A chattier Hamm character is a differentiator. But in early episodes, it’s kind of a one-note story that didn’t inspire me to want to watch more.

“North of North” is an easy, entertaining watch that’s improved by its cultural specificity.

The show excels as both an intimate character study — this year’s most affecting theme: how each generation of parents screws up but tries to incrementally improve on how they were parented — and an action-packed adventure.

“Pulse” may appeal to “Grey’s” fans who prefer their medical shows on the soapy side, but anyone who’s given up on “Grey’s” and embraced “The Pitt” would be wise to let “Pulse” flatline on its own.

FX’s latest half-hour comedy won’t be for everyone because of the graphic depiction of a woman. .... But “Dying for Sex” — all eight episodes stream April 4 on Hulu — inspires a lot of laughs, too, thanks to Molly’s voiceover observations and her interactions with scattered best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate).

“Mid-Century Modern” offers a mix of comedic zingers and groan-worthy gags that stars Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham and Linda Lavin do their best to elevate.

“The Studio” becomes an often screamingly funny series through the course of its first season, making it the best new comedy series of 2025 so far.

“The Residence,” now streaming all episodes, benefits from snappy (though profanity-laced) dialogue and quick cuts for comedic purposes, but the story and characters aren’t strong enough to support eight hours, especially given the formulaic approach to episodes.

Basically, “Happy Face” jumps off from the real story then moves into fiction immediately, a disappointment for anyone expecting this “true crime” story to be, well, true.

There are grittier, hipper, more popular crime dramas coursing through the TV/streaming ecosystem – “Tulsa King,” “Presumed Innocent,” “The Rookie” — but none of those shows can match the quality of AMC’s “Dark Winds.” .... “Dark Winds” continues to feel taut and rightsized.

Feels derivative and shallow.

This gives the show slightly more depth than many broadcast series today, but it’s nowhere near the entertaining, complex psychological machinations on display in “The White Lotus,” which airs on HBO at the same time.

“Zero Day” is another TV series that shoulda been a movie. Or maybe a four-hour series, but six hours is too much.

Really, it’s hard to imagine how “SNL50” could have gone any better as it delivered a welcome mix of comedy and music over almost 3½ hours, wrapped in a warm blanket of nostalgia (without getting sappy).

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.

Much of the acting is masterful, but Parker Posey proves the revelation. .... White’s attention to local details, from visual close-ups of flora and fauna to the use of regional music, give “White Lotus” a vibe unlike any other series.

The medical case in the premiere is pretty dense and sometimes hard to follow but future episodes are more streamlined. Still, it’s not a show you can multitask through and completely grasp what is going on in the medical cases.

“Hunting Party” is a predictable procedural. .... Eminently skippable.

By the end of the second season, a few aspects of the mystery plot come into better focus but it’s one step forward, two steps back. Still, “Severance” remains a rare, unique and completely distinctive series.

What makes “The Pitt” worth watching are its characters. .... Creatively, “The Pitt” succeeds by any measure.

Allen is in “Last Man Standing” mode as a conservative crank but what makes “Gears” work is his sparring with Dennings, who holds her own against the sitcom veteran and gives as good as she gets.

While some of the geopolitical commentary proves cutting, the father-daughter relationship tussle is pretty much the sitcom pabulum you’d expect.

It’s an intriguing start to the series but the beats that follow flow predictably from the show’s premise.

“The Sticky” isn’t as funny as its premise suggests. It’s entertaining enough at times but not quite laudatory.

“Cruel Intentions” a serviceable soap but nothing more.

What “A Man on the Inside” lacks in laughs it makes up for in a humane, occasionally depressing but realistic depiction of the ravages of old age.

Shockingly well made. Tense and intense, “The Agency” gives off “MI-5” and “Sleeper Cell” vibes

Elements of Amazon Prime Video’s “Cross” make it stand out, but those positive attributes often get canceled out by predictable, unseemly scenes of violence against women.