Sure, it’s billed as a comedy but there are so many touching moments it could easily top the shows that are billed as dramas. ... You’ll also see why there are many rites of passage in a teenager’s life. Some come with guidance; others require a little on-the-job experience. All should be preserved as beautifully as these.

Both Paulson and Vance are Emmy-worthy. The miniseries is, too, primarily because it makes us care about a story that once seemed impossible to escape.

“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.

The series isn’t a fluke. It’s as good as we thought it was last year and, maybe, even a little bit better. When you see the fulcrum at home, you’ll understand what pokes “The Bear.” In a word, it’s phenomenal. And the series is, too. It proves “every second counts.”

While “Hacks” will definitely be in the hunt for more Emmys (it won for Smart and its writing and directing), look for Metcalf to join their ranks. The second season’s third episode is about as good as these things get.

Easily one of the best new shows in years, “WandaVision” accomplishes the impossible: it pulls us back in just when we thought we were out.

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.

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

While there are far too few Veep episodes each season, the ones that begin this, the sixth, are jewels to treasure. Unimpeachable, Veep remains the best comedy on television. Now, more than ever.

Go into "The Bear" with the right mindset and you'll discover it's the best drama on television.

Because Louis C.K. does everything but hand-deliver the series to the network (and maybe he does that, too), it’s entirely his vision. That’s something few hyphenates get a chance to reveal. Here, though, it resonates.

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

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

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

Created by Noah Hawley, the new season is among the series’ best, using wild characters and round-about storytelling to pull you in. By the second episode, you will be hooked.

Like Behind the Candelabra, its action isn’t measured in car chases and explosions. It’s charted in the lives it touches.

“Alien: Earth” is a lavish production – more so than any of the films in the canon – but just as claustrophobic and, easily, as memorable.

As easily digested as gelato, this season has action that hinges on those two young women (Beatrice Granno and Simona Tabasco) making visitors feel welcome. That means the stakes are high and the room service bills even higher. Coolidge continues her winning ways (Emmy No. 2? It’s possible) and DiMarco has just enough innocence to make you wonder what his future will be. “The White Lotus” still ranks among television’s best.

“English Teacher” takes a while to heat up. But when you get to episode six of the new FX comedy, you’ll be hooked. There, Linda Harrison (Jenn Lyon) enters the picture and demonstrates what kind of challenges teachers face today. .... It’s a great addition to cable’s curriculum and a chance for the oh-so-talented Alvarez to show the breadth of his resume. But Jenn Lyon? She’s one to watch.

The Night Manager is easily the best miniseries of the year--in a year packed with monumental ones. Hiddleston, Laurie and Bier aren’t just adding another credit to their resumes. They’re part of a series that’s quite likely a game changer.

Better than “Goliath," “Landman” lets Thornton convey the emotions that color a “cigarettes and Dr Pepper” kind of guy. The role fits better than a well-worn pair of jeans and, like his trusty boots, never lets him down. He’s one of the best actors of the season in a show that could be one of the best of this or any year.

Although she [Jennifer Coolidge] lit up two seasons of the quirky Mike White drama, she has a kindred spirit in Parker Posey, who takes the third season to her own offbeat heights. .... “The White Lotus,” season three, is a bit more lush than the previous two and stuffed with phrases you’ll be hearing for months to come.

Tossing Meyer into the election fray was a great idea, particularly since it gets away from the well-worn path she strutted last season. Now, out of her comfort zone, she’s bobbing and weaving with the best of them.

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

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.

Kohen, basing her series on Piper Kerman's memoir, immediately gives us characters worth watching.... Orange is the New Black is TV that'll have you talking for days.

At times, True Detective just seems like an overlong episode of a standard television series. But the flashbacks and flash forwards give it heft and let Fukunaga push the actors.

While Patricia Highsmith’s novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and the film it spawned were engrossing, “Ripley” takes the skill to a different level. .... A technicolor Italy is certainly attractive, but a black-and-white one demands attention. Zaillian doesn’t waste the conceit. He gets high drama from crashing waves and a performance from Scott that embraces more than 50 shades of gray.

It’s involving--and just the series to keep your mind off the snow that's lurking. Fargo's still a prime TV destination.

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.

