Viewers drawn to star-crossed romance are most likely to get absorbed in Outlander, which benefits from beautiful production design--great location work with filming in Scotland--but the show also suffers from some egregious exaggerations, especially the mustache-twirling Black Jack Randall, who couldn’t be more like Satan if he had pointy red horns.

Despite being underwhelmed by the premiere, I'm not ready to write "Tarzan" off just yet.

The pilot episode for "life" is really interesting; unfortunately two subsequent episodes are not as commendable. ... The direct address to the camera begins to grate, and the whole show is not different enough from teen shows of the past. [3 Oct 2004]

Once again, a reality show that could have been an entertaining diversion is ruined by an over-long running time.

So, the dialogue is cliche, the characters are cliche, the situations are cliche. What is there to recommend about this show? In the end, it's the twists that had me popping episodes into the VCR until I'd watched the first six. There's just enough of a thread -- whether it's clues that endanger Falcone's undercover operation or threats to his family -- to keep you wondering what will happen next.

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

While the show doesn't have the cachet of, say, Marc Maron's series, it's a funny, entertaining comedy starring the offbeat comedy-folk duo of Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci.

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.

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

Partners is your basic odd couple comedy with Mr. Grammer attacking his part with his trademark zeal and Mr. Lawrence wandering through the motions in somnambulant fashion. It’s a stark energy contrast but a secondary problem for Partners, which mostly stumbles on predictable plotting that flows from pedestrian writing.

Fans of this hit-or-miss crime serial--and of Linden and Holder, in particular--may want to stream these final episodes just to see what kind of miserable state the show leaves poor Linden in, but The Killing long ago ceased to be required viewing for cultural currency.

A smart, deliberately paced, closed-ended miniseries.

Filmed in Austria, The Quest boasts high production values but its stated goal to populate a fictional, serialized fantasy world with reality show contestants doesn't find quite the right mix in early episodes.

Technically, Sharknado 2 is pretty much just as sloppy as the first film, with scenes that supposedly take place during a storm filled with streams of natural sunlight, but the amateurish quality is part of the franchise’s charm.

Humor is woven throughout The Dead Zone, particularly in scenes between Smith and his physical therapist, Bruce Lewis (John L. Adams), who helps update him on what happened during his long sleep. [16 June 2002, p.TV-5]

The first hour is a little slow, somewhat pacey at times--it clocks in at 56 minutes, not the usual 42 minutes, and will run one hour and 10 minutes with commercials--but it does a fine job of setting up the story and introducing the characters.

Producers Barney Rosenzweig and Ken Wales have graced their show with beautiful locations, poetic scripts and very good actors, particularly among the women. [3 Apr 1994]

The lead actors are slightly improved -- although Erik von Detten's hair is more expressive than his face -- but the story plods like one of the less graceful dinosaurs on screen.

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.

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.

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.

It’s not perfect--the pace is a bit plodding at times,; some characters hew a little too close to types--but overall The Divide is an engaging endeavor.

A fun, entertaining action show.

Backpakers benefits from filming on location in Europe but that can’t make up for the lowest common denominator escapades, which play like an unfunny, made-for-TV “Road Trip.”

Seed isn’t great TV, but it’s a funny enough diversion in the context of generally disappointing summer comedy.

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

It’s difficult to judge The Almighty Johnsons from its pilot episode, but the blend of humor and Norse Gods lore does fit in well with Syfy’s penchant for light, fantasy dramas, but those series also tend to be fairly forgettable.

[Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash) are] both terrible people in a myriad ways, and yet, they really seem to connect, which allows “You’re the Worst” to evince an acidic sweetness through its bleakness.

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

Sweden is a quiet, gently amusing comedy.

The Strain isn’t great TV but it offers enough unexpected gross-out moments that it’s OK summer popcorn fare.

