All Cane has going for it now is the cast. In tonight's opening episode, the tone is all over the place

What really makes the opening episode work, though, is the chemistry between Grammer--as Chuck Darling, an egotistical newsman who has returned to Pittsburgh after his career stalled--and Heaton as his uptight longtime co-anchor, Kelly Carr, who isn't thrilled by his return.

The show could grow on you quickly because those involved are actually talented and engaging on- and offstage. One upside to Nashville is that it doesn't feel as staged as "Laguna Beach" or, in particular, "The Hills," a spinoff of "Beach."

By the end of the first hour of Tell Me, I found myself caring deeply about what was happening to the couples and whether, in the end, they would find some joy of sex and emotional satisfaction. And whether I care about the characters is always my bottom line as to whether a series succeeds.

Once you get used to the surroundings, it's still the same "As You Like It"--utterly charming and completely winning.

For those who loved the original - and for those who liked it for its good nature, charm and peppy production numbers (that includes me)--the good news is that, if anything, the creators have managed to improve on the basic formula.

Californication is a near-perfect match with the established show, a caustic, sharp-edged mix of humor and drama that tiptoes along the edge of disaster but never drops into the looming abyss.

It evokes an era worth revisiting, reconsiders a time that was an important chapter in our history and gives us a monumental performance by Keaton.

It's a mesmerizing tale of legal maneuvering with the distinctive FX moral ambiguity and splendid performances by Close, Rose Byrne ("28 Weeks Later") as her protege and TV veteran Ted Danson as her latest courtroom adversary.

Grace has a world of promise with thoughtful writing by Nancy Miller ("The Closer," "Any Day Now"), an intriguing take on the nature of faith and a sheer force-of-nature performance by Hunter.

The series is a funny, knowing, sometimes dark, sometimes romantic take on the time just before the power of advertising was fully realized.

There is certainly enough right about the first hour of State of Mind that I'll be back for at least one more session with Ann Bellowes.

Side Order has the most problems. While there are enough appealing moments in Sunday's opening episode to leave viewers with an initial warm and fuzzy feeling, the show simply doesn't stand up to much scrutiny.

It is a gripping and explosively acted piece that involves the New York Yankees, the Son of Sam killer and the infamous 25-hour blackout that darkened all of New York City.

The series is not great television by any means, but it has a kind of breezy charm and sly wit that make it one of this summer's better new shows.

I found enough mesmerizing moments, bits of character and sharp Milch dialogue in the opening episodes that I'll probably stick around to catch a few more waves.

The juxtaposition of the sometimes off-the-wall comments and the cuddly creatures is what makes "Comforts" so amusing.

While lacking the satirical humor of "Housewives" and the edge of "Unit," the show is serviceable in its storytelling, quite well-done in its production and better than well-done in its acting.

The show is overly ripe in its writing and spends far too much time exploring the whiny angst of the teens.

There's just enough punch to it that you'll want to stick around for Hour Two.

The series doesn't come close to capturing the edgy tone and visual style of the print original.

There's nothing particularly awful... But there's nothing particularly right about it either, and laughs are spotty at best.

There's not a lot of depth to the proceedings, and the series is at its weakest when it tries to make some Important Point. But it's a good deal of fun watching Meyers and the rest of the ensemble smartly bringing to life the deceit and internal politics of this royal chess match. "The Tudors" is a spicy soap opera, decked out in really fancy trappings.

A smart, sophisticated spoof.

All this talent can't make the premise - a police detective talks to murder victims - work.

It has its moments, particularly as it progresses.

Monday's opening hour is a bit disjointed stylistically. But the individual pieces are so compelling that you're still going to be sucked into the saga. And the show gets far more consistent in future episodes.

A richly drawn, unflinchingly real and quietly moving family drama.

A joyless and certainly unromantic mess.

Corddry manages to make scenes work that otherwise would have viewers reaching for the remote.

You'll get hooked on it early and should stick around to the very end -- even though you have a good idea of what's coming.

If anything, season 2--also just eight hours long--is even better as Tyler's world in 1973 becomes even more complicated.

There isn't a single new comedy idea in any of the upcoming episodes, and in some scenes, you practically can yell out the punch line before the characters get to it.

[It] is a bit too slavish in its imitation of the "Runway'' formula, but in its opening episode, it shows signs of real promise.

It is an extremely challenging bit of filmmaking, since almost nothing is initially what it seems and you have to pay very close attention to the complex storytelling.

This BBC-produced series has some of the best writing and acting you're likely to see this season.

This year, as in the past, there are all kinds of problems with "24" if you think too hard about what you're watching.

[It] may be the worst, most annoying comedy to turn up on the networks this season.

The best new network sitcom this season.

A mishmash that wastes an interesting cast... and the few intriguing ideas it has.

While it's not totally painful, it's so hopelessly incoherent that you'll probably get a headache or two if you actually stick with it for the full three days and six hours.

"Sleeper Cell" is a compelling, kinetic ride that matches "24" in its power and is far more realistic and topical.

The situations are predictable, the writing is unfunny and the cast is forced to overplay every scene in hopes of generating something resembling a chuckle.

The patter is more what you'd hear from reasonably clever people in real life, not a bunch of lines thought up in the comedy's writers' room.

While you have to give them credit for trying something at least a little different, the creators and cast try way too hard to pull laughs out of the situation and the show comes off as forced and unbelievable.