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

Although it’s two hours long, Going Clear speeds by.... Mesmerizing? If you’ve had even a passing interest in Scientology, Going Clear will fascinate in ways you never thought possible.

Sudeikis continues to inspire in untenable situations. Season Two throws out plenty of them and lets the fish out of water swim more than sink. A big chunk of the supporting cast earned Emmy nominations and it’s easy to see why – particularly when they’re made the focus of entire episodes.

Tyson's so perfectly cast, perfectly directed and perfected nuanced, Bountiful overflows with the kind of goodness we rarely find in TV movies.

Sunday’s premiere provides the border and key pieces to the oh-so-attractive world that is Mad Men.

It’s violent in ways you wouldn’t think; daring in areas you couldn’t imagine. It’s not your mother’s Fargo. But it does have the characteristics you’ve come to cherish.

Harjo and Waititi take their time painting the picture. They introduce outsiders (who stereotype residents) and give us a strong sense of what it’s like on the inside. ... “Reservation Dogs” is the comedy you never expected but may just need. It’s powerful dive into a world that’s oh-so deep.

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 last season is stuffed – and remarkably so. It gives newcomers like Reid Scott and Jason Ralph a good foothold in the series and suggests there’s much more that could be mined. ... Season Five wasn’t just business as usual. “Marvelous” is only one word to describe it.

Murphy gives his eight-part series a lush old Hollywood look and lets both Lange and Sarandon have fun recreating the quirks that made the actresses so memorable. While Sarandon is a dead ringer for Davis, Lange has to work harder to find the outsized Crawford. Both are ably abetted by a host of actors as recognizable names.

“Hacks” is her [Jean Smart's] master class – a series that showcases just how much she can add to anyone’s work. ... “Hacks” nicely fills the void left by “VEEP.” It, too, is acerbic and on point. ... While “Hacks” may be a harsh title for something this deliciously good, it captures the price some are willing to pay for celebrity.

Downton Abbey seems just as fresh as it did five years ago.

Wackier than the last outing, Season Three has a moment in the first episode that is both hilarious and appalling.

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.

A compelling look at the 1963 March on Washington for civil rights.

It's probably one of the most original ideas television has produced in years. The reason? It's so quirky, it zags where others would zig. It also has that loopy sensibility that comes from a vivid imagination.

It’s a fascinating documentary that’ll make you want to devour it all, no matter where you start.

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.

It's an unabashed, out-there, boldface teen drama that makes the stuff in Washington look like "The Wonder Years." [30 Jan 1998, p.C1]

Family Ties is the heir apparent to All in the Family. Equally relevant, it captures '80s home life better than anything else on television. [24 Sep 1982, p.B3]

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.

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

The new season has plenty of surprises (couples aren’t who you think they are), a reality check for Marnie and a nice showcase for Rannells.

So “inside baseball,” the new season fits the stars better than previous outings. It hints at retracing steps, but the over-the-top production numbers make it more of an original than even “Schmigadoon.”

More confident than the first season, this “Dave” shows a side of the fictional Burd that’s more believable. ... While “Dave” embraces too many guest stars, it doesn’t shortchange GaTa (the show’s stealth weapon) or Burd. Burd, in fact, is a much better actor this time out. ... “Dave” really soars on the backs of its unexpected stars.

The Duffers captured the vibe quite nicely, tell a story that doesn’t seem watered down and emerge with a series that could be the summer’s equivalent of a large popcorn with plenty of butter and a kidney-busting keg of Coke.

In Hollywood, it may be business as usual. But in Episodes, it’s fodder for great comedy.

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.

Director Jason Winer gets the series off to a fun start, bringing Allen back to his old ways. But he also finds a way to make the former Scott Calvin look a little hip. (A Santa with abs? It’s possible.) He also fleshes out the workshop and finds enough ways to lampoon tradition without appearing ungrateful. ... The latest iteration may not be as snarky as earlier ones, but there's plenty of fun to ensure this isn't going to be a "lump of coal" year.

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.

“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.

Masters of Sex is highly watchable, not fact. If you understand that, you’re going to enjoy it much more.

It’s very much another desperate man in a desperate situation. Whether he’ll emerge better than Walter White is anyone’s guess. Dubuque, however, makes the journey just as intriguing.

