Luther, the story of an impulsive, very intelligent London cop, manages to be an excellent showcase for Idris Elba (The Wire) and an increasingly impressive character drama that goes to some dark and absorbing places.

Sherlock is an enjoyably clever mixture of character drama and adventure tale.

When it comes to espionage stories or action-adventure in general, originality isn't as crucial as a good execution of the basics, and in that regard, the first hour of Nikita delivers.

The diverting and enjoyable Terriers occupies a different stylistic territory, but there's a noir strain underneath its shaggy exterior. As the best detective stories do, it features a smart, flawed lead character who is too stubborn and inquisitive for his own good.

On the whole, I'd say The Walking Dead worth a look, no matter what your genre preferences, but horror aficionados are more likely to enjoy this intense, blood-spattered tale, which, like all AMC dramas, is about as aesthetically well-crafted as a TV show can be.

The Defenders which, like those other shows, is a pretty straightforward legal procedural, has a surprising amount of fun with its familiar building blocks.

The Event was a well-paced hour that played skillfully with time, and if the characters were a little thin, well, it's a pilot--it'll take time to give characters shading and dimension.

What's especially impressive in Season 3 is how cogently and clearly events in the two different universes are handled. It's not hard to tell which is which and it's not hard to follow how the two worlds are connected, and those connections have only deepened the mythology in pleasing ways.

Damages isn't on the level of 'The Sopranos,' but, like Ellen Parsons, it knows what it's about these days. And if you want to see some prime, grade-A Acting, well, you could do a lot worse.

What a light, yet satisfying treat this show turned out to be.

Much of which transpires in the first few episodes seems familiar, if not a little predictable, and what saves the Taylors from being impossibly virtuous are the flaws the writers give them and the consistently great performances that Chandler and Britton give.

Like 'Breaking Bad,' 'Mad Men' and 'The Walking Dead,' The Killing uses savvy aesthetic choices and minimalist but effective acting to create a vibe and tell a story with an irresistible undertow of forward momentum.

Some aspects of this show work better than others, but, in its generally excellent second season, the drama has cohered into a compelling, if sprawling, portrait of the Crescent City.

An animated comedy that is propelled by a very strong voice cast and by its own daffy comedic momentum.

White Collar's return is a sprightly, enjoyable affair--stylishly shot, well acted and deftly threaded with moral ambiguity.

Sure, it's not particularly deep and has some pacing issues, but it's a generally watchable, well-acted effort.

Fifteen minutes into A Gifted Man, the performance of Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Ehle and Margo Martindale had completely won me over, and of all the pilots I've screened for fall, this is the one I most want to see more of.

The bottom line is, if you liked the what the show was dishing out in its first season--genre storytelling made with admirable restraint and economy, except for those jump-out-of-your-seat scary/gross moments--you're likely to enjoy what you see in season 2.

If you've given Cougar Town a real shot and found that it's not for you, fair enough; but if you already love the goofy-sweet-smart flavor of this show, you'll find a lot to like about the new season.

It's certainly worth keeping up with Key & Peele, given how strong and confident those outings are.

Episodes isn't a weighty series at all, but these actors elevate every scene they are in with spot-on comic timing and a graceful ability to play a range of conflicting emotions at once.

It's a high-class entertainment that takes its locale and its characters seriously and treats the audience to some enjoyable music along the way.

Political Animals hews fairly closely to the USA tone and smartly employs any number of light-drama conventions, thus it can likely be enjoyed simply as an entertainment

Structurally, the whole thing feels fresh again, and even if I have doubts about how the writers will wring two worthy seasons out of the new dynamics (Showtime has committed to airing at least one more season), the three 2012 episodes I've seen efficiently pulled me back in.

I'm not discouraged by the show's early growing pains; the cast is still full of good actors, Last Resort displays an admirable amount of forward momentum and the hiccups along the way are just another indication of how many chances the show is taking.

Tactical wins, taut storytelling and zombies munching tasty, tasty braaaaains: All that plus the addition of Michonne and David Morrissey as the Governor in upcoming episodes make me pretty damned happy that The Walking Dead is back.

It's to the credit of Asylum's writers, directors and cast that the emotional pain of the characters often feels as real as their uncertainty and terror.

It's essentially interested in the ways in which lonely, damaged characters allow themselves to find comfort in a world that has no fixed moral moorings, and the wounded tenacity of these people is every bit as intriguing as the progress of that mystery briefcase.

The Hour has some pacing issues--there are sludgy patches that could use a bit more zip and energy--but overall, the show creates a delectable, specific world that's very easy to glide into and inhabit.

A solid spy vehicle for its strong cast.

Defiance is not just a smart, well-crafted TV show with a good cast and an adventurous flavor, it's also indisputably science fiction, which is a relief.

If you watch Hannibal, it's likely to stay with you for days. Despite the darkness at the heart of it, that's a good thing this time around.

Top of the Lake is [not] free of idiosyncratic digressions and the occasionally odd segue, but it does a critically important thing very well: It draws you into a specific world and it quickly makes that world's textures, relationships and stakes matter.

The drama might have had more depth and texture if more time had been spent contextualizing their relationships instead of just showing the ladies putting up with a series of oafs. But there's only so much Bletchley can do in three installments, and it has many sustaining qualities to offset the relatively thin supporting characters.

