It's quite a story, but the pilot for Turn takes a long time to get going, and isn't all that compelling.

Though it’s not up to the level of “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “Impeachment: American Crime Story” does gain momentum as it goes along. The cast is certainly eye-catching. ... Ultimately, though, “Impeachment: American Crime Story” raises more issues than it addresses.

[The actors are] all perfectly fine, and Adams and McDorman are at times, better than fine. The rest of the cast is solid, with good work from actresses who play the all-too-often long-suffering wives of the Mercury Seven. ... “The Right Stuff” feels like a band playing the hits we’ve already heard way too many times already.

The Last Ship aims for a big-canvas feel, but based on the first three episodes, the one-dimensional characters and action movie cliché dialogue ("Guys, let's do this thing!") make it feel cramped.

In the first few episodes, there are enough snappy lines and funny ideas to make me wish Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll was better. But the cringe-to-laugh ratio is too high for it to really sing.

Thanks to a brisk pace, straightforward storytelling and a terrific central performance by Russell Crowe, “The Loudest Voice” builds up considerable steam, even when we know what’s coming.

Abby's is so familiar it makes “Modern Family” look experimental. ... The cast members all click, with an easy chemistry that makes it seem like they’ve been working together for years. ... There’s something to be said for a show that’s made with confidence, that knows what it wants to be, and is about characters who like each other.

Like its main characters, Good Girls, goes to unexpected places. Here’s hoping NBC viewers know a good, original show when they see it.

The mystery in the first episode contains some nice reverses, and the fact that it's not quite resolved in the end promises that "Jordan" at least intends to deliver something more than the rote 60-minute mystery of less-ambitious cop shows. [24 Sep 2001]

“The Twilight Zone” has a lot to recommend it, but it’s hard not to feel that if the generally hour-long episodes were cut in half, the show’s overall quality would zoom up several notches.

The first episode, titled "My Struggle" (the English translation of Hitler's manifesto, "Mein Kampf," which seems strange) starts off well enough. But then things go haywire.... The second episode, directed and written by X-Files veteran James Wong, is a welcome step up from the first. And the third (only three were made available for screening), is a comic horror gem.

By this point, the actors are comfortably in their element. Spacey is as assured as ever, even if Frank's occasional addresses to the camera seem to come out of nowhere. Wright again wears a cool mask to hide what Claire is really thinking as she deals with assorted crises while looking impeccable in her tailored suits. Less successful--again--are the portrayals of writers and journalists.

Based on the first four episodes available for preview, “Your Honor” unfortunately doesn’t match the tension of that fateful early sequence. But the 10-episode series does serve up tasty performances, knotty ethical issues, attempts to explore racial injustice in the legal system, crime story theatrics and nagging questions about why its characters do what they do.

Unfortunately, though Eisley is affecting, Fauna’s story feels like it’s skimmed over. The racial elements are intriguing. ... But, like Fauna’s character, this aspect of the tale is underdeveloped. Pine, who’s also an executive producer, has more success with Jay, giving a contemporary spin to a film noir-style antihero.

["These Old Bones" is] a bit pat, and it’s definitely too long, but Turner is warm and peppery, Goodwin is likable, and by end of it, I admit it -- I was reaching for the tissues. ... More interesting, however, is “Jolene,” which isn’t exactly a folksy, feel-good number.

Despite a distinguished voice cast, the new animated comedy is hurt by uneven and unsure writing. [9 March 2000]

Legends, which is based on a novel by Robert Littell and produced by a team that includes "Homeland" veterans Howard Gordon and Alexander Cary, has an unusual sense of melancholy, which seems to emanate from Bean's soulful performance.

The '70s costume and production details are fine, but when you're paying more attention to the classic rock tunes on the soundtrack than to the story, it's time to close the case.

Comfortably formulaic.. ... “Away” may not boldly go where no show has gone before, but it reminds us that watching likable people doing their best provides its own simple pleasures.

It was two shows in one. For the most part, the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards on NBC was a better-than-average awards show, with surprise winners, humorous touches and some heartfelt speeches. But then there was that other show, the one with Ricky Gervais as the supposed host of the festivities. ... [Gervais] came off like the guy sitting at the back of the auditorium who’s had one too many, and keeps yelling out unfunny, sarcastic remarks.

Though the '60s music is sometimes laid on with a heavy hand, Aquarius benefits from its stylish look, and a moody atmosphere that doesn't become oppressive, thanks to Duchovny's mordant wit. It's an unusual summer season offering, sometimes unsettling, but worth checking out.