While “Hacks” isn’t as ruthless as it was in its infancy, it does have moments where Smart can bear her claws. .... When Deborah gets a guest spot, “Hacks” hits its apex and puts everyone on alert. It’s the season’s best episode and yet another reason Smart is the best female in a comedy series, hands-down.

The loopy plotting may be hard to embrace initially, but it straightens out before the last few episodes and gives Aniston one of the best acting showcases in her career. .... When the third season gets to its oh-so-good last episode, you can see the grand contributions producers Mimi Leder and Charlotte Stoudt have been able to make.

Vice Principals is as profane and outrageous as HBO comedies get. Once you realize where this is headed, you’ll want to stay after school just to see how it all plays out.

Writer Jane Anderson, cherry-picked four chapters and crafted them into a telling character study that covers 25 years of story.

The key to making this work (even though 10 episodes are more than plenty) is Josh Rivera as Hernandez.

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.

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.

Smart, funny and utterly intriguing, it sucks us in better than any procedural with an four-letter acronym.

This Bates Motel requires more than just a one-night stay. Once you slip in you may not want to check out.

On first blush, Deception is smart, stylish and involving. In time, it could drift. But, for now, enjoy the kind of storytelling that gives its core cast something interesting--and watchable--to do.

Sedaris plays crazy better than anyone. At Home is right in her wheelhouse. It manages to send-up the trivial and make it oh-so-important.

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.

While newcomers may wonder why so much is made of so little, they can’t deny the delicious one-liners Fellowes has written. Coupled with a driving score, Downton Abbey moves--in ways you never thought possible. It's good to see it back.

Intriguing and thought-provoking, “Your Honor” should get families to consider how far they’d go to protect a loved one.

Like a gentler Monty Python venture, Galavant pokes, prods and pummels current events. It doesn’t get down and dirty, but it isn’t afraid to wallow every now and then. When it does so with a little song and dance, there’s enough fun to last longer than 30 minutes.

In a sea of formulaic comedies, this stands out as a lifeboat worth clinging to.

Through the limited series’ run, guilt is passed like a basketball. Sexual orientation, economic disparity and other headline-grabbing issues get their turn at attention. Best of all, Ridley works with a repertory company of sorts which gamely assume new roles.

“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 Steven Soderbergh walks a tightrope between camp and class and, if you make it that far, pulls it off.

While Getting On might seem confining--and hardly funny--it’s one of the best workplace comedies on television. Like both versions of “The Office,” it embraces stray looks, asides and slyly funny commentary.

Girls was great last year. But this season it just got a little bit better.

The show is smart--smarter than most on network television--and it has life.

While the past few TV seasons have had more than a few robot shows, this one bears watching, largely because it doesn’t insist there’s a “robots are good” or “robots are bad” way of thinking.

“Dave,” season three, is as raunchy as you remember but also a bit telling. As he makes his way around the country, look for his world view to change. Sometimes, the more you see, the less you know.

Consider how well-crafted they are, you might want to pace yourself and savor every precious moment.

Interestingly, a lot of nothing adds up to a big something.

Silicon Valley isn’t the kind of place you’d like to live (or even work), but it is a fun spot to visit. It makes you happy you never devised a single app in your life

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

“HSM:TM:TS” has great adult appeal. It also boasts a lot of solo numbers, presumably because COVID concerns limited the number of big song-and-dance routines. Bassett, one of the best in a very excellent bunch, gets a rousing “breaking free” anthem that he sings. ... It isn’t a huge twist on the summer formula, but it does have enough variety to suggest this season could produce a couple more breakout stars.

Kimmy gets a little smarter, too, and finds relations outside that circle of new life that embraced her last year.

BrainDead comments better than a Sunday morning pundit, moves faster than a New York to D.C. train and never pauses to filibuster.

By breaking the books into digestible chunks, it goes down smoothly and, yes, makes you want more.

Linney and company are masterful (Basso is a revelation); the final episode's writing is solid.

This isn’t connect-the-dots storytelling. It’s a blast from the past that reminds us when cop shows succeeded because they were built on great writing.

Sure, the show’s live sound was spotty in parts (too many lines were inaudible) but its energy was right where it needed to be, particularly in the big dance numbers.