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.

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

Writer Josh Safran (season two of “Smash”) allows Quantico to bubble with questions and craftily gives all the characters motives. It’s a crackerjack, character-driven mystery that showcases a uniformly attractive, United Colors of Benetton cast.

The show is nothing more than a soap with good music but it has a sense of humor often enough to keep me entertained.

Too many NBC dramas are now all about conspiracies and secret societies. That’s getting tiresome. Case in point, NBC’s The Player.

There’s still little reason to think anyone is clamoring for this particular reboot.... The new show is not nearly as convoluted, but it shows signs that it could go down that road.

The show has a strong, likable cast--Mr. Chestnut, in particular, seems to be having fun--but when cliches pile up faster than clues, it’s time to change the channel.

That quest to crown a new king at Lyon’s Empire Music gave the show a goal to drive toward, something that’s lacking through the first three episodes of season two now that Lucious’ condition turned out to be a misdiagnosis.

The show operates at such a constant, rapid-fire level that it’s almost exhausting.

Smart and consistently funny, ABC’s The Muppets is the closest any broadcast network gets to a comedy home run this fall.

The Limitless pilot, the only episode CBS made available for review, offers a terrific hour of character introductions that builds on the world established in Mr. Cooper’s movie. There are a few plot holes, but they’re forgivable. Then in the last 10 minutes of the pilot, everything that made the hour unique is threatened with extinction when you can see the confines of the CBS crime procedural box closing in.

At its heart, beneath all the high-tech whiz-bang CGI, Minority Report is a procedural crime drama with serialized character relationship stories threaded through it.

While Ms. Alexander is an appealing lead actress, Blindspot feels like a too familiar, warmed-over series premise even though it’s the only “original” series concept among the three thrillers debuting in the next two days.

It’s not as well done and not nearly as funny or relatable [as Modern Family].

Its ratio of energetic, entertaining segments to time-wasting, self-indulgent filler (on the part of Harris) just doesn't pencil out in the audience's favor.

Because it’s set in such an alien world and jumps around a lot introducing its myriad characters of assorted social classes while also setting in motion multiple plots, The Bastard Executioner gets off to a messy start. (When press notes offer more details on the many bearded and long-haired look-alike characters than the show itself, you know there’s too much going on in a series, and clarity has been sacrificed.) But Bastard Executioner improves as it goes. The question is whether viewers will stick with it.

Mr. Colbert’s Late Show proved smarter and more savvy than the average broadcast network talk show.

This Project Greenlight lacks the visual flair and polish of "The Chair" but it's people-talking-about-making-a-movie-in-drab-offices vibe is similar.... Project Greenlight is more focused and that streamlined approach continues to make it the superior movie-making docuseries.

Arthur & George benefits from a quicker pace than the average period mystery, and a charming performance by Mr. Clunes.

There are enough flourishes surrounding Pernell’s visions to maintain viewer interest, but after a while the pilot feels like a slog.

The Carmichael Show improves as it goes, especially when veteran performers Loretta Devine and David Alan Grier come on screen.

Public Morals blends somewhat predictable plotting with decent character development and recognizable period, cultural flourishes.

Tucker will be lucky if viewers don't run screaming from the room. [2 Oct 2000, p.B-10]

Irritating and irredeemable, Danny is a first-class dud. [28 Sept 2001, p.36]

Some viewers will be eager to get to more zombies, but the quicker the show does this, the less unique it will be. Episode two moves the plot forward faster--more characters begin to understand what “the infected” are capable of--which will appeal to those craving zombies, but is sure to disappoint anyone wanting this show to shamble its own way.

To be blunt, Starz’s Blunt Talk is spectacularly unfunny.

Documentary Now! offers clever, frequently funny parodies of a different style of documentary each week.

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.

What is it about this television season that made TV executives say, "I think what Americans want to watch in a sitcom is people taunting, disrespecting and insulting one another"?...Insult humor courses through the veins of Fox's Luis, an alleged comedy that provides few laughs.

The landscape is beautiful, the stars are beautiful, but watching Hawaii is like staring at a department store window: Everyone wears cool clothes, the scene is hip and tries to look fun, but there's not much substance to any of it.

Show Me a Hero spends too little time with these characters [African-American residents of existing Yonkers housing projects] in early episodes for them to make as big an impact as the drama surrounding the white politicos arguing about their future.

The whole show is paint-by-numbers predictable, from the wayward cousins’ unhappiness, to their slowly grudging acceptance of their aunt and uncle saving them from getting shunted to a random foster home.

A funny enough comedy with a predictable premise that manages to surprise by often taking an unpredictable path.

A rote sitcom and an embarrassment for all concerned.

