Ed is that rare sort of genuinely sweet television treat...It won't give you sugar schlock. It isn't sticky. And it doesn't go all gooey with prefabricated sentimentality. [6 Oct 2000, p.1D]

"The Sopranos," even as series creator David Chase changes pace this season from power struggles to family matters, is still as good as television gets: wonderfully written, superbly acted, always unpredictable. [2 Mar 2001]

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" is another Sorkin mother lode of stylish wit, uncompromising quality and timely, topical substance. It's TV with a brain for viewers in search of something other than the same old, same old.

No, the thrill isn't gone. "24" remains a wild 'n' crazy roller-coaster ride.

One of the fall season's most purely enjoyable new series is also one of the very best. [1 Oct 2004]

This is sophisticated television that assumes there is an intelligent audience for well-written, off-center, ambitious entertainment. David Chase has created a contemporary mob masterpiece. The Sopranos, make no mistake, is the first truly great TV show of 1999. [8 Jan 1999, p.1D]

Just imagine if Tony Soprano had decided to be a cop instead of a gangster. Yes, scary. Scary and compelling. And that's what you get with Detective Vic Mackey, the brutal, anything-goes Johnny Law at the dark heart of The Shield, an explosively well-done new crime drama. [12 Mar 2002]

As Betty Suarez, a beautiful dreamer with a heart full of soul, America Ferrera gives the breakout new star performance of the season. And "Ugly Betty," fizzy, smart and colorfully styled, is looking fine.

A wonderfully relaxed, off-the-wall comedy series that has more spunk and imagination than almost any new network sitcom you're likely to surf on by this fall. [10 Sept 1997, p.5C]

Milch's darkly hilarious exploration of the American frontier spirit is back for a third season of twisted human conniving.

At heart, it's a funny, raucous, bittersweet and vividly entertaining chronicle of the spontaneous emotional combustion that goes on in the lives of one soulful, eclectic assortment of firehouse characters. OK, 62 Truck, time to go back to work...Crank up the sirens. Rescue Me has arrived to rescue prime time from the hazy, lazy days of summer. [11 June 2007, p.1]

Damages is dynamite. And the fuse is lit.

Masterful.

It's still the best network show you're not watching, America. [5 Oct 2007, p.1]

A smart, loopy spoof full of Everyman truth. [10 Jan 1997]

Brimming with cockeyed echoes of everything from "Raising Arizona" to "King of the Hill," NBC's best new comedy since "Seinfeld" is that rare chucklehead treat: it's both wildly irreverent and blessed with a cheerful, endearingly upbeat nature.

This effort is blessed with a wealth of exceptional talent.

The most original and audacious comedy on TV right now. [13 Sep 2002]

With big laughs and inspired twists of spontaneous wit, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" remains a true original. It's Larry David's singular comic sensation, a masterful, wigged-out improv farce of Hollywood manners. [4 Jan 2004]

The real charm of the series is in its exceptional writing and fine ensemble acting. If you like "Taxi," you should certainly enjoy Cheers. [30 Sep 1982, p.65]

A jolt of taut, high-velocity TV drama, a new-style thriller that really is thrilling. [6 Nov 2001]

TV's most original and irresistible new comic concoction.

No one does cranky like Larry David. [7 Sep 2007]

If you do that rare TV thing of actually paying close attention, HBO's complex, richly detailed crime drama will sweep you away like a fine novel. [17 Sep 2004]

Filled with strong writing, a colorful gallery of vivid characters and a rocking good mix of cool dialogue and explosive action, "Battlestar Galactica" rolls on as an intergalactic entertainment classic.

An unflinching and deeply affecting portrait of American tragedy. [14 Apr 2000, p.4F]

Fascinating and outrageously witty ... the best new sitcom to hit American television since Larry David's similarly inspired "Curb Your Enthusiasm." ... An instant classic. [23 Jan 2003]

The lavishly beguiling historical drama is pumped up on passion, wit and the majestic fire of Helen Mirren's thrilling performance as one of history's most intriguing rulers.

Pushing Daisies is a delicate, rapturously original little television miracle.

Start to finish in its first-rate opening season, Showtime's "Brotherhood" has the makings of something neat, offbeat and special.

A masterful series finale. [21 Oct 2004]

Blends Rock's signature, whip-smart irreverence with richly humorous, character-driven stories of his own adolescence to create the rare family comedy that is both hilariously honest and filled with heart.

