This is “True Lies” in title only. The film’s concept has been reduced to a paint-by-number, light CBS procedural. If that’s the type of programming you enjoy, have at it. Just don’t expect anything more.

Great as it is to see Ms. Badler again, her appearance can't save a show that's so poorly acted and written that the characters spout exposition but rarely say anything that sounds like something a real person would say. V looks and sounds like a cheap cable series rather than the big-budget network show it should be.

It's a shame that the writing makes Off the Map so unwatchable.

Flowers in the Attic plays it safe and a bit boring. This is material that screams for a campy touch, but director Deborah Chow and teleplay writer Kayla Alpert tell the tale with mostly straight faces.

Maybe if the cardboard secondary characters develop more dimensions and if the writing improves, "Battery Park" will have a longevity similar to that of its closest cop comedy antecedent, "Barney Miller." But don't count on it.

It's not that the show is terrible--it's not--but it brings nothing new to the firefighter drama format.

If not for the polarizing nature of its star--people who love her and hate her will tune in to revel in her Palin-ness or mock her for it--no one would be talking about this dull, derivative TV show.

At heart, Killer Women is a procedural drama with a surface-strong female protagonist; scratch the surface and it's the same easy, familiar programming.

It's one crazy mess of a TV "event series" that doesn't make much effort to clarify what it's about in the early going, plopping viewers into two concurrent plots that will presumably intersect at some point.

It’s more pathetic than funny.

Swingtown isn't just misguided because it's on the wrong network. The show's bigger problem is that the resident "squares" are much more interesting characters than the swingers at the core.

The Eastwick characters are fairly generic types who are too bland and predictable to be involving.

It's a mildly entertaining hour as far as crime procedurals go.

Happyish emphasizes over-the-top profanity and a lot of anger at its surface. Dig deeper and there are some interesting ideas in play but getting past the show’s predilection for rants may ask too much of viewers who may share some of the same frustrations as the characters.

TV Land continues its foray into original scripted programming with The Exes, the network's best sitcom effort since "Hot in Cleveland."

A series that doesn't give viewers enough reason to care in its premiere episode.

The Salem pilot is rather plodding except when occasionally punctuated by these more gonzo scenes.

Generally too predictable and slight to merit much attention.

The types are all pretty obvious and plot turns are telegraphed well in advance, yet the show fails to clearly explain what is going on in this alternate America. The witchiness of the young women is even underplayed to a frustrating degree until late in the premiere episode.

It’s warm and funny-adjacent but it has too much voiceover narration and doesn’t offer the emotional truths of reigning prime-time family drama champ “This is Us.”

Alas, imagining the concept is funnier than anything in the show’s early episodes, which mine stale humor from the pitfalls of military bureaucracy. ... Perhaps with time to grow the characters in “Space Force” will develop into something worthwhile.

The show squanders any high-mindedness with ridiculous shoot-'em-up scenes reminiscent of any cop show circa 1979.

"SG-1" is a passable action series on a par with most syndicated sci-fi fare. Its only real distinguishing feature is [a] ludicrous, completely gratuitous nude scene. [26 Jul 1997]

What sets Party Girl apart is the "girl" who hosts the party: Christine Taylor, a delightful young actress best known for playing Marcia in "The Brady Bunch" movies. Her character here, Mary, is what Marcia might have become had she been orphaned, or "Clueless'" Cher might be if she were older, wiser and poorer. [9 Sept 1996, p.C-6]

Running Wilde at times recalls the comedic brilliance of "Arrested Development," but unlike that show, there's no relatable central character to ground Running Wilde.

The characters are all caricature-y stereotypes and the jokes are of the ba-da-dum! variety, but the pilot made me laugh more than some other new comedies, mostly due to the performances.

Perfectly adequate.

Blood & Oil offers only musty melodrama befitting its already dated premise.

It may do some good, but it's still a piece of TV entertainment that, first and foremost, must succeed as a revenue generator for ABC. That realistic, not cynical, caveat aside, Big Give is certainly more positive than "Big Brother" or numerous other reality shows.

There are a few lighter moments here and there--including some played for laughs that seem like they'd play better if they were serious, including the first time Kirsten gets stitched--but mostly Stitchers is a ho-hum procedural with an unlikeably emotionless lead character with daddy issues and the promise of hanky-panky with a not-nerdy scientist

A multi-character drama, Containment is fine but unexceptional.

If a show could get by on atmosphere alone, ABC's stylishy shot "Night Stalker" would be an outright success. It is creepy, spooky and scary.... But all this isn't enough to overcome what will likely prove to be an insurmountable problem: casting.