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.

Significant Mother benefits from amusing bits of dialogue here and there, but it’s largely predictable and fails to bring anything new to the sex comedy subgenre.

The dull Descendants.... just seems like a widget--albeit an occasionally cute, harmless widget--churned out by the Disney machine.

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.

The first half of Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! takes itself too seriously with return appearances by minor characters from the first two films and the destruction of Washington, D.C., landmarks that viewers have seen before with better special effects.... But halfway through--right about the time a character loses his limbs one by one while trying to take heroic action--the mojo that makes these absurd movies a hoot kicks in and Sharknado 3 becomes the insane event viewers anticipate.

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.

Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll may not be easy to swallow, but it digests comfortably.

The show is at its slightest when it slides into the “dumb daddy” territory previously mined by “According to Jim” and myriad other sitcoms. But at its best, The Jim Gaffigan Show manages to be cleverer despite a familiar conceit.

Generally too predictable and slight to merit much attention.

It certainly should have been no longer than 41 minutes but even that seems a bit padded.... But 7 Days in Hell is often quite funny, particularly in its sillier moments.

Gleefully absurd and filled with terrific comic performances--Wiig and Rudolph are stand-outs in the first two episodes--The Spoils Before Dying marks another winning offbeat comedy from IFC.

Whether Scream can overcome Noah's legitimate concerns about adapting a slasher movie for TV remains to be seen. But tonight's premiere gets the show off to a strong creative start.

We can suspend disbelief when watching “Jurassic World” because it’s dinosaurs, but when the predators are zoo animals, it’s a greater challenge to take seriously.

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

The Mr. Robot pilot is too long--one montage drags on interminably--but it begins and ends on intriguing notes. It’s completely unclear what the show will be on a weekly basis, which makes jumping in a risky proposition.

The humor is quick and smart, often poking fun at the conventions of period dramas and the perceived privilege of the wealthy.

The wartime setting gives The Crimson Field” more gravitas than a “Downton-style soap but the premiere episode never gets too bleak.

In its second half the Ballers pilot finds its footing and the show’s trajectory becomes clear, playing like an entertaining mix of HBO’s “Entourage” and “Arli$$” and Starz’s “Survivor’s Remorse.”

The Brink is just silliness. It takes a while to get used to that, but this broad humor may win over some viewers.

An enjoyable mix of romance, period adventure and serialized plot turns, Poldark proves an entertaining, 18th-century summer soap.

The new season’s more-is-more approach feels forced. Even the pretentiousness seems turned up a notch.

Killjoys tries to build a mythology, but both the low-rent look--a red filter for this scene! a green filter for this scene!--and the emphasis on fights over character development dooms the show to medocrity.

When a wannabe TV thriller doesn’t work, the show devolves into a morass of characters making repeated bad decisions, like “Groundhog Day” but without the intentional comedy.

At best, the show is an average prime-time soap rooted in history that improves somewhat in successive episodes.

The premiere episode of Deutschland 83 delivers an excellent mix of coming of age character drama and espionage derring-do. For viewers not allergic to subtitles, it's well worth watching.

TNT’s Proof is not a terrible show, but it is a terribly ordinary TNT drama.

Through the first three episodes of season two, Tyrant continues to suffer its share of problems, most notably failing miserably when it comes to characters making realistic, believable choices. But viewers tuning in for just an engaging soap opera, which it is, may be willing to cut the show some slack.

A lethal robot (Zoie Palmer), who tries to kill one of the six before they wipe her memory. She then sets about reconstructing the ship’s data, eventually learning the ship’s destination and their possible purpose that throws everything the audience has learned in the show’s first hour into question. It’s a good twist. What Dark Matter makes of it in future episodes remains to be seen.

Catastrophe has its sweet moments but balances them against more outrageous comedy--including a hilariously ugly, profane discussion of childbirth in the series premiere--resulting in a thoroughly entertaining series.

The program features a mix of tones that don’t always sit together comfortably, but taken as a whole this unusual period drama entertains as it winds its way to introduce its lead characters in the premiere episode.

It’s a strong start to the season that continues in the second episode that introduces Mary Steenburgen as the mother of Pornstache.

All of the beats are overly familiar and the jokes are just as tired.

The Tick"is a funny, creative show and a risk worth taking. It's disappointing Fox has so little faith in these oddball superheroes. [8 Nov 2001, p.E-4]

The pilot exudes lots of flash (many things blow up, lots of gunfire) and little heart. The characters lack any spark of life and depth. [8 Oct 1999, p.40]

Credit Becoming Us for not skimping and showing the impact of changing genders on the children of trans parents in seemingly stark realness, but it's uncomfortable to watch a child endure such life changes publicly.

