Dominion will never be confused with sophisticated TV but in its pilot episode, the only episode made available for review, it’s surprisingly more entertaining and a better yarn than plenty of other Syfy efforts.

As long as CBS's Dave's World' tonight's TV transcription of columnist's Dave Barry's life, sticks with Dave's family, it pretty much hits on all cylinders...Unfortunately, Dave's world extends beyond his family unit, and that's when things get tricky. [20 Sept 1993, p.C7]

"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]

"Soul Food" arrives at full boil. It's a cross between "Sisters" and "Providence" and better written than both.

If April’s work world is silly, her home life is uninvolving because it’s barely sketched out and seems like an afterthought.

Seven features an entertaining ensemble, a tongue-in-check approach and an attractive visual style that alternates between sweeping vistas and ultra-tight closeups. The sap and the male-bonding is sometimes a bit thick, but overall Seven is a clever update of an old TV genre - and a welcome break from TV's current glut of cops and docs. [2 Jan 1998]

Power is fine but it doesn’t live up to its title. It’s not a powerful drama because viewers have largely seen all its tricks, plots and character relationships before.

Just as in TV’s first flashback-heavy, multi-character drama “Lost,” it’s the flashbacks that deepen and humanize the characters, and that makes Orange a unique and outstanding series. Piper’s story may draw viewers to the show, but it’s her fellow inmates who make time spent inside this women’s prison worthwhile.

Simply put, "Traffic" is the best non-HBO miniseries to come on TV in years. [25 Jan 2004]

Viewers who crave a nostalgic kick for single-case crime dramas of the late 1990s might find something to like here but for viewers seeking a more contemporary style of storytelling, there are no TV firsts in Murder in the First.

Jennifer Falls offers a slightly more sophisticated style of storytelling with familiar enough trappings to go down easy for recent nostalgia buffs.

Sunday’s premiere doesn’t give a great sense of what the show will be on a weekly basis--a business drama with a side of humanity about following one’s passion, perhaps?--though it definitely leaves viewers curious about what comes next.

Undateable probably isn’t a show many sitcom fans will want to make a standing date to watch.

Crossbones doesn’t offer compelling enough drama to complement its banal brutality.

Sometimes the year’s warmest months remain a dumping ground for warmed-over series. Night Shift has all the earmarks of a show being dumped.

With "Tremors," the special effects have always been cheap and the appeal, such as it is, came from the campy humor, particularly concerning the Burt Gummer character. But the TV series, from the same creators and writers as the movies, mostly plays it straight. There's some humor, but suspense is the primary vibe in the first two episodes. [Mar 28, 2003, p.37]

The Normal Heart sets up a bit of a “this happened, then this happened” rhythm that does not bode well. But just as quickly, the film gets this historical crutch out of its system and begins to explore in greater depth the characters and their relationships.

For what it is--a small-screen version of a big-screen shoot-’em-up--Gang Related is fine, but it won’t be confused with great TV.

The show's concept is kind of interesting: Two women (one in 1209 France, another in the present day) are connected through time but after giving the miniseries about 40 minutes, I gave up in favor of a new episode of FX's "Fargo."

The painfully blank Blanchard may look like Silverstone, but she has none of her flair or personality. It's like watching a copy of a copy of a copy. All she does is make you appreciate how good Silverstone was in the original. [20 Sept 1996, p.28]

What sets Party Girl apart is the "girl" who hosts the party: Christine Taylor, a delightful young actress best known for playing Marcia in "The Brady Bunch" movies. Her character here, Mary, is what Marcia might have become had she been orphaned, or "Clueless'" Cher might be if she were older, wiser and poorer. [9 Sept 1996, p.C-6]

It's weird and different enough to stick with for a little while to see how it develops.

If you are a Timecop, eons can flash past in the blink of an eye. If you're watching Timecop, a mere hour can seem like an eternity. [22 Sept 1997, p.B-8]

Despite how outlandish some of the scenarios become, they remain relatable.

Other than the shorter season and London setting, the story beats and types of twists are nearly identical. This sameness highlights how the show's format, revolutionary when it premiered more than a decade ago, has become formulaic and a little stale.

Much is written today about the products that come out of Hollywood, but rarely do we glimpse the drudgery that's involved in bringing movies to life. Project Greenlight offers a rare and unvarnished glimpse at the friction-filled cogs and gears that drive the Hollywood machine. [2 Dec 2001, p.TV-5]

The show is inoffensive, tedious pabulum with forced postal humor.

In its first two episodes, Playing House does a nice job slowly building out its world and introducing an assortment of amusing, oddball characters.