Although the subject matter is darker than usual for USA, series creator Sean Jablonski manages to find lighter moments so that Satisfaction is not a depress-a-thon.

It’s not perfect--the pace is a bit plodding at times,; some characters hew a little too close to types--but overall The Divide is an engaging endeavor.

A fun, entertaining action show.

Backpakers benefits from filming on location in Europe but that can’t make up for the lowest common denominator escapades, which play like an unfunny, made-for-TV “Road Trip.”

Seed isn’t great TV, but it’s a funny enough diversion in the context of generally disappointing summer comedy.

There are some terrifically funny lines and it’s intellectually funny, but not often ha-ha funny and the situations are dark and depressing.

It’s difficult to judge The Almighty Johnsons from its pilot episode, but the blend of humor and Norse Gods lore does fit in well with Syfy’s penchant for light, fantasy dramas, but those series also tend to be fairly forgettable.

[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.

The show never allows itself to stand down from ill-fated, continuous attempts at heightened hilarity.

Sweden is a quiet, gently amusing comedy.

The Strain isn’t great TV but it offers enough unexpected gross-out moments that it’s OK summer popcorn fare.

The Finding Carter pilot proves there’s plenty of material to work with for a soapy drama.

What distinguishes 'Grain' from many Hollywood efforts is its feel for the rhythms of small town life. ... If many of the plot points seem familiar, ''Grain'' also has a nice way of exceeding expectations, calling characters up short or twisting the plot in ways you may not see coming. [1 Oct 1993]

Not flashy, not spectacular, "8 Simple Rules" is a cute show that will appeal to its intended audience.

It’s an entertaining pilot, full of surprises that should hook viewers and get them engaged for the subsequent 12 episodes. But there’s also the question of whether the show sets about spinning too many mysteries at once.

There’s an odd-couple vibe to Vicious, though it’s also a big, broad comedy reminiscent of Frasier if Niles and Frasier were a bickering gay couple instead of brothers.

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.

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.

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.

Everything in Young & Hungry is predictable, including most of the jokes.

A cute half-hour that capably introduces new characters and sets the table for the new series.

Mystery Girls has some fun with viewer knowledge of rumors of disharmony on the “90210” set (yes, Shannen Doherty gets a shout-out) even if it all plays to cat-fighting women stereotype. Spelling comes off both worse (she’s mistaken for a prostitute twice in the first 10 minutes) and funnier (she gets the best lines; Ms. Garth plays the straight woman).

While Ms. Leigh’s character is a pastiche of cliched archetypes, Mr. Ido’s taxi-driving scoundrel is a charmer. But it will take more than charm to watch Taxi Brooklyn and not feel like you’re being taken for a ride you’ve been on too many times before.

In its early episodes, Tyrant is as engaging when it focuses on family drama as when it veers more in the direction of taut, serialized, political thriller.

You can't shake the feeling that "Watching Ellie" is the most vain vanity project to hit TV in recent years.

The new "Watching Ellie" is indeed improved. It's funnier, better paced and doesn't try so hard to be different. This works out for the better.

Though the storytelling isn't groundbreaking, the setting is unusual by mainstream TV standards.

Almost Royal is not a series that demands to be watched, but it’s a cute diversion for Anglophiles looking for intermittent laughs.