Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Scores

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For 436 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 56% higher than the average critic
  • 4% same as the average critic
  • 40% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.6 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average TV Show review score: 70
Highest review score: 100 Battlestar Galactica (2003): Season 1
Lowest review score: 30 Salem's Lot (2004)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 323 out of 323
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 323
  3. Negative: 0 out of 323
323 tv reviews
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  1. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1
    This first hour is a slog punctuated by the occasional battle with a Ray Harryhausen-esque snow troll. The second episode, written by Gennifer Hutchinson (“Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul”), proves more satisfying.
  2. Under the Banner of Heaven: Season 1
    When the focus is on Pyre, interrogations and the investigation, “Under the Banner of Heaven” can be a harrowing deep dive. But flashbacks that depict how tenets of the faith were rooted in the church’s history, while relevant to the characters’ motivations, leads to some plodding pacing.
  3. Stranger Things: Season 5
    “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).
  4. Saved by the Bell: Season 1
    Tonally the new “Bell” rings cheekier and more meta than any previous iteration.
  5. Perry Mason (2020): Season 2
    The season two plot, courtesy of new showrunners Jack Amiel and Michael Begler (“The Knick”), is less convoluted but still occasionally overly languid. “Perry Mason” remains at its best when the focus is on the series regulars and their relationships.
  6. American Classic: Season 1
    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.
  7. Reboot (2022): Season 1
    “Reboot” benefits from a great cast – Judy Greer and Paul Reiser are among the show’s series regulars – and some funny moments. But occasionally it feels like there’s something missing. ... Still, “Reboot” has enough going for it that I’ll stick with it to see how it develops in later episodes.
  8. Atlantic Crossing: Season 1
    “Atlantic Crossing” proves itself a decent soap (think: a lower budget “The Crown”), albeit one that suffers from some plots holes.
  9. Revival (2025): Season 1
    Through its first three episodes, “Revival” showrunners/writers Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce seem more interested in the impacts of Revival Day — personally, politically and culturally — than the mystery of it all, and that is to the show’s benefit.
  10. Murderbot: Season 1
    An odd but welcome diversion.
  11. Bridgerton: Season 2
    As soaps go, one can certainly do worse than “Bridgerton,” but season two, streaming Friday, feels like a bland mimeograph of season one. ... Happily, the new season gives scene-stealers Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) more to do.
  12. Willow: Season 1
    The new “Willow” feels a little fan-fiction-y. Some will surely lap it up, but I can’t imagine this series, despite its big budget, registering in the pop culture zeitgeist in the same way “Star Wars” and Marvel shows on Disney+ sometimes do.
  13. Renegade Nell: Season 1
    It’s great to see an action-adventure with a young woman in the lead role as Disney+’s “Renegade Nell” offers. But this series is too violent for its intended audience of kids, teens and families.
  14. Lucky Hank: Season 1
    While the pilot episode shows promise and is funnier than “The Chair,” episode two disappoints and confuses with no clear answer as to what “Lucky Hank” will be on a weekly basis.
  15. 3 Body Problem: Season 1
    “3 Body Problem” is the rare series that consistently surprises, making me (mostly) forget my worries during initial episodes that this could be another “Lost,” a show with great ideas but no concrete story path.
  16. A League of Their Own (2022): Season 1
    By the end of the first season, it’s hard not to be invested in the Peaches as a team, but it’s an occasionally bumpy road getting to the point that the series and its characters become entirely embraceable.
  17. The Muppets Mayhem: Season 1
    “Muppets Mayhem” puts the spotlight on these one-note secondary characters. It’s like taking a recipe that calls for a teaspoon of spice and instead using two cups of spice — and no other ingredients. The result is unappetizing — a dry, dull and disappointing Muppets series.
  18. Pam & Tommy: Season 1
    There are some moments in Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy” that will make viewers take notice one way or another, but early episodes of this limited series are fairly hum-drum when they’re not way over-the-top. Then it improves, becoming more nuanced in later episodes.
  19. Stumble: Season 1
    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.
  20. Gaslit: Season 1
    Roberts’ all-in performance and those of her co-stars, especially Allison Tolman (“Downward Dog”) as a sympathetic reporter and Shea Whigham as an accurately unhinged G. Gordon Liddy, are a delight, and the whole endeavor is entertaining enough to recommend.
  21. Peacemaker: Season 1
    Big, loud and sorta dumb but often fun.
  22. Resident Alien: Season 1
    The combination of Tudyk’s otherworldly performance and Sheridan’s execution of stories running on multiple, parallel tracks make “Resident Alien” a welcome addition to the dwindling ranks of scripted basic cable originals.
  23. KAOS: Season 1
    Zeus is petty and vindictive, which makes him an entertaining character. But it’s the way the eight-episode first season of “Kaos” unspools — introducing a legion of gods and humans — and how they ultimately interconnect that makes the series an addictive, intriguing addition to the Netflix roster.
  24. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst: Season 2
    Jarecki certainly knows how to create drama, and “The Jinx Part Two” continues to provide good entertainment though it remains to be seen if it will again end with a bombshell. Regardless, the series offers examples of smart, pointed lawyering by prosecutors and Durst’s defense team.
  25. The Completely Made-up Adventures of Dick Turpin: Season 1
    Fans of “Monty Python” or “Blackadder” are the ideal audience for “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin,” a family-friendly, often silly 1735-set adventure-comedy series that also brings to mind “Galavant” (without the songs).
  26. Chucky: Season 1
    Making Jake gay, a reflection of openly gay “Child’s Play” creator and “Chucky” writer/director Don Mancini, offers an admirably different perspective for a horror franchise – but viewers will need to buy into the teen drama to appreciate this iteration of “Chucky.”
  27. Our Flag Means Death: Season 1
    In “Our Flag Means Death,” the farcical humor is more of the subtle, knowing variety than it is playing for big belly laughs.
  28. FEUD: Season 2
    There’s just not enough story to keep this second “Feud” frothy and fun.
  29. The Salisbury Poisonings: Season 1
    The four-part miniseries occasionally strives to be a “Hot Zone”-like thriller while also offering a compassionate depiction of first responders, public health officials and victims. Sometimes it leans heavier into the character stories at the expense of thrills but the story of a nerve agent transferred through skin contact has resonance in the covid-19 era.
  30. Stranger Things: Season 4
    When it’s not rehashing plot elements of past seasons, “Stranger Things 4” foregoes the Amblin-esque, ‘80s movie joy of previous seasons in favor of a more gruesome, horror-tinged story. True believers may not care about this tonal shift but more casual viewers – and those who value not having a TV show waste their time with needlessly over-long episodes – probably will.
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