If you hate this genre, don't bother with Popular. But if you actually like spending time with teens or remember your own adolescence, Popular isn't the worst depiction of the not-so-wonderful years. [29 Sept 1999, p.E-1]

For fans of "Smash" who miss that behind-the-scenes-of-Broadway show, Mozart is an OK, if less exciting replacement. Symphony performances lack the visual flair of musical theater numbers but the sense that you're peering into another cloistered universe is similar.

Coming on the heels of Netflix’s superior British period drama “The Crown,” Victoria is a bit of a comedown, but it’s not bad, merely familiar and expected.

By episode two, Mulder and Scully are, jarringly, back on the job and once again investigating an X-Files case that may or may not involve alien-human hybrids.... [The third episode is] the best of the first three episodes but also the weirdest.

BrainDead is an entertaining enough summer distraction through its first three episodes, but it’s no “Good Wife.”

Tonight's episode feels like a reset, a fresh start for the characters but if they just lapse back into their old ways, I'm not sure what the point of another season of this show will be. And yet, if they do not return to selling drugs, some viewers may be disappointed.

Although Collection Intervention is really no different than "Hoarders," putting a sci-fi/fantasy spin on it does make the show more relatable

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.

By no means a great show, The Bridge is at least a little bit different from most police procedurals.

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 whole thing is pretty cheesy, but I could see "The Apprentice" becoming addictive a few episodes in. [4 Jan 2004]

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.

Given time, Stargate Universe may become worth watching if it develops its characters and continues to mine its premise for stories. Just hope they avoid more desert planets.

As with any pilot, there are questions about whether the show's initially strong production values and special effects will remain high quality in subsequent episodes. And it remains to be seen how the characters and their relationships will develop. But at least Teen Wolf puts its best foot, er, paw forward.

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.

It's TV for a generation of attention deficit disordered kids.

As teen shows go, the pilot is entertaining enough; future episodes will reveal if the show truly has much bite.

Sunday's pilot episode introduces a love interest (Kiele Sanchez) and also offers a plot that takes a surprising left turn. It's a welcome detour but with such standard-issue characters, it will be difficult for The Glades to stand out.

Although this comedy-drama's premise sounds like the godawful Fox show "Costello" from a few seasons back, it's mercifully better. [1 Oct 2000, p.TV-5]

Though I'm happy to recommend 'JAG' as simple, lightweight fun, there are some moments that may try your patience. [23 Sep 1995]

It's disappointing that Kenny felt the need to make this series so far over the top, because at its core, there's a great family show worth watching.

HBO's most obtuse, impenetrable series.

It remains to be seen whether the series will be capable of using the unquestionable talent of Ms. Sevigny and the rest of the cast to build a show that's compelling enough to convince viewers its worth tuning in on a weekly basis.

It's more an intellectual, in your head, "hey, that's clever," than a laugh-out-loud funny.

It doesn't reinvent the genre by any stretch but this lighter tone is noteworthy.

For viewers willing to give themselves over to whimsy and let go of any expectation that they're watching characters who resemble real-life human beings, this comedy has its minor charms.

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.

For fans of darker, soapier TV fare, the light-as-a-feather “Take Two” will be a hard pass, but for a light drama it’s entertaining enough, thanks to producers poking fun at TV procedural cliches (while also embracing them) and Ms. Bilson’s likable performance.

The show may not hold the attention of TV fans who crave complex storytelling--there's not much for fans of psychologically intriguing character development to dig into--but for viewers who enjoy a steady USA diet, Graceland may darken the network's Blue Sky programming approach just enough to intrigue.

Sons of Liberty seems to get the broader strokes of history correct, but viewers who see the devil in the details will howl with laughter.

The Newsroom characters grow a bit over the show's first four episodes and begin to seem less like types and more like fully-defined people, but they never feel altogether real, the unintended consequence of inhabiting an idealistic fantasy land.

This story of professional thieves is beautifully shot, but the structure of the pilot -- it begins with the start of the robbery, flashes back to the planning of the robbery, returns to the robbery and shows its aftermath -- is a little repetitive, which takes away from attempts to build tension and surprise.

Aside from "America's Next Top Model," The CW, now 6 years old, has not had much success creating and launching reality shows. Remodeled may not alter that disappointing track record, but it is more entertaining than some past efforts.

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

It’s slightly above average as this type of series is concerned but not something that will satisfy "Castle" fans still smarting from its cancellation.

As enjoyable as this first episode is, its premise may be too slight to sustain a long-running series.

The show tries to keep up with the goings-on at Lockhart/Agos, but these stories are awkwardly untethered from the main Alicia plot in the first two episodes of the new season.

It's far more realistic in scope and situations than "Gossip Girl," but there's such an earnestness and one-dimensionality to the characters that they seem a lot less believable.

United Stats of History feels like it's a show that wants to be 30 minutes that's been stretched to fill an hour.

The pieces may be familiar, but there are enough new elements that prevent this series from feeling like a total rip-off.

The “Charmed” redo is stronger when it goes for a laugh--at moments the style of humor brings to mind “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”--than when it goes all-in on supernatural theatrics involving its three sister lead characters.

It's no "Rome," but at least it appears headed more in that direction.

It's a comedy that's more likely to draw recognizable smiles of been-there, experienced-that than it is to conjure real laughs.

Lightweight and unaffecting.

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.

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.

Personally, I found "Arrested" funnier, but "Sons & Daughters" has its moments.

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

The second new NBC show this fall to give a bit of a “Community” vibe, just not as funny as that pilot was. But the “Sunnyside” study group characters offer promise for bigger laughs to come.

"Glee" benefitted from the novelty of its musical performance and high-camp humor. Red Band Society has almost no unique attributes, which renders it an OK but not outstanding teen soap.

