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.