An OK (but visually unexceptional) pilot that does little to set viewers up for what the show will be on a week-to-week basis.

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.

Later episodes are funny enough. Perhaps it’s just the usual early episode growing pains.

George Lopez’s Saint George [is], another mediocre, three-camera sitcom with nothing new to say.

Bates Motel developed into a watchable, character-driven thriller in its first season. As season two begins, it seems poised to maintain that same level of quality.

As a psychological thriller, it's not terrible--certainly better than Fox's dreadful monotonous "The Following"--but Those Who Kill suffers from character/relationship incoherence.

The psychological cat-and-mouse games the characters play are more interesting and a welcome respite from the intense, horrifying serial killer stories.

Most sketch comedy shows decline with age but IFC's Portlandia continues to show signs of smart, savvy, new comic life in its fourth season.

Some of the plot falls into the No-Good-Can-Come-From-This category, especially Jensen’s cover-up efforts and his willingness to call a truce with Kopus. But mostly The Red Road, written by Aaron Guzikowski (“Contraband,” “Prisoners”), is a thrilling enough, character-driven crime drama that doesn’t shy away from cultural explorations, especially through Ms. Tunie’s Earth Mother character.

It’s entertaining enough, filled with battles and occasionally interesting character turns and cultural twists (particularly when the priest joins a raid on a church), but it’s not essential quality TV viewing along the lines of “Mad Men,” “The Good Wife,” “Game of Thrones,” etc.

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

At its heart, Mind Games is a case-of-the-week procedural with some serialized elements, but it's so dense with chatter there may be no mind tricks strong enough to convince viewers to stay tuned.

FX's The Americans does the near-impossible of making viewers cheer for Russian spies in America and at the same time for the American FBI agents who are trying to unmask those Russians living in suburbia. It's an incredibly deft balancing act that's accomplished through strong character development all around.

Growing Up Fisher offers earnest, heartwarming stories about "a new kind of family," as ABC Family promos would call the divorced-but-still-friendly Fishers if the show aired on the basic cable network instead of NBC.

She's not a Ewing, but grandma Ryland (Judith Light) is far more entertaining than any of the young hunks fighting around the pool at Southfork.

Cute and occasionally touching, About a Boy gets no points in its early episodes for originality or expanding the single-camera comedy form but it's a decent little show about flawed but essentially decent characters.

With a premise that's at least 20 years past its "fresh until" date, the issues in Star-Crossed get handled with mostly predictable, rote exploration to the point that one has to wonder, does this show matter? Probably not.

The episode just dives back into the fast-moving plot, which may take some forgetful viewers a little time to catch up. Molly Parker plays Frank's hand-picked replacement, and at first her character seems like a convenient, controllable choice. But episode by episode, she begins to emerge as a power broker in her own right who might someday be capable of turning on Frank.

It's not a bad show, just nothing special or innovative. It's another plot-driven, bland character drama from executive producer Dick Wolf. [29 Sept 2001, p.C-6]

After so many iffy premises and shoddy pilots, what a joy to relax in the hands of a master...Two seasons ago, Steven Bochco created the best drama on TV, ABC's ''NYPD Blue.'' This season, he gives ABC -- and us -- a show that could challenge for that title, the seamlessly superlative Murder One. [19 Sept 1995, p.D1]

Rome wasn't built in a day, the saying goes, and that applies to this show, too. It's a slow build that requires some effort on the part of viewers, but after the first three episodes, I was hooked. [28 Aug 2005, p.TV-3]

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]

Through its first two hours, Black Sails is entertaining enough but not nearly as addictive as "Spartacus" came to be through its first season; perhaps in time that will change.

Mr. Kinnear certainly has the charm to play this rakish character, and the overstuffed pilot introduces a lot of characters who might help propel the series' stories in the future. But if "House" is the model, Rake is a somewhat stale successor.

Rescue Me is not a show for the easily offended. Profanity is rampant along with sexual innuendo and references to sex acts. It can be profane in the extreme, however, and it rings true to the characters and their situations. [19 June 2005, p.TV-5]

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]

t's an entertaining episode that doesn't fall into the pacing trap so often seen in "Sherlock" where there's not enough story to hold the show up through its 90-minute running time. (Episode two fares worse in this regard, although it's still an entertaining outing.)

Flowers in the Attic plays it safe and a bit boring. This is material that screams for a campy touch, but director Deborah Chow and teleplay writer Kayla Alpert tell the tale with mostly straight faces.

Perhaps in time Helix will develop into something more substantial but in its first two hours it sets up a lot of questions without providing answers or a compelling reason for viewers to stick with it.

Enlisted is often still funny and the bond among the brothers is sweet without getting too cloying.

