Valerie is still thin-skinned, self-absorbed and occasionally pathetic. Fans wouldn't want her to be any other way, of course, but there's a limit on the variety of ways one can wring comedy from this character premise.

In Evil Genius, Mr. Borzillieri offers an attempt at an “ah-ha!” moment in the final episode. But the filmmakers’ thesis is not completely convincing. Other evidence presented in Evil Genius suggests a less clean cut, more nuanced scenario may be closer to the truth.

Just enough modern references so these new 10-minute episodes don’t feel like reruns.

Stack, Stern and the other executive producers created "on of the Beach with "over-the-top" as the show's mantra. It may not hold up on a weekly basis, but this first trip to the "Beach" is outrageous fun.

Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 gets off to a strong comedic start with a quick-witted, fast-paced premiere episode.

While the show's premise seems like it could be difficult to maintain, Faking It holds up in two early episodes sent for review.

Vinyl drags in its occasionally predictable, too infrequently surprising premiere and invites viewers down a rough road. It feels authentic; it looks and sounds believable. But the situations and characters in Vinyl are overly familiar in this post-antihero, peak TV era.

The recurring gag is the absurdity of nerdy Forrest reviewing often illegal/immoral activities, and it’s a pretty good joke in the early episodes. It remains to be seen if that joke holds up or grows tiresome over time.

Suburgatory is fall's most consistently funny comedy pilot.

The Finding Carter pilot proves there’s plenty of material to work with for a soapy drama.

The series performs a deft balancing act, creating sympathetic characters in a nontraditional family that viewers care about while making polygamy look like a much bigger relationship headache than any two-person union.

Legit comes off as appalling at first but after a few episodes, you get used to how awful Jefferies is and the show even allows for a few skewed, sweet moments.

Lasso’s good-humored, unflinchingly honest and polite character appeals as a type we don’t often see in a single-camera comedy in the post-anti-hero TV series era.

The humor quotient in the pilot proves to be a mixed bag. The laugh lines come, but they're fairly inconsistent. Still, when they do hit--particularly during a canvassing door-knock scene that includes a Fred Armisen cameo--it's easy to see Brooklyn Nine-Nine's potential to develop into a good, maybe even great, prime-time comedy.

It seems like a typical, sometimes plodding teen soap.

“Living with Yourself” busts through some of the expected guardrails on the story. Other characters do learn that there are two Miles so the story pushes forward without spinning its wheels too much.

The good news: The White Queen gets off to an entertaining start. The bad news: In subsequent episodes it gets bogged down in then-this-happened, then-that-happened jumps through history.

Science fiction often is at its best when it raises big questions, but early on it's unclear what the true source of Miracle Day is and where that will take this batch of Torchwood episodes.

Six hours may be an hour too many given the repetitive nature of the plot (the required mission count rises, then rises again and again) but star Christopher Abbott makes for a likeable, relatable Yossarian. It’s sometimes difficult to tell the supporting flyers apart but as the episodes unroll their personalities come through a bit more.

It's less aimless and has renewed momentum--even if its plots tread familiar ground.

For all the show's missteps, there's always Ullman's undeniable talent to entertain. Her parodies of women (e.g. Renee Zellweger, playing a movie character who suffers from "chronic narcissistic squint") generally succeed better than her men.

It's weird and different enough to stick with for a little while to see how it develops.

Fans of “black-ish” are likely to enjoy this period comedy that gets a boost from Gary Cole (“Veep”) as Bow’s paternal grandfather.

Consistently funny but also sweet-natured, “Harts” quickly proves itself a blessed addition to Fox’s Sunday animation lineup.

If the early Ashes episodes are representative of the series, this show will indeed be good fun.

The characters lack the depth of those in smarter, premium cable dramas like "The Walking Dead," but they do show some growth as the series goes on. What Falling Skies does best is create a sense of the struggle for survival.

Ms. Wilson delivers an Emmy-worthy performance that’s equal measures vulnerable and determined as Alison seeks the truth of her husband’s infidelities.

No one will confuse The L.A. Complex with "Mad Men" or "The Good Wife," but for the type of show it sets out to be, this Complex is surprisingly, well, complex.

The hybrid style of comedy and drama in "The Chronicle" doesn't quite jell. There's potential, but it hasn't been realized.

Blue Bloods showcases a surprising amount of character-driven storytelling. The potential police department conspiracy pushes Blue Bloods into more sudsy territory than necessary, but at least this show marks another attempt by CBS, following "The Good Wife" last year, to expand its offerings beyond paint-by-number crime dramas.

It's not the worst way to spend a half-hour, but Red Oaks also doesn't feel like essential viewing.

Other than the shorter season and London setting, the story beats and types of twists are nearly identical. This sameness highlights how the show's format, revolutionary when it premiered more than a decade ago, has become formulaic and a little stale.