Odd Mom Out definitely will not be relatable or entertaining to everyone, but for viewers who enjoy Bravo’s other shows about the uber-wealthy, it’s a canny fit.

The problem with Sense8 is that it’s glacially paced and not nearly as riveting as it thinks it is.

Everything else that's supposed to be a shock is telegraphed well in advance. Everything meant to surprise falls hopelessly flat. [18 June 1999, p.44]

Taken as a whole, the three episodes mark a decent reintroduction but individually these episodes are basically daring viewers to watch. It's like producers are actively trying to repel viewers, not because the episodes are overly violent but because they often don't make much sense.

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

The show’s contestant characters are the expected mix of types found in a reality show, although Unreal tries to ground them in specificity that defies TV stereotypes, which works better with some of the women than with others.

Sabrina isn't designed to appeal to adults, and isn't likely to do so. But if you're looking for family entertainment to watch with your kids, you should be able to sit through Sabrina fairly easily - as long as you don't mind some things that are patently ridiculous. [27 Sept 1996, p.28]

The Whispers had the potential to be an intriguing, supernatural soap, but by episode two, it proves itself to be one of those series where the audience is, frustratingly, frequently one step ahead of the characters. That's not fun; it's boring, which is the last thing a supernatural thriller should be.

There's nothing egregiously wrong with Aquarius--it's sometimes dull but also at turns surprising--but with so many options for entertainment content today, this NBC procedural-serial hybrid doesn't do much to stand out.

Each of the three opportunities to deposit or keep the money is preceded by a financial discussion between each couple, which usually reveals one person to be more giving and the other to be more concerned with No. 1. These getting repetitive and boring fast.

It's a series that is at turns dull (Army big wigs doing meet-and-greets with Afghan leaders) and in other moments harrowing as it puts viewers in the trenches as insurgents attack American troops.

A decent if not extraordinary action hour.

The question becomes will more screen time allow the Big Secret to make sense? That will determine if the whole of Wayward Pines is ultimately worth watching. If nothing else, the first five hours are at turns intriguing, mysterious, engrossing and spooky.

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.

To be sure, Grace and Frankie is better than CBS’s recent “Odd Couple” reboot but Grace and Frankie does feel like a network sitcom (minus the laugh track), maybe “Friends: The Golden Years” if the focus was on Monica and Phoebe (and if Chandler and Joey became a couple).

A small town, character-driven drama that’s enjoyable enough even if the characters are not entirely believable.

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.

The humor in Other Space is largely of the absurd, what-would-happen-if-we-put-idiots-in-a-serious-space-setting variety. Sometimes the jokes hit, other times it feels like the kind of space opera I filmed with friends while in high school in the late 1980s.

The show’s staging in the Hall of the Universe at New York’s American Museum of Natural History in front of an audience is a little low-concept, but the enthusiasm of Mr. Liu and Ms. Lord in Monday’s premiere keeps Star Talk from getting too dry.

Banana is the more conventional of the two shows with its focus on young characters.... Of the two series, Banana is more fun but "Cucumber" offers higher stakes.

The predicaments Henry gets himself into, while sometimes predictable, are nonetheless realistic and entirely believable within the universe of this show (and sometimes real life, too).

The plot focus this year will surely be on the discovery of a male series of clones, Project Castor, all played by actor Ari Millen. It’s a welcome re-set that may prevent Orphan Black from becoming more complicated than it already is.

Press notes indicate these five folks impacted by the shockwave are “angels of the apocalypse,” but Messengers never comes out and says this. A general rule of thumb in TV reviewing: When press notes do a better job of explaining a show's intent than the show itself, viewers beware.

It’s dark, bloody and occasionally sexy, as it usually is, and Thrones fans wouldn’t want it any other way.

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.

While The Comedians is OK, the overall effort feels a little too familiar.

It’s a lush production--The costumes! The locations!--that’s still appropriately gritty for its 1529 setting and sure to appeal to fans of historical fiction. But it may be a bit slow-paced for fans of Showtime’s “The Tudors,” which told the same story with more soapy shenanigans and gusto. Mr. Rylance gives a quietly commanding performance as the intelligent, politically astute Cromwell.

It’s a dark, sometimes brooding hour, but that’s pretty typical for Mad Men, which emphasizes its characters and their development (or lack thereof) over plot. With its emphasis on mortality, Sunday’s episode is a fitting start to the Mad Men swan song.

American Odyssey too often lacks the gritty realism of cable series that attempt similar, convoluted plots. It doesn’t catch viewers in a plot that feels real; rather, it feels like a planned, plotted, manufactured-for-your-enjoyment TV show.