Even in its sixth season Mad Men, remains a standout, a better series than 95 percent of what's on television.

HBO shows aside, visceral Boomtown is the new exemplar of quality TV dramas on Sunday night... Boomtown engrosses. It's the season's strongest new drama, not just because it takes a chance on a novel format, but because it manages to tell stand-alone stories even as it develops the characters in its large ensemble. [27 Sept 2002, p.40]

For this one half-hour, Frasier is high-class entertainment. Grammer does scowling exasperation as well as any actor in America (it's hard to imagine an actor who could get more laughs trading looks with a dog), the fraternal relationship is wonderful, and the work-place material works perfectly (thanks to another fine supporting performance from Peri Gilpin). [16 Sept 1993, p.C7]

Somewhat shockingly, this 10-part, limited series quickly proves itself deeply engrossing and surprisingly entertaining, even though many viewers will know almost every beat of the story. Credit a strong cast--especially “American Horror Story” veteran Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark--and writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, working from Jeffrey Toobin’s book “The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” for turning this “trial of the century” into what could be the limited series of the year.

Credit for building drama goes to screenwriter Kirk Ellis ("Into the West") and actor Paul Giamatti ("Sideways"). His intellectual, vain Adams is a reluctant rebel, tentative in his support of an American revolution, wary of insurgency and mob rule and defender of the tenets of American democracy.

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

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

The Lost writers begin the season with a firm grasp on their story and a keen understanding that viewers won't object to the introduction of new characters as long as old favorites are well served.

A nine-episode limited series worth the investment. It’s easily the best new series this year.

It’s a series about the complications of life, relationships and especially perspective. It’s also the most innovative new TV series of 2014, especially from its fractured approach to storytelling.

As season two begins, creators/executive producers Robert and Michelle King show no signs of standing pat. They're allowing the series and its characters to evolve while reminding viewers of the show's original premise.

Series creator Vince Gilligan wrote the first two episodes of this eight-episode batch, and they crackle, as always, with intelligence and an ever-lingering sense of dread.

Maintains the quality viewers have come to expect.

Through the first four episodes, Fargo remains a terrific thriller laced with black humor.... Welcome back, Fargo, which in its early going proves itself the best TV series fall 2015 has to offer.

Yet another explosively compelling police drama -- not to mention a controversy that seems certain to guarantee a big audience for the program. [21 Sept 1993, p.D1]

Another edge-of-your-seat thriller.

Easily the best new series of 2017 so far, Feud will prove especially appealing to fans of old Hollywood and smart, layered storytelling.

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.

If you like family dramas ...If you like cop shows ...If you like fantasy series ...If you like quality programs with complex characters, intelligent dialogue and a unique point of view, then you need to get acquainted with Joan of Arcadia, the best new broadcast series of the season. [26 Sept 2003, p.41]

What's most important is that Homeland provides a smart, thrilling hour of entertainment for the next 12 weeks.

There hasn't been a television drama as good as "The Wire" since the equally ignored "Homicide: Life on the Street" held down the bottom rungs of the Nielsen ratings a decade ago. [17 Sep 2004]

"Battlestar Galactica" is one of the most politically relevant and necessarily bleak series on television today.

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]

The best new show of the season...It's less sentimental than "The Wonder Years" and not as concerned with its period setting. Unlike "My So-Called Life," which was real in a gloomy-doesn't-life-stink way, Freaks and Geeks finds abundant humor in the absurdity of the situations the characters face. [22 Sept 1999, p.C-1]

An engrossing new series with a fascinatingly unsympathetic character at its core. [14 Nov 2004, p.TV--5]

None of these twists are for the faint of heart, which is why Breaking Bad is a smart, thought-provoking TV show that elevates the artistic achievements of the medium.

Brilliant. [21 Oct 2004]

An emotionally moving period drama that feels timely and recognizable in the present.

With the passage of time — all the characters look older, some more world-weary than others — there’s an elegiac quality to the tone of the whole piece as we see in the eyes of some characters the contemplation of what might have been and the quiet acceptance in some that their lives are drawing to a close. Knowing that series creator and the film’s writer, David Milch, 74, now suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, makes the whole endeavor feel even more personal and acute.

Showtime’s “Love Fraud” is the year’s most engrossing true crime docu-series. ... There’s barely any flab in these four hours as the story takes progressively weirder, more surprising turns.

If this is the end for “The Gilded Age,” bravo to the series for delivering two near-perfect seasons. But I do hope we’ll get to spend more time with these fantastic characters.

Archer hits the comedy bull's-eye with smart, provocative writing.

Gritty, tough, no-holds barred television that feels more real than any other police drama on the air. It makes "NYPD Blue" look like a children's show. [10 Mar 2002, p.TV-5]

If you're not tapped out on this kind of show already, Cold Case is a sophisticated procedural drama with an engrossing mystery at its core. [27 Sept 2003, p.C-9]

"The Sopranos" returns in better form this year than it did at the start of its second season. New territory is explored and Chase seems more willing to push the Soprano story forward. [2 Mar 2001]

If you're a fan of nuanced, character-driven story-telling, there's no question The Pacific is the superior effort.

