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]

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

As unpredictably thrilling as ever. [15 Jan 2000]

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

Homicide is a cop show of a different kind, a rare TV combination of writing to die for, brought to life from the pages of a bestseller, by a knockout ensemble cast, and the production smarts of one of Hollywood's hottest Oscar-winning filmmakers. [31 Jan 1993, p.3]

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

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

The Shield is the kind of cop show you might find on HBO, a superbly written, inventively directed, sharply acted drama that screams authenticity and excellence, and -- like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Sex and the City -- makes matter-of-fact use of adult language and nudity. But The Shield is not on HBO. [10 Mar 2002, p.2]

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

TV's best new drama. [27 Sept 2002]

There's a lot to love about Everybody Hates Chris.

A winner. [20 Sep 1991]

If the next 23 hours are half as spellbinding as tonight's - and, of course, providing that the TV audience is ready to find a terrorist attack entertaining - 24 could still be the hit of the season. [6 Nov 2001]

Freaks and Geeks shows promise of touching the same common chord that The Wonder Years played so well for the classes of the '60s. [25 Sept 1999, p.7]

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

Felicity is a stylishly produced, appealing show, with a likeable ensemble of players. Even though the romantic triangle is and will remain the centerpiece, the best thing about the show is that in the college setting there's plenty of new territory to explore the experience of coming of age. [29 Sept 1998, p.1]

It's the old Northern Exposure trick again. Quirks and eccentrics abound, but they could grow on you. It's nicely done, with an air of sweet innocence by David Letterman's production company, with former Late Show producers Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman at the helm. [7 Oct 2000]

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]

In a stunning two-part pilot episode, which concludes next week, J.J. Abrams (Alias) has taken a derivative concept - a plane crash on a deserted island - and shaped it into something new and compelling, and possibly prehistoric. [22 Sept 2004, p.1]

That stupid daddy thing has got to go before it ruins a good college try. [25 Sept 2001, p.6]

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]

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]

What makes Sports Night such a standout is Aaron Sorkin's crisp and clever script. It's crammed with characters who seem full-fleshed and real after just one encounter. And, trust me, you do NOT have to be sports fan to get it. [22 Sept 1998, p.1]

The acting is strong. The music is urgent. The on-location shooting - with many exteriors - has a gritty Gotham authenticity. And the directorial style is crisp and energized. [21 Sept 1993, p.H1]

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]

Gilmore Girls has got something - maybe just what it takes to grow on you. [5 Oct 2000, p.4]

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

"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]

May leave you exhausted. [17 Sep 1994]

Deliciously written ... this is the most compelling and original television series, and [Marc] Cherry our most gifted auteur, since The West Wing and Aaron Sorkin burst upon the scene five long years ago. [1 Oct 2004]

It works. It's different. It's fun, offbeat and charming. [31 May 1990, p.5]

Fantasy and cute shtick are on overkill here; Scrubs would be better without those elements. [2 Oct 2001, p.8]

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]

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]

Their ear for dialogue is exceptional, and there's no doubt they know their characters. HBO is well aware, too, which is why the network left the authors to their work. [1 June 2002, p.9]

New plot, new cast, same Kiefer, same excitement. [2 Jan 2005]

This ensemble cast is top-drawer, the pace is lightning-fast, the dialogue crackles, and the halls of the West Wing hustle and bustle. With all that energy, this is not a show to watch with one eye on something else. Attention must be paid. [22 Sept 1999, p.H1]

If handled as carefully as the pilot, Joan of Arcadia promises to be the most intriguing show of the season. [26 Sept 2003, p.1]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

It's a taut, action-filled opener, and Garner's charisma and agility in this demanding role give it a special glow. If America's in the mood at all for spies and terrorists, this show's the semi-Superwoman version. [29 Sept 2001, p.9]

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]

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]

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]

Exceptional producers Paul Attanasio (Homicide: Life on the Street), David Shore (Hack), Katie Jacobs (Gideon's Crossing) and Bryan Singer (X-Men) have cast their lot with Laurie (Peter's Friends, Sense and Sensibility, Stuart Little), and it pays off handsomely. Despite House's peculiarities, he's a fully rounded character, and Laurie appears comfortable in his clothes. [16 Nov 2004, p.8]

The dialogue is smart, and the comedy is edgy, and from the six already previewed out of this 13-episode run, the characters may drive you crazy with their constant navel-gazing, but they do grow on you. [3 June 2001, p.2]

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

Make no mistake: This show has an edge. ... And though the familiar 'to boldly go' speech is missing from its titles, this may be the boldest 'Star Trek' of them all. [3 Jan 1993]

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]

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

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]

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

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

If you're like me, this show will hook you in.

Fast and funny. [25 Mar 1999]

The Boondocks is can't-miss TV, as vicious, funny and relevant as McGruder's comic strip.

In this disappointing opener, though, the pace is more frantic than fun, and the plot about the token gay is neither clever nor funny...The one cinch about Spin City is that Fox wants a hit just as much as ABC wants one. They'll just have to try harder; you can bet they will. [17 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]

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]

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

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

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]

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]

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

Its makers must be blind to do a hype-the-hip-young-crowd sitcom about instant sex in this age of AIDS. [11 Sep 1992]

But before your eyes glaze over, the good news is, it still works. And this slick, big-budgeted, action-packed pilot gives it the high-profile send-off to bring even skeptics around. [6 Oct 2000, p.1]

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]

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

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

I'm betting on Bette to get better as everybody settles down and lets the show settle in. [11 Oct 2000, p.1]

And we learn more about the lives of Stabler and Benson than Wolf usually reveals in a whole season with his L&O detectives. [20 Sept 1999, p.1]

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

Often hilarious. [23 Jul 2003]

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

Despite its "dj vu" premise, That's Life goes into this TV life with a fair number of promising moments. What's not to like, if the scripts can manage to come up to this solid cast, and Kent's considerable charisma? [29 Sept 2000, p.1]

The O.C. may be a lousy title but it's cast, written and directed well. Early indications are that the show is smartly going after two generations of viewers - not just the 20-somethings Fox is famous for, but also their parents. [5 Aug 2003, p.8]

This isn't a laugh riot, but it's got promise. And with that cushy time slot, right after Raymond . [22 Sept 2003, p.6]

The show is told stylishly. A character from today morphs into how he appeared years ago - an excellent way of getting into a story quickly without confusing viewers. The showy all-music ending to Sunday's episode is another nice touch. [27 Sept 2003, p.10]

He moons ya, he fools ya, and it don't mattah much if ya love him or ya hate him, he gonna make ya laugh. Dat's Ali G. [20 Feb 2003]

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]

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]

It's outlandish and contrived with story holes wide enough for a jackknifed 18-wheeler. But the two-hour pilot of Prison Break... is irresistible.

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]

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.

When it is clicking, The Colbert Report is Countdown on mescaline -- occasionally brilliant, occasionally loopy, definitely entertaining.

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]

That '70s Show does have its amusing moments -- without marijuana. And it does have nostalgia on its side. [23 Aug 1998, p.3]

There are more than a few good laughs in tonight's episode, and next week's is even better. [17 Sep 1991]

For now, we have a prologue to set the scene and a large cast to get to know, amid unspectacular special effects, a few punch-and-shoots, and no alien beings at all. [20 Sept 2002, p.1]

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]

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]

NBC's Office is as smart - and the office workers appear as well-cast - as the BBC's "Office", and there is no laugh track - huge pluses. Still, viewers who have not been exposed previously to "The Office" will like this more than those who have. [24 Mar 2005, p.01]

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

It's fantasy, but it's fun. [6 Oct 1998, p.1]