Love in the Wild is undeniably a waste of time and brain cells.

The show may not be comedy gold, but it generates enough laughs to make it worth checking out before hitting the sack Sunday night. But is it a keeper in the long run? We'll see.

Bland and toothless, this drama, about a woman who ends up working in organized crime, attempts to meld suburban mommy drama with a mob story but fails to come up with anything that’s remotely interesting to watch.

"Deal or No Deal" may be the dumbest TV game show ever, or, quite possibly, it is brilliant in its simplicity. But it's certainly not a quiz show.

A mere wisp of a show, so lighter than air that it threatens to float away at any moment.

It had a weak pilot to begin with, but the second episode is even more of a tedious bore.

Bar still feels like an attempt at a '90s-era edgy prime-time drama whose time has past.

Everything in Young & Hungry is predictable, including most of the jokes.

Imagine a Don Draper-less, bland, unsurprising sequel to “Mad Men” and “American Woman” comes pretty close. All the plot twists are telegraphed.

Same Name is a show made for people who live and breathe E! and TMZ.com. Cynics need not tune in.

It's far more realistic in scope and situations than "Gossip Girl," but there's such an earnestness and one-dimensionality to the characters that they seem a lot less believable.

If Scorpion were better suited to today’s TV landscape instead of bringing to mind a TV series from 30 years ago, it could be an of-the-moment series worth watching. But it’s not.

One of the worst murder-mysteries to come along in a while, ABC’s Secrets & Lies is completely undone by its casting and writing.

With "Tremors," the special effects have always been cheap and the appeal, such as it is, came from the campy humor, particularly concerning the Burt Gummer character. But the TV series, from the same creators and writers as the movies, mostly plays it straight. There's some humor, but suspense is the primary vibe in the first two episodes. [Mar 28, 2003, p.37]

The jokes, while occasionally funny, almost all feel reheated.

The show never allows itself to stand down from ill-fated, continuous attempts at heightened hilarity.

Ignoring all that, shallow Mafia entertains in key moments.

Overall, Z Nation is pretty grounded and also manages to surprise viewers with the characters it chooses to sacrifice in its pilot episode.

The first hour is a deadly dull slog. Viewers get plopped into the action without much effort to provide context and then there are flashbacks to confuse matters further.

It's not great, it's not awful. It's an adequate, conventional CBS-y medical drama about transplant surgeons set at Pittsburgh's fictional Three Rivers Regional Medical Center.

It’s fine, escapist fare but lacking in much imagination.

The Royals is pretty much the entertainingly trashy prime-time soap you’d expect.

After so many series have failed to come to satisfying first-season conclusions after similar built-in obsolescence plots, it’s hard to trust Salvation will live up to its title. If it does, what will producers do for season two?

If you watched Leno on "The Tonight Show," you'll probably watch him in prime time. If you didn't, I can't imagine why you would now, especially once original programming returns to ABC and CBS next week.

The show remains crazy in its plotting, but it does move at a quick clip, fast enough that some viewers will forgive it for some obvious twists and turns. ... Other than an effort to goose ratings with the return of a familiar title, is there really any creative reason for more “Prison Break”? Probably not.

As TV shows go, Toy Hunter is a bit dull.

Sullivan & Son is no instant TV classic, but its reinterpretation of a place where everyone knows your name is outrageous enough to bear watching.

Lightweight and unaffecting.

What the show lacks in originality it makes up for in crisp, politically tinged dialogue.

Bag of Bones rarely scares but frequently induces unintentional giggles.

The mix of characters works well and provokes a fair number of laughs.

It’s got a worthy premise that’s larded up with unfunny, over-the-top characterizations.

Smith is a winning TV star who's adept at scenes that require great empathy or a withering stare. Given time (and more realistic characterizations), Hawthorne may grow into a series worthy of her talents.

Often funny when it tackles taboo topics head on, the show walks a fine line between honesty and unnecessary crudeness, and it often goes a step too far.

"Related" won't be for everyone, especially viewers lacking estrogen, but it is a quality weekly "chick flick" for TV.

It's not a great show but it's not a terrible teen drama, not by a long shot.

A few lines generate a mild chuckle, but Living Biblically mostly feels stale and unfunny--the kind of show that gives broadcast network comedies a bad name.

Second Chance is pretty much another Fox attempt at a crime procedural crossed with a high concept.

