A harmless and mostly fun little sitcom.

The wit can get a little heavyhanded sometimes - yes, it's another series with voiceover narration (can anybody say "Sex and the City"?) - but its heart, and head, are in the right place.

There's perverse fun to be had in watching "3 lbs." Count the groans as you spot yet another trite piece of formula.

The show moves more like a ready-for-prime-time comedy than a kiddie toon. Think "The Simpsons" with soul.

A rare and almost totally unexpected triumph.

It is so ancient - in approach, tone, style and energy - that you can almost see the dust bunnies tumble across the set.

"Galactica" is so beautifully designed, shot, edited and acted that you can practically smell and taste its emotional validity.

"The Nine" may well be the best of the crop - smart, clever and especially wise to the ways of this genre - but the challenge remains the same. This is work - admittedly often pleasurable work, but come 10 p.m. next Wednesday, we've got to do it all over again.

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

A groaner from beginning to end.

"Dexter" knows what it's doing, and savors its skill immensely.

This fall's most satisfying series delight.

"Help Me" is a Gobi Desert of laughs... There's a strong odor of desperation on-screen, as if the competent and seasoned actors here know they're in this for a short ride. Indeed, they are.

It's slow. It's dull. It's listless.

A soul-deep sense of humanity grounds "Heroes."

The good news is that "Brothers & Sisters" isn't even remotely a disaster. The bad news is that it isn't even remotely a success either.

A reasonably competent soap.

Good actors can get away with glib, and Woods is one of the best, persuasive enough to have you spotting freshness in the familiar and wisdom in cliches.

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

Yes, there have been some valid questions about TV's recent embrace of the serial. (Too many? Will people stay tuned?) "Kidnapped" feels so fresh that viewers won't even care.

To love "Smith" is to love an ice cube. There may be a cold beauty to the craftsmanship of this enterprise, but there's a pinched, frostbitten heart at the center of it as well.

Watch the first few minutes of "The Class" in its CBS sitcom debut tonight, and you may not believe me when I say this, but here goes. I think they might have something here.

There's a wonderful cast here... There's even an intriguing core idea... But the show also feels phony from beginning to end.

It's hilarious, really, and refreshing, and original and - absolutely - an acquired taste.

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

A critic for this paper once declared "The Wire" "the greatest dramatic series ever produced for television" and as the fourth season gets under way Sunday night, there's no reason to quibble with that assessment.

The filmmakers' assurance makes this miniseries play more like bang-up drama than fact-filled documentary. Yet their facts pass informative muster, and emotional validity, too.

A show that is so achingly familiar - in content, tone, stars, everything - that it's actually funny.