Fortunately, as the saga unfolds, it delves into fresher territory, and Political Animals becomes an intriguing, even occasionally humorous, family soap opera.

Based on two preview episodes, Anger Management is at least more interesting than "Two and a Half Men" (take that, Ashton Kutcher). That's certainly not saying much, though.

I'd rather spend time with an edgy show that aims high and sometimes falls short, than one that doesn't.... Welcome back, Mr. Sorkin. It's a pleasure to have you.

Sunday's explosive two-hour opener boldly delivers on the promise by TNT producers to rev up both the pace and the firepower in Season 2.

Dallas is teeming with the soapy plots, delectable eye candy and bad blood we crave in our TV guilty pleasures. It also maintains the general tone of the original without devolving into camp.

Stick with it, and this Sherlock proves to be a fun and exhilarating TV experience.

As it turns out, Veep might be even more hilarious if it didn't hit so uncomfortably close to the truth.

It all makes for a scattered, hit-or-miss proposition. Some gags land. Others fall flat.

Through the early episodes, nothing really happens that you couldn't see coming. Still, the setting is so seductive, the period details so vivid and the acting so stellar, that it's as intoxicating as a potent mojito.

The cast around Washington is also quite solid, and the show looks and is refreshingly different from a typical procedural. But it also feels a little too slick and superficial, and those gaps in logic may be a problem for some viewers.

The good news is that Sunday's two-hour opener answers several key questions in relatively rapid fashion and in ways that don't seem totally unreasonable. The bad news is that it also puts Sarah back at square one, and therein lies the problem.

That Thrones remains so utterly unpredictable makes it even more mesmerizing.

The top-notch acting is still intact, as is the attention to aesthetic detail.

While these [butt-kicking] scenes contain a certain intensity and exhilaration, you can't help but think that, had the writers of Missing devoted as much time to plot and character as they did to the fighting, they might have wound up with a much more enjoyable show.

It's a scattershot approach that ultimately undermines what is admirable about Luck, including some gorgeous photography.

Some of the characters are so simplistically drawn that it's laughable. On the other hand, we love these characters so much and we're having such a jolly good time that we just can't resist Downton Abbey.

So far, though, it has mostly kept its ambition in check, preferring to follow the playbook of a typical crime procedural, with a little more darkness and a little less energy.

We're left with a shrill sitcom that's hard not to hate.

The boys are at their best when mocking the absurdities of what they find on television.

It's captivating, and also poignant.

Based on the first two installments of a 13-episode season, it will continue to have viewers perched on the edge of their sofas.

Based on first impressions, it's certainly not fall-down funny, but the cast is appealing and the premise promising.

Very little of it feels fresh or funny. Nor does Allen's character strike me as someone viewers would want to spend a great deal of time with.

Although the show features strong performances and is piercing in its emotional honesty, it also get bogged down in its own existential angst.

The lively script by Geoffrey Ward covers a lot of ground and offers keen insights via interviews, not only with experts but regular folk who lived through the era.

Most TV shows, after all, quickly fade from memory. This one will haunt your dreams.

Homeland has a chance to be a much tighter--and smarter--endeavor with more nuance than "24" ever had. But if a cougar suddenly appears, and/or if someone comes back from the dead, all bets are off.

Unfortunately, no one pops off the screen the way Farrah once did.

The Playboy Club isn't in the same league, or even the same galaxy, as the critically adored "Mad Men." While the latter offers nuance and depth and keen insights into its era, the former settles for stock characters, cliches and superficiality, punctuated by a lot of come-hither looks.

What Up All Night has over other baby-rearing shows is a refreshing irreverence.

Ringer may not be able to match the Master of Suspense at the top of his game, but it does a great job of creating a constant state of queasy tension.

It manages to remain faithful to the tone and lively style of the original. Newcomers really don't have to be well-versed in Torchwood lore or "Doctor Who," the series that spawned it, to get a kick out of sci-fi craziness of it all.

Despite all the implausibilities and irritations, Switched manages to make a positive impression, thanks to some sturdy writing and solid performances that adequately sell the premise.

Some viewers will delight in the edgy humor, while others undoubtedly will want to slap an extra-tight muzzle on Wilfred.

For now, though, Delany is enough to hold our attention. With a deft touch, she blends just enough warmth and vulnerability with the sass and smarts to make it all palatable.

Breakout Kings manages to compensate for its lack of creative ambition with some lively writing, good pacing and an off-kilter sense of humor. It is also blessed with a colorful cast of characters.

Viewers turned off by the bitterly boisterous, superficial and often one-sided confrontations on the cable news channels might find The Sunset Limited to be refreshing in some ways.