For every slight improvement--more fully developed female characters, the always watchable Chris Noth as an American General who arrives as part of U.S. efforts to help bring democracy to Abuddin--Tyrant still fizzles more often than it sizzles.

In a gimmicky touch, it's narrated by a boy in a coma. But despite the easy grabs at our heartstrings–-who in their right mind isn't rooting for young people to get well?–-the pilot benefits from the vivid, likable performances of the cast.

This dramatization feels less like “The Jinx” or “Making a Murderer,” and more like a weird mix of Southern California lifestyle satire and a “Dateline” episode.

Rene Balcer's writing and Lesli Linka Glatter's direction keep things moving, and if these two episodes don't promise anything terribly deep, they're packed with enough good performances and details (an alibi conversation revolving around a supposed meeting at the Beverly Hills Cheesecake Factory, for instance) to make us curious about what comes next.

The [first] episode is at its best when it’s most straightforwardly serious. The second 44-minute episode, “Freedom,” feels more like a “Daily Show” outing, with Stewart in sarcastically irreverent mode on the topic of COVID-19, anti-maskers and anti-vaxxer

Sharp though some of the writing is, “Coastal Elites” never challenges the moral superiority of its characters, and so they mostly come off as predictable, making predictable points.

The series isn’t perfect, but at its best, “Inventing Anna” tells a story that, especially when staying close to real episodes involving Anna and those around her, is entertainingly, jaw-droppingly outrageous.

After two episodes of Angels, the situation looks grave. Pulse is weak and thready, blood pressure already dropping. [15 Jan 2000]

At its best, The Last Tycoon is an absorbing trip back to Hollywood's not-so-Golden Age. And even when it slips, it's still pretty good melodrama, with desperate characters, unexpected deaths and gorgeous people pretending they're keeping it together even when they're not.

Latifah’s presence gives it a little something extra. Her charismatic underplaying draws you in, and adds a sense of mystery even when the writing is clunkily obvious. ... “The Equalizer” packs enough action to satisfy its post-Super Bowl audience, most likely. But it’s refreshing to see a few quieter moments of insight, mixed in with the good guys prevailing.

Vice Principals isn't just a show to skip. It's a show to actively avoid.

Though much of The Ranch feels familiar, and an odd fit for Netflix, that doesn't mean it's terrible. For all the crude jokes (the premiere, for example, goes on and on about how Uggs are girly footwear, not suitable for a real man), Kutcher and Masterson have an easy, unforced brotherly rapport.

The early episodes of “Hollywood” are an entertaining mix of earnest inclusiveness and dishy wallow in showbiz lore. But, like those Murphy-produced TV series that went on too long, by the end, “Hollywood” is floating on so many alt-history good vibrations that it becomes less of a celebration, and more of a lecture.

The cast has easy chemistry, the New Orleans setting is colorful, and Pounder lends class to anything she does. The CBS procedural formula works, but that doesn't make it feel any less formulaic.

A dutiful, perfectly fine, surprisingly dull evening of television.

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe is a glum retread of Monroe's legend, with a flat script by Stephen Kronish and direction by Laurie Collyer ("Sherrybaby") who gives it all a funereal, depressed tone even when Monroe's career is at its height.

The first episode gets us in the mood for the TV equivalent of a beach read adventure..... [James Wolk] easily rises to the task, making Jackson charming, sympathetic, and capable. Though Zoo may turn out to be more silly than sensational, Wolk is always delightful TV company.

Depends on how willing you are to suspend your disbelief that a man who's immortal couldn't find something else to do with his endless time than hanging around a morgue.

Into the Badlands should be nonstop, melodramatic entertainment. But the first two episodes are listless and dull whenever Wu isn't battling villains. The writing lacks flavor, and the performances are stiff, with the florid exception of Csokas' Quinn.

Though “Yellowstone,” at least in the early going, has its flaws--please make scenes of people having sex standing up against a wall go away forever--it’s a solid piece of work.

By the end of the first episode, we're already sick of Jamal and weary of Barry's complaining about being back home.

“Nine Perfect Strangers” is an unsatisfying stew of mystery and melodrama, with a few misplaced moments of sort-of comedy.