The upside to the series is that Diggs is good enough and the production slick enough that, for a while, you might be willing to play along the don't-think-too-hard-about-it premise.... [But] Hopper's day becomes pretty boring after a while.

As hard as Tucci tries -- and he tries very hard -- he can't make Dr. Doug Hanson into Dr. Gregory House. It's not his fault; the writers simply don't give him the dialogue and depth that Hugh Laurie gets to play with on "House.''

They could have made for some deadly passages, but thanks to Morgan's writing and a superior cast, these discourses on the nature of evil, and whether the truly evil ever can be restored to humanity, are mesmerizing.

Torchwood is grand fun and great adult entertainment.

When he gets a lot of air time and his worst excesses are not reined in, Morgan is the human equivalent of fingernails on a blackboard.... As a result, what could have been a rather savory dish ends up with a rather unpleasant aftertaste.

What's particularly appalling is the way Lithgow is allowed to go way, way over the top in his performance.

One of TV's most invigorating and intellectually stimulating series.... provocative television that transcends its genre.

The way these characters interact and relate in the first hour is dazzling and involving without being self-consciously clever.

A finely detailed exploration of high school life and small-city dynamics.

I won't pretend "Dexter'' is for everybody. If you wince during scenes on "CSI,'' the series isn't for you.... But if you like the idea of a very good show that wrestles each week with moral dilemmas and the nature of good and evil, "Dexter'' is just the thing.

The driving force behind the show's appeal is Ferrera, who gives a pitch-perfect, killer performance in the opening episodes.

It shows more than a bit of promise.

If it keeps its balance and cuts back on some of the more implausible moments in the first hour, this series could be a keeper.

Fresh and fascinating.

An incoherent, almost unwatchable mess.

It's an intriguing premise but one that comes off a bit strained in the opening hour and leaves you with the feeling that you have no idea where the show is going.

For at least the first two episodes, "Jericho'' works better than it should, and there are some striking moments and images.

The show doesn't look as if it will get too complex for its own good, the mystery has an internal logic that works and, best of all, there are moments... that suggest the creators are constructing some real flesh-and-blood characters.

The writing has picked up considerably since the pilot. But the real reason to try this show is the cast.

The characters are intelligent, complex people you quickly care about, even if -- this being a show about television -- they can be egotistical and self-centered.

If you stick with it, you will be rewarded with some of the most compelling, provocative drama ever produced for television.

"Justice" is slick, fast-paced and stylish, with enough twists to separate it from the glut of shows in its genre. But it's also one of the most extraordinarily cynical shows to come along in some time.

This is a series trying to be fresh but succeeding only in trading on the predictable cliches.

There's a depth, a richness to the series now that was only suggested [in the first season].

But as good as it is, it doesn't quite have the originality, unique perspective and subversive sense of humor that mark HBO's "The Sopranos'' (clearly something of a model), "Deadwood'' and "The Wire.''

As is the case of "Monk'' at its best, ["Psych"] isn't as much about the crime mysteries as it is a vehicle for lighthearted fun.

[It] comes up more than a bit short.

The finest purely American TV film to come along in some time.

Strangely engrossing.

It tries to be edgy but misses by a mile.

It doesn't work, largely because there's not enough wit from creator and star Louis C.K. to make the vulgarity anything more than an exercise in blue.

The series returns with its creative six-shooters blazing, its florid language and baroque manner of storytelling still gloriously riveting.

[Entourage] has gotten funnier, more human and more insightful with age.

"Ranch House" is the most ambitious of the "House" projects.

It is a great performance [by Mirren], strong enough that it overcomes the flaws of "Elizabeth I."

There's not a lot wrong about "Brian.'' But there's not a lot right about it, either.

The romantic comedy comes off as a rather charming, likable hour, thanks in large measure to a cast that gives it more than a bit of zip.

"Thief" is a worthy addition to [FX's] schedule.

It may be that in the long run, "Heist" proves to be something you can admire simply for its pure entertainment value. But right now, it's a show that looks good on the surface but is empty at the core.

There are some very funny lines and moments... Unfortunately, the good stuff isn't worth slogging through the rest of this sitcom.

Generally funny, sharply observant and smart in its use of the star and a good supporting cast.

Much of its strength comes from a group of actors so skilled that, like the ensemble on "The Sopranos," they draw us into the lives of their characters even if we don't initially want to go there.

The series has a familiar format, but the opening episode suggests it may have some real spark to it.

What I've seen suggests an intriguing show, although there's something so contrived about the series that it makes me more than a bit uneasy.

It just oozes potential with sharp dialogue and a strong cast.

Definitely worth your time.

While it hardly breaks new TV ground or sends off the kind of sparks you want in a first-rate drama, the series has a certain watchable quality to it.

"Free Ride" is crude, mean-spirited, and not nearly as fresh and innovative as the producers think it is.

Bening provides the spark that drives "Mrs. Harris," keeping its darkly funny irony from degenerating into campy humor.

I guess this is supposed to be another "feel-good" reality show, but it comes off more like an exercise in wretched excess.

It's a rip-off (and not a particularly well-executed one) of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

This season's opening four hours are as good as anything the series has ever done.

Next Thursday's outing is much better [than the pilot], suggesting the series could generate some laughs over the long haul.