Sly as "The Larry Sanders Show," keener than "Fat Actress," more sympathetic than "Curb Your Enthusiasm," this new half-hour comedy hits the bull's-eye in every direction. It's funny, sad, smart and immensely appealing. [5 June 2005, p.11]

Like Hugh Laurie's irascible "House" title character, star Ellen Pompeo's newly minted Dr. Grey conveys such substance that you simply can't stop watching. [25 March 2005, p.B33]

My favorite new American TV sitcom of the year, a show that I want to spend every week with. [11 Apr 1989]

"Alien Nation" as a series has been a remarkable achievement in the dullest fall season in history. It is both entertaining, socially responsible, and significant. [7 May 1990]

Tonight's episode is superb, and barrels--relentlessly--toward the answers.

[A] rewardingly seasoned new drama series that's practically indistinguishable from the acclaimed feature film, except that it's better.

I haven't enjoyed a new cable comedy so much since the first episode of "Larry Sanders." [15 Oct 2000]

It's smartly acted, well written, funny, expertly directed and hugely entertaining. And utterly, totally, profoundly devoid of pretension.

The 10 hours of PBS' immersive miniseries Carrier are frank and intimate, hard-hitting and heart-rending, rocking (with hit songs) and rolling (when the ship pitches so sharply, planes can't land).

Be forewarned that opener is dense, quick- moving and largely absent the sort of explanatory dialogue that dramatic series typically use to ensure that we have our bearings. Even viewers who savored each installment of the original series may feel disoriented. Newcomers may feel as though they're watching a foreign-language film without subtitles. My advice is to videotape it, re-watch and have faith. The coherence quotient goes up by the hour, and patience will be rewarded. [30 May 2003]

It all flows from the heart in a way few shows do, unfolding with the ease of being surrounded by people you've known forever already.

This four-hour gem is exquisite from start to finish, rife with the texture of its place and time, rich with human understanding expressed in everyday articulation and small gestures.

The most intriguing thing, actually, is that Lost may not even need the hoodoo voodoo. Abrams and script creator Damon Lindelof ("Crossing Jordan") have already set up a pretty compelling cross- section of earthlings as a study of simply human behavior. [19 Sept 2004, p.11]

The result is not just a great comic book transfer but a warmly human cartoon that's goofy, clever and touching. And cool. What else do we need? [8 Nov 2001, p.B35]

A patchwork quilt of a documentary that becomes totally mesmerizing and hypnotic. [24 Sep 1990]

The writing and the story look and sound different. Even when nothing happens, it's different TV. [6 Nov 1990]

The writing is crisp, the performances nuanced and believable, the gradually quickening pace addictive. It's hard to imagine anyone who watches tonight's first episode not wanting to to see the second installment next week. [6 Nov 2001]

What comes out of Herman's head is the most imaginative, innovative comedy on TV since "Dream On". [5 Sep 1991]

If the first two episodes are indicative of the kind of inspired lunacy these guys will produce over the next 20 weeks, the Kids may well be the successors to Monty Python, SNL and SCTV. [21 July 1989, p.5]

The writing is intelligent, wittily playing off our knowledge of the Superman lore, and the production values are on par with top-quality fantasy / sci-fi shows like "The X-Files."...Smallville is the most purely enjoyable dramatic series of the new season. Like Clark, this baby's destined to fly. [16 Oct 2001, p.B27]

When it was first on, I could see how good and admirable an effort they were making in blending the onstage and private lives of a comic, but basically I didn't care that much about it. But it's gotten better and better. By this year it's the one network comedy show that consistently impresses me and that I keep watching just for enjoyment. [19 Mar 1992]

Besides the fine acting, writing and an attention to period detail that borders on the obsessive, what makes this show so ambiguous and pleasantly iridescent is narrative tension

No doubt ABC has a hit here. The show's funny, and this is something you rarely get to say about a sitcom. [16 Oct 1988]

A smart, sophisticated and often hysterically funny adult cartoon. [17 Mar 1994]

The producers' storytelling bravura grabs your guts from the first tense second and doesn't let go. [29 Oct 2002]

Tales From the Crypt scared the living bejesus out of me...We are talking major league fright time here, folks. [9 June 1989, p.5]

"The Critic" is still not for everybody. That's what I love about it. [5 Mar 1995]

Layering such unnatural proceedings into the family-drama format only intensifies both story angles when you do it right. And Cassidy has, with strong casting, solid structure and a fine feel for what's most frightening.

