"Crumbs" elicits laughs from time to time, but given the subject matter, I still think this particular story would have been better told as a comedic drama than as the occasionally dramatic comedy that it is.

If Mr. Goyer fumbles the pilot in introducing Leonardo's world, he salvages the endeavor in episode two with a good story about da Vinci's inventions for the Medicis.

Filmed in Austria, The Quest boasts high production values but its stated goal to populate a fictional, serialized fantasy world with reality show contestants doesn't find quite the right mix in early episodes.

Reminiscent of "Seinfeld" but not as funny.

Demons quickly devolves into a bland mission-of-the-week show about a boy who doesn't want the responsibility of saving the world ("You can't just hijack someone's life. I had plans!") who is aided by an older mentor (sound familiar, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fans?).

Second Chance is pretty much another Fox attempt at a crime procedural crossed with a high concept.

Credit Becoming Us for not skimping and showing the impact of changing genders on the children of trans parents in seemingly stark realness, but it's uncomfortable to watch a child endure such life changes publicly.

Beneath that glossy sheen, it seems like it will be a procedural crime show like so many other programs on CBS.

Yes, it’s all a lot of hokum in this mostly lighthearted adventure series that situates Ms. Stone as the boss while she watches Agent X run missions via video link.

Nobodies has its amusing moments--and plenty of celebrity cameos in the premiere, including Maya Rudolph, Jim Rash and Jason Batema--especially when it explores the disdain more successful writers have for, say, animated kids show writers. But tolerance for uncomfortable comedic moments will vary by viewer.

Compared to so many other crime procedurals, Grimm offers a twist on the usual. It remains to be seen whether that twist will be superficial or substantive.

Camp has a sweetness that makes it a nice summer diversion but nothing that elevates it above past comedies set at sleepaway camp.

Celebrity Apprentice is pretty much in its typical form, which is to say, craziness involving mostly D-list celebrities, including NeNe Leakes, Star Jones, Lisa Rinna, Gary Busey, Mark McGrath and "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch.

As frustrating as it is fascinating, watching the quarterlife characters is like gazing at animals in a zoo.

At its best, Big Love is an intricate soap opera rooted in family, but in this new season the show is spinning off into too many directions. None, taken individually, is terrible, but altogether these myriad plots create a lack of focus.

I kept watching last year and I'll probably keep watching this year, although I think the show is already starting to repeat itself.

It's a mildly entertaining reality series designed to encourage controversy to draw viewers and goose ratings.

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.

The concept is unique, the performances solid or better, but when so many similar shows are competing for attention from viewers who are only willing to commit so much time to watching ongoing TV series, "Six Degrees" just isn't good enough.

Deception is fairly charming in spite of its blah procedural trappings thanks to Mr. Cutmore-Scott and his character’s bag of tricks and magic team.

"SG-1" is a passable action series on a par with most syndicated sci-fi fare. Its only real distinguishing feature is [a] ludicrous, completely gratuitous nude scene. [26 Jul 1997]

Would be revolutionary -- if the year was 1980.

Daytime Divas has its funny moments as it recounts the petty behaviors of daytime chat show stars but too often in its first two episodes the show moves in all the expected directions and feels like a lesser Lifetime entry.

The United Colors of Benetton crew fights among themselves a lot, but viewers get such slight sketches of each character in early episodes, it’s hard to care about many of them. At least the space stuff is more interesting than the homefront melodrama.

A cute enough pilot from writer Emily Kapnek (“Suburgatory”). But is there really a weekly TV series to be had here? Time will tell.

At its heart, beneath all the high-tech whiz-bang CGI, Minority Report is a procedural crime drama with serialized character relationship stories threaded through it.

If the show can rein in some of its more outrageous plot tendencies and focus on music and social issues, it could grow into a Club viewers will want to frequent.

The series does hint at Carlisle's motivation, and maybe the show will get more interesting once his reasons for wanting the president dead are revealed, but the pilot doesn't exactly demand viewers tune in for episode two.