Animal Kingdom, based on a 2010 Australian film of the same title, won’t be to everyone’s taste, but fans of dark, family criminal enterprise shows (think: “Sons of Anarchy,” “Outsiders”) might be intrigued.

Sabrina isn't designed to appeal to adults, and isn't likely to do so. But if you're looking for family entertainment to watch with your kids, you should be able to sit through Sabrina fairly easily - as long as you don't mind some things that are patently ridiculous. [27 Sept 1996, p.28]

The good news is the fashion competition at the heart of “Making the Cut,” as in “Project Runway,” remains strong. The competitors are mostly serious designers. They’re not gimmicky distractions to be laughed off stage (except maybe one). ... Despite episodes with long-ish running times, “Making the Cut” doesn’t show the judges offering post-runway critiques to every designer, just the top two and bottom two.

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 Defenders is a standard-issue legal drama, but Mr. Belushi and Mr. O'Connell bring a playful exuberance to their roles that allows the series to rise above its trappings.

On paper, this show sounds dreadful, but it rises above its premise largely thanks to Goggins.

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

The River lacks the sophistication of "Lost" but its formula is more flexible than recent Fox addition "Alcatraz."

While Ms. Alexander is an appealing lead actress, Blindspot feels like a too familiar, warmed-over series premise even though it’s the only “original” series concept among the three thrillers debuting in the next two days.

While it isn’t as culturally significant as, say, Mr. Peele’s “Get Out,” “The Last O.G.” is genuinely funny and transfers Mr. Morgan’s skills from co-star to lead far more successfully than his short-lived NBC 2003-04 sitcom, “The Tracy Morgan Show,” ever did.

In its second half the Ballers pilot finds its footing and the show’s trajectory becomes clear, playing like an entertaining mix of HBO’s “Entourage” and “Arli$$” and Starz’s “Survivor’s Remorse.”

It's not groundbreaking TV, but the pilot does a good job of introducing the characters, their relationships, their potential relationships.

[Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash) are] both terrible people in a myriad ways, and yet, they really seem to connect, which allows “You’re the Worst” to evince an acidic sweetness through its bleakness.

A pleasant surprise. [26 Jun 2003]

Prime Suspect improves as the hour goes on. The guys' attitude toward Jane evolves.

Hung remains less of a comedy than HBO presents it as, but it's certainly more platable in season two.

As long as you're OK with comedy-of-the-uncomfortable, then IFC's The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret is by far the funnier of the two David Cross-Will Arnett series airing this fall (the other being Fox's "Running Wilde").

The show's premise has enormous potential--it's essentially a live-action version of "The Incredibles," about a family that gains superpowers--but Tuesday's premiere disappoints with its slow-moving plot and whiny characters.

Viewers who don't mind being dragged along for a ride, who are gluttons for punishment ("X-Files" faithful, perhaps), may want to join in John Doe's search. For the rest of us, Doe will remain the personification of an unsolved mystery. [20 Sept 2002, p.40]

The premise, though bold, isn't as revolutionary as the "24" format, and the pilot is seriously lacking in thrills for an alleged thriller.

Tries too hard to be tough, but fans of crime dramas might get hooked anyway. [12 Jun 2005]

Surviving Jack allows for a smidgen of heartfelt earnestness now and again, but it’s less heartwarming than the steadily-improving “The Goldbergs” because at heart Surviving Jack is the one-joke premise of its title: My dad’s a jerk.

Gleefully absurd and filled with terrific comic performances--Wiig and Rudolph are stand-outs in the first two episodes--The Spoils Before Dying marks another winning offbeat comedy from IFC.

Humor is woven throughout The Dead Zone, particularly in scenes between Smith and his physical therapist, Bruce Lewis (John L. Adams), who helps update him on what happened during his long sleep. [16 June 2002, p.TV-5]

Smart, thrilling and politically timely, "Sleeper Cell" works overtime to mix believable character drama with jolts of surprising plot twists.

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.

While there may still be doubts about the sustainability of The Leftovers, it clearly seems to be moving in a positive direction creatively even as the show’s overall tone grows more pessimistic.

Timeless is not serious, thoughtful TV. But it is well-produced, escapist fun that gives each of the lead characters some story engine baggage, especially the show’s lead, Lucy.