Gortimer is the rare series that's creative, occasionally funny and engaging in its own subdued manner.

There’s an enjoyably spooky “X-Files” vibe and also a little too on-the-nose will-they-or-won’t-they? chemistry between the married Kristin and the presumably celibate David. “Evil” evinces a welcome cheekiness.

“Picard” certainly introduces a deeper “Star Trek” which has its appeal but at times it also seems a little convoluted with talk of a “shared mythical framework.”

It takes a bit for Westworld to get back up to full steam, but by episode three (five hours were made available to TV critics), this futuristic, violent drama returns to fine form, introducing new parts of the park (Shogun World!), new characters and apparently new technology goals on the part of Delos, the corporation that owns Westworld.

The A Word is at its most affecting when the focus is on Joe and his parents.

The Birthday Boys is a consistently funny show for viewers who are regular consumers of pop culture and recognize the elements from TV and film that are being spoofed.

Billy and Julie are not supposed to be likable. They’re both kind of awful, a la the “Seinfeld” gang,” but often screamingly funny in their inappropriate commentary.

Fans of podcast sensation “Serial” and anyone intrigued by a good character-driven murder mystery will want to jump on board HBO’s six-part documentary series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.

Tonight's pilot suffers from a few up-the-ante, "look-at-me!" moments, like when Coop grabs Jackie's breast and claims it's a nervous tic. Future episodes are more grounded and less desperate to shock for the sake of grabbing viewer (and network) attention, but they're no less enthralling with both drama and humor.

Last summer Oxygen's The Glee Project proved a better TV show that Fox's "Glee" and it appears that may be more true in the show's second season.

Though there are surprises and crosses and double-crosses in the show's waning minutes, Alias fails to make me care much about its characters, their future or understanding who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. "La Femme Nikita" kept these mysteries beguiling in its early seasons; Alias can't manage to do that in its first episode. [30 Sept 2001, p.TV-5]

In the Flesh offers a fresh, clever take on the zombie story.

The show's writers seem to have less of a firm grasp on how to evolve some of the secondary characters, particularly while Dexter is on leave from the Miami Metro police department.

The relationship plots are less interesting to me than the comedy.

Ms. Chenoweth is a smart addition but the humor is often too broad and, worse, predictable. When the show’s humor offers a more surprising take, Trial & Error shines--the “East Peck Lady Laws of 1952” are particularly amusing--but that seems to happen with less frequency in season two.

Created and written by Paul Rutman, Indian Summers looks fantastic. It’s not involving enough in its first two episodes but begins to coalesce more in a third installment.

It’s not homage as much as it is a recreation of a classic 1980s’ film stretched into eight episodes, a deeply satisfying series that’s all the more entertaining for anyone who grew up in the 1980s.

Netflix’s soapy House of Cards stumbles out of the gate in its third season with a first hour that’s short on lead character Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and long on a supporting player whose foibles are by now a TV cliche.... but the show recovers in its second episode, returning the emphasis to Frank’s political brinksmanship.

Fans of bold, dark-themed (and darkly funny) TV series inspired by comic books will have a blast watching AMC’s Preacher, a welcome new entrant in the expanding genre of offbeat, gory, supernatural dramas.

Huff is not a bad show, it just doesn't feel sufficiently new. Both structurally and thematically, it shares some similarities to the more outrageous and, frankly, more fun "Nip/Tuck" on FX. [7 Nov 2004, p.TV-5]

Fortitude, which was originally slated to air on Starz, doesn’t feel quite as urgent a viewing experience as “Broadchurch,” but the first two hours (of the 12-part series) introduce enough intriguing characters and relationships that it’s worth watching for fans of murder-mystery dramas just as long as the show doesn’t introduce too many red herring suspects (the show appears to be pointing to one already by the end of the premiere).

Smart and well-acted with clearly defined heroes and villains--all painted in varying shades of gray--this Chicago-set show feels familiar and new at the same time.

As enjoyable as this first episode is, its premise may be too slight to sustain a long-running series.

Raising Hope is not for the easily offended and humorless but the pilot is consistently entertaining for viewers willing to embrace Garcia's universe of downtrodden characters.

Season two pulls viewers back on board with intriguing plot twists, more light moments and strong performances.

All 10 episodes of the first season are directed by Mr. Soderbergh, who brings grittiness and the occasional odd camera angle but not much light to the proceedings (this is a seriously dark show with limited use of lighting). Writers/series creators Jack Amiel and Michael Begler introduce plenty of characters with interwoven, serialized storylines but there’s not much new under the dim sun in The Knick.

A languidly-paced hour that ultimately comes together in a satisfying manner. But have patience because it takes a while to get there.

The character-based stories grow more effective over time as viewers come to care about the characters’ love lives and hardships.

CBS's The Good Wife is both a well-written legal drama and a terrific showcase for actress Julianna Margulies, who elevates the already-good material with her perceptive, open performance.

The first episode is fairly entertaining in an absurdist way.

Has its moments, but the whole story drags, especially in the first half. There’s just not a good enough mystery at the heart of this season to justify eight episodes.

