White Collar is not original. But White Collar is enjoyable.

At times, Luke Cage feels like a series in search of a story, or a series intent on drawing one out, scene by chatty scene, over 13 episodes. (Six were available for review; I watched the first two, sampled the rest.) A cast this good, especially a Luke Cage this good, should compensate.

Uneven, but the core strength remains--a sitcom that embraces the uncomfortable, and sometimes the unmentionable.

Girls' moment is almost up, but this lovely, gossamer line ["I want to write stories that make people feel less alone than I did, to laugh about the things that are painful in life.”] reminds us why that moment was so special.

[The] tightly crafted pilot abjures the urge to make its own judgments on good/evil, sanity/delusion, isolation/connection, conscience/capitulation.

Sunday's episode is exceptional, marred only in a few spots by padding that's inevitable with these supersized episodes.

There's real thought behind The West Wing, a blessed exhilaration in this increasingly apolitical medium. For those who remember when '70s TV comedy took on the world, this is a welcome arrival. True, the pilot takes some fish-in-a-barrel potshots at sanctimonious evangelists, in Sorkin's speechifying manner from "Sports Night." But it also delivers that series' satisfying depth of reflection and rich characterization. Eventually. Once we know who these people are. [21 Sept 1999, p.B27]

His Haunting is a two-hour movie spread over 10 hours. That doesn't mean there's eight hours of padding here, but it often feels that way (I saw the first three hours and the last. Sorry, but even TV critics have only so much patience.)

The problem with Jackie is that split personality--drama or comedy. What's funny here is funny, like last season's final seconds. There aren't enough moments that remind you when to laugh.

Samuel L. Jackson reveals a hidden side of himself, and that's worth watching for that reason alone.

A sentimental new series whose flaws are fairly easy to forgive. [26 Sept 2003, p.B03]

Occasionally flat, sporadically gruesome, Mindhunter is also potentially absorbing.

It's almost a shrug of an opener, a bit diffident, a bit unfocused (not unlike Brett, in his less lucid moments). But Togetherness does gets better, and funnier.

Even at six hours, this tends to be more impressionistic, and less bound to a strict historic timeline.

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]

This is a singular vision throughout, written and directed by the team of Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz. (She also plays Christine’s older sister.) Their intense focus draws a disquieting portrait of a peculiar personality.

Desus & Mero arrived at Showtime fully baked--a talk show that knows what it is, and what it does, and how to do it. That's good, and at least so far, the Bodega boys are, too.

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.

Yes, Dannemora is hard and cold. The light is muted, the shadows deep, while seven hours of this could easily turn into prison time. But thanks to that cast and Stiller's masterful direction, they don't--not once, not remotely. One of the best series of the year.

Suffice it to say, keep the kids away, but you will laugh - and feel guilty about it afterward.

The Gus Vant Sant-directed pilot of what is easily the most important project in Starz history pulses with the sort of corruption that absolute power sires.

Michael is a clinically interesting personality type who is profoundly unempathetic, until such times as he is very empathetic. The wonderful creative trick of The Office is knowing exactly the right moment to humanize Michael.

Pure joy and the tribute Nichols finally deserves.

The material is high in laugh content, but sometimes the handy wonders of animation tempt the makers of "Dr. Katz" to illustrate jokes unnecessarily. [28 May 1995]

Based on six episodes for review, Kimmy remains Kimmy, which is about as good as the news can get for fans.

A nice balance of 60-40 character drama and medicine. "Homicide" heavyweight Braugher is intense once again, yet smart enough to keep sharing the screen with a strong ensemble. [10 Oct 2000]

Good start with a pair of shockers. Beware.

A reverent portrait, if not necessarily a penetrating one.