Much better than the second season, happily. [12 Jun 1995]

It is a brilliantly written and played comedy with sharp repartee and genuine laughs. [31 Aug 1995]

It's one of those prehistoric kind of shows that is heartwarming and wholesome, that made me chuckle with the family and even cry. [26 Aug 1996]

The best new drama of the season, the only one of the 44 new shows that could join "Law & Order," "Homicide," "NYPD Blue," "Murder One" in the pantheon of quality shows. [11 Oct 1996]

He's rude, sarcastic, bitter, brilliant and, delightfully, the most compelling character of the fall TV season. [14 Nov 2004, p.11]

There is an engaging sleaziness about "The Practice" that makes it special. [7 Apr 1997]

This version is a triumph.

In short, "Sweet Tooth" exemplifies the best of what fantasy storytelling can be, creating a whole world without ever forgetting that the most important one of all is our own.

If all this seems heavy and difficult, then so be it. “Ramy” is also moving and smart and genuine. The trade-off seems reasonable to me.

Beautiful production, first-rate performances, notably the one that counts most — Erivo's.

Cerebral, engrossing.

till fun, frothy, engaging — but there's a missing element.

"Coyote" doesn't talk about the border but goes beyond it, to see people — their lives, dreams, and tragedies — up close. Politics (ours) thus become inverted and it's left to Ben to make sense of this inversion. By proxy, it's up to us as well. Binge-bait, and compelling binge-bait at that.

It was energetic (de rigeur), secular (usually is), handsomely staged (or scaffolded) and sonic (the louder the better). ... As Christ, John Legend was out-sung by Brandon Victor Dixon (Aaron Burr, “Hamilton”) who was Judas Iscariot, Norm Lewis (Caiaphas), Ben Daniels (Pontius Pilate) and Sara Bareilles (Mary Magdalene). But they out-sing everyone. Not a fair fight.

It's unclassifiable and unpredictable, in the best possible ways.

Steady start to the final season of a TV treasure.

Well-crafted thriller, and a reminder of just how good an actor — and director — Bateman is.

A viewing of the first two episodes of "Silo" shows that it exemplifies the best of what the genre can be.

It all remains hilarious and mad. One of TV’s funniest shows, and gifted stars, returns.

Funny and sharp, with some welcome (also inescapable) inflections of "30 Rock."

An overlooked TV gem wraps, and for the most part, beautifully.

Smart and compelling, with great performances, "Apple Cider Vinegar" also has a lot to say about human nature.

One Day at a Time doesn’t make us laugh so much as let us laugh. Not to say there aren’t some sitcom-y jokes, but they tend to feel real. ... Engaging cast, smart writing, laugh-out-loud execution.

Leaving Neverland has justifiably drawn criticism for being one-sided. It notes Robson’s lawsuit only briefly and never mentions that Safechuck filed a suit of his own. Those are flaws, but the stories of these two men are too compelling to ignore. A riveting story of childhood sexual abuse and its devastating effects on survivors and families.

Is this funny? Often, and at times, very. Is the writing sharp? Razor sharp, and in fact, there's a line later on that's draws blood it's so good, but context is important to see why. Rudd is excellent, both of them.

Brilliant as ever, Pacino is the master trickster who manages to both demonize and humanize Paterno.

What sets “Of Mics and Men” apart from the usual music documentary is how it goes out of its way to show the context that inspired Wu-Tang Clan’s music.

A luminous adaptation, with Hawke as one more memorable “Jo” in a long and glorious line of them.

Don't miss this series, with its first-rate performances and impeccable filmmaking. It is rich and rewarding, even if it runs into the occasional plotting issue.

A beauty with a fully realized world which seems to know where it's going and how to get there.

Moving, emotional final season that hits mostly high notes, and satisfactorily resolves a whole lot of stories.

They've eliminated violence, or tamped it down, to get back to a kinder, gentler, "Murder, She Wrote" era — one abetted with a savage wit, and hard stop to each episode. Nice to be back there again. ... As always, Lyonne is great and her new show a winner.

A standout Skarsgård, with excellent support, in an entertaining send-up of cyborgs— but strictly for sci-fi fans only.

At first these re-creations are distracting, if not comical. Then something remarkable happens: You begin to look forward to them. Each has been staged perfectly, the words phrased clearly and concisely. They begin to reveal how Watergate did in fact happen. ... Superb, but not for the casual viewer.

The oldest version — that rag-and-bone-shop-of-the-heart Ptolemy — could turn out to be Jackson's masterpiece, or one of them anyway. ... First-rate Jackson, entertaining series.

Good, smart, propulsive spy thriller.

Engrossing history (and with an eyebrow-raising omission).

Mostly--and occasionally despite itself--Maniac is just fun, at points raucously funny. ... Dive in, don't think, enjoy. You most likely will, by the way.