Some of the pop-culture humor and creatures owe a nod to "Farscape," but the camp level is high and can be mighty funny.

While appropriately grimy given the 1620s, rural North America setting (Although it was filmed in South Africa), the dour deprivation depicted proves dull over the miniseries’ first two hours.

“Belgravia” is more focused on secrets and lies; it’s less of a soapy delight. Still, Anglophiles will surely appreciate this limited series, particularly the strong performances from the women who lead the cast, Tamsin Greig (“Episodes”) and Harriet Walter (“Succession”).

In Treatment is fascinating TV, but it's not a pleasant experience. Watching these therapy sessions is akin to eating your TV broccoli.

The tone of the pilot makes jarring shifts, but episode two settles into a comfortably arch take on the hubris and egocentrism shared by members of the Roy clan.

It's all played with suitably creepy seriousness, but without the self- conscious weirdness that made the later-day "Twin Peaks" so tedious. Duchovny and Anderson anchor the story through steady performances; we're as interested in what happens to them as in what happened to the teens...It's all pretty silly stuff, but it's silliness done well. If you're willing to give yourself over to it, it should hold your attention -- which is more than one can say for most of the season's new offerings. [10 Sept 1993, p.Ent 20]

Series creators Michelle and Robert King spend the first two episodes extricating Maya Rindell from federal charges stemming from her father’s Ponzi scheme, including some disappointing turns in episode two that rely on things-that-would-not-happen-in-a-real-courtroom TV tropes. The Good Fight is better than that. Episode three finds the series in sharper form as the law firm comes under threat, relationships clarify and a legal case explores reality TV.

It’s frustrating when a series hitches its drama to a lack of communication as its primary conceit because the solution seems so simple: Just ’fess up! The addition of new sources of dramatic conflict in episode two helps explain Eddie’s choice but doesn’t completely eliminate the show’s weak dramatic raison d’etre.

I was very upbeat about 'NewsRadio' when I'd only seen the pilot -- and then NBC went and sent a second episode. [21 Mar 1995]

The pilot for “Future Man,” available Tuesday, takes a little too long to get to the show’s premise — viewers offended by the profane be advised: there are a lot of f-bombs — but “Future Man” is funny enough in its meta commentary on media culture that it’s sure to appeal to the young male audience it targets.

Lodge 49 goes down easy but perhaps too easy. It feels unessential in the 500-series era, an OK diversion but not a must-see series.

Doom Patrol offers an entertaining, illuminating pilot episode that distinguishes itself by doing a deep dive into the backstories of its characters.

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.

"Mrs. Harris" is interesting but not intimate. It's cold, aloof and distant, much like the relationship it depicts between the principal characters.

The Middle is funny enough to merit a weekly visit.

A zippy, fun update.

Its first hour intrigues with quiet promise.

Once The Chair gets beyond producers bloviating, it’s a more interesting series about the two newbie directors.

Karen Sisco is a cool cocktail. It's not my taste, but it might be yours. [1 Oct 2003, p.E-1]

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.

Ultimately, Hannibal is a mixed bag. It’s a more complex show than many programs in prime-time but it’s still finding itself in early episodes, particularly with regards to plotting.

"Weeds" tries unsuccessfully to balance a lot of stories that are too disparate in tone. [7 Aug 2005]

All-American Muslim [may be] a bit dull for viewers conditioned to expect ginned-up drama but given the potential sensitivities of the subject matter, it seems appropriate.

Because it’s so true to its roots, the new Roseanne does feel somewhat dated at times with longer, talkier scenes than many of today’s comedies. But the writing is crisp, smart and, most importantly, funny.

Often profane and occasionally offensive, Louie won't be to every viewer's taste, but it's a more interesting show than many with a definitive point of view.

If it digs in to explore the conflicts inherent in collaboration, resistance and protection of family, this soapy saga might have legs.

It's too soon to say if the show will again employ a bounty of red herrings, but the show's penchant for plot holes persists.

A fine but unexceptional retelling.

Sunday’s premiere doesn’t give a great sense of what the show will be on a weekly basis--a business drama with a side of humanity about following one’s passion, perhaps?--though it definitely leaves viewers curious about what comes next.

Against all odds, that turns out to be an odd-couple combo that results in a light, fun series--ideal fizzy entertainment for summer.

Fast-paced with snappy, smart dialogue and engaging characters that brim with potential, NBC's Community fits in well with its new Thursday night neighbor, "The Office.

“His Dark Materials” benefits from a mesmerizing Lorne Balfe-composed theme song and early on introduces an intriguing element of travel between dimensions but then bogs down as it moves forward to bring all the requisite characters from the book together.

HBO's Clear History, a cable movie that plays very much like an overlong episode of "Curb."