Unfortunately, things just never really gel in a pilot episode that falls flat and is only intermittently funny....In fact, only Janney, whose gleefully oblivious character spews un-PC zingers and keeps a huge self-portrait in her office, makes a truly fresh impression.

What's more bothersome about Skins from a critical standpoint is the thin plotting, the aimless narrative, and the generally flat and artificial feel of the production.

The show's characters have proven to be an engaging bunch over the long haul and several themes embedded in The Game pack more emotional punch than most sitcoms. Judging from fan response, this is clearly a game plan that works.

Unfortunately, The Cape fails to fly. Lyons has all the charisma of a fence post, and the leaden scripts bring no fresh twists to the genre.

The opener is riddled with juvenile humor consisting of jokes pegged to corpses, crotches and child molestation. It's almost enough to trigger a case of mad cow disease.

If you've ever wondered how television screws up so many promising projects, check out Episodes, a new Showtime series with Matt LeBlanc that provides the answers in deliciously hilarious detail.

Hamming it up big time, William H. Macy plays a booze-addled father of six kids in this uneven drama that seems more intent on taking its pay-cable liberties (nudity, profanity, etc.) to the extreme than weaving an engaging story.

The solid acting performances and the family dynamics contained in Blue Bloods make for an absorbing hour of television.

Surely it will have Palin lovers rushing to plant wet smooches on the screen and all the haters citing it as proof that TV is, indeed, full of dreck.

Not everything worked, of course, and anyone expecting Conan to reinvent the wheel or drastically shake up the genre is probably disappointed. But if you were simply glad to see his brand of quirky comedy back in late night--and free of the network guardrails--it was cause for celebration.

Whereas most entries in the musty genre are simply inclined to go for cheap shrieks and lofty body counts, this saga defies expectations with a more humanistic approach.

$#*! My Dad Says feels hopelessly old school. It relies on a stock sitcom character--the crabby dad--that we've seen over and over. It mainly anchors itself to a claustrophobic sitcom-y living room, and it relies too heavily on a tired, rat-a-tat setup/punchline delivery.

The pilot episode isn't a total knockout, coming off as a tad bland and safe. Although Abrams does enough to hold our interest, it feels like he's let up on the gas pedal.

CBS has presented viewers with an exciting gift this fall. Their "Five-0" update not only doesn't stink, it's an action-packed, easy-on-the-eyes thrill ride that is slicker and sexier than the original series that aired from 1968 to '80.

With her winning smile, Southern twang and a tough-but-tender demeanor, Giddish makes for an instantly appealing lead. Unfortunately, she's about the only thing going for Chase, which is hampered by an unimaginative script.

By the end of the opener, a web of intriguing plot lines (and their treacherous overtones) are firmly in place. As ensuing episodes unfold, the story finds its beating heart as the characters substantially deepen.

Though Nikita is certainly dark, it's not as unbearably so as the USA cable version, which was too slick and soulless for its own good. The new version feels much more like a rollicking popcorn thrill ride.

Sunday night's opening episode, Public Relations, delivers some jaw-dropping moments.

Entourage is showing its age, but still offers a reliable dose of frat-boy humor and Hollywood-style hilarity. It also continues to be a show where men ride high (in more ways than one).

While the show does contain a few obvious penis punch lines, it is so much more than its gimmicky name suggests, offering plenty of heart, along with worthwhile riffs on the national economy, American resourcefulness and, yes, gender dynamics.

Initially, these and other fresh characters make Season 3 feel overcrowded--and we pity any new fan trying to make sense of it all. But by the middle of the second episode, the show begins to gain traction and sucks you in with its new set of tantalizing mysteries.

If you're a sucker for tangled mysteries--and are in need of a few heebie-jeebies--the show has enough oomph to its early episodes to suck you in.

Treme, probably more than any piece of cinematic fiction set in New Orleans, feels like an authentic experience. As you watch it--and slowly savor it--you can practically taste the red beans and rice.

To be sure, the show is like any other crime drama in that it contains darkness and violence--some of it erupting in unexpected ways. But there are enough new wrinkles here to make anyone who takes a chance on it feel thoroughly justified.

As its lofty production price tag suggests, The Pacific is bursting with epic sprawl and extravagance. But like any effective film of its kind, it also contains a brand of intimacy that will have you bonding with its characters and caring deeply about their fates.

What it lacks thus far are the laugh-out-loud oments that made the movie such a joy....That's not to say Parenthood isn't worth a look. Graham, the adorable "Gilmore Girls" alum, rocks the heck out of every scene she's in.

With her Texas twang and feisty demeanor, Giddish is instantly engaging, and she and Bishop share a nice on-screen chemistry that make them worth our time. As for the Past Life cases, they are adequately compelling.

A contrived, yet effective, piece of feel-good television.

