Family Matters is a spinoff from "Perfect Strangers," but not nearly as good. [22 Sept 1989, p.C-16]

Miserable excuse for comedy. [19 Sept 2003, p.E-11]

Spielberg appears to be suffering from movie-industry arrogance, the belief that any old piece of tripe will sell on TV. He certainly would not have tried to film a script like this for one of his mega-movies. Where's Jules Verne when we need him? [12 Sept 1993, p.TV16]

"Gung Ho" is the first prime-time series to have a predominantly Asian-American cast, but that doesn't save it from a narrow premise. [11 Dec 1986]

"Dinotopia" still has computer-generated dinosaurs hardly on a par with the creatures in the "Jurassic Park" movies; an annoying continuous faux classical music score; big, absurd sets; bizarre costumes; and an overall washed-out pastel look. [24 Nov 2002]

Baby Talk plays like "Look Who's Talking XII," as if the producers just skipped right over the inevitable decline in quality to be expected in a long series of sequels and dove straight for the dregs at the bottom of the barrel. [8 Mar 1991, p.E-19]

What we've got here is a standard family sitcom, with an extra character thrown in when he's needed to move the plot along, and thrown out when he's not needed. You know, if Rin Tin Tin and Lassie could have their own TV shows, why couldn't Mike? [25 July 1987, p.C-11]

"Brewster Place" is dominated by a feeling of softness. A sweet gentleness pervades the air and issues are avoided, rather than confronted head-on. The characters that gave the original drama its sharpest bite, including the desperate welfare mother and the lesbian couple, have been dropped entirely. [1 May 1990]

Two and a Half Men -- a new run-of-the-mill, heavily laugh-track-ladened comedy series from CBS -- will make a lot of people bitter, especially ordinary, middle-class folk. [22 Sept 2003, p.D-5]

Particularly annoying because of its constant canned laugh track. The rhythm and cadence of the show are as fake as a current coffee commercial that's a satire of "Friends." [6 Oct 2000, p.E-10]

Flimsy. [6 Oct 2000, p.E-10]

A hokey, befuddling science fiction drama series from Fox. [6 Oct 2000, p.E-11]

Overlaying Working Girl is a subtle, cynical atmosphere of class snobbery...The writers' assumption seems to be that their viewers share their elitist values and viewpoint. [15 Apr 1990, p.TV-8]

It's not a laughing matter. [22 Sept 1987, p.E-7]

Thumb-sucking scripts, actors without direction and forgettable emotional clout. [6 Mar 1986, p.E-8]

Or maybe that line just seems funny, because it's one of the few that's about anything but you-know-what. [24 Sept 2002, p.E-6]

Shooting a comedy in real time may be an interesting exercise for the producer, but it doesn't make the story more interesting, or add to the laugh ratio. In fact, that little timer is downright distracting. [26 Feb 2002]

The humor of "3rd Rock" is of I-can't-believe-how-bad-this-is quality. [9 Jan 1996]

Goofy, silly, trying to be hip, lighthearted and loose, but ending up merely stupid, a dopey mix of inane dialogue, hints of sex, gunfire and blood. [29 Aug 2004, p.TV-6]

Conspiracy and backbiting are the only constant themes, and the overwhelming sense of claustrophobia and the unremitting nastiness of many of contestants make the show nearly unwatchable. [17 Jul 2001]

Tedious and banal, '24' lacks the engrossing panache TV's 'Mission Impossible' had years ago. Even though a well-rested-looking Sutherland is cool, steady and right for his role, he can't carry the show alone. [4 Nov 2001]

A lot of the humor in Scrubs is sick. Many jokes are made at the expense of old people on the brink of death, or sitting comatose in a wheelchair. [2 Oct 2001, p.E3]

"TekWar" is a blur of techno images, whirring noises and idiotic sci-fi speak. [18 Jan 1994]

A strong candidate for worst new series of the season. [2 Nov 1988]

Lame, trite. [21 Sept 1998, p.E-1]

Where the film began on a distinctly glum note, then built toward a spirit of renewal, the pilot episode of the sitcom starts out noisy and stays that way. In other words, a bewitching and intriguing movie has been trashed once again in the making of a har-de-har sitcom. [30 Mar 1990, p.E-17]

Cassidy is a decently capable dancer, but the routines performed by the troupe at the resort seem utterly tame, so mild that Stevenson's fuddy-duddy objections seem only puzzling. They are not nearly as puzzling, however, as CBS's decision to pencil Dirty Dancing onto the network dance card. [29 Oct 1998, p.D-15]

What "Enterprise" doesn't have are charismatic, fun characters. [26 Sep 2001]