Neither particularly bad nor stellar, Madoff is a mildly entertaining, though far from impressive, miniseries with oversimplified depictions of white-collar thieves, bumbling to the point of cartoonish financial analysts, and fraud run rampant.

This narrative of bad people who want to feel human, whose flaws are both embedded into their DNA and yet crippling, has gone stale. In the context of a crime show, the gimmick ages rapidly.

Seeing Mulder and Scully back together is enough to maintain interest, even if The X-Files starts diving into political themes that are a little unnerving.

Every bit as gripping as this year's earlier docu-series hit, Making a Murderer is the anti-The Jinx.

All in all, while not an absolutely great Christmas special since it struggles to find its footing at times plot-wise, it's worth watching for the celebrity cameos and the raucous and at times hilarious singing.

This could have been more appealing with a stylized visual approach or a novel tone but instead it's sci-fi-by-numbers. [Nov-Dec 2015, p.78]

It sounds a tried and true setup, but Master of None immediately breaks the mold, infusing the struggling actor formula with a touching helping of both heart and humor.

Ten minutes into Ash vs. Evil Dead it's clear that the show is pulling none of the maximum blood-and-scare punches of the movies, and their humor is thankfully intact.

Part of what makes Supergirl work is the tone. Those who found Man of Steel too dark won't find much traction leveling similar complaints here, as Supergirl is full of light and hope, but not so much so that it doesn't have weight and drama.

Sharply written and delivered with an acute self-awareness.

On balance, Heroes Reborn shows great promise. The challenge will be how the writers and producers pull all the disparate threads into a cohesive storyline.

It's cheeky and lighthearted escapism perfect for unwinding on a Tuesday night.

The show is still subject to the freak-of-the-week formula that so pervasively plagues comic book series, and its treatment of the criminally insane remains more criminally over-the-top than in Gotham's peer programs (Arrow and The Flash, most notably). On the whole, though, Gotham's second season debuts as strong as--if not stronger than--the series premiere, encouraging those who stuck with the hammy inaugural season to settle in for the long haul.

It warrants a little suspension of disbelief, but Blindspot is a fun, entertaining, action-packed thriller perfect for a Monday night lineup.

As it stands now, the case-of-the-week approach is as hackneyed a take on Minority Report as FOX could have come up with.

The Bastard Executioner suffers from inconsistent pacing. At times meandering or sluggish, it then changes gears, rapidly springing a gory, adrenaline-infused battle seemingly out of nowhere.

It's engaging, it's addicting, and it makes for damn lively Sunday night viewing.

Where Stewart is the show's greatest strength, there is very little else to grasp onto. The situations are good for a few awkward giggles, but ultimately Blunt Talk misses the mark on the bigger picture.

Not only are the fake documentaries of Documentary Now! hilarious, but doc fans are sure to embrace (while laughing) these studiously crafted pieces from creators Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, and Seth Myers for their loving attention to detail.

David Wain and Michael Showalter's quirky brand of comedy is still the heart of the series, and works because it is so youthfully rudimentary, playing up romantic comedy tropes with bratty sneers and whimsy. First Day at Camp is essential summer TV viewing nobody asked for, but nobody's complaining either.

Scream is a deferential adaptation well aware of its source material's strengths. It uses them to its advantage, fully embracing them for a result that, while never quite as salacious as the first film, is a more than worthy entry into Scream lore.

It's punchy, violent, and darkly funny.

A German-language spy thriller cut from the same cloth as The Americans.

Season three makes no significant step forward, but improves by spreading its charm out to the supporting cast.

Sense8's ensemble is contemporaneous, creating an exciting real time tension as the characters take advantage of their seven partners' unique specialties and experiences to unravel mysteries in their own respective scenarios.

The series has also been acquainted with theologically bent ideas, but the trajectory points to the series' characters becoming manifestations of Biblical themes, concepts, and binaries. That they're able to get away with such hard to sell content and pull it off with such aplomb is proof yet that Hannibal, so often a cut above the rest, gets away with delicious murder.

Matt Dillon is perfectly cast in the lead, and though some themes and visual cues are a little hokey at first, Wayward Pines soon enough turns into thrilling network television.

It's dark and, yes, gritty, but the tone fits the character, and it's obvious the series' creators have a real familiarity and affection for their source material.