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.

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

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

Unfortunately, what hasn't changed is that this comedy about the life of a neurotic nightclub singer simply isn't very funny. [14 Apr 2004]

Anything remotely resembling complexity and nuance has been sacrificed to cramming six decades of history into two hours of airtime, minus commercials.

A joyless and certainly unromantic mess.

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.

Jillian... was so obnoxious and smugly hostile in the opener that I found myself practically rooting for one of the big-bellied contestants to squash her like a common household bug. [26 Oct 2004]

Dead on arrival in the laughs department.

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.

Strangely engrossing.

A lame, tawdry sitcom with unfunny sex jokes.

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

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

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

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

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.

$#*! 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.

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

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

It has its moments, particularly as it progresses.

As bad as the original was, the sequel is even worse.

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.

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

A warm, harmless, family-friendly show that offers a few sweetly amusing moments mixed in with the predictable twists. The kids are quite adorable, too.