Marco Polo flits between storytelling styles without completely tying them together as successfully as "Game of Thrones" does.... By the fifth and sixth episodes the action picks up, the intrigue deepens and the stakes some higher.

Coleman's rich performance matches Capaldi's as Clara struggles with the regeneration of her Doctor.... The Doctor may be different, but he's as entertaining as ever.

[Bean's] nearly the only reason to watch this retread mashup of team-based crime/spy shows and the "Bourne" films.

Despite its supporting cast of international actors who bring even thinly drawn characters to life, Outlander truly shines when Balfe shares the screen with either Heughan or Menzies.

It's not easy to watch, but the Steven Soderbergh-directed period hospital drama sure is worth a look.

History tells us what the Manhattan Project unleashed on the world, but Manhattan conjures a compelling (fictional) journey for the men and women who made it happen.

The short, 41-minute opener (I'd DVR it and fast-forward through the commercials) is slickly filmed, generally well acted and ends with an intriguing revelation. But so little feels new and fresh.

Live Another Day starts its 12-episode run in a typically gripping if superficial and improbable fashion, but you'll get no complaints from me.

Salem as a whole reflects the difference in the work of West and Montgomery. Yet its wildly uneven premiere has enough going for it to make me watch at least another episode.

It remains one of TV's most compelling series, period.

While we appear to be in for a depressing ride, fear not: Creator Matthew Weiner still has a few winks and tricks up his sleeve.

Fargo the TV series--confident as Lorne Malvo--stands firmly on its own. You betcha it does.

The former WWII code-breakers of this excellent British import don't deflect bullets with magical bracelets. They use their brains, determination, courage and pleasant demeanors like stealth weapons, covertly undermining postwar expectations to right wrongs no one else seems to notice.

Silicon Valley is a funny, insightful, blistering satire.

It may not be as intriguing as "Thrones" or as tense as FX's spy thriller "The Americans," but Turn--which touches on still-relevant topics like torture, homosexuality and politics--offers a fresh spin on the War of Independence.

The first three episodes of the epic fantasy's fourth season reach new heights at times, offering enough twists, shocks and action to make us forget last season's mind-blowing Red Wedding.

While the storytelling is generally riveting, Hirst and his team occasionally drop a few stinkers in the dialogue. The exceptional cast—which also includes Katheryn Winnick as Ragner's wife, Lagertha—is able to rise above those bombs. It's their distinctive portrayals that, for me, bring this Dark Ages tale to life.

Unlike in "Homeland," the show's main conceit grows even more complex and fascinating by including the Jennings kids.

If only writers John Brownlow and Don Macpherson focused more on Fleming's wartime spy-jinks than on his extended mating dance with the already married and cheating Ann.

While its glimpses into the democratic world of piracy are interesting, Black Sails could cull a few plot barnacles and give viewers more action.

[Broad City] feels like a series of sketches that often hit but sometimes miss.

Scheuring gets sidetracked by the trite redemption stories of a hooker (Conor Leslie) and a Canadian Mountie (Marton Csokas). But those are small hiccups in this entertaining, expansive tale of one man's fight to keep his humanity, which he discovers is more valuable than all the gold in the Yukon.

With its strong performances, subtle details and believable situations, Looking presents a convincing portrayal of everyday life--either gay or straight.

Hints of a deeper mythology are revealed, too, suggesting that Helix will move beyond its stop-the-virus story into something even more intriguing. In the meantime, it's a suspenseful, scary thriller.

[Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey's] riveting work would be worth the admission alone, but the hauntingly beautiful True Detective excels in every way.

The Spoils of Babylon is an entertaining and spot-on spoof of the overdone potboiler miniseries of the 1970s and '80s.

The ambitious series finds a nice balance of slapstick and suspense. You might feel cheated if you're expecting the usual setup and joke, setup and joke format of many American sitcoms, but there are plenty of surprises and laughs.

[Creator J.H. Wyman] peppers what really is a police procedural with enough not-so-distant science to make Almost Human a sci-fi thriller, and enough humor to make it a buddy cop comedy.

The Returned is far and away the most thoughtful and thought-provoking series I've watched this year.