Netflix’s Daredevil makes the case that not all superhero shows are created equal and this one improves markedly on both the previous “Daredevil” movie and the other, current Marvel universe TV series.

The musical numbers are terrific, and the film has its strong moments.... But these individual, scattered scenes don’t add up to a cohesive story, which marks Bessie as a disappointing missed opportunity.

The cast of unknowns is terrific and the writing, overseen by executive producer Nahnatchka Khan (“Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23”), is fresh, funny and mostly clean.

A slickly shot, competent series with a talented ensemble cast. It's not revolutionary or groundbreaking by any means, but it is a decent crime drama.

Viewers who appreciate slow-moving stories set in gritty, somewhat sleazy environments with characters of questionable morals are most likely to be rewarded by betting on Luck.

An engrossing new series with a fascinatingly unsympathetic character at its core. [14 Nov 2004, p.TV--5]

Darkly funny and clever in its skewering of the modern workplace, Corporate offers a welcome release valve for any corporate drones who tune in.

Yes, a few plots feel repetitive... but overall the feeling for the season is one of new exploration among the characters.

Like his previous series, "Studio 60" features intelligent, quickly spoken dialogue, smart arguments and terrific performances (Perry and Whitford have instant chemistry as longtime co-workers), and it's not a bad show by any means, but it doesn't soar to the heights "West Wing" did, even in its earliest episodes.

Some of the problems that existed on “Roseanne” this past spring are still areas of concern in “The Conners,” most notably the acting by some of the show’s secondary cast members. And there are occasional groaner bits of dialogue. But reliably winning performances from stars John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert continue to carry the series.

Restless could benefit from a little more development of the characters Eva works with--it would make their stories more meaningful and poignant--but overall this four-hour miniseries is a strong entry.

Even in its first half-hour American Vandal begins to drag. A cliffhanger ending pushed me on to episode two, which also failed to move the plot along.

Younger is fine. But in a TV universe of ever more scripted series, it also feels unessential, which is exactly what original programming today cannot afford to be.

Veep offers uncomfortable comedy at its most sardonic.

To the credit of writer James Graham and director Stephen Frears (“A Very English Scandal”), “Quiz” rigorously offers both sides of the story and allows viewers to decide.

The dreary, often predictable family story begins to suffocate the show as it gains ground over the first four episodes.... Ray Donovan benefits from strategic use of character actors in supporting roles.

With A Year in the Life, there actually is a plot that propels the characters forward and that might be the highest praise possible for any TV revival.

The casting is close to perfect.... This production of "Jane Eyre" holds its own against any other.

The pilot episode is more amusing than hilarious, but it's often delicately funny thanks to Mr. Thomas' odd duck character and his reactions to those around him. When Geoffrey (Wade Briggs) hits on him, he's flummoxed.

It feels authentic, save for one calculated-to-take-advantage-of-premium-cable scene in the premiere (characters on TV seem more prone to engage in grief-fueled sex at funeral receptions than people do in real life).

An enjoyable addition to the long-lived genre. [12 July 2002]

Where "The Sopranos" has some laugh-out-loud comedic moments, "Brotherhood" is dark, brooding and forever serious. And that grows tedious after a few episodes.

There are several good "Twelfth Nights" on film and even more "Midsummer Night's Dreams," but we've never before had a good "As You Like It." This one is welcome.

Maximum Bob maximizes its dark humor in satisfyingly loopy ways. [4 Aug 1998, p.E-1]

Too often the series fixates on Madeline’s entertaining but ultimately predictable passive-aggressive battles with another mom, Renata (Laura Dern). These mommy rivalries play like something out of a high-end prime-time soap.

Jackie remains the superior effort thanks to its writing and a top-of-their-game cast headed by Edie Falco as the title character.

Supergirl charms through its strong casting and earnest storytelling.

There's little urgency to the storytelling, which is as slow-paced and easy-breezy as lying in a hammock strung between two palm trees on a Key West beach.

Knowledge of the past movies is unnecessary to follow Ash vs. Evil Dead, but an appreciation for scenery chewing and sometimes cheesy special effects will come in handy.

Depending on the subjects mocked and viewers' personal sacred cows, Root of All Evil won't appeal to everyone on a weekly basis (future episodes include Donald Trump vs. Viagra, Paris Hilton vs. Dick Cheney and Las Vegas vs. the human body), but it is a successful attempt to re-package stand-up comedy for prime time.

Its hits outpace its misses--by a mile. That's not often the case with sketch comedy shows. Just as important, the humor is consistently smart.

Generally they do their best to walk a fine line, attempting to execute the show in as uncomplicated a way as possible so less devoted viewers keep watching while rewarding obsessive fans with small steps forward in the exploration of Britten's condition.

From its title to its tone to its production design and look, “The Great” mirrors “The Favourite” quite a bit. “The Great” is at its, uh, greatest when Fanning and Hoult spark off one another with McNamara’s rat-a-tat-tat dialogue.

Underground is a rough watch, but it offers twists and compelling characters worth watching for viewers up to the challenge.

Sunday's premiere is pretty light on laughs. A couple of moments inspire guffaws but they are few and far between. The show's second episode offers more humor.

