Hennessy has the strength to be a leading lady, but she's up to her neck in ghoulishness.

It's an intriguing premise, and executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron (Moonlighting) promises liberal helpings of comedy mixed in the weekly doses of action/suspense. Success rides on where it goes from here. [12 Sep 1999]

A bubbling stew of raging hormones, buff bodies and the culture shock of rich meets poor. [12 Jul 2000]

Wolf Lake, CBS' brooding series about humans in wolves' clothing (or maybe that should be vice versa) premieres after a total makeover that leaves it more of a furry X-Files meets Twin Peaks than a confusing call of the wild.

There's something magical about Shepherd that keeps us interested and makes us predict a long life for this series. [02 Jan 1995, p.1]

The surprise is, Blonde's retelling of what's already an offensively oft-told tale is absolutely irresistible. [27 May 2001]

Ron Glass' Ronald Felcher, history teacher, should have the star billing. He's the only light, and right, in a faculty lounge of stereotypical teacher put-downs. [23 Sep 1996, p.1]

This one has everything - humor, high production values, solid acting and imaginative story lines that teach without knocking you over the head. [09 Sep 1995, p.1]

TNT's four-hour miniseries boasts fine performances, exceptional photography and all the other bells and whistles that mark a great show...All is in place, except for the scary bits. There's nary a fright to be found.

A six-hour haunted house tale that tugs out every tired trick in the Boo! book, trying to scare you silly. Don't say we didn't warn you, if you're silly enough to watch all that. [27 Jan 2002]

King scares up a devil of a storm. Stephen King's mission in life is to scare us all to death. And he does a pretty good job of it, too, this week on ABC. [14 Feb 1999]

To say The Tommyknockers is bad is an understatement. It's awful. [7 May 1993, p.1]

what was left was such a confusing big-city western, it was hard to tell the good guys from the bad. [21 April 1993, p.8]

Wonderland is more than a finely crafted TV medical drama. It's an exercise in intensity, as riveting as it is exhausting - and risky. [29 March 2000]

"Making the Band" is "The Monkees" meets MTV's "The Real World" and "Road Rules." What a concept...The big surprise is, it works. [24 March 2000]

God, the Devil and Bob is irreverent, but it's not offensive. It's just not as good or as funny as it should be. [9 March 2000]

What sells this TV cop shop is its heavy emphasis on the personal and the personalities of two young men in a high stress job. [19 March 2000]

The territory's familiar and the jokes too tame and infrequent to give Daddio the heigh-o. But it doesn't deserve the heave-ho, either - especially if the laughs increase. Chiklis' warm-hearted character is hard to dislike, the kids are cute, and, bottom line, we like this show more than the show that's usually on at this time, Jesse. [23 March 2000]

Unfortunately, Battery Park is a precinct I don't care enough about to come back for more. [23 March 2000]

If NBC hopes to ride the wave generated by the movie The Sixth Sense, it has a way to go to catch it. The Others is a too-predictable curiosity adrift in a sea of aiming-to-scare-you special effects. [4 Feb 2000]

"From the Earth to the Moon" is television at its finest. A soaring journey to a new level of creative dramatic artistry and TV technology to explore the can-do spirit of ordinary men doing something so extraordinary that it changed our world forever. [5 Apr 1998]

Tucker turns adolescence into hormone hell in this raunchy effort to capitalize on the charm of "Malcolm in the Middle". [2 Oct 2000, p.4]

No wonder Danny doesn't have a laugh track. Who's laughing?

Luis is a four-car pileup on the interstate - metal-on-metal loud and abrasive, and just about as funny. [19 Sept 2003, p.12]

Combine these characters with some clever plotlines, mix in some unusual elements (or lack thereof) - on-location shooting using film, not tape; no laugh track; no audience - and now we're talking something gale-force true, something we haven't quite seen before. [10 Sept 1997, p.1]

The Tick made me laugh out loud enough to miss the next laugh line. And that doesn't happen often in these TV times of tired old, same old sitcoms. [4 Nov 2001, p.2]

Having now seen it, I don't think I want to go there. [8 Oct 1999, p.H1]

Beggars could be a great one, if they don't waste their time going for sex jokes. [17 June 1999, p.1]

In my opinion, her performance registers as expressionless, which is not terribly impressive for one who's reportedly been acting since age 4. [27 Sept 1996, p.1]

Karen Sisco has action, heart, humor and sex appeal - four good reasons Law & Order should be looking over its shoulder this fall. [1 Oct 2003, p.6]

The responsibility for Gideon's Crossing rests with Braugher's appeal, and he's up to it. The rest is up to the scripts, to make Ben more human and the stories less dark and down. [10 Oct 2000, p.1]

The Huntress has a lot going for it. O'Toole is smashing, the script is a nice mix of comedy and action, and these quirky but well-drawn characters actually have heart. [26 Jul 2000]

