Fairly Legal is adequately entertaining, thanks in large part to Shahi, an engaging actress who looks like Anne Hathaway.

Being Human works better than it should because of skillful writing, often laced with wry humor, and the very deep well of plot possibilities in the idea that three "monsters," as they call themselves, can pass for "human."

The production details and Stewart Harcourt's script are quite effective, but the film's pacing is too drawn out.

It's modestly entertaining, but because Davies and his writers and directors have employed a kind of wink-wink artificiality to the performances and style of Mr. Selfridge, you never quite believe much of it and you may find yourself caring only in passing.

The show is great fun, and clearly the star herself is having fun in the lead roles.

Isaacs makes an attractively moody hero, and both the supporting and guest casts are superb. That said, the episodes tend to meander slowly from plot point to plot point.

It's possible that Washington Heights will devolve into "Jersey Shore-North," and become unwatchable. But it's hard to imagine young people like JP, Frankie and Ludwin going off the rails to that extent. As long as they don't, Washington Heights may be an exception to the apparent rule for this kind of show by keeping it legitimately real.

What makes the show at least mildly interesting is that it's not always easy to predict who will make it to the next round and who will be cut.

It makes for a mildly enjoyable story and it's probably best not to overthink things.

Pieces of the familiar Arthurian epic are preserved in the script, but that doesn't mean the characters fit our images of them.

The writing is juvenile, hormonal and often pretty dang funny.

The show has promise, but the one thing it doesn't yet have that has made "Bones" such a survivor is chemistry.

Created by David Caspe, Happy Endings needs better writing and characters who don't look like characters in other forgettable sitcoms. Otherwise, this show's ending may be anything but happy.

While some plot elements and characters have been imported intact from the United Kingdom, the American show makes its own statement and will move away from its British roots in future episodes.

[The] moderately appealing cast is wasted in a show about three children of a recently deceased rich guy who have to compete among themselves to become the sole heir to his $23 million estate.

Although hyperthymesia is a gimmick, it works.

Nothing new is revealed in the National Geographic Channel's first scripted special, Killing Lincoln. But that doesn't mean the decently written and adequately performed docudrama is unwelcome.

NYC 22 (for the 22nd Precinct in Harlem) is pretty average, which is to say: Nothing to write home about and probably nothing that you'll stick with very long.

The series is kind of a mess, but one you can't really look away from.

Writer Amy B. Harris has crafted a clever, credible script, carefully adding a few veiled life lessons within the witty dialogue: One of the girls will learn that hooking up with a boy you think you love may not always end in happily ever after.

There are only fleeting moments when you feel you're seeing something brand new in Defiance, but in its imitative way, it's fun to watch, thanks to some competent CGI effects and decent performances.

Oddly enough, the business of making duck calls becomes more interesting than you might think.

The second season is to explore Ryan's character and the vulnerabilities that enable him to see Wilfred as a biped.

F&B will rise or fall almost entirely on the basis of how likable you find Gosselaar and Meyer, not to mention the wisecrack-stuffed dialogue.

The scary parts of the show really are scary and the actors are all appealing.

The bigger mistake is seeing the story as just a gussied-up whodunit. That may make Coma passably enjoyable, but it doesn't make it very scary.

A puffy documentary by Jeffrey Roth about President George H.W. Bush that ends up being a boring and uninformative disservice to the former president.

Life Is But a Dream, co-directed by Ed Burke and billed by HBO as "an intimate, revealing documentary," isn't really, but there are enough moments that pass for authenticity to make it a benignly informative glimpse into a rarefied existence.