Slick, predictably convoluted and pumped up on conspiratorial dread, "Day Break" may be a trifle late to the serial thriller party.

Screwloose, occasionally amusing...Yeah, Beavis and Butt-head would make fun of this show. Heh-heh-heh. [20 Jan 2003]

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

There's an engaging free spirit at the heart of "Watching Ellie." [26 Feb 2002]

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

The mirth is lower key, often generating smiles rather than laughs. [9 March 2000, p.1G]

It arrives fresh, charming and consistently funny.

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]

Within the context of an overly familiar, murder-saturated genre, talented "Medium" creator Glenn Gordon Caron ("Moonlighting") manages to find some emotionally rich variations on the formula, assisted by Patricia Arquette's appealing performance as a suburban, crime-solving mom who sees dead people. [3 Jan 2005]

Nothing revolutionary here. [6 Oct 2000, p.12D]

Tell Me You Love Me is little more than an intellectually pretentious, emotionally vapid snoozer.

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

Thanks to its lively wit and playful visual style, Birds of Prey delivers a good bit of escapist entertainment. [9 Oct 2002]

The snap, crackle and pop of witty dialogue well delivered. That is the consistently amusing, escapist pleasure of Back to You.

"Justice" offers slick, efficiently produced whodunit escapism without a whit of real originality or dramatic spontaneity.

This is by far the least charming--the lame, leering sitcom tales of two brainiac losers (Johnny Galecki, above, and Jim Parsons) goofily smitten by the babelicious girl next door (Kaley Cuoco). It's about as witty as a pocket protector.

Yes, the premise may be decidedly derivative, but it's all in the witty execution.

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

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

Despite her extreme makeover, this new Bionic Woman is mostly slick, dull and portentously sullen.

The series rarely soars beyond the predictable. [4 Apr 2000]

"The West Wing" was more vivid, original and compelling than "Commander in Chief" is likely to become. But impressive Geena Davis and the Oval Office gender twist are indeed refreshing.

It's escapist sci- fi hooey that is simultaneously slick and tacky. In other words, a breath of fresh air compared to the average tabloid newsmagzine. [26 Jan 1994, p.6D]

Nice supporting players like Grant Shaud ("Murphy Brown") and Clea Lewis ("Ellen") help enliven the otherwise formula sitcom fun. Most of the time, though, "adigan Men is just a breezy masculine trifle with a brogue. [6 Oct 2000, p.12D]

Even with Blackthorne's occasionally engaging portrayal of Harry Dresden, this whodunit lacks the wit and imagination that might transform it into something special.

Besides the nifty, repressed romantic dynamic between Brennan and Booth, "Bones" has some fun with snazzy hologram visualizations of the murder victims in each case.

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]

During its opening two episodes, Popular is basically content to be just another jaunty, semi-"Clueless" spoke on WB's glossy teen entertainment wheel. Great to look at, yes, but short on emotional depth. [29 Sept 1999, p.5E]