UnReal continues to give short shrift to the meta commentary on reality TV that made season one such fun.

Where the show goes will largely determine its ability to sustain itself as a weekly series, but “The Gifted” gets off to a smarter, more visually compelling start than the other new superhero show of the fall season that debuts tonight.

Why ABC thinks American viewers will care about what happens to a TV scriptwriter who brings turmoil and heartbreak upon herself is beyond me. Maybe it’s the Kyra Sedgwick of it? Even “Closer” fans may have a hard time cozying up to this character.

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 entertaining enough diversion that may grow more intriguing as other series end their season-long runs next month and viewers become more desperate for fresh entertainment.

Celebrity Apprentice is pretty much in its typical form, which is to say, craziness involving mostly D-list celebrities, including NeNe Leakes, Star Jones, Lisa Rinna, Gary Busey, Mark McGrath and "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch.

Too often the show is raucous without reason, but Will sparks to life in a scene where Shakespeare engages in what in modern times could be compared to a rap battle or poetry slam, only in Will it’s a word competition using iambic pentameter.

In practice, Grandfathered is cute but forgettable.

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."

You may not come away knowing whether you like it, but you won't be bored.

The pilot looks great, offers an intriguing plot and effortlessly introduces the show's characters and premise.

Mike & Molly has more of the crude humor of "Men" than "Big Bang" had at the start, but it's offset by a sweetness in the lead characters that makes this sitcom a welcome addition to CBS's Monday night laughter lineup.

Sort of a comedic “X-Files”--but only mildly amusing--“Ghosted” needs to be funnier and less predictable if it hopes to win over TV viewers with thousands of options.

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.

The show clearly wants to be like the movie “Soapdish,” but Telenovela can’t quite pull it off. A second episode is considerably less funny than the pilot, a danger sign. The pilot episode has fun riffing on TV stars with swelled heads and telenovela camera trick clichés, and it all plays to Ms. Longoria’s comedic strengths.

Smart and consistently funny, ABC’s The Muppets is the closest any broadcast network gets to a comedy home run this fall.

If you can see past the Walt Disney hagiography, it’s well made and includes some rarely seen footage and new interviews with ride designers who occasionally take viewers behind the scenes.

It's too soon to declare Worst Week the fall's best new sitcom, but if the show's writers can find a way to sustain its seemingly unsustainable premise, it may overcome all doubts. It's certainly off to a strong start.

It's just kind of meh and a TV show with a devil at the center should be more fun than that.

To be sure, The Office is an acquired taste and sometimes a challenge to watch. Still, it's at least a worthy follow-up to the original, and it attempts to plot its own course in future episodes. [23 Mar 2005, p.E-1]

"Black. White." makes you think, makes you want to have a conversation about racial issues and makes you examine your own beliefs and biases. How often does a TV show do that?

Funny enough and real enough, The Real O’Neals fits in well with ABC’s established Wednesday night comedies.

Town of the Living Dead, though entertaining, does not feel at all real.

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.

Some viewers may find “The First” too slow, especially in the first two episodes, but “The First” becomes more engrossing as it unfurls, especially when the show’s scope broadens out from Tom and explores the other characters.

"Eureka" just doesn't rise to a "Northern Exposure" level of quality.

Like other Sci Fi shows of the recent past (think: "Eureka"), Warehouse 13 begins with a strong concept and suffers from weak execution.

Yeah, there’s a lot of stuff that would never happen in a real courthouse here, but the characters are quite likable, especially Wilson Bethel (“Hart of Dixie”) as an assistant district attorney and Ruthie Ann Miles as Carmichael’s know-it-all judicial assistant.

The hammy wink Mr. Spacey brought to these breaking-the-fourth-wall moments was fun in the beginning, but they grew tiresome and predictable. At this point, it’s probably better to breathe fresher air into the proceedings, which Ms. Wright does. Claire as the lead offers a different perspective, a worthy way to end a series that launched hundreds of other shows.

Writer/creator Patrick Sean Smith gives Greek a greater sense of light-hearted fun that seems more authentic to the real-world experience of college as "the best years."

The show suffers from fakey scenes of Joe and his team in the office--they feel pretty staged--but when Maddalena is out meeting people who want to sell the Hollywood memorabilia they own, Hollywood Treasure is a lot of fun.

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.

So much about Incorporated is predictable and rote, it's tough to buy into the story or its characters.

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

It's the characters of Banshee and their labyrinth of relationships that make the show an engrossing, entertaining portrait of a fictional small town.

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.

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

A fun, entertaining action show.

If Mr. Goyer fumbles the pilot in introducing Leonardo's world, he salvages the endeavor in episode two with a good story about da Vinci's inventions for the Medicis.

Maybe in an airy Broadway theater the issues the show attempts to explore would play better, but on TV The Slap suffocates, packed with too many awful characters I don't want to spend another moment watching.

House of Saddam offers a fascinating but limited portrait of the Iraqi tyrant.

I kept watching last year and I'll probably keep watching this year, although I think the show is already starting to repeat itself.

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.

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

There's no question that A Gifted Man is the network's best, most creatively successful effort in the past five years.

Through the show's first four episodes, an unexpected love triangle develops among three of Carroll's devotees that's tinged with unexpected sexual politics and questions about sexual identity. It's the only aspect of 'The Following' that feels fresh. Too bad this plot only serves as a side dish; the main course is the same old reheated serial killer/crime solver hash.

It would be a lot easier to like the kids from Dawson's Creek if they'd just put a sock in it now and then. [20 Jan 1998, p.C8]

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

The pilot is slow but it builds to a twist that sets up the show’s first season and offers a solid enough foundation that encourages horror fans to come back for more.