This gangster saga works best when its hero is in peril. The whackings and the miserably boring lives of thugs - who appear to do nothing but hang around a dumpy pool room bar when they aren't killing each other - are old stuff by now. The double life with the Pistone family adds a different diversion, and there are occasional attempts at humor. [4 Apr 2000]

Everything is seriously tongue-in-cheek. The scares satisfy, and the laughs are earned. [8 Jul 2001]

So far, the plot's in place, but Dead Zone's good old gotcha is minimal. And in anything claiming to trace its roots to Stephen King, minimal chill factor could be risky - maybe even the kiss of death. [15 June 2002, p.9]

The emphasis in this series opener is on action. What's missing is the more gentle humor and fantasy that marked the miniseries as a family treat. [26 Nov 2002]

Ritter has a well-honed sense of comedic timing, and some of the lines are clever, for a change. This one could grow on you. [15 Sep 2002]

Watching Ellie is better than bad, but it could be - no, should be - a lot more fun than it is. [26 Feb 2002]

Louis-Dreyfus, the performer, is not the problem here, and neither is the format. The problem is the material. [15 Apr 2003]

You don't have to have seen "Soul Food," the movie, to get right into it. [28 Jun 2000]

RoboCop - The Series works well as a mass-market show. ... It offers action, as opposed to violence. And its ironic humor, though not as hard-edged as the movies', has a sly, subversive bent. [19 Mar 1994]

The special effects qualify as middlin' in this TV version of the popular movies and videos. What's superior is the sense of family.

Overall, this is a handsome study of a subject so disturbing and so complex that it could command our attention three times over - and three times more. This Traffic, like the two versions that preceded it, relates to each of us. [26 Jan 2004]

I like the idea of The Net as a series, with Angela living week to week in a Fugitive-type existence, trying to reclaim her identity and bring down the bad guys. If future scripts are clever enough, and viewers persevere past the first episode, this show could be a winner. [18 July 1998, p.7]

There's enough humor in this escape route entertainment to bring you back for more. [11 Aug 1996, p.1996]

This is hardly a plot to test Hercule Poirot's little gray cells. It is a fairly typical movie-of-the-week type action-lawyer show, and Reggie's a nice change as the strong-woman-hero character. 16 Sept 1995]

It's seldom been done on television any better - in terms of production or acting. The script is intelligent, Potts is terrific, and her students (Vicellous Reon Shannon and Tamala Jones, in particular) are good, too...As a weekly series at 7 p.m., though, Dangerous Minds needs to lighten up a little. It's a bit dark and down. [30 Sept 1996, p.6]

Tremors: The Series may surprise you. It's silly, but some of these scares do make you jump. And when the smart shines through, it's fun. [23 Mar 2003, p.03]

Aside from Kurtz, everything else in this makeover is about the same. That's not good.[9 Sept 1996, p.1]

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is so good I'm almost afraid to say how good it is. I've learned from sad experience that TV's good things are quite regularly the first to go. [1 Mar 1992, p.3]

Don't give us talk about "temporal displacement," "sublimaters" and "space-time continuum," then expect us to buy as lame a story as Timecop throws at us. [22 Sept 1997, p.4]

Folks, it's often not a pretty sight. But as with a jackknifed 18-wheeler, we can't keep our eyes off of it. [1 Dec 2001, p.10]

This isn't a laugh riot, but it's got promise. [22 Sept 2003, p.6]

Kudrow says she isn't a reality-TV fan and the humiliation of its participants, yet she plays her part as victim. So when she gets sucker-punched, we get sucker-punched. What's so funny about that? [4 June 2005, p.10]

With its intelligent, nuance-laced script, credible performances from a group of newcomers, a mouth-dropping star turn by Sharon Gless, and the "no limits" backing of Showtime, Queer as Folk is easily the best TV take on gay life since "Tales of the City." [3 Dec 2000, p.10]

The writing is sharp, and the show is surprisingly sweet and innocent. This is one teen show that could appeal even to "The X-Files" fans, thanks, no doubt, to the interesting credits that Roswell's executive producers bring to this unique and promising mix - David Nutter of "The X-Files," Jason Katims of "My So-Called Life" and Jonathan Frakes, star of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." [6 Oct 1999, p.H1]

They've already shot 13 episodes in New York City (long before Sept. 11), and the title's name recognition could draw a crowd...Without better scripts and acting to back it up, though, this Law & Order spin-off could wind up eating some of those first 13. [29 Sept 2001, p.9]

Born-again Murder One has what makes a hit: terrific script, slick production, great casting and a charismatic star. [10 Oct 1996, p.1]

Daniel Benzali is terrific as Theodore Hoffman, the big L.A. defense lawyer, and he's backed by a fine ensemble, including the young hungries of his firm...If you want to see TV series drama as good as it gets this year, this is it. [19 Sept 1995, p.1]

Huff's changing tone - serious one minute, funny the next - keeps you on your toes. This is a series you can chew on. [5 Nov 2004, p.1]

