With too many new characters and not enough family togetherness, Hulu's "Malcolm in the Middle" revival can't recreate the anarchic thrill of the original.

Yes, it gets a little soapy at times, but it's still a satisfying watch because there's an emotional authenticity at its core.

Those seeking a fast-paced Western akin to Taylor Sheridan's previous offerings might prefer to fly over "The Madison," but those willing to wade through the show's slow-moving waters will come out the other side with few regrets — and an even deeper appreciation for Michelle Pfeiffer.

Netflix's "Vladimir" promises a steamy forbidden romance, but it fails to deliver, bogged down by curdled cynicism and tired clichés.

Die-hard "30 Rock" fanatics — like me — will find a lot to love about the show right away.

A visual treat with genuine heart, "Marshals" is enough of a crime procedural to appeal to viewers who enjoy a complete story told in 60 minutes, while also remaining prestigious enough to satisfy "Yellowstone" fans who might not typically watch a show like, say, "S.W.A.T." or "NCIS."

This is a revival with real purpose — and, for the most part, the one fans have been hoping for ever since Lazlo Bane's "Superman" last kicked off an episode of "Scrubs." Yes, the original theme song is back. But more importantly, so is the heart.

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" offers a refreshing antidote to "Game of Thrones" fatigue, with crude humor and humble humanity.

"Star Trek" tries to get a fresh start with "Starfleet Academy," but it's dogged by the same pitfalls that have hampered recent "Trek."

Despite the darkness, "Will Trent" remains one of television's funniest hours, anchored in the premiere by welcome bursts of levity involving desk-bound Ormewood and Det. Franklin, with newly promoted series regular Kevin Daniels once again proving what an asset he is to the ensemble.

Though it sometimes clings a little too tightly to sensibilities of seasons past, "Stranger Things" Season 5A is a rewarding, tightly paced showing that's worth the extra-long wait.

Vince Gilligan aims high with his sci-fi series "Pluribus," and it mostly works, anchored by Rhea Seehorn's dazzling performance.

Rachel Sennott's "I Love LA" feels like a mash-up of earlier HBO comedies about young people, but it never quite finds a voice of its own.

The Lowdown, I should note, does threaten to disappear into its own quirk at times. It moseys along at a deliberate pace, and the meandering narrative tends to wander around like Lee after one too many hits of his vape pen. But that’s OK: This show dances to its own beat. It’s not trying too hard to impress us, and that’s endearing, in a way. It’s worth checking out just to bask in Hawke’s greatness.

Jude Law and Jason Bateman make Netflix’s grim crime drama Black Rabbit worth watching, even when the story crumbles around them.

A lot of his [Nate Bargatze's] jokes felt weirdly dismissive of the very industry the Emmys are supposed to be honoring. I’m all for taking the hot air out of a self-important awards show, but this actually ruined the vibe of the whole show. .... But the ceremony also threw in a few quick nostalgia hits to keep us entertained, like Gilmore Girls stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel reuniting on their Stars Hollow porch. These kind of moments are what the Emmys do best.

Mare of Easttown’s creator has crafted another riveting HBO crime drama in Task, packed with emotional complexity and powerhouse performances.

USA’s The Rainmaker is a tepid, muddled retelling of the classic John Grisham legal thriller that falls short, despite John Slattery’s charms.

Alien: Earth still feels at times like an eight-hour movie, slowly building to a chaotic climax, and it’s hard to see at this point how the story could continue for multiple seasons. Hawley has earned our trust by now, though… and once again, with a seemingly unadaptable franchise, he has delivered.

Hulu’s King of the Hill revival brings back the comfortingly low-key vibe of the original, along with a few smart updates.

Lena Dunham’s Netflix rom-com Too Much has a certain charm and a great lead performance, but its central romance is too shaky to sustain it.

If The Bear’s previous season was a letdown, Season 4 is a triumphant return to form, with raw emotion and beautiful performances.

It doesn’t always hit on all cylinders, but it delivers the fireworks we’re looking for from a show like this. It’s like a battering ram slamming through a screen door: not very subtle, but undeniably effective.

An uninspired soap with laughably bad dialogue, The Waterfront is trying to be the new Yellowstone, but it doesn’t come close.

FX’s Gen Z sitcom Adults is a welcome shot in the arm to TV comedy, with a cast of talented newcomers and a bold style that delivers huge laughs.

Sirens tries to follow in The White Lotus’ footsteps with soapy drama in a luxury setting, but the satire falls flat, and the tone is hopelessly jumbled.

Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons is less zany than her previous TV work, but still delivers solid laughs, beautiful locations and a fantastic cast.

Overwritten and underbaked, Your Friends & Neighbors borrows from other, better shows — notably star Jon Hamm’s Mad Men — but falls short by comparison.

It’s commendable how Season 2 of The Last of Us tries to advance the narrative in a fresh way, but it’s not entirely successful. And the deep sadness that permeates the entire show stubbornly remains. I can say I admire a lot of the craftsmanship that goes into making The Last of Us.

Apple TV+’s Dope Thief puts a refreshing twist on the crime drama genre with top-notch performances and a wicked sense of humor.