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

What distinguishes 'Grain' from many Hollywood efforts is its feel for the rhythms of small town life. ... If many of the plot points seem familiar, ''Grain'' also has a nice way of exceeding expectations, calling characters up short or twisting the plot in ways you may not see coming. [1 Oct 1993]

Not flashy, not spectacular, "8 Simple Rules" is a cute show that will appeal to its intended audience.

It’s an entertaining pilot, full of surprises that should hook viewers and get them engaged for the subsequent 12 episodes. But there’s also the question of whether the show sets about spinning too many mysteries at once.

There’s an odd-couple vibe to Vicious, though it’s also a big, broad comedy reminiscent of Frasier if Niles and Frasier were a bickering gay couple instead of brothers.

Under the Dome won’t be confused with good TV--and often last season it was borderline bad TV--but depending on where the writers take it this year, it might be empty-headed, summer fun.

Fans of old-time network soaps may find something to enjoy here, but despite the promise that “dark secrets simmer behind every door and threaten to tarnish the genteel façade of seductive Charleston,” Reckless is decidedly bland and evinces almost none of the sense of place CBS proclaims.

While there may still be doubts about the sustainability of The Leftovers, it clearly seems to be moving in a positive direction creatively even as the show’s overall tone grows more pessimistic.

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

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

Mystery Girls has some fun with viewer knowledge of rumors of disharmony on the “90210” set (yes, Shannen Doherty gets a shout-out) even if it all plays to cat-fighting women stereotype. Spelling comes off both worse (she’s mistaken for a prostitute twice in the first 10 minutes) and funnier (she gets the best lines; Ms. Garth plays the straight woman).

While Ms. Leigh’s character is a pastiche of cliched archetypes, Mr. Ido’s taxi-driving scoundrel is a charmer. But it will take more than charm to watch Taxi Brooklyn and not feel like you’re being taken for a ride you’ve been on too many times before.

In its early episodes, Tyrant is as engaging when it focuses on family drama as when it veers more in the direction of taut, serialized, political thriller.

You can't shake the feeling that "Watching Ellie" is the most vain vanity project to hit TV in recent years.

The new "Watching Ellie" is indeed improved. It's funnier, better paced and doesn't try so hard to be different. This works out for the better.

Though the storytelling isn't groundbreaking, the setting is unusual by mainstream TV standards.

Almost Royal is not a series that demands to be watched, but it’s a cute diversion for Anglophiles looking for intermittent laughs.

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.

A fine but unexceptional retelling.

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.

As long as CBS's Dave's World' tonight's TV transcription of columnist's Dave Barry's life, sticks with Dave's family, it pretty much hits on all cylinders...Unfortunately, Dave's world extends beyond his family unit, and that's when things get tricky. [20 Sept 1993, p.C7]

"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]

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

If April’s work world is silly, her home life is uninvolving because it’s barely sketched out and seems like an afterthought.

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]

Power is fine but it doesn’t live up to its title. It’s not a powerful drama because viewers have largely seen all its tricks, plots and character relationships before.

Just as in TV’s first flashback-heavy, multi-character drama “Lost,” it’s the flashbacks that deepen and humanize the characters, and that makes Orange a unique and outstanding series. Piper’s story may draw viewers to the show, but it’s her fellow inmates who make time spent inside this women’s prison worthwhile.

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

Viewers who crave a nostalgic kick for single-case crime dramas of the late 1990s might find something to like here but for viewers seeking a more contemporary style of storytelling, there are no TV firsts in Murder in the First.

Jennifer Falls offers a slightly more sophisticated style of storytelling with familiar enough trappings to go down easy for recent nostalgia buffs.

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.

Undateable probably isn’t a show many sitcom fans will want to make a standing date to watch.

Crossbones doesn’t offer compelling enough drama to complement its banal brutality.

Sometimes the year’s warmest months remain a dumping ground for warmed-over series. Night Shift has all the earmarks of a show being dumped.

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 Normal Heart sets up a bit of a “this happened, then this happened” rhythm that does not bode well. But just as quickly, the film gets this historical crutch out of its system and begins to explore in greater depth the characters and their relationships.

