Ahmed created the series, and he’s clearly having a blast making fun of himself and wringing laughs from the situations he puts his alter ego into, absurd as they often are.

She’s still funny, sometimes foolish and still prone to malapropisms. .... In a season as upbeat as Valerie herself, “The Comeback” allows itself some moments of earned emotion.

If “Downton” and “Gilded Age” offer a smooth blend of melodrama and lighter moments, “Forsytes” is choppier. It takes itself and its characters with utmost seriousness – until it doesn’t midway through episode three.

Fast-paced and funny with an undercurrent of authentic emotion, “Rooster” is a half-hour comedy worth crowing about.

Kline excels at pomposity, Linney nails exasperation and Tenney holds his own as a warm balm fighting the lunacy around him, but “American Classic” offers little to recommend beyond a generally comfy vibe.

Dialogue hammers home arguments that sound more like something from a middle school textbook than how humans might speak.

It’s got the same Florida-is-weird vibe as “Bad Monkey” and the short-lived “Maximum Bob.”

“Reggie Dinkins” uses quick cuts and cartoon-like tangents in a manner that will feel familiar/comfortable to “30 Rock” fans. The return of “Scrubs” and the debut of “Reggie” offer solid evidence that with the right talent involved, comedies still have a place on broadcast TV.

It’s rare for a TV comedy to return in as strong form as this new “Scrubs.” Fans who loved the show in its early seasons on NBC should happily scrub back in for ABC’s new iteration of the series.

While there is undoubtedly some “Tiger King”-grade entertainment observing a conspiracy theorist verbally spar with a “Lord of the Rings” cosplayer, so much of the behavior displayed in “Neighbors” is unpleasant to behold.

Although the new fourth season lacks a defining episode like season three’s sixth episode, “Abidooniidee (What We Had Been Told),” featuring lead character Joe Leaphorn on an emotional, hallucinatory journey, season four manages to advance all its characters’ stories, even as they spend more time than ever off the reservation.

This “Muppet Show” is the sincerest effort yet to re-create the manic lunacy and charm of the original and feels of a piece with the series that started it all.

“Wonder Man” stands on it[s] own, although fans who know the character may have a better grasp on Trevor’s background. For Marvel, “Wonder Man” is a slight story with limited action sequences and at times feels too subtle for its own good. But credit Marvel with taking a risk and trying something different that often succeeds.

In a cascading series of unmotivated twists, enemies team up, a villain has an unconvincing change of heart and the whole thing ends on a frustrating cliffhanger. But give Murphy and company credit: “The Beauty” may be semi-hollow headed, but it’s never boring.

The student characterizations are overly familiar collegiate archetypes, which makes the professors/administrators the more interesting bunch, including Voyager’s holographic (now grouchier) doctor (Robert Picardo), sarcastic former Discovery engineer Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) and Ake’s No. 1, snarly half-Jem’Hadar, half-Kilingon Lura Throk (scene-stealer Gina Yashere, “Bob (Hearts) Abishola”).

A textbook example of how to write a second season that sticks to what made the show great: Complex characters, a real-time format and medical cases depicted with an unwavering dedication to authenticity.

It’s a pleasant enough comedy-drama – though not as funny as one might hope — that’s true to the original while telling new stories.

This import from New Zealand charms from start to finish.

This new story – a collection of vignettes, really – strays from the initial concept of elves who work to prepare the way for Santa, instead focusing more on the characters and their lives when not on the clock, which is not as magical or entertaining.

While early episodes are heavier on “300”-style bloody fights and full-frontal male and female nudity – sometimes in the same scene! — the franchise’s delicious character drama amps up a few episodes into the season. This is the good stuff that makes “Spartacus” more than the sum of its arguably gratuitous parts.

“Stranger Things” lacks the wide-eyed, Spielbergian wonder of its early seasons. But even in its bloated, current form, there are still some charming character moments, bits of good humor and judicious use of ‘80s pop tunes (Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” gets a spooky workout).

It’s unclear where this is going — early episodes suggest a doomed affair à la “Fellow Travelers,” or maybe it will become more upbeat like “Heartstopper” — but through its first two episodes, the show definitely lives up to its title.

“Pluribus” is the most original, unexpectedly thought-provoking and frequently funny series of 2025, thanks in large part to star Rhea Seehorn (“Better Call Saul”), who throws herself with gusto into almost every scene of the series.

By the last hour, the more serious tone takes over again, but it’s earned given what we’ve seen Garfield endure (though I could have done without Garfield’s widow visiting Guiteau in prison, which never happened in real life and seems designed to unnecessarily juice the drama quotient). Still, for fans of historical fiction, “Death by Lightning” remains worthwhile.

The first “Stumble” episode is particularly meh. But the second episode, which allows Potter some wins, shows signs of improvement with funnier moments and better writing.

“Boots” proves to be a smart, empathetic, character-driven drama that explores coming of age in a time when Cameron can’t be his true self, while also showing the toll that repression takes on another character, conflicted and similarly closeted Sgt. Sullivan (Max Parker).

Aside from an unearned character turn in the season finale that seems to come out of nowhere, “The Diplomat” delivers another great season of political intrigue mixed with character drama.

There’s a ton of back-and-forth over who are the true heroes and it gets tedious fast.