Seth Rogen’s showbiz satire The Studio has lots of cool cameos, but gets too caught up in Hollywood lore to be consistently entertaining.

With its engaging cast and steady stream of titillating twists, CBS’ Beyond the Gates is more than just a historic moment in daytime. It’s also a drink-tossing, face-slapping, golf club-swinging good time.

Mostly, any flicker of emotional complexity gets trampled by the plot as it barrels forward in five different directions at once. A whole lot happens in Zero Day, it’s true… but I can’t say I cared much about any of it.

Season 3 of The White Lotus covers familiar territory, but it still delivers top-notch performances and some wild twists.

Hulu’s wildly ambitious Paradise might bite off more than it can chew, but it’s an entertaining thriller with serious emotional heft.

Tim Allen and Kat Dennings make an entertainingly feisty duo as father and daughter in ABC’s new family sitcom Shifting Gears.

Severance soars to new heights with its long-anticipated Season 2, exceeding our expectations by digging deeper and hitting harder than before.

No, The Pitt is not an ER reboot, but it may just be TV’s best, most authentic medical drama since the one that made Noah Wyle a star.

Despite an all-star cast and a promising premise, Netflix’s No Good Deed falls victim to thin characterization and an inconsistent tone.

Dune: Prophecy boasts stunning visuals and strong performances, but the story falls short of the high bar set by the Dune movies.

It’s nice to spend more time with Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters, but Season 2 stretches their story well beyond its natural limits.

Peacock’s The Day of the Jackal is a top-notch thriller, with dazzling action sequences and smart storytelling.

The Zoe Saldaña-led spy thriller’s sophomore run is fantastic, and stands as one of the year’s best TV shows.

It does manage to find a few laughs when Wayans and Wayans Jr. are just riffing and one-upping each other; in fact, I’d rather watch Senior and Junior cutting it up off-camera. Instead, we’re left with lots of silly voices, a few crude Neanderthal views… and not a lot of substance.

By cramming a Gen Z worldview into a pre-Y2K sitcom format, Happy’s Place is trying to straddle two eras… and is all the more shaky because of it.

Both young Gibbs and NCIS: Origins take a minute to find their bearings, but once they do, this latest NCIS offshoot shows promise.

Anyone who felt that Young Sheldon ended too soon will be pleased to see that story continue (and be told so well) in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.

There are a few genuinely poignant moments scattered through Disclaimer’s run, but taken as a whole, it’s a rough watch, putting its characters through the wringer and wallowing in overheated melodrama with lots of wailing and crying.

Netflix’s caustically funny romantic comedy Nobody Wants This is a charming showcase for Kristen Bell and Adam Brody.

Brammall and Dyer both rise to the occasion as actors, lending Gordon and Ashley’s relationship a poignant complexity. A show like Colin From Accounts really is something to be treasured. It’s one of those small, lovely gems that almost feels too good to be true in today’s TV landscape.

High Potential works on the strength of Olson’s joyful performance. It’s still a network procedural, at the end of the day, but it’s smart and funny

The Penguin is a fairly straightforward yet involving mobster story powered by Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti’s terrific performances.

Hulu’s How to Die Alone is a dark comedy that is perhaps a little too dark.

FX’s sharp, savage English Teacher takes a refreshingly unsentimental look at public schools — and is one of the year’s funniest new shows.

Vince Vaughn is in his element as a fast-talking detective in Apple TV+’s engagingly weird mystery comedy Bad Monkey.

Peacock’s Roman epic Those About to Die is an overstuffed, underbaked slog that slumps when the action ends.

A disappointingly mediocre follow-up that lacks the unique spark of the original and isn’t interesting enough to justify how convoluted it is.

Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent is a sleek and riveting legal thriller, thanks to great performances and writer David E. Kelley’s courtroom expertise.

A gaudy and campy docudrama sung in the key of Ryan Murphy (though Murphy isn’t involved in this production), Clipped bites off far more than it can chew. It’s part underdog sports drama, part overheated soap opera and part overly broad cultural satire… none of which are entirely successful.

I would not go so far as to say that Criminal Minds: Evolution is the product of “What if Criminal Minds and a prestige cable drama had a baby?” But that wouldn’t be too far off. It’s just wonderfully different, in assorted ways that longtime viewers may not have realized they wanted.

Elisabeth Moss’ spy thriller The Veil is effectively tense and provocative, but it gets derailed by unnecessary subplots.

The show takes the right risk in affording Lucy specificity as a character, and therefore a defined personality that can measure up to the wacky mayhem of the other weirdos she meets. The show’s clearly committed to being the definitive Fallout adaptation, a love letter to fans, no question, while still opening the vault door to welcome in just about everyone else brave enough to step inside.

Ripley boasts beautiful cinematography and a strong lead performance, but it stretches its story out so thin, it ruins the thrills.

Apple TV+’s Sugar is a stylish throwback to classic film noir, with a compelling turn from star Colin Farrell.

X-Men ’97 goes all-in on the requisite campiness, high-stakes action, and potent parallels that made the original, as well as the comics that inspired it, so much fun.