With the exception of some added F-bombs, Goliath plays like a reasonably decent prime-time legal mystery circa 1998, not a modern drama revelation.

It's a mildly entertaining hour as far as crime procedurals go.

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.

As close-ended procedurals go, "Raines" certainly offers an intriguing hook, but I'm not sure it's one with much staying power.

The seemingly unsustainable plot cries out to be a one-shot movie rather than an ongoing series. It’s too bad, too, because the show’s themes resonate in this #MeToo moment, but a “no good can come from this” plot gets in the way.

The show hits the right Hollywood insider notes, but this season "Entourage" begins to feel a little tired.

I'm still not sold on watching the show. I still think I might prefer to listen to the podcasts instead. The animation adds some humor but probably not enough to justify adding this series to my already overbooked TV viewing schedule.

Push Girls is at its best when the women tell their stories and depict the challenges they face in everyday life. But when the show's stars convene for gabfests, it feels as inauthentic as other docu-series.

The pilot's plot leads them in a direction where "this just in" becomes an obvious sexual metaphor--some of it is funny, but there's just too much.

It's possible Wizard Wars will get old quickly if too many of the tricks contestants come up with look the same, but in this first episode anyway it's a fairly entertaining hour of TV.

Entertaining in the way the problems of the rich often are. [21 Mar 2006]

It's not terrifically awful, but it's also not as reliably fun as Scrubs was in its prime.

It's not deep, meaningful TV, but Falling Skies is OK summer entertainment for fans of breezy, things-blow-up-easy programming.

Hotel Hell is entertaining enough if you're not too picky about overproduced "reality" shows.

First impressions suggest the writers of Last Resort are waging an internal battle between grounding the show in some semblance of reality and allowing it to spin out into cheap soap opera territory.

With its talented cast and a willingness to reference current events, Superior Donuts evinces some potential, especially if the show’s writers can come up with better, less redundant sitcom plots.

Darker and less escapist than TNT’s other new summer entry, “The Last Ship,” Legends offers a down-and-dirty hero with rough edges but surrounds him with a cadre of cleaner, less sullied colleagues, making for somewhat of a tonal mish-mash.

The second season premiere is a stronger hour than the show's pilot that aired in January with more character definition and lighter moments.

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.

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

Sunday's premiere is pretty light on laughs. A couple of moments inspire guffaws but they are few and far between. The show's second episode offers more humor.

When Skip is used more as a garnish and not the focus, his character is less annoying and more amusing.

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.

If plot is incidental to your enjoyment of a show--and especially if you're already a fan of Ms. Thorne's all-in acting style--then Necessary Roughness offers OK entertainment.

A slickly shot, competent series with a talented ensemble cast. It's not revolutionary or groundbreaking by any means, but it is a decent crime drama.

A mixed bag. Diagnosis: Some good dialogue, but it also suffers from a mild case of predictability.

Directed by Michel Gondry, Kidding occasionally shows sparks of the magic he brought to his previous collaboration with Mr. Carrey, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” but there’s not enough of the show-within-a-show for Mr. Gondry’s wonderfully wacko visual style to get much play.

Season 4 is uneven. Three stories--“USS Callister,” “Black Museum” and “Hang the DJ”--are far superior to the others. There is much more graphic sex (albeit hilariously depicted in “DJ”) and violence than in past seasons.

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.

That producers opt to tell a different Titanic story is admirable in light of so many filmed versions of the story that already exist, including a four-hour miniseries that aired on ABC earlier this year. But the decision not to reveal the fates of the miniseries' fictional characters may feel like a cheat to anyone who invests 12 hours in this program.

As reality shows go, the concept isn't bad: Two teams with four couples each operate restaurants across the street from one another in New York. But Chopping Block botches the introductions in tonight's premiere.

The show is energizing and a fun thrill ride in its first hour until Letty falls off the wagon. Then it just turns depressing, meandering down a dark road that’s in keeping with TNT’s new aesthetic, but a bit too far out of step with how Good Behavior plays until that point.

Jane is a decent enough little show but it's difficult to imagine how its writers will manage to sustain the premise.

It's comfortable, uncomplicated, unchallenging entertainment, which makes it ideal for Hallmark's brand. Fans of Hallmark's movies will enjoy it; viewers who want to be more engaged and absorbed by a program may be bored.

The first couple of Gracepoint episodes follow the same plot [as "Broadchurch"]--even some of the same camera angles in some scenes--with such stringency it will be difficult for "Broadchurch" viewers to avoid a sense that this new show is a rerun.... For the murder-mystery fans [who haven't seen "Broadchurch"] among them, Gracepoint is fine, but they’d be better off seeking out the superior "Broadchurch."

Three episodes in, I started to buy into the world Milch has created. I don't understand it, I don't think I even really like it (almost all of the characters are damaged and rather unpleasant), but I am intrigued by it.

If you're going to have a great actor play the vampire's human familiar, you could do worse than James Mason. [10 Sept 1917, p.F-7]

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.

While some aspects of the Magic City characters and their relationships are handled sloppily, others are too on the nose.

Although the series hypocritically and formulaically exploits stereotypes before proving some of them wrong, "Survival of the Richest" is rich in entertainment value in spite of itself.

This brand of humor can be an acquired taste, but fans with a tolerance for out-there buffoonery will want to make the trip to "Reno." [20 Jul 2003]

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.

It doesn't make for an original TV show, of course, but Young Americans still manages to be guilty summer fun. Mindless and cliche, to be sure, but escapist entertainment nonetheless.

Benders feels similar in its comedy style to all the Leary shows that have come before.

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]

The first episode is fairly entertaining in an absurdist way.

Occasionally funny.

Like too many reality shows, The Fairy Jobmother offers easy, incomplete answers and sometimes doesn't ask the right questions.