Just an entertaining, 52-minute program shot in the style of classic Universal Studios monster movies. ... This Halloween-season special is a true treat, not a trick.

Funnier and more of a rom-com, “Too Much” largely isn’t too much in the way “Girls” was, thanks to Dunham leaning into a lighter tone and the likability of star Megan Stalter. ... Stalter is a riveting performer.

The ghosts begin as well-drawn archetypes (Viking, Scout troop leader, Prohibition-era singer, Wall Street bro) and the comedy is broad but often quite funny.

Through its first three episodes, “Étoile” focuses more on the politics behind the scenes (the donors, management, conflict between the business and creative sides) and mines humor from casting a bull in a ballet performance and from a wealthy right-wing donor who drives Jack crazy.

So far season two feels more promising now that character introductions are largely out of the way and the whole team shares a goal.

Series creator/director Abe Forsythe gives “Wolf Like Me” some occasionally funny moments, but it’s mostly a somber downer, careening from one traumatic event to another.

That’s the frustrating thing about “Paradise”: It toggles between compelling moments, mostly featuring Brown and/or the cataclysmic event, and people spouting uninspired TV dialogue that renders the characters one-dimensional.

The premiere episode, with a story by “Good Wife” creators Michelle and Robert King and directed by Robert King, efficiently introduces new characters. Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson) warms up to Elsbeth’s quirky ways quickly and serves as a grounding force. NYPD Police Capt. C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce, always a welcome presence in any series) comes across as more of a wary ally.

While the first episode takes a bit of time to get going, once it does it’s clear there’s some “Servant”-like dark fun to be had watching this “Baby.”

If early seasons of “Game of Thrones” meandered a bit or felt slow as the series followed assorted characters on multiple quests, “House of the Dragon” barrels through its story.

It only takes a few episodes for “Shrinking” to feel like a true ensemble.

Even if some elements of “Dopesick” feel too pat, the story as a whole is a worthwhile indictment of a government regulation system that allowed Purdue to operate for years with impunity, ruining the lives of thousands of Americans.

To succeed in the long-term, “Animal Control” needs to get funnier fast and spend more time on its human characters and less time on animal gags.

Fargo is significantly better than the disappointing third season, though probably not as good as the near-perfect second season.

“Unstable” proves consistently funny and involving. The father-son dynamics, while familiar, do manage to feel real (for a TV comedy) amongst the whiplash comedy.

A “Star Wars” series built around a trio of female heroes offers a welcome change and there’s hope that future episodes will pick up the pace. “Andor” started slowly too and turned into a masterpiece. That may be too much to hope for from “Ahsoka” but I’m willing to stick with it for now.

Perhaps what is most notable and welcome about “Winning Time” is its sheer sense of fun. ... While too many dramas today take viewers for granted with self-indulgent, drawn-out storytelling, through its first four episodes, “Winning Time” smartly builds each episode to a cliffhanger crescendo that, even with full, one-hour running times, leaves viewers wanting more.

“The Gilded Age” is easily the best new series of 2022 and sets a high bar for shows that will follow.

Yes, this is a fairly straightforward police drama, but it’s buoyed by some well-drawn characters even in its pilot episode, not always an easy task.

Funny and fast-paced, this single-camera comedy is worth a test drive.

The low-rent special effects, presumably intentionally cheesy, are fine and even add to the charm that begins with the show’s title, but everything else about the series proves poorly done, from character development to supporting performances.

Early episodes are one fetch quest after another with copious flashbacks to develop character backstories. Episode four, set largely in Alaska, is most like the action-adventure movies “Monarch” spins off from. But the back half of the season devolves into convoluted, continent-hopping efforts to rescue a presumably kidnapped May before coming full circle in episode eight

“Prodigy” grows “Trek”-ier in episode two once the teens steal the Protostar and get to know their hologram adviser, Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew, voicing the character she created on “Star Trek: Voyager”). Janeway means nothing to this show’s target audience but her presence might make some parents smile.

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

Paramount+ only made the first episode available for review, and it’s a taut hour of drama with a few moments of levity courtesy of Ford’s trademark, low-key sarcasm.

“Rutherford Falls” has the building blocks to become a smart comedy hit. It just needs more time to build its characters’ relationships.

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.

Credit Marvel with attempting a half-hour comedy series for Disney+, but “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” proves too timid about leaning into humor.