Issa’s troubles--and Insecure itself--feel authentic even if the series is only intermittently funny.

30 Rock is more manic than "Seinfeld," but its smart observations on political correctness, corporate culture and life in Manhattan make it an ideal heir. This Rock continues to roll.

The show remains a chilly affair, which will probably limit its acceptance but for viewers who appreciate satire, particularly of a modern workplace, it's difficult to imagine a show on the subject that's funnier than Ted.

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]

It's a well-observed comedy that succeeds because it's so rooted in specificity.

The show pretty much picks up where it left off. Gone are the seasons when Justified would slowly run up to a serialized storyline with a few stand-alone episodes--I kind of miss those because the bad guys were so fleshed out for a TV show--instead jumping back into established storylines and jump-starting new ones..... The season premiere [is] a strong set-up episode.

This first episode back sets a lot of goals for itself: Remind viewers of the backstory, advance the plot from the cliffhanger, and introduce and resolve the murder-of-the-week. Daisies succeeds in accomplishing these tasks and even finds time for a "Sound of Music" shout-out as Olive pulls a Maria von Trapp en route to a nunnery.

The Child in Time takes some bizarre turns that draw it away from the grief/guilt cycle endemic to the film’s premise. There’s Stephen’s publisher friend (Stephen Campbell Moore) who has a Benjamin Button-style awakening that plays into the theme of childhood. And the film also offers an ending of hope, a welcome if somewhat unbelievable salve on the almost unbearable pain of the program’s earliest moments.

Putting Jackie in rehab actually works out well comedically, too, because she's surrounded by a new batch of odd characters to bounce off.

While some plots on Downton Abbey may be more meaningful than others, nothing in season three rings as false a note as the Patrick-has-amnesia story in season two.

It’s a strong start to the season that continues in the second episode that introduces Mary Steenburgen as the mother of Pornstache.

Next week's episode has more taut scenes than tonight's premiere, which has to lay the groundwork for the season. No surprise -- last season, it took several episodes before "24" began to live up to its promise. [29 Oct 2002]

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.

The new Roots offers a strong dose of drama--too strong, perhaps, for some viewers who will shy away from scenes of brutality--and compelling character stories.

It’s a dark, sometimes brooding hour, but that’s pretty typical for Mad Men, which emphasizes its characters and their development (or lack thereof) over plot. With its emphasis on mortality, Sunday’s episode is a fitting start to the Mad Men swan song.

The series offers strong, striking cop stories to accompany the intense thrills of the Luther-Alice cat-and-mouse game. But it is that back-and-forth and the sexual tension that develops between the pair that makes Luther stand apart.

Although some viewers will find it difficult to watch the stories of real people in their last months and moments of life, there's an uplifting quality to the series because of the sheer humanity on display.

The pace is deliberate in “Homecoming,” but the show is rarely boring thanks to the visuals and an investment in the characters. (After episode eight, when a major reveal happens, “Homecoming” gets a little draggy, but by then invested viewers will carry through to the end.)

In these new episodes, The Good Fight is at its best when the characters get honest about race within the majority black law firm in ways that feel startlingly real and, frankly, unique for a TV show.

Catastrophe has its sweet moments but balances them against more outrageous comedy--including a hilariously ugly, profane discussion of childbirth in the series premiere--resulting in a thoroughly entertaining series.

Terrific performances make it a movie worth seeing.

The payoff--Black Mirror promises no happy endings but the conclusions are always thought-provoking--is worth it.

It’s a strange, sometimes confusing and always visually arresting program.

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

If you're going to have a great actor play the vampire's human familiar, you could do worse than James Mason. [10 Sept 1917, p.F-7]

The Tick"is a funny, creative show and a risk worth taking. It's disappointing Fox has so little faith in these oddball superheroes. [8 Nov 2001, p.E-4]

The series maintains its sense of creating a believable universe. Yes, a few characters are explained away without making an appearance (BBQ owner we hardly knew ye) but the show tries hard to reward long-time fans.

A smart, deliberately paced, closed-ended miniseries.