A sharp, introspective style — relying on disturbing ambient sounds, changing color gradients and consistent shifts to Dre's first-person perspective — allows for the audience to have a way in. And Fishback's performance, mysterious and unsettling while also tapping into measures of deep pain and sadness, completes the picture.

Ritter’s Jessica Jones remains the most compelling, evocative and dynamic character in Netflix’s Marvel canon. A pity poor Jessica doesn’t think so.

Yes, The Good Place is strange--also ridiculously inventive, silly, smart and strangely, unexpectedly deep.

There’s some power and beauty in this show--and not just the scenery either, but in the humanity itself. Far from lives of quiet desperation, these are lives of quiet determination. A gentle, intelligent drama about autism, family and love.

The first two episodes demonstrate a firm grasp on both story and style. ... Cunningly provocative project.

Hard to watch, brilliantly told.

It’s hard to think of a more sharply drawn or better-written cop drama on TV than this one. That’s probably because there isn’t one.

How to honor the memory of a beloved is its theme, or one of them. You can't get much more universal than that. Fine newcomer with excellent cast, and some universal themes.

Brilliant performance by a great actor in a desperately grim story.

What's good about "Loki'' is what was so good about the other Disney Plus "Endgame" spinoffs, "WandaVision'' and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." You don't need to be a Marvel expert, or know that Frigga was his mother, or that he had (has?) mother issues. ... This Loki, and those worlds, those mothers, look intriguing indeed. Loki fans will be much pleased.

Carell gives his best performance yet in "The Patient," a compelling drama that's worth sticking with through all 10 episodes.

As the first in what one hopes will be a long line of female doctors, Whittaker is funny, energetic and full of joy. Whovians should be pleased.

It's a smart and compelling drama, with some great acting and a real sense of place.

A sharp, incisive and (above all) funny script and direction to match. ... Whishaw's brilliant here, and almost effortlessly steals the entire miniseries.

Hall is still doing something extraordinary here. Better yet, something original.

Fine, sharp opener to what already feels like a tragic climax.

Funny, tragic, scary, creepy, wild, insane. Hey, what's not to like?

As they get caught up in this TV evolution, or devolution, the weirdness grows, and the tropes change — from a "Dick Van Dyke Show"-like world, to a "Bewitched"-like world, to a "Brady Bunch"-like world. They're just along for the ride, trying to adapt with it. But what is "it?" That "it" and their bewilderment is the pleasure of "WandaVision." ... Homage in the best sense.

To call "Lovecraft Country" "wildly original" seems almost a quaint understatement. But it is wild. And original. Little doubt about that.

[Midge] needs to grow, or at least her stand-up routine does beyond the tame gags about her ex-husband or Jewsih guilt. Those remain the weakest part of "Maisel." ... These early episodes do certainly play to "Maisel's" considerable and well-established strengths. They're a romp through the English language, abetted by actors who remain effortlessly up to the challenge. As always, the writing and those performances are still what resonate, and they're just about flawless

This second season is packed, but without getting too far into spoiler territory, fans can be assured that what's here feels exactly right.

Lacy isn’t overselling her project. "And So It Goes," named for one of Joel's more ruminative songs, may not contain any true bombshells but it delves into Joel’s life in unprecedented detail. Anchored by Lacy’s lengthy interviews with Joel. .... Virtually everyone from Joel’s life — even those carrying painful baggage — shows up to speak.

Sedaris remains, as ever, hilarious, inventive, unbalanced and deeply, joyously, shamelessly twisted. Her new show’s not bad either. ... At Home With Amy Sedaris is each of those [“The Frugal Gourmet,” “Barefoot Contessa,” “Paula’s Home Cooking” and “30 Minute Meals”], on acid.

Like Walter White, she's the antihero we love to love--conflicted, intelligent, seductive, and human-all-too-human. Claire will be done in just eight episodes. A shame because she was just getting started. Claire's turn and she makes it count.

This "Dead Ringers" carves out a path that's fundamentally different from the one laid out by Cronenberg, and not just because of the gender-swapped leads. But even if it takes some time to understand exactly where things are going and why, it can fall back on one of the most remarkable performances in a good long while.

With "Succession" now over, "The Bear" makes a compelling case for being the best show on TV.

The central argument in Zimny’s loving, but unflinching documentary “Elvis Presley: The Searcher” is that his openness and inquisitive nature is what made him the King.

Excellent you-are-there film that takes viewers — and Baltimore — from despair to hope.

Fast, furious, funny, with a twist.

Millennials will watch, and you will too because this is the best new comedy of the brand-new decade. ... "Nora" is a[n] unbridled joy.

"Chad" has something no other show possibly could, and that's Pedrad's unique comic style. ... Easy winner.

There's growth and evolution in the third season, but not too much and based on a glance at the first four episodes, just enough.