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

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.

"Related" won't be for everyone, especially viewers lacking estrogen, but it is a quality weekly "chick flick" for TV.

Stylista is a guilty pleasure thanks to its cast of catfighting, bickering characters, including one who is hospitalized following a panic attack in episode two.

In its early going, it's a fun, summer TV frivolity--an entertaining enough hour of TV that sneaks in moments of social satire.

That quest to crown a new king at Lyon’s Empire Music gave the show a goal to drive toward, something that’s lacking through the first three episodes of season two now that Lucious’ condition turned out to be a misdiagnosis.

"Mrs. Harris" is interesting but not intimate. It's cold, aloof and distant, much like the relationship it depicts between the principal characters.

"CSI: Miami" is a carbon copy, for sure, but it's a copy of an efficient show millions of people enjoy watching. [23 Sep 2002]

After suffering through too many poorly written, dramatically empty episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager," I was dreading the launch of UPN's "Enterprise" precisely because it came from "Voyager" executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. Maybe it's the diminished expectations or maybe they've actually come up with something decent, but tonight's two-hour "Enterprise" premiere is surprisingly satisfying. [26 Sep 2001]

The first half of Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! takes itself too seriously with return appearances by minor characters from the first two films and the destruction of Washington, D.C., landmarks that viewers have seen before with better special effects.... But halfway through--right about the time a character loses his limbs one by one while trying to take heroic action--the mojo that makes these absurd movies a hoot kicks in and Sharknado 3 becomes the insane event viewers anticipate.

It's a pretty good introduction but there's no guarantee future episodes will live up to that positive first impression.

The premiere feels a little overly long--it clocks in at 53 minutes--but it capably creates the show’s insular world of blood, sweat and cheers, ending in an inevitable fight that features Nate as Ryan and Jay offer encouragement from the sidelines.

The verdict? Not as gosh-awful as I expected...sort of a "Hunter" with heart. [4 Apr 1993]

The pilot has all the markings of a winner. [26 Mar 1999]

The pilot is a pretty solid hour of television, setting up the show's premise and in several instances defying TV norms with plot twists viewers won't see coming.

In such rare instances [in the second episode], Breaking Bad achieves a perfect moment of nerdy believability, but too often the series fails to provide details that would help explain its characters' illogical choices.

The first episode runs two hours and sets up all the characters, their relationships and backgrounds. It presents a serialized show with a lot of potential for growth and interesting plot possibilities, especially considering a scene at the end of the premiere that raises a whole host of questions.

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).

The show remains a not-terrible throwback to the kinds of sitcoms the broadcast networks used to make.

The Hour looks fantastic but it moves at a snail's pace that's sure to irk impatient viewers.

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.

There's a cool, no-nonsense attitude about Southland that may make it more challenging for viewers to embrace than some other shows, but this cop drama has so many strong performances and enough nuanced writing that it remains one of the better dramas currently in prime time.

Against the Wall is not nearly as ambitious as "Chicago Code" was but there's a warmth to the characters and their relationships that should satisfy Lifetime's core audience.

As a loyal "Homicide" viewer, for me Munch is the best part of SVU, especially in tonight's scene where he explains his departure from Baltimore. [20 Sept 1999, p.B-1]

Writer Josh Safran (season two of “Smash”) allows Quantico to bubble with questions and craftily gives all the characters motives. It’s a crackerjack, character-driven mystery that showcases a uniformly attractive, United Colors of Benetton cast.

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.

Ms. Bryant is not as zany as she’s called to be on “SNL,” instead giving a down-to-earth performance in a grounded roll that’s sometimes searing in its emotional honesty.

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