Pennette’s mission, though, is to keep Ashford in the fold no matter what it takes. She’s the A+ in this fairly middling comedy.

Anderson, a favorite in British theater, shows American audiences yet another nuanced take that manages to nudge even Colman’s performance. ... While Corrin doesn’t make a deep impression until the third episode, she gives Diana a strength we haven’t seen before.

Mara and Robinson are good leads – you can see him wilt as the years go by – but they also don’t provide enough of the why.

While Adams and McDorman dominate, they’re not the only ones to watch. The other five get their moments; their families do, too.

Because it antes in so many pots, this “Fargo” is like a thick novel – frequently unwieldy. Schwartzman and Buckley get lost (just when you need them the most); Timothy Olyphant and Jack Huston show up as lawmen when you’re not quite ready for them.

Because it’s like some 1950s melodrama, “Ratched” is quite attractive initially. ... Instead, it's just a shirttail relative of "American Horror Story," another series that isn't always sure what it wants to do.

Too traditional for its own good, it needs to mix things up on a grand scale.

“Coastal Elites” is a powerful 90 minutes with five actors who know how to make each moment count. You may not agree with the political points some espouse, but you will respect the heart that’s behind them.

While the first season surprised with behind-the-scenes talk (and action) among the superheroes, it didn’t have the depth this one does.

“Million Dollar Beach House,” an airy addition to the summer schedule, doesn’t really have the drama of “Million Dollar Listings” or “Selling Sunset,” but there is enough here to savor. ... Had the producers shown us more of the Hamptons in the process, “MDBH” might have set itself apart from other, similar shows.

“Lovecraft Country,” which tips its hat to the novels of H.P. Lovecraft, has the gloss of a Steven Spielberg summer blockbuster. It also has Spielberg’s way of tucking messages in places you wouldn’t expect.

Like a YouTube channel, “Muppets Now” needs to figure out what it does best and proceed. This isn’t “America’s Funniest Muppet Videos.” It’s “The Miss Piggy Show” with a few distracting bits thrown in for surprise.

“Brave New World” looks like something NBC might have programmed in the 1980s. The sex and swearing are a stretch, of course, but there’s a lot of “Stepford Wives” to this that doesn’t really work.

Winters hits the bases but doesn’t necessarily come all the way home. In “Showbiz Kids” there are enough storylines to fill a stadium.

This is a dandy companion piece – for hardcore fans. The idea that Disney would do similar documentaries on other animated features is overkill. Sometimes there’s more magic in not knowing how the sausage is made.

Spread over eight episodes, this “Perry Mason” deserves the time you give it. It lets supporting characters have their moments and it gives Rhys yet another opportunity to display just how fertile his imagination is. If there’s a second season – and that’s quite likely – it’d be nice to see cases closed after two or three episodes.

It’s likely this could have a good long run, particularly since Scott is so smart and approachable and Reynolds is so deliciously low. ... It’s easily one of those shows that could go the distance. It’s far better than some of the network’s retreads and it’s much more interesting with the producer’s well-written asides. This “Don’t” is a big do.

While none of the jokes land with the same precision as "Veep's", they do play in the same pool. If Kudrow had been given more screen time, she just might have made this zing as well as "The Comeback."

A simple check of Google could tell you how this all turns out but it’s fascinating to see how McNamara bends the narrative to fit the message.

The two [Applegate and Cardellini] are great together even when “Dead to Me” doesn’t give them the scenes they deserve. Because they’re so linked, the second season episodes should be binged. Alone, they lack context; together, they’re like a tray of appetizers – easy to slide down.

It’s sexy, sizzling and silly, all at one time.

In light of “The Good Place,” “Upload” seems light on humor and connections we can embrace. Amell and Allo are good partners. They’re just caught in a situation that’s too raw for viewers who now are in the middle of a pandemic.

“Defending Jacob” is fairly straightforward. It has a murder. It has a suspect. It has a trial. And then it starts sprinkling in reasonable doubt. If there’s a greater lesson to be learned, we missed it. ... Thanks to a great score and lingering cinematography, “Defending Jacob” is good. It just seems supersized to justify a film star showing up on television.

While Blanchett waltzes through the miniseries like Eleanor Parker, she doesn’t quite get the hardscrabble woman who tilted at the ERA windmill. She’s too patrician for those of us who remember her. ... Martindale and Ullman have done their homework, but it’s Elizabeth Banks as Jill Ruckelshaus and Byrne who impress. They capture the movement’s urgency and help us understand their place in it. ... “Mrs. America” might have benefitted from an additional episode to explain how many of [Schlafly's] disciples went on to win seats in the House and the Senate.

