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.

Smash tries mightily and mostly succeeds.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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

A grisly tale, feuled by West's mesmerizing performance.

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.

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

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

If you want bold activities, high drama and laughs motivated by something other than fame, tune in for Season 2 of Shameless.

Whitechapel defies the odds, however, rising above its cliches with solid writing, taut direction, evocative cinematography and great performances by Penry-Jones, Davis and Pemberton.

Season 3 is off to a roaring good start.

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

An enigmatic and engrossing whodunit that should move to the top of everyone's DVR queue.

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

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

And we're off and running with another season of great animation, skillful voice acting and hilariously foul-mouthed fun.

Luck is a sometimes confusing yet fascinating study of the colorful characters--the jockeys, trainers, owners, gamblers and railbirds--who populate horse-racing tracks.

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

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

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.

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.

Well acted and smartly written, Awake works as an intellectual puzzler, emotional family drama and case-of-the-week procedural.

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

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.