Snowfall benefits from strong performances from a cast made up of largely unknown actors, but the show is dark with none of the humor that helped leaven “Breaking Bad.”

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

If you're looking for a smart, brain-massaging sitcom, watch NBC's Thursday night lineup. If you're just seeking a few (sometimes cheap) laughs, Sherri provides.

The series does try to develop its characters, but Galavant never quite finds a way to ideally pull together its gonzo comedic spirit and musical aspirations.

The new season’s more-is-more approach feels forced. Even the pretentiousness seems turned up a notch.

Despite a poor job of establishing its characters and their relationships (wait, those two aren't a couple?), The Ex-List begins with a strong, romantic premise.

Eli Stone offers a well-stirred mix of character comedy, relationship drama, legal cases and musical numbers.

If anything, The Arrangement plays it a little too straight and sedate. An injection of just a little crazy would make the whole enterprise more fun.

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 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.

"Meadowlands" demands too much of a slog for too little in return.

The new season’s second episode picks up the story from season one, untangling confusing character turns and detailing how events came to pass in a brilliantly-executed bit of plot jujitsu that avoids retroactive continuity. ... The remaining five episodes then backfill character information, which fails to be as compelling as season one’s plot.

This seven-episode limited series is both cynical (about God as CEO) and full of hope (about the potential for humanity). It’s also consistently clever and funny.

A not-awful but not-great drama.

It’s not so bloody to turn off viewers coming to it from lead-in “Downton Abbey,” but it’s also not so mercenary in its attempts to be compatible that it seems watered down.

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.

Charmed has none of the wit or intelligence that characterizes The WB's superior supernatural series, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but "Charmed" is an OK drama for the post-"Sabrina" crowd. [7 Oct 1998, p.E-4]

The age jokes are in the CBS wheelhouse, and some of the gags are occasionally funny, but the whole endeavor seems predictably rote, from the cold, aloof chief resident to the uber-confident intern (Jean-Luc Bilodeau, “Kyle XY”).

The humor in Eastbound is a far cry from the cerebral comedy currently en vogue on shows like "The Office" and "30 Rock," but that doesn't mean Eastbound can't do sly humor that falls left of center.

Malcolm cut off communication with his dad 10 years ago but turns to him for consultation on a new case. These scenes are far less entertaining than those with Malcolm’s mother, played by “Scandal” star Bellamy Young, hamming it up. These moments give “Prodigal Son” an occasional “Castle” vibe.

The Whispers had the potential to be an intriguing, supernatural soap, but by episode two, it proves itself to be one of those series where the audience is, frustratingly, frequently one step ahead of the characters. That's not fun; it's boring, which is the last thing a supernatural thriller should be.

The Unusuals offers an odd combo platter of tones that don't allow the show to jell in its premiere episode.

The New Normal is at its funniest when it's most outrageous; other times it feels as if it might have worked better as a one-shot movie than a weekly TV series.

The pilot doesn’t even really play into the absurdity of war a la “Catch-22.” It’s unclear what “68 Whiskey” is trying to do but whatever it is, it’s not doing it well.

My Own Worst Enemy sets up what could be an overly complicated premise and miraculously makes it all seem perfectly acceptable and clear by the end of the first hour.

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).

Goode really does feel too much like the flip side of "King of the Hill." The humor comes from the opposite point of view but it's still a too-similar-to-stand-on-its-own comedy.

Too much in the pilot gets short shrift at the expense of the show’s love affair with mood. Snow covers streets and then disappears in a scene set moments later; foreboding dialogue comes off as too on the nose. ... Episode two shakes off the unsavory visuals and moves the story and character relationships forward with less emphasis on the heaviness that hangs over the first hour, but by then, some viewers will have moved on.

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.

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]

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

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

Not wild enough, not funny enough, Wedding Band comes off as merely OK entertainment.

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 Morning Show” offers engaging, soapy elements with a layer of resonant, semi-believable corporate politics on top.

Doc Brown has his own clashes, particularly with Dr. Abbott (Tom Amandes), the town's sole general practitioner before his arrival. Abbott is a caricature, over-the-top in his arrogance. He does everything short of twirling a mustache to shout, "I'm the bad guy!" This is where "Everwood" hits a bump....With such realism in the relationship between Ephram and his father, it's a shame series creator and writer Greg Berlanti ("Dawson's Creek") went down such a conventional, only-on-TV path in creating this other adversarial relationship. [16 Sept 2002, p.B-1]

"The Good Guys" isn't really good but it is OK if all you seek from TV is bland, comfortable entertainment--the same type of program you were watching 30 years ago.

Childhood's End is more thought-provoking than many Syfy miniseries of the recent past even as it stumbles through plot holes.

A decent but slightly pedestrian family drama that throws off a "Brothers & Sisters" vibe whenever its sibling characters are in the same room.

I only made it through the first hour and then I gave up.

On a scale of TV series that shoot for the high end of mediocre, USA's Suits fares far better than the recently introduced TNT legal drama "Franklin & Bash." The guys in Suits are more likable, and the legal stories a little more grounded in reality.

This new season seems more forced than usual.

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

There's little that's magical about the cold, poorly paced Magicians pilot. It takes 16 minutes until Quentin arrives at Brakebills and feels longer. The pilot is rife with drab colors and while the story has potential, it made me want to go find the book rather than watch more of the TV series.

It’s not that great.

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

Nobodies has its amusing moments--and plenty of celebrity cameos in the premiere, including Maya Rudolph, Jim Rash and Jason Batema--especially when it explores the disdain more successful writers have for, say, animated kids show writers. But tolerance for uncomfortable comedic moments will vary by viewer.

A surprisingly engaging procedural drama. 9-1-1 brings to mind early “ER.”

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.