Bad challenges anxious viewers, but it remains one of TV's best hours, thanks to strong performances from the entire cast and the steady, guiding hand of executive producer Vince Gilligan, who proves in tonight's episode that he values realistic, risk-taking storytelling over the more convenient status quo.

"I'm living like there is no tomorrow because there isn't one." Not a pretty sentiment, to be sure, but it makes for an intriguing character in what's likely to be the best new summer series of 2007.

I'm not a huge fan of Mafia stories, but after watching several episodes of The Sopranos, I'm hooked. This is not the same old drama foisted on viewers by the networks. The Sopranos, created by David Chase ("I'll Fly Away"), has depth, dark humor and even a latent charm. The characters, unavoidably stereotypical at times, are believable and honest. [10 Jan 1999, p.G-5]

On screen the show has a soaked-in mood, courtesy of pilot director Michael Dinner, and terrific performances that mark Justified as the best new series premiere so far in 2010.

Hilariously and thought-provokingly, “The Good Fight” explores an alternate reality where Hillary Clinton was elected U.S. President in 2016.

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

The right sitcom at the right time. Well-cast, well written and actually funny (imagine that!), this one's a keeper. [22 Sept 2003, p.D-8]

Fans of sophisticated drama may feel there's a dearth of smart new shows on the broadcast networks but The Good Wife continues to be broadcast's best answer to the scripted dramas on cable.

As a new year begins, viewers will be hard-pressed to find a more sumptuous, engaging drama than the "Masterpiece Classic" miniseries Downton Abbey.

The family comedy gets a welcome and winning update in ABC's Modern Family, the fall's best new sitcom.

But NBC's comedy-drama Ed boasts sweetness, charm and innocence in equal measure. It's also extremely funny, albeit in an offbeat, low-key way. [8 Oct 2000, p.TV-5]

Viewers hungering for a twisty-turny, who's-right-who's-wrong thriller will find it in Showtime's domestic terrorism drama Homeland.

It's a thought-provoking drama that doesn't in its first three episodes seek easy black-and-white answers or scapegoats, painting all its characters in varying shades of gray. And while the characters are flawed, they are not insufferable as on NBC's "The Slap."

Smart writing, talented actors playing realistic characters and a pace and cinematography reminiscent of HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show" or "Arli$ $ " make Sports Night one of only a handful of new series that warrant viewer attention. There's just one problem: It's a half-hour series that bears more resemblance to a drama than a sitcom. [22 Sept 1998, p.G-7]

TV viewers who watch Boss probably won't be disappointed and even those who are wary of latching onto a new series have reason to give the show a chance.

It's not easy viewing, but this series offers smart, challenging, character-driven drama at its finest.

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

Although a TV series about the trappings of sudden fame could be cliché, Mr. O’Malley roots the show in specific, believable characters that make Survivor’s Remorse one of the fall’s stand-out new shows.

This new season gets off to a rousing start that lives up to high expectations.

GOT is easily television's most ambitious drama for expansive storytelling, but it doesn't shirk its duty to tell smaller stories about individual characters. That the series manages to excel at both is rewarding and breathtaking in its achievement.

A smart, astute political thriller/soap worthy of comparison to the shows that air on HBO and Showtime.

One of the fall's brightest new dramas.

Daring and different, but not dark. It’s a rare feel-good contemporary series that’s not dumbed-down.

A smart, thought-provoking drama. But for some it will be tough to sit through the show's unrelenting gloom....TV viewers who like to be challenged -- I'm thinking of the "Homicide: Life on the Street" fans out there -- will cotton to the murkiness of Wonderland.

An uncommon comedy. Its rhythm is less jokey and requires a little more effort on the part of viewers, but the comedic payoff is better, too...I begged viewers to watch this series last year, and I'm not averse to doing it again: Please watch. If not for yourself, do it for me; if the ratings are low, Fox might replace it with yet another edition of "The Simple Life," and that's not good for anybody. [5 Nov 2004, p.WE-41]

This second season is worth it just for the opportunity to watch Streep have fun. ... “Big Little Lies” still takes time for the gauzy flashbacks as Celeste grapples with assorted emotional responses during sessions with her therapist (Robin Weigert), but the whole enterprise feels peppier, poppier and more entertaining as viewers spend more time with these pretty people with pretty significant problems.

Atmospheric and chilling as ever – generally without being gory beyond clinical crime scene still photos – “Mindhunter” remains one of the current era’s best series. ... Season two widens its lens to give each of the three lead characters more equal footing.

Funny, insightful and seemingly realistic, Entourage will appeal to fans of character drama and behind-the-scenes voyeurs. [18 July 2004, p.TV-5]

“Upload” is more amusing than it is laugh-out-loud funny. But it’s quick-witted, clever (an Arnold Palmer bot appears on a VR golf course in episode four) and twisty with a thread of mystery.

