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.

Reign isn't half bad at times with its marvelous costumes, palace intrigues and Follows' delicious take on Catherine. But the minute you start getting into fantasy, you're yanked right out by the contemporary music and other oddities—like a montage of giggling gals putting on makeup.

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.

The show had all of the potential of "Idol," but Fox blew it by forgetting these words of wisdom: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. [15 Aug 2005]

"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.

The premise is fascinating enough to keep viewers' attention, if only to see what numbers Charlie will spin next. But some kinks need to be worked out before "Numb3rs" will add up.

True Blood still entertains with crackling dialogue and about half its plotlines, but it's starting to feel a little long in the fang.

[King & Maxwell] will live and die on the casting--because everything else about it feels as stale and standard as week-old white bread.

Both believable and appealing as the hard-bitten homicide investigator, Lehman provides the only real motive for tuning in.

You're likely to understand Fox's hesitation with The Goodwin Games after seeing the premiere, which introduces the characters and the premise, but with only a few laughs.

[A] stinker of a family sitcom.

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