Master of None avoids comedy conventions, eschewing a regular cast in favor of recurring characters and guest stars who pop up in episodes devoted to different themes. The show plays a bit like “Louie” in that way, but Master of None is funnier, less dramatic and tonally closer to Woody Allen’s lighter fare.

It’s intriguing for its setting and some of its stories--although the fine arts world in New York does call to mind the lighter “Mozart in the Jungle” on Amazon--and yet at the same time it’s often predictable in its premium cable-style plotting and pretentiousness, which is where the irritation comes in.... And yet, Flesh and Bone proved highly addictive, encouraging a binge of all its episodes in just a few days.

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.

Knowledge of the past movies is unnecessary to follow Ash vs. Evil Dead, but an appreciation for scenery chewing and sometimes cheesy special effects will come in handy.

It’s not a terrible show for fans of crime dramas but it’s not great either, occupying the same mushy middle ground as summer’s “Aquarius” on NBC.

Supergirl charms through its strong casting and earnest storytelling.

Through the first four episodes, Fargo remains a terrific thriller laced with black humor.... Welcome back, Fargo, which in its early going proves itself the best TV series fall 2015 has to offer.

[The] fall’s most unusual series concept and easily the new season’s most promising pilot.

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.

It's not the worst way to spend a half-hour, but Red Oaks also doesn't feel like essential viewing.

As "Thrones"-aping series go, The Last Kingdom is a better bet than plenty of others. It's easier to follow than "Bastard Executioner" and less battle-crazy than "Vikings," occupying a gentler middle ground.

The show tries to keep up with the goings-on at Lockhart/Agos, but these stories are awkwardly untethered from the main Alicia plot in the first two episodes of the new season.

Home Fires offers British drama that’s as satisfying as a warm cup of tea.

At home, Dr. Ken is just another sitcom-patented dumb daddy, although with an added shading of self-absorption. Mr. Jeong’s performance can best be described as over-the-top back around the other side and over-the-top a second time.

Gigi has a one-joke premise.... It's occasionally funny but not funny enough to tune in on a weekly basis.

Benders feels similar in its comedy style to all the Leary shows that have come before.

Code Black brings nothing new to the genre, except, perhaps, more chaos than usual for an ER show, and the dialogue is heavy with exposition and barked medical show cliches.... It benefits from a strong cast and a brisk pace, so there’s reason to hope for improvement.

In practice, Grandfathered is cute but forgettable.

Written by series creators Andrew Mogel (“Allen Gregory”) and Jarrad Paul (“Living with Fran”), The Grinder sets up a decent one-joke premise--actors, they’re so vain!--but it remains to be seen whether there’s more comedy to wring out of that joke in subsequent episodes.

Some of his jokes--about the pope’s privates, AIDS and Whitney Houston’s relationship with crack--probably gave an equal number of viewers reason for concern about taste, or elation that Mr. Noah will not pull punches. Senior Mars correspondent Roy Wood Jr. (“Sullivan & Son”) made a strong first impression joking about which black celebrities might get a chance to visit Mars.... Mr. Noah’s least interesting segment was an interview with comic actor Kevin Hart.

Created and written by Paul Rutman, Indian Summers looks fantastic. It’s not involving enough in its first two episodes but begins to coalesce more in a third installment.

Blood & Oil offers only musty melodrama befitting its already dated premise.

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.

The show is nothing more than a soap with good music but it has a sense of humor often enough to keep me entertained.

Too many NBC dramas are now all about conspiracies and secret societies. That’s getting tiresome. Case in point, NBC’s The Player.

There’s still little reason to think anyone is clamoring for this particular reboot.... The new show is not nearly as convoluted, but it shows signs that it could go down that road.

The show has a strong, likable cast--Mr. Chestnut, in particular, seems to be having fun--but when cliches pile up faster than clues, it’s time to change the channel.

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.