Swingtown can't decide whether the '70s were transformative or deformative; there's a distinct ironic edge, applied mostly through the use of music.... But that edge isn't nearly sharp or funny enough (unlike "Weeds"), which tends to muddle the point of view.

This is a shame and a waste of three gorgeous actresses, a wonderful actor (Gross) and an idea that--with a little more wit, smarter writing and less soap--could have yielded a winner.

This louche Lucifer is mostly a cop procedural snooze.

[Shalom Auslande's] worldview is one part Christopher Hitchens, one part Samuel Beckett, one part Louis CK.... If all that makes his funny-ish new show sound bitter, angry, provocative and even compelling, then (well) that's because it is. But Happyish can also be wildly uneven and a little too smug in its certitude.

Familiar doesn't mean bad, and there's some likable charm here.

It's all about the writing, in this case, and the utter lack of depth, or inner life, or suggestion that anything of particular interest might be happening here.

Impastor weakens its good work by trying a bit too hard.

A fossilized sitcom that time-travelled all the way from the 1990s, with one calcified gag after the next, punctuated by the occasional (fortuitously rare) discordant off-color joke. ... With its trusty old-school TV verities, hug-it-out moments, beats as familiar as any from "Father Knows Best," and a laugh track that's probably turned up a notch too loud — plus bonus points for a solid supporting cast — it'll probably be a hit.

13 takes the heat off itself with an over-packed second season that doesn't quite walk back the controversies of the first, but attempts to talk them back.

The opposite of greatness. Specifically, "Space Force" is a five-hour bloat full of temporizing dialogue, a few-too-many gags relating to gastrointestinal malfunctions, and a CGI chimp and dog who deserved better. ... Yeah, bad. Long bad too.

James fans will love this overstuffed commercial for NASCAR and its many sponsors.

Despite the predictable conclusion, "Stargate SG-1," leaves many character threads dangling tantalizingly. If you aren't careful, this series could definitely hook you. [27 Jul 1997]

Finding original humor in this tired old horse of a format may not only be difficult, but close to impossible.

There's not a whiff of actual life here, no grounding character like "Arrested Development's" Jason Bateman . There's just frantic, false and tiresome.

The show's core relationship is appealingly relaxed. It dares to suggest successful coupledom lies less in heated passion than in being able to dress down and screw up and know you're still loved.

A great historical story gets wasted in this endurance test for viewers.

It's bland, tired, listless, and if the show isn't having much fun, how can it expect viewers to?

Hap and Carla are certainly a great-looking couple, standing in the shadow of the North Dakota Rockies. What they're not is a heightened version of Blake and Alexis Colby Carrington, the sort of heights I was really hoping for here.

Pathos may make for a more positive reality TV experience than a parade of lying, backstabbing and physical torture. But the basic appeal remains pathetic. Perhaps in more ways than one.

Bland, harmless, forgettable.

Princesses is not nearly as offensive as "Jersey Shore." The bad: It's still pretty dumb.

What is missing here is heart, drama, and - most inexcusably - horror.

Sure, it all looks and sounds achingly familiar and blandly dumb, and maybe some of it is. But check the brain at the door. You could do much worse.

Not terrible--really--but not yet remotely the winner NBC so badly needs either.

Marta as Mob Mom is not fully believable or recognizable or (for that matter) relatable on any level. Without empathy, this "red widow" is just plain dull.

At least "Men in Trees" doesn't tax your brain. Just your patience, taste and intelligence.

There's enough human drama here to keep us occupied without having the walls fall down, too.

Good show with fine cast, but it all still feels a little too familiar and old-fashioned.