I was pleasantly surprised when the new two-part Salem's Lot, based on the Stephen King best-seller about a town of vampires, spooked me. And it did it the old-fashioned way, with genuine scares and classic horror elements. [18 June 2004, p.D17]

It's not a great show, but it's decent summer viewing. There are some laughs, and I liked it more as it went along.

This is pure escapism, shot on location in London, South Afrida, Russia and Cambodia. It's funny. It's fun.

Once you get over what might be the initial shock of Andrea's dirty mouth and incredibly frank talk, she's a very appealing character. And I'm Sorry is amusing. Sometimes even laugh-out-loud funny.

I've only seen the first episode, but I'm intrigued. And there are only 10 episodes (unless there's a second season), so it might be worth the time investment.

This is a sitcom, not a public service announcement. But you can certainly argue that The Carmichael Show is doing a public service. It isn't often you can call a sitcom brave. This is one of those times.

It's charming. It's funny, but not in a setup-joke, yuck-it-up way. It's sort of observational comedy--observed from the dog's point of view.

Weird and mesmerizing. ... You can feel elements of other programs in this series, but it's also unique in the television landscape. But it's not always an easy show to watch, and not just because of the blood and the body count. You've got to be patient, because Fuller & Co. unspool this story slowly.

Comedian Anthony Atamnuik stars as Trump, doing a pretty good imitation.

It can be a bit much at times, but there's a great supporting cast--including John Michael Higgins and Nicole Richie as the news anchors--and there are enough laughs to keep it moving.

At least in the first three episodes, which were screened for critics, everything comes together for A Handmaid's Tale--Miller's script, direction by Reed Morano (who's best known as a cinematographer) and the performances. Moss' performance is arresting.

Brockmire gets off to a very funny (and very vulgar) start. I don't know how long the premise will hold up, but it begins with a lead-off hit and scores multiple runs.

It's a fine drama, and Fox should be applauded for commissioning and airing this project.

It's silly and sometimes slapstick, but it works. And what makes it work is that Lithgow is so good as the alleged murderer.

The first couple of hours are very entertaining. Which isn't surprising, given that the show is basically just cribbed from a very entertaining movie. The question is how this premise is going to hold up starting in Episode 2 (which was not screened for critics).

It's very funny at times. It balances on the edge of comedy/drama and sheer campiness--reflecting the lives of Davis and Crawford. But it is not the sort of over-the-top, unintentionally hilarious portrayal that the 1981 Crawford film biography "Mommie Dearest" became.

The Arrangement gets off to surprisingly good start, and I'm interested to see where it goes.

Give it a couple of episodes and Crashing just might grow on you. But even if you're a huge Pete Holmes fan, you're more likely to smile than laugh out loud.

As a soap opera, Doubt is pretty good. It's filled with likable characters played by a nice cast and features relatively interesting cases handled by a boutique New York law firm.

The first three episodes are intriguing. Visually arresting. But if someone other than Hawley were running this show, I'd be a great deal more skeptical. As it is, I'm cautiously optimistic. With the emphasis on "cautiously."

It's pretty funny. The pilot episode isn't hilarious, but it's amusing. And it has plenty of potential to turn into a really good show.

It doesn't feel like a reunion, it feels like we've been away and we're rejoining old friends.

It's weird. It starts quite slowly. But it turns into something rather interesting and quite funny.

Morgan dramatizes Elizabeth's life--he builds the narrative on a framework of public events but includes private exchanges and personal motives in a way that's entirely believable and doesn't feel in the least bit exploitative.

The cast is great. The performances--particularly by Colter in the lead role--are better than the show, which sags in spots. It's solid, but not spectacular.

This Lethal Weapon pilot episode is very entertaining. Great action scenes, snappy banter and a bit of pathos mixed together with nice chemistry between Wayans and Crawford. That's the most important ingredient, and it makes the rest of it work.

You won't feel like you're doing public service when you watch this show. It's very funny. Very entertaining. And it has a big heart.

This show is offbeat, but it's definitely worth checking out.