Despite a top-notch cast, Apple TV+’s Palm Royale is a middling soap that lacks laughs and emotional depth.

BET+’s Diarra from Detroit is an edgy and interesting mystery dramedy that is engrossing to watch but could benefit from fewer stereotypes.

Don’t throw away your vote on The Regime, a ridiculous and misguided political satire that even Kate Winslet can’t salvage.

FX’s Shōgun adaptation is a feast for the eyes with dazzling action sequences, but the muddled story falls short.

Stylishly shot and cleverly conceived, this Mr. & Mrs. Smith ultimately works so well because the two leads work together so well. In a show like this, it’s essential that Glover and Erskine have chemistry — and thankfully, they have lots of it. .... we’d be happy to watch John and Jane play spy games for years to come.

Apple TV+’s WWII epic Masters of the Air is gorgeously filmed but dull, with a distinct lack of narrative urgency.

True Detective boldly hits the reset button in Season 4, but runs into the same problems that plagued previous seasons.

Monarch’s story does get a little dense at times with lots of scientific lingo being thrown around, leaving us lost in the weeds. Plus, I have to admit my eyes glazed over with all the talk about the shadowy corporation called Monarch that secretly monitors the beasts. But Russell’s natural charm and sly sense of humor go a long way towards cutting through all that and making the whole thing work.

Fargo is back with a throwback season packed with excellent performances and jaw-dropping action scenes.

It has all the elements of a comedy, but it’d rather see us squirm than laugh, which makes it an intriguing but oddly uneven and unsatisfying series.

Swann makes for a solid (and tall) team leader, though it takes at least one episode too many to shine any light on the past trauma that defines Mackey/has her “shields” up, while Lasance has great fun with Dempsey’s comparatively laid-back persona. Narkle, I want to say, is the big standout as Evie — winningly sassy and arguably the “most Australian” of the bunch — while Sagar was a runner-up until his character started acting a little too free-spirited in later episodes.

To be fair, the revival does begin to find its stride in later episodes, especially when it leans into the proudly pretentious tone of the original. (We even get a conversation spoken entirely in Latin!) But beyond the superficial similarities — the pithy title cards between scenes, Grammer crooning “Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs” over the end credits — this just isn’t Frasier.

NBC’s The Irrational puts a fun spin on the procedural formula, but it’s dragged down by clichés and convenient plot twists.

Through its first three episodes, Krapopolis provides enough giggles to put it right at the top of Fox’s recent animation efforts, a cut above the likes of Bless the Harts and Duncanville.

Daryl Dixon is by no means perfect. There are some murky motivations, eyebrow-raising coincidences, and here and there dialogue that is more mystifying than it can possibly have been intended to be. .... Despite my quibbles, I never got to an installment that made me reluctant to watch the one after it.

After three episodes, we’re no closer to figuring out what is really going on than when we started. The Changeling is ultimately a missed opportunity: eerie moments that don’t build up to anything, and random philosophical musings that don’t add up to much.

Ahsoka avoids the excessive cameos and contrived dot-connecting of other, lesser Star Wars shows, focusing instead on what makes this franchise so much fun — its characters.

Justified: City Primeval may at times leave you longing for the dingy folksiness and familiar faces of Harlan County. But it’s a welcome, tightly wound, eight-episode reunion with Raylan Givens nonetheless.

The real star here is the tension that gradually builds from episode to episode, finding genuine human drama in a confined space. Sometimes when you’re making great TV, less space is more.

In the wake of CGI-saturated, cosmic movies like Ant-Man 3 and Guardians 3, Disney+’s Secret Invasion is a welcome blast of serious, grounded MCU fare.

The whole series feels like Netflix fed Arnold’s old action movies into ChatGPT and filmed whatever came out, unedited.

Paramount+’s Fatal Attraction takes all the thrills out of the classic thriller, with leaden flash-forwards and stilted dialogue.

Donald Glover proves he can do horror too with Swarm, anchored by a dazzling lead performance from Dominique Fishback.

It was a mostly safe, by-the-numbers affair that was woefully short on buzzy watercooler moments.

Amazon’s Daisy Jones & the Six is hampered by rock star clichés, but it captures a vibrant creative spark that’s hard to resist.

Starz’s Party Down revival isn’t quite as fun as the original run, but it still has a great cast and plenty of satirical bite.

Picard‘s final season brings back Next Generation favorites and introduces new wrinkles in what is easily the best season yet.

Poker Face is a loving throwback to ’70s detective shows that works, thanks to a winning lead performance from Natasha Lyonne.

With tired punchlines and a new cast that lacks the easy charm of the originals, Netflix’s That ’90s Show is a total buzzkill.

It requires a strong stomach, for one thing. (I can’t imagine binge-watching more than one episode at a time.) But for those who are up for it, it’s a highly compelling and artfully crafted step forward for the zombie genre — and for television in general.

The final product is something that stands as well on its own as it does as a continuation of Ron Howard’s classic film.

Netflix’s Wednesday has a ghoulish tone and a superb lead performance, but the story is strictly cookie-cutter YA mystery.

Season 2 of The White Lotus hits on a lot of the same themes as last season, but it still offers a terrific cast and insightful social satire.