For this series to wear well, the forces of evil have to locate some clear motivation. Revolutionary ideology, world domination, pure greed - almost anything would be better than the explanation offered by next week's chief villain, who clings to her missile launcher and declares, "This is what I am." [12 Jan 1997, p.03]

While not the most stupid thing on the air, it borders on stupidity. [8 Jan 1996]

"Standoff" does seem to emerge miraculously out of the fumes of '70s TV - a near-perfect reformulation of every bone-weary cliche, every hackneyed piece of cop chatter (Dan Tanna lives!) that last-century TV glorified in.

What a wasted childhood my kids have had, I got to thinking while watching this otherwise normal Doogie Howser. It makes you look at your kids differently. What lazy bums they must be, still in high school at 16. [19 Sep 1989]

The good news is that The Second One often is worse (in a good way) and does boast at least one viral YouTube clip, starring the head of the Statue of Liberty. (Poor Lady Liberty.) But The Second One is also more predictable, silly and self-conscious of the legacy.... For "Sharknado" fans: B- For viewers with highly refined tastes--or any taste--and sharks: F+

Alex O'Loughlin is bogged down by trite dialogue, half-hearted support, perfunctory exposition, and better-to-look-good-than-make-sense production priorities.

Viewers will immediately locate the central flaw. If half of the contestants are so rich, then why go to all this trouble for $200,000?

There is no fear in this show or any of the doom, shame, ignominy or flat-out reprobation that comes with getting one's head handed to one by the Donald.... Without fear, there is no danger and without danger, no drama.

Tonight's "Skating" debut glides onto the air in a weird sort of middle zone, not quite cheesy enough to skewer, yet too much a cheese-product to take seriously.

Lacks the sharper edge of Hughes' movie. [23 Aug 1990]

What bothers me about "Evening Shade" is the lack of humor. [20 Sep 1990]

For every instance of contestants behaving in a transcendent manner, there are half a dozen demonstrations of pettiness, impatience, anger and jealousy. [5 Sep 2001]

Larry David is obnoxious in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" but very funny. Gervais' David is just obnoxious. ... It's the sort of comedy that only certain people can get, like the way dogs can hear sounds human can't. I'm ashamed to say, I couldn't take it more than one dinner hour. [19 Oct 2003]

This canned stew is further flavored with too-snappy comebacks, too-slick repartee and too-clever contrivances. Making it bearable are cast members who do somehow manage to seem like people next door.

"Spin City" doesn't have a good joke, other than Michael J. Fox. He has to carry the show himself. He has to be what makes you laugh. In the first three episodes he is not funny, he is cute. [7 Oct 1996]

Who is he? Who-who, who-who? I really want to know. But I don't think I want to sit through four or five episodes, let alone a season or two, to find out. [20 Sept 2002]

In the beginning, I thought it was well done, marvelously quirky and creepy, beautifully photographed, extraordinarily moody and well acted. But I can't imagine a reason to watch another episode. [27 Oct 1996]

It's somewhere between a small and a big bust. [24 Sep 1997]

It's got some charm and there's some humor here, too--mstly at Jones' expense. But seriously, don't you have something better to do tonight?

A convoluted mess, despite great potential.

Camping does have a good, energetic cast but they too never quite find their groove as fish-out-of-water in this would-be fish-out-of-water farce. Like Dunham and Konner, they all seem like they'd rather be someplace else--anyplace else would do.

An inert, talky bore.

A weepy wannabe from the "This Is Us" playbook that doesn't build much of a case for caring about the characters, much less weeping over them.

"Almost Family" is also a snooze. It sleepwalks past the issues it purports to explore, as well as the unethical, and most likely criminal, behavior involved. ... So "Almost Family" made Hutton's Bechley an almost-loveable rogue, and his offspring almost-unbothered by the almost crime he perpetrated against them and countless others. No "almost" about that. It's flat-out creepy.

This passionless, pallid reboot is missing the key element that made the first one--tacky and tawdry as it was--succeed: Nimoy himself.

Likable lead and cast, but Rel otherwise feels like a tepid, tame commercial network sitcom.

New Amsterdam isn't bad so much as it is wearily predictable. We've seen this all before, but we keep coming back for more.

James is good in this; otherwise dumb … and dumber.