All the weird, impulsive jokes are as outrageously funny as they aspire to be. [22 Sept 1994, p.1C]

Has a solid premise and a lavish look. The show's signature visual gimmick features characters morphing into their younger selves. Then there's the appealing Rush, who makes a very strong first impression. [27 Sept 2003, p.D01]

A pretty lively and entertaining show, maybe the fledgling WB network's first real shot at a breakaway hit. [10 Mar 1997, p.10E]

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

Could prove to be a hit without being very good. [20 Sept 2002, p.1]

Certainly, Dominic Purcell creates quite a presence as this man of mystery. [20 Sept 2002, p.1]

Based on tonight's premiere, this mix of "Star Wars" and "Stagecoach" could prove to be visually ambitious, thematically provocative and full of crackling dialogue. [20 Sept 2002, p.1]

There are lots of problems with the Special Victims premiere, chief among them being the focus on Olivia Benson, the female detective played by Mariska Hargitay. In a misguided rush to establish the character's background story and motivation as a cop, the episode's key moment is a revelation about an intimate detail of her life. It comes way before we have enough reason to care about her. [20 Sept 1999, p.7C]

Community can be too consciously zany at times and occasionally misses more than it hits. But from the early looks of things, it seems to be holding up just fine.

Season 3 gets off to a fine and frothy start.

Crossfire Hurricane deftly blends vintage concert footage, TV broadcasts, pieces of key songs and clips from other documentaries in with voiced-over highlights from 80 hours of fresh interviews with current and past band members--all conducted off-screen.

Malibu Country is so old school, in fact, that it feels like a leftover from ABC's TGIF days, complete with a studio audience, an irritating laugh track and a sitcomy march-time pace.

The show is at its best when the confrontational tension among the humans is palpable.

An irresistible blend of soapy shenanigans, domestic tension, political intrigue and catchy tunes.

Arrow does what a solid pilot should: Suck us in, make us anxious to see what's next and set up several intriguing possibilities.

Fortunately, the new Steel Magnolias turns out to be a full 90 minutes of wonderful.

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

The good news is that Kaling and her writers have crafted a character who is competent at her job, not a goofball in scrubs. And they've offset the show's dreamy sweetness with plenty of snarky bite.

You get sort of an odd, been-there-done-that feeling when watching the pilot, which contains, to varying degrees, traces of "The Hunger Games," "The Walking Dead," "FlashForward," "Jericho," "Lost" (Elizabeth Mitchell is in the cast) and other dystopian fare.

It's never easy to say goodbye to a drama as mind-blowingly magnificent as Breaking Bad, but savvy creator Vince Gilligan has picked the right time to put his end game into motion

Fortunately, as the saga unfolds, it delves into fresher territory, and Political Animals becomes an intriguing, even occasionally humorous, family soap opera.

Based on two preview episodes, Anger Management is at least more interesting than "Two and a Half Men" (take that, Ashton Kutcher). That's certainly not saying much, though.

I'd rather spend time with an edgy show that aims high and sometimes falls short, than one that doesn't.... Welcome back, Mr. Sorkin. It's a pleasure to have you.

Sunday's explosive two-hour opener boldly delivers on the promise by TNT producers to rev up both the pace and the firepower in Season 2.

Dallas is teeming with the soapy plots, delectable eye candy and bad blood we crave in our TV guilty pleasures. It also maintains the general tone of the original without devolving into camp.

Stick with it, and this Sherlock proves to be a fun and exhilarating TV experience.

As it turns out, Veep might be even more hilarious if it didn't hit so uncomfortably close to the truth.

It all makes for a scattered, hit-or-miss proposition. Some gags land. Others fall flat.