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."

At heart, Killer Women is a procedural drama with a surface-strong female protagonist; scratch the surface and it's the same easy, familiar programming.

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.

Networks want their shows to look like movies these days, but the Intelligence pilot makes the border of Pakistan and Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., both look like Vancouver, where the pilot was filmed. It's a minor but telling detail in this unimaginative rehash.

It's not cutting-edge storytelling, but there are some decent plot threads as the show introduces its characters, including a brash desk sergeant who is either testing a rookie or simply ordering her to do her dirty work.

The show is becoming somewhat repetitive and a bit dull to the point that it feels like Downton, already renewed for a fifth season, needs to wrap it up sooner rather than later lest it overstay its welcome.

It comes across as a rather dull, ineptly produced program that looks like it was filmed with dated technology in plodding style.

The jokes, while occasionally funny, almost all feel reheated.

After two hours, Mob City gets its hooks into viewers and should leave many begging for more. But it takes some time to get there.

"Doctor Who" fans may get a little more out of "An Adventure in Space and Time" than non-Whovians. However, even for those who don't watch "Doctor Who" regularly, it's a terrifically entertaining period piece with a lot of heart and appreciation for TV history.

It's basically a one-joke show--a guy in drag plays the leader of a clique of mean girls--that pales compared with the smart unpredictable chaos of comedy in "Getting On."

There is some pathos in Getting On with regard to the elderly patients, but that's seamlessly interwoven in the darkly funny personal stories of the hospital staff.

Another of those amusing but not necessarily laugh-out-loud funny sitcoms that are so popular on premium cable channels.

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

It plays more like a science thriller than a biopic, with Feynman receiving clues scribbled on pieces of paper by NASA engineers.

It is mostly humorless, grave sci-fi, but in the pilot the best moments are the most human.

Most of the young, relatively untested actors in Ground Floor are not nearly as talented at creating endearing characters; in the first two episodes the characters are mostly just ciphers.

Although some viewers will find it difficult to watch the stories of real people in their last months and moments of life, there's an uplifting quality to the series because of the sheer humanity on display.

It is much more of a psychological thriller that impresses with its use of an unnerving stillness.

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.

It's all cheesy and silly with minimally adequate performances but, eh, what do you expect from a show in this genre.

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.

History purists who loathe artists taking creative license steer clear, but for viewers who enjoy a good soap, gorgeous costumes/locations and a winning soundtrack, The CW’s Reign delivers an entertaining romp in its premiere outing.

It’s a small adventure befitting the 30-minute running time but it’s also clever in the way it ultimately puts the “Toy Story” characters in a recognizable situation, which is similar to the big-screen movies.

Ultimately, the story doesn’t really matter because the characters are paper thin and efforts to make Alice more than a damsel in distress--she’s a skull-crushing, tree climber--don’t really add much depth.

They’re remaking The Tomorrow People and the results are just kind of “meh.”

It’s an interesting construction; “La Ronde”-style storytelling is not something seen regularly in prime-time so for the uniqueness of the form viewers can be grateful. But the same setting and two-character focus in every episode makes for a somewhat stifling viewing experience compared to the typical prime-time drama.

It’s always hard to tell how any series will go, especially one as reliably twisty and turny as American Horror Story, but in its first hour at least, Coven offers a clear, entertaining set-up for a potentially strong season.

Magnificently profane and entirely engaging, Deadwood remains one of TV's best character-driven dramas. [4 Mar 2005, p.W-45]

What the pilot lacks in smooth-flow niceties it makes up for in silly fun.

The show is so manic, particularly Mr. Hayes’ performance, that it’s clearly trying too hard--and painfully obvious set-up dialogue.

Not great, not terrible, Welcome to the Family is another occasionally amusing but not really funny family comedy.

The Millers won’t be confused with highbrow entertainment but taken on its own terms and thanks to a talented trio of cast members, it’s a welcome addition to CBS’s Thursday night comedy block.

The Originals deserves credit for a mostly clear set-up for newcomers.

A bigger problem is that Super Fun Night still isn’t all that funny.

The relationship between Ironside and his ex-partner, Gary (Brent Sexton), is somewhat interesting but everything else in Ironside is a well-worn cop show cliché, from Ironside’s tough guy routine to the dialogue.

It's a true character piece with top-notch acting all around. [21 Mar 2004, p.TV-5]

Dreary and dull. ... Betrayal may depict the most boring, sullen, sad-faced affair in TV history and that in itself is a betrayal of what the show promises.

Hello Ladies has several funny moments in its premiere episode, but it's another comedy strictly for viewers who like to squirm at bad behavior.

It remains the best scripted drama on a broadcast network.

