Last Resort [is] another epic, ambitious and distinctive new show that is cause for excitement.

FX may have struck dramatic gold again. This series is mesmerizing. It sucks you in like a good book and has you yearning for more.

One of the most fully realized, innovative and flat-out exciting television debuts ever. [4 Nov 2001]

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

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

The writing... is sharp and rich. The production -- from the design of the carnival to the evocative cinematography -- is dazzling. The direction from the likes of "Sopranos" veteran Rodrigo Garcia is first-rate. And the acting is sensational. [14 Sep 2003]

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

The format of '24' still works beautifully. [27 Oct 2002]

Murder One is a giant step above the other new fall attractions and proof again that Bochco is America's most experienced chef when it comes to cooking up irresistible adult drama. [19 Sept 1995, p.1D]

What [director Ryan Murphy] delivers is a film with piercing emotional honesty that feels rough, and real, and intimate, and truly full of heart.

It's an extraordinary achievement, particularly since the miniseries ended up involving seven directors, including Hanks, and six writers. There is an inevitable difference in tone between the episodes, but "Band" never wavers from its vision of re-creating the experience of war through the eyes of average soldiers. [9 Sept 2001, p.3E]

The special stays true to the tone and searing wit of the original series and makes for a spectacularly funny coda to "The Office." [18 Oct 2004]

House is a rarity for TV: a true anti-hero, someone who's hard to embrace but easy to accept. [15 Nov 2004, p.2C]

Boomtown offers hope that it could be one of those rare shows that looks sharp, is sharp and actually has something to say...In lesser hands, it could have been hackneyed or pretentious. But creator Graham Yost is a skilled writer who handles the shifting perspectives and the time jumps with aplomb and without sacrificing characterization. [27 Sept 2002, p.SE1]

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.

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.

The one truly original new show this season and certainly the funniest comedy. It is outrageous. It is odd. It is fresh. It is smart. And, given the track record of such refreshingly sophisticated comedies on network TV, it will be lucky to last three episodes. [31 Oct 2003, p.9E]

The good news is that it's still got game. [7 Nov 2004, p.C09]

[Sorkin's] premier episode for West Wing is a fine piece of work, relying heavily on a presumption that viewers have brains and can absorb a lot in a short period...Rarely has a writer fleshed out so many characters with so few words in such a short period of time. [22 Sept 1999, p.14E]

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.

[It has] a rich mix of sharp observant humor and a sure feel for the family dynamic.

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

The best new series of the season, it's a drama that deftly blends familiar elements of "The Stepford Wives" and "American Beauty" with a dash of "Twin Peaks," while still managing to feel strikingly new. [3 Oct 2004]

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

One of the best-written and well-acted pilots of the fall, this spunky dramedy is full of small surprises. [29 Sept 2000, p.T034]

This is a cast that jells immediately, hitting on all cylinders from the very first scene.

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

While Botwin's crime world is the engine that drives "Weeds," there is much more to the show than that. At its core, it's a subtle satire of suburban life, politics, social mores and race. [13 Aug 2007]