Judging by the pilot, George Lopez is no laugh riot, but it definitely has its moments, and it's refreshing to find a touch of Mexican-American flavor on TV somewhere other than Showtime and Nickelodeon. [27 Mar 2002, p.D01]

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.

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

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.

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.

It's fast-moving eye candy and that's about it. [12 Jan 1997, p.4]

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.

The pilot managed to hold my interest for the most part, and I'll credit Hall for bringing a moody allure to the role...Who knows? The show could still flatline over its 13-episode run, but for now it seems to be alive and kicking. [16 June 2002, p.C4]

Strangely engrossing.

Stargate SG-1 is mainstream sci-fi television of the no-brainer genre. Light on intellectual depth and heavy on action, it seems destined to play toward a younger age group than the Star Trek and Babylon 5 sort of science fiction shows. [24 Jul 1997]

"Commander'' looks good, summons up some real energy in key scenes and establishes a certain warmth in its portrayal of the Allen family.

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.

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.

The show crackles with witty (and jargony) banter and mostly succeeds at making its tech world fun and engaging -- something Randi Zuckerberg's "Start-Up: Silicon Valley" reality series too often failed to do. But the problem with Betas is that it's an uneven endeavor that's just good enough to make you wish it were better.

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.

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.

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.

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

Right now, it's a comedy in search of real laughs. [20 Sept 2002, p.1]

In its early episodes, "American Dad" not only follows the lead of "Family Guy" but also throws in digs at U.S. political institutions. [1 May 2005]

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.

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

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.

"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.

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.

At least "Watching Ellie" takes some risks and tries something different -- even if the risks don't translate to laughs and the concept doesn't really work. [26 Feb 2002]

Baruchel and Johnson (who is quite appealing in his role) have real chemistry.

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