Whether viewers find Enlightened all that funny may depend upon whether they have a person similar to Amy in their lives--and whether they want to spend time with an irrational, hysteria-prone fictional character, too.

There's still some fun to be had watching True Blood but it offers more soap than satire or social commentary these days.

The network scores again with the clever, entertaining enough iZombie.

Showrunner Dan Futterman (writer of “Gracepoint” and “Foxcatcher,” once a co-star on “Judging Amy”) keeps the tension high and the pace generally relentless. “The Looming Tower” only falters in an embarrassingly trite early scene of O’Neill with one of his many women. But when the focus is on the work, “Looming Tower” looms large as a well-made story of human and systemic failings.

A terrifically entertaining action-adventure hour that pays dividends for 'Avengers' fanboys/girls but isn't so insular that the uninitiated will be baffled.

Thanks to clever dialogue, Awkward manages to rise above its been-there, watched-that premise.

Viewers who can handle the twists and turns will be intrigued, particularly by Mr. Spader's performance.

The first three hours of the new season that Showtime made available for review suggest Homeland is up for new challenges that move the show somewhat closer in tone to “24” while still maintaining a prestige sheen that it’s smarter, less formulaic and more believable than the Fox terrorism drama.

Elf offers some slight, warmed over charms.

Fans of the original are likely to enjoy this follow-up, which improves in succeeding episodes after the somewhat lackluster first entry and those who scratched their heads at the movie are likely to have the same reaction to this prequel series.

Simply put, "Traffic" is the best non-HBO miniseries to come on TV in years. [25 Jan 2004]

First impressions suggest the writers of Last Resort are waging an internal battle between grounding the show in some semblance of reality and allowing it to spin out into cheap soap opera territory.

Humans does introduce some intriguing scenarios that may, or may not, pay off.

“Versace" is not perfect--some episodes meander a bit and anytime the story takes viewers back to Versace and away from the other victims, it becomes less compelling--but it marks an early, strong entry for one of the best series of 2018.

A high-gloss series with production values just as significant as what we see on American TV, it's worth checking into Hotel Babylon if you're seeking a respite from reality--TV shows or otherwise.

What sets Carrier apart is the amount of time devoted to this single topic, a whopping 10 hours. I made it through the first three hours without losing interest, but I wonder how many viewers will gut it out for the duration.

Her observations throughout Wishful Drinking are incisive and funny. But at times the production, directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, gets a little bogged down in minutiae.

It's a fascinating glimpse into a culture that I suspect many Americans would prefer to remain ignorant about.

The new Upstairs gets off to a somewhat slow start in the first of three one-hour installments, but in its second and third episodes the dramatic engines rev as the political climate of the day begins to drive the story.

World on Fire” plays like a mainstream broadcast network miniseries circa 1988. That’s not a knock. It’s kind of cool to have this sort of story back on TV, an old-school format that follows disparate characters in desperate times. If you liked “The Winds of War,” this should be a nice reminder of that ABC classic.

Levi exudes an everyman appeal that may catch on with viewers, but the show's plots need to grow beyond the action-adventure tropes of 1970s TV if Chuck hopes to avoid being chucked off NBC's prime-time schedule.

It’s been a while since basic cable has delivered a guilty pleasure as enticing and entertaining as Lifetime’s stalker drama You.

Not only do the other stories save True Blood--before you can get sick of Sookie and Bill, Blood shifts its focus to more interesting characters--but the show's persistent humor breaks through with enough frequency to have an impact.

Ms. Bryant is not as zany as she’s called to be on “SNL,” instead giving a down-to-earth performance in a grounded roll that’s sometimes searing in its emotional honesty.

Some die-hards may be frustrated by inconsistencies in the timeline with "Terminator 3," but unless you get overly wrapped up in the details of time travel, tonight's pilot is an intense adventure.

The show is at its best when it deals with the ways in which she is torn between two cultures--the mortal world of her high school and the witchy world of her birthright--and when it depicts how Sabrina’s avowed feminism conflicts with aspects of her religion.

Still a claustrophobic show, and some of the uncomfortable stories from last year -- especially teenager Matt (John Hensley) and his involvement in a hit and run -- return, but a lot of the themes are at least a little more palatable and thought-provoking. [22 June 2004, p.B-1]

Developments in Brenda's private life also lend the episode some comic relief, which makes "The Closer" a well-balanced prime-time drama that has improved markedly from its earliest episodes.

Bunheads feels like it's taking shape but hasn't coalesced in its first episode. But what it does get right is the introduction of characters from whom a lot of potential stories can flow.

This seven-episode series, written by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, doesn't offer many new ideas about the evils of the TV business--a lot of the ground covered here was previously mined by the underrated 1999-2001 Showtime series "Beggars & Choosers"--but it's still fun to join in the mocking of Hollywood, a big, juicy target that Episodes hits with ease.

It is the definition of a slow-burn series, a program that should be exciting rendered as kind of dull.

Cinema Verite dramatizes the making of "An American Family," but it dwells too long on the setup and doesn't spend nearly enough time on the public response to the program and the impact that reaction (much of it negative) had on the Louds.