It's a little aloof, a spy show without the usual espionage theatrics. That may take some getting accustomed to, but in these early episodes, Rubicon makes a strong case that it's a series that's worth the effort.

“Fires” burns bright in its first episode and beyond, promising an engrossing, fast-moving, character-driven drama that becomes deeper and more disturbing as the story unspools.

If the first two installments are any indication, Spoils of Babylon will be a short-lived but entertaining hoot, an ideal addition to the IFC "Always On. Slightly Off" comedy brand that includes "Portlandia," "The Birthday Boys" and "Maron."

Valley has long displayed a flinty appeal and here he adds a knowing sense of humor. But it will take more than that to get viewers interested enough to take aim at Human Target on a weekly basis.

If the concept of Taking on Tyson seems odd, the execution is more predictable, framing Mr. Tyson's pigeon racing, his first competitive endeavor in several years, as a kind of therapy. Still, the show benefits from some surprisingly strong visuals of the birds in flight--at least for viewers who do not see pigeons as rodents with wings.

The movie holds the interest, despite a tendency to sentimentalize.

Tuesday's pilot is not as consistently funny as one might hope and Mindy's flightiness could turn off some viewers, but she and the show are amusing enough to warrant watching.

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

Of the two new cop shows this week, Southland is the more serious and realistic. It also demonstrates the potential for greater depth in its exploration of characters and their stories.

Take away the fun and silliness of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” add more robust production values and dim the lights and you’ve got this self-serious bore.

The miniseries feels a little pokey in its early chapters, although it does an excellent job of establishing the primary characters, and then races too quickly toward its conclusion (wait, who is Mildred married to now?).

Some of it is funny, some is boring, and some is bound to offend the easily offended.

It’s an engaging (and, perhaps to some defenders of Joe Paterno, it will be an enraging) film that explores character, the politics of college athletics and the value of local journalism in a style that’s more process piece thriller than it is anything like a biopic given how “Paterno” concentrates on a short period in the coach’s life.

The pilot episode of The Fosters is pretty entertaining and well-plotted.

There is no mistaking "Boston Legal" for anything other than a Kelley office drama. The show and its characters have all the trademark tics that have become his calling card: Quirky cases, outrageous characters, legal arguments as sermons on the mount. Everything is just a little bit heightened, at least when it's not completely over the top; caricatures too often sub for characters. [1 Oct 2004]

Shepherd plays good-naturedly off her narcissistic image and the writers get off a few good lines. But this is just the kind of show that has to score with the quick zinger because it has nothing more solid to stand on. [01 Jan 1995]

"The Riches" certainly has some rich elements -- there's even a little dark humor, just not enough of it -- but in early episodes, the show remains wobbly as it tries to find its footing.

Whether Empire can sustain these running plots remains to be seen.... But the pilot suggests Empire could become [an] addictive, juicy prime-time soap.

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.

The over-long season premiere--it's 63 minutes without commercials, so expect it to run close to 90 minutes on air; set yoru DVR accordingly--feels disjointed and the characters seem underdeveloped.

Showrunners Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, veterans of “Under the Dome” and “Smallville,” sprinkle in enough science to balance the crazier elements of “The Hot Zone,” Peak TV’s version of a summer disaster flick.

The characters are all the shades of unlikeable – lazy, thieving, selfish, etc. – but surely there’s an audience for this kind of humor, based on past bad boy successes, so it’s fair that the women get a turn. The humor is often not subtle and the dialogue tends toward the unpleasant with some regularity.

Robertson is a find. She capably plays both Lux's world-weary, snarky attitude and her vulnerability. She's a large part of what makes Life Unexpected a minor delight, even if its charms are entirely expected.

"Soul Food" arrives at full boil. It's a cross between "Sisters" and "Providence" and better written than both.

It’s a serviceable drama that’s well-calibrated to the interests of the Bravo audience but it seems unlikely to appeal beyond that particular subset of viewers.

Cute but not overly cuddly, there's an authenticity to the relationships in "Mother" that makes it a comedy worth meeting.

No Tomorrow is original, quirky and fun, not another remixed superhero story or movie remake.

The concept isn’t overly complicated — no heavy mythology in the pilot — and the cast, including Clancy Brown and Donald Faison, has strong appeal.

It's a little wild and woolly and more serialized; it's also more addictive [than "Alpha House"].

It's a sensitive, one-hour portrait of three teens: one gay, one lesbian, one transgender.

The Detour is pretty consistently funny but the humor tends to be filled with sexual innuendo that some viewers will find offensive. For others, it will be just fine.

By the end of the third episode of the second season there have been multiple hookups and breakups, enough to make your head spin or bore you to tears. Alas, I found myself experiencing more of the latter.

[The Get Down] has its excellent musical moments and winning performances from a young cast of newcomers but too often it’s an indulgent, rambling bore, particularly in its overlong, almost 90-minute pilot.