Sharp, sophisticated and laugh-out-loud funny. [3 Mar 1997]

Boomtown, created by Graham Yost, who wrote "Band of Brothers" and "Speed," has the potential to be NBC's best crime drama since "Homicide: Life on the Street." [27 Sept 2002]

The fall season's most beguiling and innovative newcomer, a visually playful and fetching desert noir in which an intrepid IRS agent is actually our hero. Hero!? You bet. [17 Sept 2002]

"Without a Trace" matches and sometimes surpasses "CSI" for stylish visual storytelling as it builds a time line that pieces together details of the 24 hours prior to the subject's disappearance. [26 Sep 2002]

The stylish, fast-moving series premiere is filled with surprising twists, witty repartee and some revved-up, well-choreographed action sequences. But the real star of Alias is, well, the star: athletic Jennifer Garner, who portrays Sydney with intelligence and graceful, hard-bodied charisma. [29 Sept 2001]

The first two episodes this season get the crisis-fueled day rolling in superb fashion. [29 Oct 2002]

Caruso is terrific as ex-homicide detective Caine, the red-haired actor's comfortable, moodily soulful new crime drama alter ego. He's the charismatic point man in CBS's superlative, tautly crafted "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" spin-off. [22 Sep 2002]

Rescue Me has the feel of real. It talks tough and packs a volatile working class wallop while exploring the stress-fueled world of men in a very dangerous job. [21 July 2004, p.1D]

This smart, imaginative romantic drama about a female attorney has quickly established itself as one of the most interesting new series in years. [29 Sep 1997]

One tasty comic treat.

An instant chucklehead classic.

The ensemble cast, including David Oyelowo, Edward Woodward ("The Equalizer") and Janet McTeer, is first rate. A winner.

Monk isn't perfect. The show's comic moments often work better than some of the dramatic elements. And it's too soon to tell if Shalhoub will have the benefit of consistently sharp writing, something that will be essential to sustain the series over the long haul. But if first impressions count for anything, both Adrian Monk and Tony Shalhoub earn gold stars for delivering wry, beguiling pop entertainment. There's also a fizzy, engaging chemistry between Monk and Sharona, as well as Shalhoub and Schram. [12 July 2002]

A spiffy new version.

Thanks mostly to the acting intelligence and talent of Lili Taylor, State of Mind is the more interesting, entertaining newcomer.

The husband and wife, played by Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter Birney, are recognizable human beings who grapple with recognizable problems and emotions. And the children in the family, particularly Michael J. Fox, who plays teenage son Alex, are marvelously portrayed. [06 Oct 1982, p.9D]

As a witty social history viewed through the tempestuous prism of office and sexual politics, Mad Men is big fun ... classy entertainment with a brain.

A wild and funny thing. [22 Jan 2003]

They are not ordinary cab drivers, and Taxi is more than just a time filler between "Three's Company" and "Starsky and Hutch." It promises a lot and then delivers it all. [12 Sep 1978, p.26]

[James Spader's] raffishly amoral Shore is the most enjoyable thing to happen to courtroom drama in years. [1 Oct 2004]

A terrific, six-hour miniseries, beautifully written and sharply directed.

Feels like a hit show about to happen.

Though it's extremely well done, The Wire lacks the signature HBO kick of discovering something brand new, that giddy feeling of freshness that immediately attached itself to "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under." With The Wire, there's a less-exciting echo: Same old, same old. Been there, done that. [31 May 2002]

Rome delivers high-quality television bursting with grimy, down-to-earth life. [26 Aug 2005]

And you don't have to be a sci-fi fanatic to get a kick out of Firefly, which brandishes playful bits of Whedon's signature wit and snappy repartee. [20 Sept 2002]

Duchovny possesses the engaging comic empathy skills to make his Left Coast libertine decidedly witty and likable.

Thanks to Corddry's social misfit charisma, Ricky Blitt's affable lowbrow lunacy flashes with a sharp, dizzy wit.

Whether it eventually runs out of storytelling steam or becomes a surprise hit like former hot-weather rookie "Northern Exposure," the engagingly bodacious Maximum Bob sure beats another numb summer rerun. Here comes the jive-talking judge! [3 Aug 1998, p.1D]

"Eureka" is clever paranormal escapism that sometimes teeters on the edge of whimsical excess. But that doesn't mean you won't find plenty of affable, oddball entertainment.

Grim, stylish, smart and gripping. [26 Sept 2003, p.8E]

It arrives fresh, charming and consistently funny.