For what it is--a small-screen version of a big-screen shoot-’em-up--Gang Related is fine, but it won’t be confused with great TV.

The show's concept is kind of interesting: Two women (one in 1209 France, another in the present day) are connected through time but after giving the miniseries about 40 minutes, I gave up in favor of a new episode of FX's "Fargo."

The painfully blank Blanchard may look like Silverstone, but she has none of her flair or personality. It's like watching a copy of a copy of a copy. All she does is make you appreciate how good Silverstone was in the original. [20 Sept 1996, p.28]

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]

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

If you are a Timecop, eons can flash past in the blink of an eye. If you're watching Timecop, a mere hour can seem like an eternity. [22 Sept 1997, p.B-8]

Despite how outlandish some of the scenarios become, they remain relatable.

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.

Much is written today about the products that come out of Hollywood, but rarely do we glimpse the drudgery that's involved in bringing movies to life. Project Greenlight offers a rare and unvarnished glimpse at the friction-filled cogs and gears that drive the Hollywood machine. [2 Dec 2001, p.TV-5]

The show is inoffensive, tedious pabulum with forced postal humor.

In its first two episodes, Playing House does a nice job slowly building out its world and introducing an assortment of amusing, oddball characters.

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

This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to storytelling does not help Black Box to be taken seriously.

Bad Teacher relies on a one-joke premise that's funny enough in the premiere but seems like it will wear poorly over time.

Pretty funny. Pretty profane, too, but still funny, and a better-realized weekly program than last week's Showtime comedy premiere, "Weeds."

Through the first four episodes of the new season, Orphan Black maintains the terrific mix introduced in season one.

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

Filled with dark humor and a mix of quirky and menacing characters, Fargo blends whimsy and tragedy in a highly watchable mix. It's easily the best produced work ever from writer Noah Hawley.

At one time, it was possible to enjoy Nurse Jackie even for viewers who were over Jackie's drama because the supporting cast was so much fun. There's something less entertaining about them these days, too. Their plots sometimes feel like a stretch, as if the writers are grasping for stories for them.

It's a well-observed comedy that succeeds because it's so rooted in specificity.

Dull and sometimes confusing--why are those British soldiers loyal to the Red Coats not wearing red?--the 90-minute premiere too often encourages viewers to turn away in boredom or frustration.

The L Word is a better written series than "Queer as Folk" and seems less exploitative. Sex is a predominant theme, but relationships are presented as more important. Where the "Queer" boys often couple only for pleasure, most of the L Word characters are equally, if not more, interested in love. [16 Jan 2004, p.W-37]

Season four promises more of the same while expanding on stories in the books and in some cases improving on what could be long literary slogs.

All style, no substance.

It’s amiably crude and fairly funny, too, but the show will leave some viewers clutching their pearls with jokes tied to masturbation, testicles, defecation, the scent of private parts and oral sex--all in its first episode.

Surviving Jack allows for a smidgen of heartfelt earnestness now and again, but it’s less heartwarming than the steadily-improving “The Goldbergs” because at heart Surviving Jack is the one-joke premise of its title: My dad’s a jerk.

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

Much of the comedy comes out of that type of awkwardness but Doll & Em is less a comedy-of-the-uncomfortable series (a la a female "Curb Your Enthusiasm") and more just kind of slow and boring.

The 100 offers up a well-conceived society on the Ark that brims with conflict and moral dilemmas that’s paired with the unexpected discoveries of frontier exploration on Earth.

It's one thing to laugh at characters on TV shows who behave foolishly, who deserve to be mocked. Valerie's crimes for the sake of comedy are nothing more than aging with an undiminished Hollywood ego. It's a little funny at first, but it quickly turns sad, something you want to look away from, not laugh about. [2 June 2005, p.WE-37]

It's marginally more engrossing/less ridiculous in its pilot than CBS's fall flop, "Hostages."