Running just seven episodes, “Run” makes a strong case for short-term series. Stopping when it should, not when producers think it can’t be squeezed anymore, the half-hour series rarely lags, even when some twists seem forced. Waller-Bridge created the template for something like this. Now, Jones borrows the playbook and two extremely talented actors make it worth the risk.

The deck is stacked against the fledgling money launderers. How they maneuver around their detractors is still “Ozark’s” biggest strength. Couple that with the one-two punch of Linney and Pelphrey, and this is a compelling season worth binging.

The Netflix documentary is so horrifically addicting you’ll be like a cat at feeding time. Never mind some of the seven-part series’ editing or focus. The production pulls you in because the characters are so unabashedly brazen. They don’t just talk about their hatred. They openly demonstrate it, helping you understand a layer of society you never knew existed.

While this “One Day at a Time” isn’t as revolutionary as Lear’s early offerings (“All in the Family” is still the gold standard), it does move the needle on a number of issues. It also shows fans know better than executives.

Witherspoon, who practically owns the franchise on uptight white women, gives this one an even bigger nudge. At times, “Little Fires” looks like a Marc Cherry potboiler. Washington, meanwhile, reacts like she’s in something more significant. That pull adds to the story’s allure and pushes our sympathies to others. ... “Little Fires Everywhere” doesn’t have the heft of “Pretty Little Lies,” but it should spark discussions about privilege, race and expectations.

The laughs aren’t as rapid-fire as they were in “Veep,” but they are plentiful. Gad perfects that smarmy billionaire; Suzy Nakamura is ideal as his common law assistant. ... Laurie is ideal at the helm – even when the story seems like it’s rudderless. He plays captain in a way you wouldn’t think and handles disaster like Jean-Luc Picard never would. Make it so? “Avenue 5” does.

There’s a germ of something here. It’s never quite clear what it could be.

“Cheer” isn’t so much a new take on an old story as it is proof there’s drama wherever two or more gather. It’s an addicting reality show that will make you think twice the next time you see someone accomplish something amazing.

In the third season, she [creator Amy Sherman-Palladino] dreams even bigger and gives us a USO tour, Las Vegas and Miami Beach. ... Swirl it all together with some of the best production design found in a sitcom and this season of “Mrs. Maisel” is pretty, well, marvelous. ... Brosnahan and company continue to impress and Zegen, the beleaguered man in the back, finally gets the attention he deserves.

While the parallels between this high school musical and the other one aren’t hard to spot, it does have a more adult vibe and a snarkiness factor that should pull in a non-Disney crowd.

It’s an interesting premise that shows just how intense high school can be. ... While the series doesn’t give full back stories, it does let you know what happened to the students and how theater affected their lives.

Because the creators have been able to take a headline-grabbing situation and make it relevant for those on the outside, “The Morning Show” bears watching. It’s one of those shows you didn't know you needed to watch.

Watchmen doesn’t need millions of dollars of special effects. It soars on great writing and performances.

Like an unexpected present, “Modern Love” contains plenty of reasons to smile.

Haggard finds much to embrace and a great way of making you think of all people.

It’s gritty in a new way and, yes, lots of fun.

Rose is perfectly cast. The show has a lot to offer, too.

This is an odd, odd show.

“Harts” lets you have a helping of the lifestyle you loved in “King of the Hill.”

Ben Platt (Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen”) goes all Tracy Flick in this comedy. ... This is one of the year’s best.

While the supernatural can take this in directions you probably don’t want to go, the researchers (played by Mike Colter, Katja Herbers and Aasif Mandvi) do get moments of clarity. The show’s best bet is Michael Emerson as a pot stirrer who uses technology to cause problems.

Two siblings steal the show.

Heaton brings a giddy charm to the “what if” role and gets great support from a cast just waiting to break out.

Considering he [Walton Goggins] has played some of the most offbeat characters on TV, this is a switch and, at times, a heartwarming journey.

It’s the kind of premise Andy Griffith might have considered years ago, but it’s not quite in tune with NBC’s other comedies.

Smulders would have been a great lead in one of Steven Bochco’s series. Here, she has to provide that vibe with lesser scripts.

There’s a supernatural feel to it, but the series also has a serialized format that makes you wonder who can hang in longer – the network or the viewers.

The retro feel of ABC comedies is wearing thin; the kids, though, are cute.

It’s a noble drama, but it’s not all that original. Smits’ accent is a eye-opener.

Or, “My Dad’s a Serial Killer.”

Watch those supporting actors. They’re Tony winners and highly skilled.

Sweet, in a “Mike & Molly” way.

