Defiance is less gritty than Syfy's best series, "Battlestar Galactica," and the characters aren't as well drawn as on the superior "Farscape." "Defiance" lands at a slightly higher end of the murky middle ground of quality.

They're a bland bunch of characters who say mildly amusing things--there's a pretty good riff on Mary Poppins--in occasionally funny situations, but in the end, "100 Questions" does not cry out to be added to any DVR lineup.

Rogue starts to become a little more intriguing [by the second episode], but the show only gets to that point after the clichéd set-up and almost two hours spent with a self-destructive lead character.

There is some decent dialogue but it gets lost in the scenery chewing maw of the show's star.

Once viewers accept it for the mediocre melodrama it is, they'll be more satisfied, tuning in for the strong performances and high production values while rolling their eyes at the umpteenth red herring and illogical plot turn.

Perfectly adequate.

The mysteries of Haven do offer some intrigue but coupled with fairly unextraordinary situations and plots, the show may have a tough time convincing viewers to become weekly visitors.

There's nothing wrong with any of this except that it doesn't feel fresh or new; there's no added, bewitching spark to a familiar concept.

A multi-character drama, Containment is fine but unexceptional.

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.

It's a small character study about a large man who comes off as a terrorizing buffoon.

Fans of old-time network soaps may find something to enjoy here, but despite the promise that “dark secrets simmer behind every door and threaten to tarnish the genteel façade of seductive Charleston,” Reckless is decidedly bland and evinces almost none of the sense of place CBS proclaims.

Unlike some seasons of “AHS,” Hotel lacks dark humor, at least in tonight’s initial outing.... Visually, the premiere episode is a stunner, from the hotel set to the use of a fish-eye lens on the camera that squeezes so much into the frame.... Heavy on atmosphere in its early going and light on plot, a storyline starts to kick in around the premiere’s halfway point.

Future episodes elevate the Belle and Ben relationship to a more complicated place, which bears some promise and may give Secret Diary the distinction it lacks in early episodes.

“Lower Decks” has its occasional chuckle-worthy moments, but too often the show opts for wild chaos as a substitute for actual comedy.

Robertson is a find. She capably plays both Lux's world-weary, snarky attitude and her vulnerability. She's a large part of what makes Life Unexpected a minor delight, even if its charms are entirely expected.

Under the Dome won’t be confused with good TV--and often last season it was borderline bad TV--but depending on where the writers take it this year, it might be empty-headed, summer fun.

With its emphasis on dysfunction, Titus allows for dramatic moments that actually ring true. But they're few and far between in this show punctuated by flashbacks that interrupt the narrative flow. Titus suffers from a TV version of Attention Deficit Disorder, similar to the tangents on Fox's "Family Guy" but a lot less funny. [20 March 2000]

There are some intentionally light-hearted, even funny moments squeezed in here and there. The show's concept offers nothing really new for TV but it executes the wealthy, murderous family drama well enough for low-stakes summer programming.

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]

Life Is Wild is a decent but not exceptional family drama set in South Africa.

As TV shows go, Toy Hunter is a bit dull.

Make no mistake, "3 Lbs." is a show that will better appeal to the CBS audience than "Smith" did, but it's a pretty generic show.

The concept of Nikki sounds trite, but the execution is at least amusing in two out of the first three episodes. [8 Oct 2000, p.G-7]

There are scenes in the first five episodes of the new season that are as compelling as anything television has to offer. But the viewer has to wade through material that fails more often than not to deliver on its promise.

Press notes indicate these five folks impacted by the shockwave are “angels of the apocalypse,” but Messengers never comes out and says this. A general rule of thumb in TV reviewing: When press notes do a better job of explaining a show's intent than the show itself, viewers beware.

Feed the Beast feels like a broadcast network crime underworld show circa 2002--it feels like same old, same old TV.

There's still some fun to be had watching True Blood but it offers more soap than satire or social commentary these days.