While Handmaid’s Tale comes across as more disturbing because the world it creates actually feels like it could come to pass. Neither program [Handmaid's Tale or Westworld] is an easy viewing experience; both shows represent today’s TV at its best.

The show is just as strong as it was at the end of its first season. To be sure, Transparent isn't for everyone, and not because of its central transgender character, who’s actually one of the most likable of the bunch. Viewers are more likely to have a problem with the rarefied, tony Los Angeles setting, and the self-absorbed characters who populate the series.

It's the most thrilling premiere hour of "24" yet.

“Watchmen” is not as fun as HBO’s “Succession” — “Watchmen” is more serious — but HBO’s newest offering proves itself a significant and entertaining series that’s resonant and relevant in our fractured America.

"Longford" dives head-long into some of the most complex questions of human morality, and it's a pleasure to watch an actor of Broadbent's caliber tackle the notion of forgiveness with dignity and solemnity in what is easily one of the best TV movies you're likely to see this year.

Better With You is a genuinely funny, well-acted traditional sitcom reminiscent of "Dharma & Greg" and other past successful romantic comedies.

Master of None avoids comedy conventions, eschewing a regular cast in favor of recurring characters and guest stars who pop up in episodes devoted to different themes. The show plays a bit like “Louie” in that way, but Master of None is funnier, less dramatic and tonally closer to Woody Allen’s lighter fare.

Easily the best of ABC's overly similar, large-cast ensemble dramas.

Through the first four episodes of the new season, the ever-excellent spy thriller explores the parent-child dynamic, introduces the concept of biological weapons and plays on the suspicions of FBI neighbor Stan (Noah Emmerich). The Americans is mostly adept at surprising viewers by not tacking in expected directions, although one plot results in a dead end that left me to wonder, why did the writers spend so much time on that?

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.

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.

Mad Men exists on another level. Smart, mysterious and alluring, Mad Men remains a smooth concoction of period charm and psychological character drama.

"The Wire" is as complex a picaresque as one is likely to find this side of Dickens.

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]

But most importantly, Scrubs has heart. Not the forced, icky sentimentality so often found in sitcoms, but earned moments that feel genuinely poignant. [2 Oct 2001, p.D-1]

It's a slam-bang hour that also serves up some "Battlestar" touchstones -- religion, politics -- while advancing the story a half-step and introducing another Cylon threat to the Galactica crew.

"The Office" is hilarious, but it is an acquired taste as it serves up comedy of the uncomfortable. [10 Oct 2003]

Even on the rare occasions when those shows [like CSI or Law & Order] tell stories involving the death of a child, they're almost never as raw, palpable and grim as The Killing, an engrossing, well-made drama series that viewers should embrace despite its tough subject matter.

It's not every day that I feel like a new TV show merits success -- and rarer still that I feel that way about a reality competition -- but "Lego Masters," already successful in the U.K. and Australia, offers family-friendly fun as it shows off brick building skill and creativity. It deserves to be a hit.

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.

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.

A smart, realistic drama with believable characters brought to life by dynamic performances, particularly from Ms. Arquette and co-stars Paul Dano and Bonnie Hunt.

From its title to its tone to its production design and look, “The Great” mirrors “The Favourite” quite a bit. “The Great” is at its, uh, greatest when Fanning and Hoult spark off one another with McNamara’s rat-a-tat-tat dialogue.

In fine form, too, a seamless transition between casts with writer Peter Morgan keeping everything on an even and remarkably timely keel as the queen frets her new prime minister may be compromised by the Russians.

A hilariously absurd sketch comedy that masquerades as a “Soul Train”-esque show.

It’s a warm but smart confection in a TV universe overpopulated with series vying to be the darkest, most brooding show possible.

The third season, streaming Thursday on Netflix, delivers more forward momentum. ... The eight episodes of “Stranger Things 3” generally hang together well if sometimes predictably, although a few character turns offer genuine surprises.

It takes a bit for Westworld to get back up to full steam, but by episode three (five hours were made available to TV critics), this futuristic, violent drama returns to fine form, introducing new parts of the park (Shogun World!), new characters and apparently new technology goals on the part of Delos, the corporation that owns Westworld.

While there is an ongoing serialized story, the individual episode stories involving the lead characters represent “Lovecraft Country” at its best: a haunted house in episode three, a “National Treasure”-style quest in episode four, a metamorphosis in episode five. The episodes often upend expectations.

“Versace" is not perfect--some episodes meander a bit and anytime the story takes viewers back to Versace and away from the other victims, it becomes less compelling--but it marks an early, strong entry for one of the best series of 2018.

It’s funny and occasionally freaky as the pilot introduces the characters who form a team that concocts horror scenes, whether at a quinceanera celebration or a will reading.

“Fires” burns bright in its first episode and beyond, promising an engrossing, fast-moving, character-driven drama that becomes deeper and more disturbing as the story unspools.

Taken on its own, Marry Me offers a fast-moving, often hilarious debut episode that traffics in pop culture references as it establishes Annie as the loon and Jake as the tolerant, abiding guy who loves her.