It's often dull and heavy-handed. Rhys Meyers is burdened with purposefully heightened dialogue that sounds silly at times. His Dracula is meant to be irresistible, but he's just plain creepy.

Though the gorgeous production starts out slowly and has its pompous moments, it's ultimately worth your time.

I can't help but believe that if this new series focused on the dark, foreboding tone in its asylum scenes, it could become a powerful, trippy 9 p.m. drama.

Although the premiere is hampered by unnecessary narration and over-exposition, it's still a bewitching brew of whimsy, psychological scares, horrific atrocities and the wonderfully relentless feeling that something wicked this way comes.

Believe it or not, that stomach-turning gore is part of this four-part gem's charm. A Young Doctor's Notebook gets the balance between tragedy and comedy just right.

The slooowly-paced first two episodes offer enough action and intrigue to keep me riding a while longer.

Even though the team's first assignment—involving an ordinary guy with strange new powers (J. August Richards)--is kind of average as adventures go, the actors seem to have found a snappy groove already.

There's no doubt that The Blacklist will present a terrorist case of the week. But the marvelous action sequences and intriguing plot twists should lift it above any standard procedural.... If none of that interests you, Spader's magnetic performance alone is enough to warrant at least a couple looks.

Like Spader, Collette is fascinating to watch; there's always so much happening just under the surface.... Show creators Alon Aranya, Omri Givon, Rotem Shamir and Jeffrey Nachmanoff pack the Hostages pilot with a ton of side plots.

All joking aside, Key and Peele do still have something to say.

Gervais has written, produced and directed a thoughtful and thought-provoking dramedy that celebrates everyday heroes and the power of kindness while attacking materialism and the way society often forgets people "just because they're old and poor and weak."

It gets darker, scarier and more captivating with each episode as Luther matches wits with killers and cops alike.

The show is edited almost like a sitcom to draw out maximum humor, with cutaway interviews of cast members at just the right moments to reinforce their folksy philosophies. One could complain about the gender stereotypes at play, but the roles are so exaggerated here it seems the show and the Robertsons are mocking those biases.

The show is way more than a thriller--although it could stand tall if it were just that. It continues to subtly examine the effects their high-risk and dangerous jobs have on the brave special ops soldiers fighting evil in the world.

Despite some flaws, Broadchurch is beautifully filmed, sharply directed and intensely acted.

Please Like Me, unlike the much-praised millennial comedy "Girls," feels unpretentious and natural with fully-realized characters rooted in reality.

"CSI: NY" is just as good as the original "CSI" and its first spin-off "CSI: Miami." ... Yes, the writing is a little weak, but the atypical crimes and the fascinating technology make the show extremely addictive. [24 Sep 2004]

It's epic, hilarious and totally tasteless.

These final episodes overflow with love, compassion and one lesson we all can take to heart: Cathy lived.

It's a powerful, emotionally engaging character study.

While well acted and artfully shot, it suffers from message movie traps.

The mystical mumbo jumbo nearly derails the proceedings, but Goyer reins in the hookum in favor of frolicking adventure that's more fun than fact.

Unlike Season 5's two-hour premiere, which easily could have been edited to half its length, every minute of Sunday's episode feels necessary, checking in with all our favorite players and dancing with Weiner's favorite theme, death.

As Sarah makes one shocking discovery after another, Orphan Black weaves an increasingly intricate, suspenseful tale.

Mamet and his actors have created a fascinating character study that puts our notions of prejudice, celebrity, media and justice in the spotlight.

Like "Psycho," it offers a deliciously scary stew of unexpected twists, murder and mind games.

The good news is Vikings improves with each episode, slowly building its fascinating characters and discovering its ultimately absorbing tale.

Psych still finds new and wonderful ways to amuse and delight fans.

Sparks fly, parts break off, hydraulic fluid sprays. At least the episode ends with 10 minutes of awesome.

As fascinating as the minutiae are, fine work by the cast makes me wish this had been a fully scripted miniseries.

[Todd Ray's] passion for the peculiar is praiseworthy, and erases any misgivings that the venture is exploitation at its most blatant. Still it's not that easy to watch a guy called Morgue stick a hook in his nose until it comes out his mouth.