This year, the ethical standards remain low and the ick factor high. [20 June 2004, p.8]

Nip/Tuck is what the doctor ordered to put a little wicked dramedy in a silly sitcom-ed out TV season. [20 July 2003, p.3]

The unheralded Olyphant is the star, and he's excellent. [21 Mar 2004, p.8]

No doubt Lopez is a very funny fellow, but this script isn't. And the writers are the ones to blame, too, for all these tacky jokes about little girls entering puberty and George's digestive problems and wind-passing. The mother-of-mean-mothers gimmick is beyond mere tacky. It's gross...George Lopez is a goner - the sooner, the better. [27 Mar 2002, p.1]

The Guardian is manipulative, sad and a little strange. But it does put a new face on the old lawyer series, and as its new star, Baker could live up to his advance billing as a breakout. [25 Sept 2001, p.6]

Band of Brothers may be the best film ever made to show the everlasting bond forged in war between ordinary men...It may also be the best film ever made to show the relentlessness and horror of war. Aurally and visually, it's as graphically real as the battle scenes of Saving Private Ryan, only Band is five times longer...Still, there's something stopping me from saying this is the best war movie ever made, and that is because Band of Brothers succeeds as a whole, but fails to be as interesting in its individual installments. [9 Sept 2001, p.2]

Too bad this show doesn't run outtakes. Wouldn't you love to hear what the victims of Ali's ambushes had to say about him? [20 Feb 2003, p.4]

Smallville's charismatic star, Tom Welling, has the right stuff to be an overnight teen idol, even without flying around in a Superman suit. [16 Oct 2001, p.1]

Easily one of the funniest shows of the year. [21 Oct 2004]

The freshest new show of this or any recent TV season. [8 Sep 1997]

It's just about as huge a bomb as might have been expected. [25 Sep 1992]

Forget the sags and disappointments of last year. For season three, creator and producer David Chase gets it right again. [3 Mar 2001]

As unpredictably thrilling as ever. [15 Jan 2000]

A winner. [20 Sep 1991]

The cast here is a standout, down to the smallest parts. ... And this production is super-slick, from camera work to moody musical score. The script is sharply cutting edge. The step is relentlessly slow, with violence as the pace-breaker. [27 Oct 1996]

Filled with a terrific ensemble cast breathing life into characters that stay just this side of being caricatures, stinging Hollywood putdowns that cut to the funny bone and some of the sauciest true-to-life dialogue imaginable, 'Sanders' is the definition of sophisticated adult humor in the '90s. [16 Jul 1995]

The humor is meaner and the laughs less free and easy. [22 Jun 1994]

Subtle, sophisticated, witty, cutting and right on target. [14 Aug 1992]

JAG's a long, long way from just another courtroom scene. [23 Sep 1995]

Visually, the show is too dark and blue - a distraction. But the story and the acting trump all. [22 Sep 2004]

With a little TLC, the clone could turn out to be better than the original. [23 Sep 2002]

The best comedy ensemble to come along in a while. [21 Mar 1995]

The funniest comedy since The Simpsons. [9 Jan 2000]

Fast and funny. [25 Mar 1999]

Just cool the frantic efforts to be funny. Go for real family fun instead. [13 Sep 1996]

A surprisingly sweet, frequently funny show. [28 Jan 1997]

A deliciously witty comedy with stark dramatic touches. [6 Aug 2005]

It cribs from Family Guy, which has a similar family makeup, and, as with that series, its laughs are hither and yon. [30 Apr 2005]

Family Guy has yuks - and an enfant terrible who could double as the Soup Nazi - but it's nowhere near Seinfeld in wit and sophistication. [30 Apr 2005]

The Family Guy is worse than dumb; it's not funny. [30 Jan 1999]

This season's best series. ... It's extremely well-written, and the operating scenes are so realistic that you may cover your eyes. It's life-and-death drama but leavened with a little dark humor. And it works. [17 Sep 1994]

May leave you exhausted. [17 Sep 1994]

I think Curb Your Enthusiasm is funnier, smarter and classier than Seinfeld. [13 Sep 2002]

A show for grown-ups, with a witty script, a charismatic cast and the good sense to leave the messages on the cutting-room floor. [21 Sep 1998]

Often hilarious. [23 Jul 2003]

Season 4 of MTV's ""The Real World'' has all the signs of topping the incredibly rich Season 3, which topped Season 2, which topped Season 1. [25 Jun 1995]

Quick - which is the one to root for, the one you want to make the basketball team and get the girl? If you don't know, One Tree Hill holds all kinds of possibilities for you. Me, I run from jerks. [23 Sept 2003, p.1]

Enterprise's launch packs a solid action punch and a strong sense of wonder. ... Yet for all its initial freshness, we wonder how far these missions can go beyond standard Trek stuff. You know: Enlightened humans have culture clashes with alien humanoids amid much yammering about prime directives and warp drives. [26 Sep 2001]