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.