It's not always pretty or easy to watch, but Southland remains an outstanding hour of appointment TV.

The quirky campus comedy is as clever and edgy as ever.

[An] exciting but frustrating spy thriller from former CIA employee and writer-executive producer Joe Weisberg, skillfully captures the anxiety of the age.

Dallas is just as superbly soapy as ever, but you have to wonder whether the show can survive without its legendary star.

He's funny and totally down to earth, which makes him an engaging host and guide for the eight-episode series.

[Purefoy's and Bacon's] performances--and scenes that focus on Carroll's killer minions that I won't talk about lest I spoil things for readers--are the strongest parts of the series and overshadow the weaknesses. Those include numerous plot holes and some sketchy logic, plus Williamson's annoying habit of beating us over the head with the Poe references.

While "Copper" took some time to get into a groove, Ripper Street is riveting from the first cry of murder.

Legit is legitimately and simultaneously raunchy, sweet and funny.

Exec producers Paul Abbott and John Wells deliver dark humor, a full heart and a real desire to illustrate--no matter how outlandishly--just how difficult it is for impoverished families to make ends meet.

This is history lite, to be sure, but it's probably a lot livelier than your sixth-grade history class was.

Hunted is an intriguing and rewarding puzzle worth (trying) to solve.

It's truly troubling to watch as helpless, restrained patients are treated against their wills. Yet despite mumbling over and over during the first episode, "I'm done with this already," I had to see the second.

Despite the familiarities, the cheerfulness of this group helps the show overcome its predictability and other faults.

While Mazzara has amped up the action, he doesn't skimp on the angst.

Arrow landed in my list of Top 5 pilots of the season, and I hope future episodes are as enthralling and well-made.

[Show creator Callie Khouri] has created rich histories for each of her compelling characters. The actors give nuanced performances that make their characters more than one-dimensional cliches.

The story remains completely realistic and believable while paving new roads for future developments.

It's the season's riskiest new series, but also one of the best.

Miller is infinitely watchable as the twitchy detective, and I'm sure Liu will bring more to Watson if she's given the chance.

Ben & Kate is at its best when the siblings lovingly spar--usually about one of Ben's hair-brained schemes.

The Mindy Project mostly lives up to the hype.

Season 3 is off to a roaring good start.

NBC's The New Normal has its share of stereotypes and crass jokes that straddle the line of bad taste. But it's also sweet and, dare I say, funny.

The relentless bleakness would be my only quibble with the series; one doesn't often choose to feel as battered as the characters on screen. But you won't be able to turn it off.

Copper doesn't open as confidently as I had hoped (or as its pedigree might lead one to expect), but given the classic themes, rich time period and great acting, I trust it will keep my interest.

The Inbetweeners delivers moments of humor equal to all those other shows--mostly from the physical comedy--but overall it's too wimpy to make its own mark.

TV's best series that few are watching hasn't lightened up, and that's mostly a good thing.

Where it truly excels is in showing the emotional costs paid by the super soldiers doing their jobs and by the witnesses and/or victims of all the mayhem.

Damages proves once again why it is one of the smartest thrillers on TV.

It's an incredibly poignant look at Mia and her new family, and Sevigny is outstanding.

It's mostly improvised, which makes the funny exchanges between Kudrow and her guest stars even more impressive.

Awkward's writing is sharp enough to keep even those viewers who refuse to go to their reunions laughing.

Some of the dialogue is groan-worthy, some plot turns totally predictable and some of the soapy silliness is just, well, silly. But J.R.'s Dallas is still a hoot.

Like "The Vampire Diaries," Teen Wolf successfully blends horror, mystery, romance, teen angst and plenty of reasons for cast members to show some (tasteful) skin.

When her Airbender training is postponed, Korra travels to Republic City, where Aang's son Tenzin lives, so he can teach her. And that's when the fun begins.

When it really sails, it cuts through the waves swiftly. But it loses wind so many times the thrills come only sporadically.

An affectionate and surprisingly insightful look at Hollywood hopefuls clawing to make careers in TV, music, comedy and dance.

[A] cynical, hilarious and profane political satire.