Though the “Westworld” parallel applies to the affluent creeps-exploiting-the-poor in an amusement park narrative, “Brave New World” is much more rewarding to watch. Attention-getting scenes of good-looking people having orgies aside, “Brave New World” benefits from a dark wit -- which the grimly self-important “Westworld” has always lacked -- and which keeps it watchable.

“Hunters” is a series that feels like it’s finding its way, as it explores explosive territory with a tone that lurches from darkly comic to grimly violent.

Sharknado 3 is so tediously lamebrained, it makes the original, and last summer's "Sharkado 2: The Second One," look like "Jaws."

The pilot is uneven, but the cast is talented enough that I’m hoping things come together in future episodes.

The best thing about the new NBC series, Constantine, which is based on The DC Comics "Hellblazer" series, is that its hero has a roguish sense of humor

Though there's comedy potential in watching Murphy and her co-workers try and function in a media world that includes a conservative cable news channel whose spin apparently influences the president's policy ideas, we hardly need a sitcom to shove it down our throats. Murphy Brown doesn't demonstrate a light hand in subsequent episodes, either. ... So much lecturing. So few laughs.

Unfortunately, The Brink feels like a would-be daring political comedy that's lacking in insight and light on laughs.

What should be a sweeping, exciting epic about Texas' fight for independence instead comes off as a muddled cross between a costume party and historic re-enactors convention.

Instead of bringing us closer to what it felt like to be the great Harry Houdini, we instead hear Brody adopt a tough-guy tone as he rattles off clichés that sound like anachronistic film noir parodies.

Unfortunately, in the first episode, the show overdoes Backstrom's unlikability to the point where it's an open question whether viewers will return to see subsequent episodes, where he becomes less hard to take, and we learn more about why he is the way he is.... The more encouraging news is that judging from two additional episodes made available for preview, Backstrom--which is based on a series of novels written by Swedish criminologist Leif G.W. Persson--calms down and gets better as it goes along.

[Killing Reagan] feels rushed and incomplete, compressing this historic episode into a flat pancake of pointlessness.

Unfortunately, “Ratched” turns out to be a bloody bore. The eight-episode series is less a character study than it is a horror show, where the gore spills all over nifty period costumes and fancy production design.

It's aimless, stereotypical and runs out of juice pretty fast. [23 March 2000]

Dig spends too much time building ominous atmosphere, and hinting at vast schemes that may change the course of history--that again--and not enough time giving us a reason to stay tuned as he convoluted plot unfolds.

About halfway through the 10 episodes, “Space Force” starts to get better, and settle down a bit, as the multiple characters begin to bounce off each other, and we get more of a sense of the show as a workplace comedy.

While nobody will mistake “The Offer” for a timeless classic, the series has enough campy energy and gossipy showbiz verve that it keeps you watching, even when it borders on the ridiculous.

The brainy nerds are a stereotypical band of socially awkward types. Not helping lighten the cliché load is Katharine McPhee as the mother of a boy who's also a budding tech prodigy.

Lewis and Philippe have enough chemistry that his underplaying and her overplaying are a match made in whodunnit heaven. Secrets and Lies likely won't be earning any Emmy nominations, but it promises to be a juicy foray into melodramatic escapism, and sometimes, that's just what the TV-viewing evening calls for.

With only three episodes to judge, “American Rust” so far, at least, doesn’t seem totally successful at transcending stereotypes, and creating characters who come across as individuals who are caught up in specific situations. As was the case with “Mare of Easttown,” “American Rust” boasts a skilled cast, who help bring dimension to their characters.

What Clerks doesn't have is a lot of laughs. In fact, the whole concept seems tired and stale. Much of the satire is dated [a "People's Court" parody?], and the jokes and situations look like recycled stuff from old movies and long-canceled series....In other words, unoriginal. [31 May 2000]

We know very little about any of the characters, and it's hard to care about them as they go about their doings under an ominous cloud of supernatural dread.

The characters are corny--Bill's a rock-and-roll lifer who's flawed but lovable, Shelli's a no-nonsense independent woman and dispenser of wisdom--but Wilson and Gugino are total pros, and they have a genuine chemistry. Which is more than can be said for the rest of the cast, despite the actors' best efforts.

Instead of taking any creative risks, Tut trundles along down the familiar "Game of Thrones"-wannabe path. The emphasis is on battles for power, conspiracies, warring tribes, with some cable-style sex scenes thrown into the mix.

