Jun 2003]

David Brent, brilliantly conceived and played by Gervais, remains among the most wonderfully annoying characters in modern TV comedy. [12 Oct 2003]

The humor is often obscure. The flavor ranges from silly to heartbreaking, crazy to profound. The Emmy-winning show's unpredictability is part of the charm.

Gritty and grim, The Shield takes the familiar genre to a new level of intensity, graphic violence, nudity and, not least, profanity. The vocabulary may shock some viewers; the casting will surprise others: Michael Chiklis plays the heavy, the corrupt cop at the center of The Shield. It's a riveting star turn. [12 Mar 2002, p.F05]

If it's action you seek, Rectify is a poor choice. But for fine cinematography, great acting and probing character development, you'll want to tune in.

What follows is a rich, funny, touching exploration not just of transgender life, but of family, identity and sexuality in general. Tambor's genius in the role is in creating a very particular female character well beyond makeup and wardrobe, seemingly on the cellular level.

The creepiness is slow and almost elegant. The vision is grand, epic even. The music, by Mogwai, is wonderfully absorbing. The whole creation, by Fabrice Gobert, is first-rate supernatural drama more than a mere horror show.

The best TV show you’re not watching.

An engrossing drama about a modern seaside town that comes unraveled with the mysterious death of a young boy.

This is high-definition bliss.

This season's three installments--"Scandal in Bohemia" is followed by a scary "The Hounds of Baskerville" and "The Reichenbach Fall" in which nemesis Moriarty (Andrew Scott) returns--make a pleasingly diverse set.

The horrors of war, the danger of shifting alliances and the anguish of intra-family rivalries raise the dramatic stakes, matched by the glorious visuals.

The Corner is a marvel - a powerful testament to the crumbling inner city, the Catch-22 of urban social services, and the strengths and vulnerabilities of the human spirit. [16 Apr 2000, p.K-09]

The casting is terrific.... There are numerous surprises, including how riveting the tale is in this telling.

Judging by the first six episodes, this round is just as addicting as the first, the ensemble rising to the occasion of topping their first outting.

The season's best new drama introduces a smart ensemble and immerses us in a tangle of conflicting viewpoints. The storytelling device, which occasionally backtracks in time, isn't distracting or forced. [29 Sept 2002, p.F-02]

The series returns for season 2 on July 13 on Showtime, still excelling thanks to a confluence of terrific casting, great performances and smart storytelling about America in the repressed 1950s.

These four transporting hours tell a touching, funny, heartbreaking story that underscores how complex life is, how fragile human interactions are.

The season's best new comedy - we're talking laugh-out-loud funny. [2 Nov 2003, p.F-14]

Suffice it to say creator Matthew Weiner unspools enough story to keep fans hooked, immediately satisfying some curiosities and creating others.

No spoilers here, but there's a twist at the end of tonight's hour of Friday Night Lights that will reverberate through the season. This is cause for concern: The addition of a sustained mystery, not to mention the sight of teens jumping through windows to meet sex partners, could render Friday Night Lights more like every other show. Still, if it makes the story more accessible for those who crave a more literal narrative without altering the basic nature of the series, I'm for it. [5 Oct 2007, p.F-02]

As the new season begins, this series continues to be among the best of the extraordinary number of great TV dramas vying for attention.

The entire 14-hour, seven-night experience of Burns' latest opus is an engaging and at times surprising marathon.

Benedict Cumberbatch is alive and well and in fine form.... Purists may find the fancy graphics distracting but creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss use the high-tech touches sparingly.