Friday's moody pilot unfolds at a listless pace and, occasionally, gets bogged down in its own density. But in it's favor, there are enough compelling characters and tantalizing questions to keep us engaged for the time being.

Some viewers will be riveted to the sex, violence, beautiful nude bods and sensory gluttony of Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Others will be turned off almost instantly.

The problem is there's nothing here that hasn't been done before, and often done better. Even more disheartening: The cast, which includes Matt Long and Billy Zane, is stocked with forgettable and/or boorish characters.

Lux is one of those cute, quippy, ultra-mature teens you find only on TV. And several plot points unfortunately come across as false. But it doesn't matter. The lead characters in Life Unexpected are so likable, and the interactions between them feel so natural, that you find yourself willing to give the show lots of slack.

For some, it has become a mostly predictable, tired pattern that causes eyes to roll. But for those who can still check their critical capacities at the door--even after seven seasons--24 continues to make for pulse-pounding, nail-biting comfort food.

Whatever the case, it's a blast to watch Valley's character squirm his way out of a major mess, while keeping his droll sense of humor intact. Human Target never will be a big-time Emmy magnet, but as a piece of good, escapist fun, it definitely hits the mark.

The various parts don't quite hold together, and there are too many rough patches to make Miss Guided an unqualified success. It could get better, although it has just a handful of episodes in which to make that happen.

The Riches is not a perfect show (the story's twists stretch the rules of plausibility every week), but it has something to say about such concepts as freedom and what constitutes a normal life. In addition, you won't find any better lead performances on television than those offered by Driver and Izzard.

It manages to be a rousing piece of filmmaking, a fascinating character study and a largely accurate presentation of the time when America was born.

Somewhere, things went very wrong, and the comedy turns out to be a flat, unappealing mess.

The series gets off to a reasonably strong start, propelled nicely by some decent (and, for network TV, hard-edged) writing and engaging performances by an above-average cast.

Although a bit rough at times (it's nowhere near as slick as "Laguna Beach"), Confidential is strong, emotionally charged stuff with the kind of real kids not often seen on TV.

New Amsterdam is worth keeping an eye on as it develops. It could become consistently engaging television.

The writing is smart, the production is crisp and surprisingly stylish, given the budget, and the show has a fascinating central character in kinetic blogger Dylan Krieger.

There's a crispness to the series that was lacking at times last season, and it's impossible not to get caught up in the twists and turns that come in rapid-fire succession.

What keeps Jungle from being laughably bad is Shields is so charming and Raver so intelligent in their roles that they carry scenes that should just keel over and die.

Effortlessly mixing drama and wit, mysticism and biting social commentary, there is a real glow to Eli Stone that will brighten your day and lift your spirits. That is a very rare thing on television.

The [first two] installments--titled "The Beginning of the End" and "Confirmed Dead"--are gripping, vivid, beautifully executed and loaded with answers to the little mysteries of Lost life.

It's an engaging series that's definitely worth at least a trial spin.

Occasionally, something will pop up to remind us of just how good television can be when smart writers come up with an intriguing concept and execute it well. A case in point is Breaking Bad, an edgy, challenging new series.

Torchwood-- the "Doctor Who" spinoff that was a breakout sci-fi hit last year--is back Saturday with new episodes that are as smart, sassy and sexy as ever.

Still, "Chronicles" is worth an early sampling, particularly given the current TV landscape where scripted drama and comedy is at a premium. Certainly, there is some promise to the opening episodes.

In the end, The Wire is extraordinary television. It has a richness, a depth and an intelligence that transcend the medium and makes it the kind of superb literature that A.O. Scott found lacking in the world of books.

Baum's work almost collapses under the weight of a misguided re-interpretation.

There’s not a ton of depth to Shrek the Halls but it is fun.

From an advance look at the season opener, this season's cast is a particularly lively mix with a multimedia artist, a "Beach Blanket Babylon" costume designer, a model-turned-designer and an ex-biker among those competing.

At least early on, Nip/Tuck manages to hit the right notes and reclaim a spot as one of television's most watchable and entertaining series.

Daisies is something you shouldn't miss, particularly if you're looking for something different on TV.

It could develop (its creator is Bruce McCulloch from "Kids in the Hall"), but right now, it's only so-so.

It is a classic fish-out-of-water comedy that shows a deft touch as it delves into adolescent anxieties and intercultural fears and misunderstandings. There are honest emotions and honestly earned laughs throughout the first half hour.

It's just sort of an underwritten mess.

Shots has some potential. The leads - Michael Vartan ("Alias"), Dylan McDermott ("The Practice"), Joshua Malina ("The West Wing"), Christopher Titus ("Titus")--have chemistry, and there are some funny lines and situations.