Well, you won't find a much funnier lead than Pinchot, but even a comic genius needs something and someone with which to work. With the supporting cast offering no support at all, Pinchot pushes egregiously, until even this funny man isn't funny anymore. [25 Aug 1993, p.

"Rose Red delivers a better story than his last opus (1999's "Storm of the Century") with better developed characters, but at the end I still felt like I'd wasted a lot of time. What's the point in setting up an intriguing, intricate backstory without offering some answers?

“Swords” is occasionally funny but more often settles for outrageous — a Little People figure swearing and showing off his private parts! — which may work to a degree the first time, but grows tiresome and dull in repetition.

Seven features an entertaining ensemble, a tongue-in-check approach and an attractive visual style that alternates between sweeping vistas and ultra-tight closeups. The sap and the male-bonding is sometimes a bit thick, but overall Seven is a clever update of an old TV genre - and a welcome break from TV's current glut of cops and docs. [2 Jan 1998]

Dominion will never be confused with sophisticated TV but in its pilot episode, the only episode made available for review, it’s surprisingly more entertaining and a better yarn than plenty of other Syfy efforts.

The Hero is not all that exciting but the production values are top-notch and the location (Panama) somewhat unique.... Rather than three shows, one show would be best: Make The Rock the host, use the settings of "72 Hours" and the casting of "Race to the Scene" and viewers would be much better off than watching any of these individual new programs.

“The Village” is certainly better and more ambitious than “Rise,” but it’s no “This Is Us.” Often, “This Is Us” comes by its emotional moments believably and naturally. For its lack of subtlety, “The Village” would be more aptly titled “All! The! Feels!”

Mr. Quinto is creepy from the get-go. As Manx ages backward, he remains disturbing even as he comes to resemble a contemporary Quinto. ... But all that effort does little to make “NOS4A2” compelling television. The stories are disconnected at the outset and Vic’s home life is one-note rote.

Unlike The WB's funny, wistful, pop culture-filled "Do Over," the one-hour That Was Then goes for pathos instead of laughs and it mostly misses.

Rogue starts to become a little more intriguing [by the second episode], but the show only gets to that point after the clichéd set-up and almost two hours spent with a self-destructive lead character.

The show does begin to fill in a few blanks, particularly the immortality angle, in its second episode, but it’s still a slow, sometimes tedious process.

With Roadies, Showtime debuts a series focused on a fresh subculture (the behind-the-scenes crew responsible for staging a rock band’s tour) with a lighter, if overly earnest, tone. Only one member of the band is shown in the pilot in a brief scene. This tactic might be an overly calculated conceit if the roadies were a less interesting bunch.

This sitcom may elicit a few laughs, but the premiere episode is pretty lackluster overall, with obvious punchlines and predictable characterizations.

There’s nothing epic about Nightflyers. It’s basically a haunted spaceship story--filled with what has to be a record number of uses of the F-word on basic cable--that does a poor job in its first hour giving viewers reasons to care about the characters before putting them in jeopardy.

It’s a fine if unremarkable broadcast network-style series.

The whole affair seems like a major miscalculation: Of Kings and Prophets seemingly features too much sex and violence for some churchgoers and not enough clarity for anyone else.

All the trappings of “The Wizard of Oz” without any of the charms.

History’s Knightfall is pretty much just a “Vikings” knockoff set in a different, but still bloody, historical period. ... The show’s limited character development is entirely predictable.

If this all seems too precious, well, it is. But the show is saved by Ms. Gummer and a relentless pace.

Valentine, created by Kevin Murphy ("Desperate Housewives," "Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical"), is fine but nothing special.

Sure, there are moments of winning courtroom drama — mostly of sub-“The Good Wife” variety — but the show packs in a lot more. Early in Friday’s pilot, that pace works, but, eventually, it bogs down after the show piles one too many bits of ridiculousness on top of the last.

A paint-by-numbers action-comedy.

Not great, not terrible, Welcome to the Family is another occasionally amusing but not really funny family comedy.

It's not funny enough, the characters don't make much of an impression and the "Porky's"-style humor is too tame to have the requisite impact.

I suppose sadomasochists or anyone craving abuse will enjoy "Hell's Kitchen," but I won't be tuning in again. [29 May 2005]

Feed the Beast feels like a broadcast network crime underworld show circa 2002--it feels like same old, same old TV.

Predictable/preposterous plot elements co-mingle with some terrible dialogue, silly situations (characters enter a room full of dead bodies on hooks but don’t cover their noses in disgust until they see the bodies; wouldn’t the smell be enough for them?) and occasionally poor acting.