Slick and often witty, this is a show with its high beams on. But the device of having Dey and Thomas directly address the camera isn't the only false note struck. The characters are thin, and the chemistry doesn't cook.

At this point the show may lack in si-prises, but like one of Miss Kay's lovingly prepared brisket dinners, there's pleasing comfort in its familiarity. [26 Aug 2013, p.37]

House stands out on the strength of its misanthropic main character.

It actually improves upon the successful formula by downplaying any romantic entanglements, which, at times, have weighed down the leads of Rhimes's other shows.

It wouldn't hurt to pick up the pace, but Graceland is a successful move toward true grittiness. [3 Jun 2013, p.43]

The jokes are, for the most part, more clever than funny.

The tone of Central Park West is so facile, glossy and brittle that its visual style often resembles some frosty Eurotrash perfume commercial. But the first episodes hit the ground sprinting.

The anecdotes slam into each other with a punch-drunk indifference--but director Spike Lee's style is a series of swift jabs. [18 Nov 2013, p.47]

The show has a sophisticated sense of humor that suits Silverman's talents. But he is surrounded by an anemic cast.

The show doesn't have the sinister intelligence of ABC's short-lived Invasion, but it's good family entertainment. [27 Jun 2011, p.45]

This eighth season finds him spending time in New York City, and the trip rejuvenates him. [18 Jul 2011, p.35]

Season 2 of the Hollywood satire still plays too broad, [...] But Matt LeBlanc's understated performance as himself has gotten even better. [9 Jul 2012, p.36]

I don't much care which duo ultimately comes in first and collects the $1 million prize, and the personality conflicts aren't dramatically different from those on other reality shows. But at least this series covers a lot of interesting ground.

About Face addresses some deeper implications--Gia Carangi's early death is a cautionary tale--but knows better than to over do it. [6 Aug 2012, p.39]

Some of the humor here won't go down well in every home. But if you stick with the show through episode two, you'll see it's about the gap between Bernie's defiantly unsentimental attitude and the reality of his new role as a surrogate parent.

Smits and Alda clearly increase the show's charisma quotient, and it's good to see Matheson's character stirring the pot once more. ... But the writers seem almost shameless in their resort to medical crises.

The show continues to be soft, captivating fun. [18 Jul 2011, p.36]

The show's weakness is a negligible supporting cast, particularly Diedrich Bader and Ryan Stiles.

You may well have misgivings about yet another season for this show, particularly with Haysbert out of the picture. ... But the plot, which involves the abduction of a high government official, will absorb viewers once again.

It's not clear how seriously Patinkin takes the whole thing--it's the same actorly mystery that makes David Caruso's whispery bitterness such a kick on CSI: Miami. [31 Oct 2005, p.39]

A well-crafted, surprisingly intelligent update of ABC's late-'70s Star Wars clone.

The tenuousness of the situation, and the underlying hope for emotional growth by all, makes for a touching hour. [25 Jan 2010, p.43]

This Victorian-era prequel to Peter Pan works. [12 Dec 2011, p.48]

There's always a laugh or two. [30 Jan 2012, p.44]

It's fun sport. [30 Jan 2012, p.44]

The best thing from Season 1 remains the same: Mary-Louise Parker. [21 Aug 2006, p.37]

It's bright and obvious as a cartoon yet written with a clean, precise patter of jokes. It's also very well cast. [12 Dec 2011, p.45]

I'd prefer to argue that creative excellence is the real reason for the six-year-old series' ratings momentum, but it's probably the snappy salutes and cool jargon.