The guys behave badly in mostly cliched and predictable ways.

This comedy has its moments, particularly in scenes featuring Ms. Brandt and Mr. Fox, but too often the stories, as in Thursday’s 9:30 episode feel like they’re straight out of Sitcom 101.

It shows the most potential as a buddy comedy focused on Mr. Williams and Mr. Wolk. By comparison, Ms. Gellar’s character is a wet blanket.

There are two shows struggling to exist in one in the ABC comedy Back in the Game. One is about former all-star softball player Terry Gannon Jr. (Maggie Lawson) and her relationship with her hard-charging, estranged, ex-athlete father, Terry Sr. (James Caan), who goes by “The Cannon.” This show is pretty terrible.... The second show is not at all novel but it’s at least easier to take: Back in the Game is essentially a “Bad News Bears” reboot.

While there are some things to recommend about Lucky 7--the fresh faces in a cast of mostly unknown, diverse actors--the show is also one of those frustrating series where every character is desperate and too many of them make bad choices.

The show has its amusing moments, though not from an abundance of 1980s nostalgia clips (“The Karate Kid,” “Knight Rider,” “ALF,” “Different Strokes” and “Back to the Future” all whiz by on screen) and music cues. The humor comes from the characters and their relationships.

With its title and premise, Trophy Wife is not an immediately likable show but some of the jokes land well and the kid characters are fun.

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

Mom is a bit all over the place in its pilot.... The show is at its best when the focus is on Christy and her relationship with her own mother, Bonnie.

The series does hint at Carlisle's motivation, and maybe the show will get more interesting once his reasons for wanting the president dead are revealed, but the pilot doesn't exactly demand viewers tune in for episode two.

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

The Guardian is a show with promise, and it may well develop into a high-quality program in the coming weeks. But it's not a warm, fuzzy, easy-to-love show like, say, "Judging Amy." It's rough and tumble, a challenge to watch. [25 Sept 2001, p.C-1]

Dads insults all viewers with its lowest common denominator humor. The sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild, offers a greatest hits list of time-worn, tired gags.

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.

There's an appeal to the gentle spirit of Derek but it would have a stronger pull if the plotting was less dull.

A charming comedy-drama about finding new love late in life and all the complications that come with any coupling.

Mr. Elba remains a magnetic presence, but as with all damaged heroes, Luther presents a problem for drama writers: Heal him and he's less interesting; perpetuate his damage and the show gets repetitive. Luther seems stuck in the latter cycle.

The screenplay seems more likely to have been transcribed by those guys with the plot dreamed up by an imaginative child or a drunken fanboy. Visually, the film is poorly directed sometimes to a point of such incoherence that it's not always clear what's going on, who's talking, etc. And the ending is laughably awkward.

The first hour of Heroes of Cosplay is fairly interesting as a study of an unusual subculture. But just how many unique stories are there to be mined from the characters introduced?

Everything on the show feels outlined, if not scripted.

Early on, Band of Brothers is more methodical, less emotional due to its large, unwieldy cast. Once the uniformed soldiers put their helmets on, it's tough to tell them apart. If you're like me, you'll spend too much time trying to figure out who just got killed to work up much sympathy for the mystery victim. [9 Sept 2001, p.TV-5]

While scenes with a crime crew drag, in part because it's not always clear what's going on with them, anytime the focus shifts to crooked cops Frank Agnew (Mark Strong) and Joe Geddes (Lennie James), Low Winter Sun proves to be a gripping drama with a vibe most reminiscent of "The Wire."

Elfman, the best thing about the short-lived ''Townies,'' is a lovely live-wire who makes eccentricity appear irresistible; Gibson, who was ill-used on ''Chicago Hope,'' is a magnetic leading man who can simultaneously seem vulnerable and stable. As a pair, they fulfill the first essential requirement of a screen romance: they make you want to see them end up together. [24 Sept 1997, p.D-7]

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

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.

Ultimately, after eight episodes that wax and wane in intensity, viewers learn whose worldview emerges as the accurate one in this case--Hardy's pessimistic take on human nature or Ellie's more positive outlook. In a small town where everyone knows his or her neighbor, unmasking the killer is almost as wrenching as the crime itself.

The new season of "Carnivale" continues to showcase the series' potential, but it still doesn't live up to the show's enormous promise. It's a cryptic series full of mysteries and that should suck viewers in. But I've yet to feel the full effects of its gravitational pull, which is disappointing because, as they said so often on "The X-Files," I want to believe. [7 Jan 2005]

There's no question this intriguing, seductive series is set to a slow boil. ... But this series picks up its pace in future episodes. Anyone taken with the dark mystery of "Twin Peaks" or "American Gothic" is advised to stay tuned.