Light, breezy and easy to enjoy. [20 Sept 2002]

A raunchy, mostly forgettable female bonding sitcom.

Bitter family power struggles, corporate rivalries and a touch of murder highlight a promising, if overly tangled and busy series premiere.

The most compelling storytelling usually involves the combative relationship between Steinbrenner and Martin.

You don't have to be a fantasy or sci-fi geek to have fun with it

Of course, it helps immensely that Christopher Titus's flamboyantly roguish father, Ken, is portrayed with genuine rascal charisma by Stacy Keach. An actor known mostly for his dramatic roles, Keach's exuberant comic performance is a cockeyed revelation. He could easily become the show's break-out personality. [19 March 2000, p.1L]

Though it's far from perfect -- and Nelson's flamboyant, over-the-top performance is bound to irritate some viewers -- "The District" explores racial polarization and urban political attitudes in sometimes compelling fashion. And there's an interesting, racially diverse cast of players, with veteran character actress Lynne Thigpen ("Shaft"), a real standout as Mannion's crime stats wizard Ella Farmer. [6 Oct 2000, p.12D]

Tim Daly of "Wings" is surprisingly strong in the role of Kimble, offering a nuanced portrayal of an honorable man trapped by extraordinary, anguish-fueled circumstance. [6 Oct 2000, p.1D]

You don't have to be a lonely teenager to relate. [18 Jan 1998, p.6G]

A clever new animated series.

A comedy anchored in the flawed, deeply genuine humanity of its characters often delivers the rollicking natural high of laughter.

A slick and clever cut above most cheesy reality shows. [8 Jan 2004]

Laced with profanity, amoral behavior and fine performances, "The Riches" adheres to its own maverick set of family drama values ... infused with secrets and lies, twisted laughs and lots of love.

Packs a sinister wallop. It's a ripping good winter's tale. [12 Feb 1999, p.1D]

If not exactly magnificent, it's still a well-executed traditional western. [31 Dec 1997]

It's uneven in spots, with the riveting action sequences sometimes overshadowing the more subdued domestic scenes. But unlike the often gratingly shallow "JAG," "The Unit" allows for ambiguity.

At the very least, it's the best-made guilty pleasure on television. [5 Sept 2006, p.2]

With a little bit of prime time luck, Lost just may become what it sets out to be -- a mesmerizing thrill ride with a brain and more than a little humanity. [22 Sept 2004, p.1C]

"Lucky Louie" is a true original -- a pleasantly twisted variation on "The Honeymooners" or "Roseanne" for the 21st Century.

Karen Sisco [is] also blessed with the presence of superb character actor Bill Duke ("Red Dragon") as Karen's imposing, no-nonsense boss. [1 Oct 2003, p.1E]

You know you're in the presence of a fresh, original sitcom when you don't even mind the laugh track.

Colorfully plucky but inconsistent. [9 Jan 2000]

An offbeat treat worth rooting for.

Because it is wisely anchored in the marvelous performances of Parker and Perkins, "Weeds" packs a merrily subversive comic energy. [5 Aug 2005]

It's actually good ... and genuinely funny.

[A] sly spoof.

"Farscape" offers a witty, energized change of pace from popular, long-running science-fiction series such as "Babylon 5" and the various "Star Trek" incarnations. There's less futuristic philosophizing, more colorful comic book action and humorous fun. [19 Mar 1999]

The show's ensemble cast -- which also includes Jill Clayburgh, William Baldwin and Samaire Armstrong ("Entourage") -- is pretty darn fabulous. And the entertaining result is sophisticated trash with stylish flash.

With The Langoliers, there's a primal zing to the story. The cast also gets into the anxiety-fueled swing of things, especially Pinchot, Stockwell and the eerily enchanting Maberly. [12 May 1995, p.1C]

The promising "That's Life" rarely seems recycled. [29 Sept 2000, p.1E]

Though the crime thriller territory is familiar, Liotta and the talented supporting cast give "Smith" an extra kick of dramatic energy.

Judging by the fine, funny - and, yes, mysterious - third season premiere, Cherry is keeping his witty, plot-twisting word ... so far. [24 Sep 2006]

Raucous, bawdily good-natured. [14 Aug 2005]

Like any over-the-top, conspiracy-laced concept, "Prison Break" will only work if viewers are giddily enticed to jump aboard the Willing Suspension of Disbelief Express.

The breezily irreverent "Entourage" -- chock-full of witty banter, Hollywood insider jokes and real-life celebrities in self-spoofing mode -- parties on in especially fine style.