I didn't get much of a sense where this show was going from the pilot, though there was nothing to hate about Big Bang Theory, and the writing’s every bit as sharp as "Two and a Half Men" and "Dharma & Greg," comedies overseen by Big Bang producer Chuck Lorre.

Goldblum has a commanding presence that may overcome the ho-hum storylines and overdone talking-ghost motif.

The first hour’s writing, pacing and storylines were too pedestrian for me to recommend Cane.

The opening scenes of City of Angels" are so poorly written and in such stunningly poor taste that I was tempted to declare this one D.O.A. after just 10 minutes. And I'm afraid many viewers will do the same, which is unfortunate for City of Angels because eventually the show does find its way. [15 Jan 2000]

Like young Jaime, it's going to take awhile for this show to find its artificial legs.

If the film sins against history, it's in the many omissions of intriguing minutiae that made the book worthwhile.

I waited for delicious strands of dialogue to memorize - it's a favorite pastime among "Sopranos" addicts - but none was forthcoming from "Falcone." [3 Apr 2000]

After a nine-month hiatus, one of the best new shows of last season returns from the undead with a bit more of the deviled edge that made it so great when it first emerged from the crypt in the fall of 2007.

The series hits its stride a few episodes in, when Lowe and Blackbeard finally get on a boat together to fight a common enemy, knowing they’re each just waiting for the right moment to kill the other. Their dynamic evokes the tense partnership between Al Swearengen and Sheriff Bullock in "Deadwood."

While not quite the out-of-the-gate obvious hit that “The West Wing” was, ["Commander In Chief"] has enough going for it that it may soon become America’s favorite soap opera about a president of the United States.

Delightful. [6 Oct 2000, p.E1]

Lead writer Daniel Knauf, who created HBO’s “Carnivale,” has tweaked Bram Stoker’s classic tale in delightful, if heavy-handed ways.

Sometimes slasher flick, sometimes courtroom drama, this Lizzie is a cynically dark, shamefully fun account of an all-American crime.

With a Capt. Hook who spent most of his time seated and an opaque Peter, my expectations gradually evaporated. The show seemed like a slowly deflating balloon.

For its first two hours, every aspect of FX’s new medieval drama is obscene, from the needlessly degrading sex scenes to the gleeful throat-slitting. Its most heinous offense is burying its promising premise in a pile of corpses before a talented cast can find the story’s pulse.

A flimsy little procedural that uses logical and technological leaps of faith to hide its central problem: lack of co-star chemistry.

It's an engaging set-up for what will likely be a hit, since it was obviously designed to complement the social-service minded "Judging Amy." [25 Sept 2001, p.E1]

Nelson clearly relishes this role, though his rah-rah approach to everything wears thin. And critics are right to note that some of the confrontations between Nelson and his black rivals are needlessly harsh. [7 Oct 2000, p.E1]

Brothers really is not that bad a show.

It’s a grim two hours... But it’s not overly explicit, and the script and talent are better than most Lifetime films.

The show is entertaining enough, but the American Hood, played by Rufus Sewell, won't remind anyone of Patrick Stewart.

If "Popular" can do for social stratification what "Party of Five" did for addiction, it may have a chance. [29 Sept 1999, p.F1]

Holliday Grainger and Emile Hirsch are pretty great as Bonnie and Clyde, despite a just-servicable script to explain how Clyde won Bonnie’s anxiety-ridden, artistic heart.

I know this is going to come as a shock, but when the scene is designed around Kate, the show sags. By contrast, when Rick strolls into the room, the show perks up.

Simmons, who was Juno’s dad and Brenda Leigh Johnson’s boss, is consistently funny and compelling, but the younger cast members haven’t settled into their roles yet, and the show doesn’t know what to do with them, anyway.

What's depressing is that Cox is a very gifted comic actress, but she can't seem to land a role that doesn't involve showing off her ample cleavage. [7 Oct 2000, p.E1]

The darker tone of Haven (including a haunting piano soundtrack) and reliance on paranormal, rather than technological, story elements form an ideal counterpoint to the wonkery of "Eureka."

I hate it.