In the first four episodes, Here and Now suffers from wanting to cover too many topics. By episode four, the characters start to become less annoying, but that's asking viewers to be patient in a world where there are hundreds of other shows to watch. The main problem, in the early going, at least, is that "Here and Now" feels less like a drama with fully developed characters than an essay on The Way We Live Now, with doomstruck observations about the difficulties of finding harmony among races, cultures, genders, and so on.

The cast is skilled. ... But “Truth Be Told” suffers from a wobbly tone, and seems to be several shows – family drama, prison drama, would-be “Serial” true-crime tale, etc. -- in one. ... “Truth Be Told” would have worked better by focusing on Poppy’s family, and losing the trendy, true-crime plot.

The show isn’t bad, but it’s definitely familiar, with a cast of quirky characters who constitute a likable, if occasionally kooky workplace family. ... But these first 10 half-hour episodes are less interesting than “The Last Blockbuster,” Taylor Morden and Zeke Kamm’s documentary about how the Bend outlet came to be the last Blockbuster in America.

So unsatisfying. ... The two [Theo James and Rose Leslie] have solid chemistry, and are charismatic. ... But based on these six episodes, I’d much rather watch Leslie and James using their talents elsewhere.

Though the cases are built around cutting-edge high-tech threats, everything else feels as stale as week-old bread.

Reilly is intense and watchable.... But other elements of Black Box feel unconvincing, and overfamiliar, which is disappointing, considering the potential.

One of the characters says it seems like they’re in an episode of “Lost,” and unfortunately, “La Brea” is the latest TV show to borrow from the “Lost” playbook.

State of Affairs is another generic Washington D.C.-set thriller drawing on current events for story points (terrorist threats, hostage-taking, global unrest) in a way that feels opportunistic and, frankly, insensitive considering the real-world tragedies that are showing up in the news.

The show’s half-hearted effort to mock dating show clichés doesn’t blend too well with its half-hearted purpose, to supposedly help the good-looking narcissists achieve personal growth and build deeper relationships. ... A fairly witless excursion, with a batch of characters who seem like they were created in a reality show writers’ room.

Significant Mother isn't trying to be sophisticated, cutting-edge comedy. With its nonstop wisecracks about hooking up, body parts, and pop culture references (a raunchy "Downton Abbey" joke, for example), Significant Mother feels like a Millennial version of "Three's Company."

So far, at least, “Call Me Kat” isn’t likely to appeal to people who like to point out that they’ve never seen an episode of “The Big Bang Theory.” But, based on the first four episodes available for preview, “Call Me Kat” is unpretentious, eager to be liked, and easy to take.

This is a sitcom so generic it should have a bar code instead of a title. You get the feeling that Ozzie Nelson could pop up and not look out of place. [23 March 2000]

The fourth one isn't as much silly fun of the first two, but it's a few bites better than last summer's dismal "Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!"

With the exception of a few highlights, mostly involving returning hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s opening monologue, and touching speeches by Taylor Simone Ledward, accepting a best actor in a motion picture drama award for her late husband, Chadwick Boseman, and Lee Isaac Chung (and his daughter), accepting the best foreign-language film prize for “Minari,” Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards show was a mess.

This Fox effort at least gets points for its novel, wackadoodle premise.

By the end of the first episode, it's clear that the series is less wicked, than wearisome. Something lousy this way comes.

The Kennedys: After Camelot is as cheesy as an all-you-can-eat fondue buffet.

There are so many plot twists coming at us so quickly, without much development, that at times, it's hard to know who's seeking what, why they want it, and wait, who was that character again? On the plus side, the cast has solid chemistry.... It also helps that there are enough amusing one-liners to keep things skipping along, even when the storytelling goes off course.

Based on the first few episodes, Portlandia remains as odd, endearing, and Portland-made as ever.

The Season 6 premiere moves at a brisk clip, efficiently dispensing of much of last season's dead weight, and offering its own incidental pleasures, including the nifty duo of Hank and Wu, who stay busy keeping track of Renard and feeding inside info to Nick. The ending is a typical Grimm cliffhanger, which revs up the suspense and reminds us how good it is to have Grimm back again, for one last go-round.

Season 7 is the next-to-last one of Portlandia, but based on its spry start, the show hasn't yet worn out its welcome.

The show keeps a sense of humor and refreshing lightness--as usual--even when disaster looms.

Overall, the first four episodes of the Portlandia final season indicate that Armisen, Brownstein and the rest of the team intend to keep things bright as they prepare to turn out the lights.