Although the subject matter is darker than usual for USA, series creator Sean Jablonski manages to find lighter moments so that Satisfaction is not a depress-a-thon.

Although most viewers will notice a scale-down in the scope of effects and stunts, the style, the look and the impact are much the same as in the films.

Basically, Rush is USA’s answer to “House,” albeit with a younger, hotter doctor. Unlike “Satisfaction,” Rush doesn’t seem overly serialized, which keeps it in line with traditional USA series, only this one is more gray-sky than blue-sky programming.

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.

"Sex" proves to be a series with loads of appeal for viewers still mourning the cancellation of "Melrose Place."

The show pretty much picks up where it left off. Gone are the seasons when Justified would slowly run up to a serialized storyline with a few stand-alone episodes--I kind of miss those because the bad guys were so fleshed out for a TV show--instead jumping back into established storylines and jump-starting new ones..... The season premiere [is] a strong set-up episode.

Though Carey has friends, his show is no 'Friends'-style ensemble comedy. It's closer to a blue-collar 'Seinfeld,' a star vehicle purpose-built to exploit its star's best talents, which it does quite effectively. [13 Sep 1995]

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.

It’s a somewhat slower build--and there’s a seemingly non-sequitur prologue to wade through at the start--but eventually this Fargo premiere suggests reason for excitement for the new season. But then episode two comes along and also fails to ignite the addictive interest of past installments, so this year’s Fargo will require a wait-and-see approach.

[Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler] debuted this week on what seems to be a kinder, gentler and certainly much hairier version of American Idol.

King & Maxwell doesn't have much that's new to offer, but it's fine, forgettable, escapist summer fare.

The first episode is pretty much just as entertaining as "Face Off" or "Project Runway" or similar creative endeavor shows.

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

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]

Sophomoric and crude, The Life & Times of Tim may be a viable alternative for fans of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

The lighthearted "Psych" charms even as it duplicates the structure and tone of "Monk."

Privileged has the potential to be a largely positive, female-skewing series.

It’s entirely possible The Last Ship could turn out to be a cruise to nowhere, but in its first three episodes, it’s at least a fun ride.

The emphasis on kids makes From Script to Stage a safe glimpse behind the curtain that's cute and sometimes informative but dramatically sanitized.

There's a casual, informal, willing-to-take-chances tone to The Writers' Room, which works most of the time but in the second episode, devoted to NBC's "Parks & Recreation", the show suffers from too many people trying to be funny.

Where "Studio 60" takes a scathing and indignant tone toward television, "30 Rock" offers a more sarcastic, less hackles-raised critique. It's also funnier and goofier.

If you enjoy complex, murky dramas about morally ambiguous characters, played by a talented cast of newcomers, then enjoy "The Black Donnellys" while it lasts.

A lively comedy.

The show remains a chilly affair, which will probably limit its acceptance but for viewers who appreciate satire, particularly of a modern workplace, it's difficult to imagine a show on the subject that's funnier than Ted.

It’s not a revolutionary show but at a certain level it is a step away from the angst and a return to the positive, uplifting feelings evoked by the 1978 Christopher Reeve “Superman” movie.

It is a well-made little show of horrors that's likely to scare and thrill its target audience.

Kings begins with a refined approach and grows more pedestrian in subsequent episodes. Still, there's plenty to love about this series that dances with symbolism--the butterfly on the Gilboa flag is not a mere adornment--and replaces clandestine backrooms with windowed board rooms.

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).

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

Of the couples comedies to debut so far this midseason--NBC's "Perfect Couples" in January, Fox's "Traffic Light" last week--CBS's "Mad Love" (8:30 tonight, KDKA-TV) is probably the best. That's not to say it's a great show, but it is the least groan-inducing.

Hung remains less of a comedy than HBO presents it as, but it's certainly more platable in season two.

Mr. Garcia’s style of humor tends to be sophomoric--sex jokes, overweight stripper sight gags and broad comedy predominates--but this style manages to blend well with the show’s unique format.

Unlike "Monk," which is essentially warmed-over "Columbo" with a more interesting character in the lead, In Plain Sight augments its plain premise with a full cast of colorful characters.

