While I Am Cait appears determined to be a noble endeavor, its producers shouldn’t feel obligated to teach every time out.

Corden isn’t as facile as Fallon, but he also isn’t as fawning. Instead of bringing guests out one at a time, he bunched them (a good move) but didn’t have enough experience to pull both into all conversations.

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.

“The Jinx” constantly surprised. Trial & Error seems like it’s just going through the motions.

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 “Mid-Century Modern” has plenty of laughs (and takes you away from contemporary troubles), there’s something a bit off with a series this specific. Finding that relevance (as “Will & Grace” did) may take time, even if that clock is barely ticking.

Cute conceptually, the comedy falls short when director Jake Szymanski searches for ways to fill the time. Dumb on-court antics (including sex with two streakers) don’t really live up to the Christopher Guest ambitions of the rest of the film.

The Wizard of Lies doesn’t have the pop of “The Wolf of Wall Street” or “The Big Short” but it does its best to give viewers a look at a man who still seems like an enigma. Complexity aside, it gives De Niro one more notch on his belt of highly detailed, award-winning characters.

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

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

Leaning into the community (what are Oregon’s strengths, for example) and showing Joyce out in it, would give “St. Denis” the specificity it needs. It’s a fun half-hour. It just needs to uncover situations everyone can identify.

Gleeson, meanwhile, would work well in any iteration of a newspaper story. He exudes sincerity and isn’t afraid to pitch in and report. He’s a keeper. Some of the others just need a little more time.

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.

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.

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

In the second season of The Newsroom, much of the posturing and preaching has given way to storytelling--a good thing. The bad? There's still way too much attention placed on the importance of the jobs being done in a cable newsroom.

The seventh season--subtitled “Cult”--is among the most smartly written and addictive.

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

Falco is such a nuanced actress she could elicit tears from a blank script. Anna Deavere Smith (as her boss) provides some challenge but most of the other actors are pushovers. Chestnut's addition could give her the resistance she needs.

While “Tell Me Lies” isn’t as complex as “Normal People,” a fascinating look at similar changes, it does hold interest, particularly since all of the students have plenty of time to dabble in things that don’t require a paper at the end of the term.

“Adults” is very adult and may take some time to warm to, particularly since it’s impossible to get a bead on Samir, Billie, Paul Baker, Issa and Anton.

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 has to discharge a few clichés and run the brotherhood thing through a few more paces. But the pilot shows there’s worth and, yes, maybe even a pat on the head.

That’s the thrust of the fourth season – people making bold moves. After two years of life without the Maisels it’s a welcome change.

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.

By the time the first episode ends, “The Leftovers” has planted enough interest to make you want to stick around. By the time the third installment unfolds, the action really heats up.

It's a safe bet he’ll get his legs here in a matter of weeks. Now, though, it’s very much a shake-down cruise. The boat is loaded. It just needs to get up to speed.

The variety--particularly if you watch them consecutively--shines through. Because it’s such a confined space, directors like Smith have to focus on the acting. The episodes are like little workshops. ... It's like any motel--hit and miss.