Ken Burns’ stellar documentary. ... “Country Music” isn’t definitive, but it comes pretty darn close, particularly when it uses those unforgettable songs as evidence. ... Absorbing every step of the way, “Country Music” is like a class reunion you don’t want to leave. You learn something about the people you thought you knew and you come to appreciate them for the faults you never thought you could excuse.

Dunst takes risks and they pay big dividends. ... Emmy worthy. [Theodore Pellerin as Cody] is one of the best performances of the year. It makes you want to discover what drives him and where he’ll finally wind up. Others, though, are equally compelling. ... “On Becoming a God in Central Florida” is one of the best new shows of the year.

“The Righteous Gemstones” clicks along for a couple of episodes, then hits high gear when Walton Goggins shows up as Baby Billy Freeman, Eli’s late wife’s brother. ... Tossing him – a propane tank of emotions – into a volatile mix like this enhances what already was a comic firestorm.

“The Boys” is a refreshing look at the ever-expanding world of men and women in tights. It gives Urban one of his best roles in years and keeps our interest much longer than we ever thought possible.

Director Jonathan Krisel makes them seamless – and fun. ... Clearly, this is a vanity project but it has worth beyond its fun factor. Krisel goes deeper on some of the family issues and lets Martha reveal personality beyond contempt.

“Fleabag” has callbacks to the first season’s revelation and an ending that’s so perfect it really should be in a textbook for comedy writers.

Yes, the series has humor (Applegate is too nuanced to let that go), but it’s not the laughfest you expect from something labeled “sitcom.” This is more ironic.

It gleefully wallows in its own world, suggesting nobody in Washington really knows what makes it tick. While Louis-Dreyfus is just as Emmy-worthy as ever, it’s Simons who rises to this season’s top.

The four lead vampires feed on pretense and find laughs in something as simple as hissing. But it’s Guillen and Feldstein who bring the spice.

Rich and company show the gears, the ingredients and the packaging. More mystery, as Radcliffe knows, is always a good thing.

The two are great actresses--no matter how old--who can slip into another bracket and tell universal truths. PEN15 has more humor than you can imagine (wait until you see them in physical education classes) and a voice that deserves to be heard.

The performances were solid and the in-your-face direction was what something like this needed. ... While Fox’s “RENT” was a bit too sanitized for its own good, it had the right people in the key roles, particularly Jordan Fisher, who, as Mark, served as the tour guide through the past, the heartache and, most of all, the brilliance of writer Jonathan Larson.

“It’s so surreal,” Underwood says of the process. True, but there have been worse opening nights. ... While the new bachelor is described as “better looking than Brad Pitt,” he is more personable than some of the recent titleholders.

In the fifth episode of the season, Crashing hits a peak, particularly since it lets Audrie Neenan offer her own take on his work--and his choice in women. She’s a jewel as mom and a perfect foil for Wise and Holmes. ... If there’s a drawback to this season, it’s the length. Easily, Crashing could have stretched a couple more episodes and shown the aftermath of life in the big leagues.

What is a given is the surprise element. The costumes are quite elaborate and they, alone, would be worth an episode. ... Ken Jeong seems like the wild card, since no one has associated him with music. (At least Jenny McCarthy’s husband is one of the New Kids on the Block.) He tries to be funny but, often, it’s Scherzinger’s surprised looks that get the laughs.

Director Jeffrey Reiner gives this a ‘90s soap patina that works--to a point. The intelligence that Britton and Bana provide gets shoved aside in favor of scenes that look like they couldn’t possibly be true (but are). When “Dirty John” begins to unravel, we lose interest and feel as duped as Debra.

With a different cast, it might actually work. Because she’s so immediately likable, it’s hard to buy Garner as woman with misplaced sympathies. ... Only Lewis (who’s outrageously good) and Arturo De Puerto as her new beau Miguel seem ideal. They cause much of the drama and don’t really care what the others think. When they’re around, Camping is more fun than fireside ghost stories. ... Gems drip out, but they don’t come often enough.

Ford and Regalbuto aren’t given enough new things to do and Charles Kimbrough (who played Jim Dial) checks in long enough to let you know he’s still around. The mother/son angle is the show’s best. ... But it’s English’s smart writing that will keep them [viewers] around.

Yes, The Mayo Clinic does get bogged down in classic photos moving in and out (a Burns hallmark). But its success stories help drive home those very lessons William Mayo wanted to impress upon his peers. It’s a great elevator speech for a business that doesn’t really need one.

Creators Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault get plenty of laughs this time around, but it’s often because the actors have crafted such full Christopher Guest-like characters. These suspects have layers and they’re infinitely worth peeling away.