Better than average.

Riverdale shows off a heightened visual look that sometimes calls to mind “Pushing Daisies” in its ambition. Whether it can maintain that high level of production design, we’ll see, but in its early episodes, Riverdale positions itself as one of the more ambitious teen dramas to come along in several years.

It no longer feels like you're watching a dozen different TV shows now that the main characters actually interact with one another. And the show's pace seems more brisk, less stodgy.

Even if this strikes a cynical adult as too syrupy-sweet, it's refreshing to have a too-nice role model.

Girls grew on me. As annoying as the characters can be, they also evince recognizable traits in absurdly realistic situations.

A cute half-hour that capably introduces new characters and sets the table for the new series.

Sweden is a quiet, gently amusing comedy.

Nothing in Dracula is as unique or as wonderfully weird as "Twin Peaks," and Dracula plows through plot more quickly, introducing and then writing off several intriguing plots and characters within its first three episodes. It's too soon to say whether that will turn out to be wise or foolhardy, but Dracula at least gets off to a mildly promising start.

Mercy Street remains strictly middlebrow fare, but it’s well-done for what it is and better than in its first season.

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.

The Jane pilot whips through story quickly while setting up all kinds of potential entanglements for the characters. Whether subsequent episodes can maintain that breakneck pace, which helps accentuate the comic absurdity of the show’s premise, remains to be seen, but Jane certainly gets off to a strong, entertaining creative start.

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.

For fans of the original, which is only a few years old, this Americanization may be a bit like going to see a road company version of a Broadway show: It's pretty good but definitely less morose (for some viewers that will be an improvement, for others it will be a betrayal).

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

None of the songs really stand out the way they did in the original. Kenny Ortega's lively choreography, however, is once again top-notch.

A zippy, fun update.

This fast-paced Titanic miniseries gets better as it goes along.

There are some terrifically funny lines and it’s intellectually funny, but not often ha-ha funny and the situations are dark and depressing.

A fairly standard family sitcom that rises above its pedestrian premise thanks to star Cristela Alonzo, a comedian who makes a favorable impression in this series about an Hispanic Texas family.

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

Stylista is a guilty pleasure thanks to its cast of catfighting, bickering characters, including one who is hospitalized following a panic attack in episode two.

In its early going, it's a fun, summer TV frivolity--an entertaining enough hour of TV that sneaks in moments of social satire.

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.

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

"CSI: Miami" is a carbon copy, for sure, but it's a copy of an efficient show millions of people enjoy watching. [23 Sep 2002]

After suffering through too many poorly written, dramatically empty episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager," I was dreading the launch of UPN's "Enterprise" precisely because it came from "Voyager" executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. Maybe it's the diminished expectations or maybe they've actually come up with something decent, but tonight's two-hour "Enterprise" premiere is surprisingly satisfying. [26 Sep 2001]

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.

It's a pretty good introduction but there's no guarantee future episodes will live up to that positive first impression.

The premiere feels a little overly long--it clocks in at 53 minutes--but it capably creates the show’s insular world of blood, sweat and cheers, ending in an inevitable fight that features Nate as Ryan and Jay offer encouragement from the sidelines.

The verdict? Not as gosh-awful as I expected...sort of a "Hunter" with heart. [4 Apr 1993]

The pilot has all the markings of a winner. [26 Mar 1999]

The pilot is a pretty solid hour of television, setting up the show's premise and in several instances defying TV norms with plot twists viewers won't see coming.

In such rare instances [in the second episode], Breaking Bad achieves a perfect moment of nerdy believability, but too often the series fails to provide details that would help explain its characters' illogical choices.

The first episode runs two hours and sets up all the characters, their relationships and backgrounds. It presents a serialized show with a lot of potential for growth and interesting plot possibilities, especially considering a scene at the end of the premiere that raises a whole host of questions.

While the flashbacks deepen the characters, some elements are smack-you-in-the-head obvious. Still, the stylization of the story is impressive as is the way Rodriguez, who wrote and directed the premiere, introduces the robber characters, the more level-headed Seth Gecko (D.J. Cotrona) and his possibly crazy/possibly prescient brother, Richie (Zane Holtz).

