Uneven but watchable ... Roberts makes Martha Mitchell compelling, moving from caustic and charming to terrified. ... Penn is also effective, despite the padding and makeup.

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.

Season 2 of The Leftovers has its maddening moments, but I never knew what was coming next. And, in a crowded TV world, that anything-might-happen quality is enough to keep me interested. At least for a while.

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.

Though Katherine’s people skills are sorely lacking, Gasteyer is likable and has a light touch. ... The rest of the cast – including Harriet Dyer, Tye White, and Michael Benjamin Washington – are talented, even if we’re still getting the hang of who they all are, and what their characters do.

“Grand Crew,” like “American Auto,” boasts actors who work well together. ... After a rocky pilot episode, “Grand Crew” has gotten better. The show makes the characters’ Black identity part of its fabric, without anyone stopping to deliver lectures. ... “Grand Crew” keeps the comedy front and center.

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]

Everything Sucks! isn’t likely to become a classic, but with its binge-friendly short episodes, it may be perfect for viewers who want something that won’t demand a ton of time.

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.

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

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.

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.

The Strain gets off to a busy, icky, unpretentious start, mixing the vigor of a '50s Grade-B horror movie with a convoluted mythology about an ancient virus that turns victims into vampires.

Though the series gets better near the end, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina takes too long to get there, clocking in at a total of 10 roughly one-hour episodes. Characters boringly blather on about the Dark Lord, Father Blackwood (Richard Coyle), the Church of Night, the witches who died back in 1692, the forbidden love of Sabrina’s now-dead parents, and so many coven rules and regulations it sounds like the most restrictive condo board imaginable.

[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.

A Very Murray Christmas is an odd concoction, flavored by holiday blues, but topped by a coating of sparkly tinsel.

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."

The first episode is dragged down by more conspiracy blather, interminable voiceover and way too many apocalyptic predictions of doom. And there are a few too many references to Donald Trump's presidency and friction with the FBI, elements that feel dated even as we watch. But Anderson and Duchovny remain one of the television's best-ever teams.

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.

There are few voices included who are critical of its subject. “Hillary” is a generally flattering portrait, which makes it less grueling to watch than cacophonous cable news shows, but also muffles its impact.

Star Trek: Discovery feels like it's just finding its footing. On the promising side, Doug Jones is already a standout as Science Officer Lt. Saru, who's from an alien race called Kelpiens. And James Frain is perfectly cast as Sarek, the Vulcan who veteran "Trek" fans know as the father of Spock. The relationship between Burnham and Sarek is one of the more intriguing aspects of Star Trek: Discovery.

On Monday night, Stewart's spirit hovered over the proceedings so much it was hard to get a sense of what makes Noah special. He seemed relaxed, and smiled throughout the whole show, looking entirely happy to be there.

The plot threads don't weave a very riveting picture, but Broadchurch Season 2 benefits tremendously from Colman, who remains the heart of the show.

That broader scope may prove to be an improvement in terms of how much deeper The Bridge can go in its cross-cultural storytelling. But the first two episodes of Season 2 are a bit all over the map.

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

The eight-part limited series does a good job of making us feel the parents’ uncertainty about whether Jacob is innocent or guilty. But that suspense is made to carry too much of the load for the relaxed pace of the show, which takes its own sweet time drawing us in.

Fear has some immediate strengths, as well as weaknesses that could drag down the proceedings considerably.

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.