The show’s writing is sharp and smart; its acting is clever and curt. Toss in that casino wild card and you’ve got a season that’s just as remarkable as the first.

While Pardo is a super lure into the world of the Mayans, it’s the fringe characters who make us want to see more. ... “Sons” fans will view this as a similar ride, only in a different gear. Where the potholes and speedbumps exist remains to be seen. For now, though, the road is open. Mayans M.C. appears to be on track and ready for a long, long ride.

If you’ve never seen Casual, start from the beginning, don’t jump into next week’s conclusion. Alex’s arrested development doesn’t make sense without the fun he derives in the first season. Similarly, Laura seems cold at the start of the fourth season, not the product of an environment. Streaming from the beginning (and, really, there aren’t that many episodes) will give you an appreciation for what the creative team has accomplished.

While Dotrice and others add dimension to the story, the miniseries’ success comes down to the two main characters. Grant is oily and confident; Whishaw is seductive and afraid. The combination is combustible and quite watchable when the two appear in court together.

Because there are so many supporting characters just waiting to break out (keep an eye on Kia Stevens’ Welfare Queen), GLOW has an urgency it may have lacked in the first season. ... Still, it’s the women in the ring who prove irresistible. GLOW isn’t the laugh-a-minute comedy you might expect, but a stealthy character study just waiting to pounce.

The eight-episode series stretches its mystery to nearly unbearable lengths. ... It’s not as dense as Vallee’s “Big Little Lies,” but it does give its female cast meaty roles to savor. Clarkson gets the biggest slab, but Adams, Perkins, Scanlen and Lillis make the most of theirs. For them, it’s an acting banquet. Cut thinner, it might have been prime time prime.

Highly addictive, it quickly makes you want to find out what happens to Lavinia Peck-Foster, the first lady of East Peck and her legal team.

Castle Rock rewards King fans in ways they wouldn’t think possible. Others will have to find their way in through the dribs and drabs that leak out.

The mystery serves as rope, pulling us through the reunions and confessions. Mooney is pretty stiff in the pilot; Nicola Correia-Damude could be the oracle as Hanley’s would-be friend. The most refreshing aspect of Truth is its open embrace of Canada.

Making It isn’t as heavy as you’d like but it does cut the clutter of talking heads and political spin. It’s very low-key. So low-key, in fact, you suspect someone will decide to use the felt to make the kind of puppets that populated “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Or a very special edition of “Ya Heard? With Perd!”

Come Inside My Mind brings tears repeatedly, but it also gives Williams life. Those moments on stage (particularly during “Comic Relief,” which showed him at his best) pop.

Like a good novel, The Staircase never seems to bore. It does, however, give viewers pause when it comes to the justice system.

In comparison to [FX's Trust], “Succession” doesn’t hold up. It doesn’t have the same production values or theatricality. This is “Dynasty” without the costumes, “Arrested Development” without the overt comedy.

Once director Vanessa Caswill boils away the innocence, Little Women becomes a more substantial drama. ... While the four roles could have been played by stronger actresses, they’re fairly well-matched. Watson and Lansbury are left to carry the subtlety. Both do it well, making us long for “Older Women,” a version that views the high-strung March girls from another perspective.

Miller and company don’t always make it easy to follow (the flashbacks could be confusing for new converts), but they never undercut Atwood’s impact.

It was an overwhelming original, complete with inspired casting and staging choices.

Of the recent reboots, Roseanne fares better than most because it has allowed its characters to change. The political discussion jars a bit (was the series always this pointed?) but the family bonding holds no matter who’s in crisis mode. ... Executive Producer Bruce Helford (who was fired from the original at one point) has done his homework and found a way to make this stand on its own and pay tribute to the past.

Rise isn’t as heartbreaking as “Friday Night Lights” or as complex as “Parenthood” but it’s in an embryonic stage and has the potential to become the next big must-see entry on NBC’s schedule. Gillespie and Cravalho hold our interest, but it’s Perez who bears watching.

While Here and Now isn’t as engaging as “Six Feet Under,” it has an intriguing quality that invites you to snoop around.

Because it’s so great at reclaiming an era we almost forgot, The Assassination of Gianni Versace easily stands as first must-see offering of 2018. It checks all the boxes needed for the perfect winter miniseries and there’s not an inch of it that isn’t stylish.

Like “A Different World,” the “Cosby Show” spin-off, “grown-ish” moves to its own beat. While it, too, tries to be socially conscious, it doesn’t force its message.

If you fly often enough, this might hold your interest--but only if you’re strapped in a seat and unable to pay for a movie because you forgot to bring a credit card.