The show remains a not-terrible throwback to the kinds of sitcoms the broadcast networks used to make.

The Hour looks fantastic but it moves at a snail's pace that's sure to irk impatient viewers.

At times Dirk Gently feels like one long, never-ending tease but the show is so strange and consistently surprising and unpredictable it seems likely to find some sort of a cult audience.

There's a cool, no-nonsense attitude about Southland that may make it more challenging for viewers to embrace than some other shows, but this cop drama has so many strong performances and enough nuanced writing that it remains one of the better dramas currently in prime time.

Against the Wall is not nearly as ambitious as "Chicago Code" was but there's a warmth to the characters and their relationships that should satisfy Lifetime's core audience.

As a loyal "Homicide" viewer, for me Munch is the best part of SVU, especially in tonight's scene where he explains his departure from Baltimore. [20 Sept 1999, p.B-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.

Writers Dannah Phirman and Danielle Schneider clearly know the source material they’re mocking and do a great job of getting laughs out of the absurdities of the “Real Housewives” shows. But sometimes the humor is dulled by the realization that while mockery can be fun, Hotwives still requires viewers to sit through “Real Housewives”-style inanity.

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.

USA's Royal Pains is an amusing, enjoyable addition to basic cable.

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.

Curb is filled with uncomfortable comedy, as always, but its humor stems from the relatable minutiae of everyday life, not unlike what viewers watched on "Seinfeld."

Girlfriend remains stubbornly weird, including in an avant garde musical number (pictured above and after the jump) that proudly proclaims it busted the show's budget.

Entourage offers a reason for fans to be encouraged about the quality of its last 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.

Another superhero show is overkill, but for what it is, Titans strong-arms its way into acceptance and occasionally more (the series’ depiction of a Beaver Cleaver-style family of killers, introduced in episode two, is especially clever).

While the show’s first hour doesn’t inspire much confidence in the series, save for a poignant scene between Tyrone and his mother (Gloria Reuben), the second episode gives the characters more depth and allows for a little more light to sneak into the generally dark (tonally and visually) proceedings.

The Child in Time takes some bizarre turns that draw it away from the grief/guilt cycle endemic to the film’s premise. There’s Stephen’s publisher friend (Stephen Campbell Moore) who has a Benjamin Button-style awakening that plays into the theme of childhood. And the film also offers an ending of hope, a welcome if somewhat unbelievable salve on the almost unbearable pain of the program’s earliest moments.

“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”).

What “Snowpiercer” does best in early episodes is world-building. But it’s problematic for the show’s long-term prospects that the various train cars — cattle car, aquarium car, classroom car, night club car (with multiple levels and a surprising number of staircases for a train) — stir up more initial excitement than the characters or story.

“Heartstrings” isn’t HBO-caliber TV but for viewers who want feel-good stories with a bit of an edge. this Netflix series offers a more expansive approach to uplifting programming.

Fans of Goldblum will enjoy the half-hour “World According to Jeff Goldblum” because viewers get a concentrated dose of his personality but beyond that interest may vary based on the topic.

Among the reality shows, “Marvel’s Hero Project” acquits itself well with a 25-minute running time.

There’s timeliness to the never dull “Damnation” despite its period setting, particularly in episode two when a professor (Gabriel Mann, “Revenge”) disparages the “unwashed rural masses.” Just don’t go looking for any heroes: There are none to be found.

While there’s sometimes a sameness to Fox’s recent animation efforts — comedies centered on families filled with oddballs — that doesn’t necessarily diminish the laughs. Newcomer “Duncanville” certainly prompts multiple guffaws in its first two episodes.

“Pose” remains an above-average character-driven cable drama, but it all feels a little more forced this year as the writers attempt to invent new stories for this collection of generally likable, striving LGBTQ characters.

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 all fluffy, sexy, mindless fun, the TV equivalent of a summer beach read.

Quirky and unlike any current TV comedies, it’s got smart, dumb-funny humor and a great comedic turn by Mr. McDermott.

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.