Splendidly produced as are most things in the Trek universe, Academy may not jump to the head of its class, but neither is it an epic fail. There are many worse ways to spend one’s recess from reality.

Amid the plentiful greed and treachery on display as the field relentlessly dwindles, we also witness moments of great bravery and sacrifice.

It’s more compelling than the disappointingly insipid Mayfair Witches adaptation. By the sixth and final episode of a puzzlingly short inaugural season, the revelations and twists in Talamasca will likely leave the ardent Rice fan wanting more.

Even when the corny situations are clearly beneath them, as when they vie for the attention of a hunky housekeeper (“We’re dangerously close to the plot of a porno”), the show balances its uproarious off-color saltiness with a squishy sentimentality that’s so old-school it’s almost refreshing.

While you might sometimes roll your eyes at their antics, you might also occasionally dab your eyes as they withstand the fissures and fractures of enduring friendships and relationships while the seasons fly by, reminding them and us that any time spent together with our nearest and dearest is precious and fleeting.

Over 10 labored episodes (which I do not recommend saving up to watch as a binge), I felt my interest waning in Reggie’s delusional quest for renewed glory. .... But just as in 30 Rock, it’s the gags that keep us coming back. And Reggie is full of them.

The Beauty is about as subtle as a root canal without Novocain, but thankfully it’s a lot more fun. If you can stomach it.

When Étoile stops trying too hard and gives itself up to that sort of starry-eyed euphoria, it’s a terpsichorean treasure.

There’s a reason, not entirely financial, that Disney+ jettisoned this flimsy but diverting flotsam after it was already produced.

The Institute is the TV equivalent of a good beach read, though you’re better off looking for a copy of King’s original, which was a much more effective page-turner.

As a companion piece to the network’s other lone-wolf crime drama, Tracker, it’s a decent fit.

Netflix’s gripping yet exasperating and criminally overlong eight-part thriller.