Season 5 brings more of the same, but the characters are so well delineated and the performances are so solid that more of the same is a good thing.

There's no darkness looming just yet, and the season premiere is almost too jokey at times--certain comedic bits are stretched longer than they should be. Still, this is quite a bold and energetic (if not frenetic) new edition of Doctor Who. Hang on to the TARDIS, fans, it looks like we're in for quite a ride.

The results may not hit the mark every time (stories about Jack, Liz and Kenneth usually work, while those concerning Tracy and Jenna are hit or miss), but there are enough pointed, smart and effective barbs to make this show a must-see comedy even as it enters its fourth season.

One of the best things about the season is that, via Joe Tobin, the show has given viewers if not someone to root for, someone to at least partially empathize with.

Caprica is still finding itself, but it's worth your while, and if it can knit its various elements into a more coherent whole, it could get even better.

Like most ABC shows, Eli Stone could stand to prune its cast and deepen its writing. But that's focusing on the glass half empty. So let's just be glad that this good-hearted show made it through the previous TV season and "Big Shots" didn't.

Nothing's less funny than a comedy that tries too hard. But Flight of the Conchords pulls off the neat trick of being amusing without appearing to try at all.

The curious thing about True Blood is that, even if you’re not that interested in their relationship, there are other things to enjoy, notably the supporting performances and the mostly efficient plotting.

The werewolves appear ready to supply some interesting, if rough-edged stories, but certain Season 3 plots wouldn't be missed if they faded away.

Powers, the central character in the strangely compelling new HBO series Eastbound & Down is a down-on-his-luck pitcher whose glory days in the Major League are well behind him.

The Season 2 premiere of the genre-tinged drama Fringe is almost the polar opposite of its bombastic Season 1 premiere, and that’s a very good thing.

Being Human's saving grace is that it takes these people's lives and personal complications seriously. Dead, undead or just occasionally furry, these characters aren't so far from human.

There are caveats, but they would trouble me more if the creator were someone other than Whedon.

Those two formulas--loopy genius and mismatched cops—are smushed together in Warehouse 13, yet the whole enterprise is executed with competency and humor, so despite a wobble here or there, the show ends up working.

Happily, this generally well-told tale of a modern-day king and his restive court has more going for it than a charismatic performance from the dependably wonderful “Deadwood” star.

Though the pace is zippy and a fair amount of the dialogue is snappy, Hutton brings a distracted, melancholy air to the proceedings, which doesn’t slow things down -- his nuanced performance keeps the show on an even keel.

When Drop Dead Diva is at its best, it’s about two women who have lost a lot but are learning that they’ve gained something valuable as well.

Still, like the second season of “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style,” which is airing now on Bravo, this show may work for you if you’re looking for a turn-off-your-brain escape.

Though he seemed a little nervous and the humor seemed a bit broader, generally speaking, than it was on "Late Night," Conan on The Tonight Show worked just fine.

The strength of the script and Branagh's finely drawn performance--not to mention the excellent scenes between Branagh and David Warner, who plays Wallander's dad--make up for missteps [by the director].

Though Costello’s discussions with musicians falter from time to time, they also contain quite a few interesting stories and conversations. And whenever things threaten to slow down, the musicians just pick up their instruments and sing instead of speaking.

The surreal comedy of Steven Wright is clearly an influence on Martin (one of Martin’s jokes: “I wonder if there were any Goths in Gothic times”), but Important Things also has a boldly silly streak.

The best thing about White Collar is DeKay and Bomer’s chemistry; DeKay in particular is able to wring subtle comedy from Burke’s irritation at Caffrey’s ability to get something for nothing.

This [is a] crisply shot, well-paced drama: It could venture into the darker and knottier realms of morality, as “House” did in its first few seasons.

Southland, which comes from “ER” executive producers John Wells and Christopher Chulack, is the more serious and satisfying drama, though it could use a little more of the lightness of The Unusuals.

Overall, Parks appears to be headed in the right direction.

Will this strange combination of starry-eyed optimism and manicured irony eventually combust? Possibly. But until then, there's a lot to like about this weird and frequently winning hybrid.

The moments in which Jackie and the people in her ER find common ground -- that's when this show achieves liftoff.

Spartacus develops into an enjoyably soapy escape--a la the similarly sweaty and sex-drenched "True Blood"--as its first season progresses.

Assuming FlashForward can tone down a tendency toward pomposity and create a mythology and characters worth following, it may well be a worthy addition to the roster of sci-fi tinged TV programs.

While this straightforward, unapologetically derivative thriller won't blow your mind, it's a whole lot better than ABC's "Happy Town" or CBS's "Harper's Island" and may turn out to be like NBC's "Journeyman" -- a slice of genre entertainment that slowly developed into a worthwhile weekly commitment (and, er, yes, was canceled too soon.

By the third episode of the three that HBO sent, the show had begun to find a rhythm, and the sometimes sprawling narrative (which will unfold over 10 episodes in the show's first season) had begun to gel in a promising way.

As straight man and wild card combos go, Hanks and Whitford are well-matched, though "The Good Guys" really belongs to Whitford. He appears to be having so much fun that it's simply infectious.

This cast is so good, especially Polaha and Appleby, that by the third episode it was surprisingly easy to put aside the lingering questions I had and tolerate the fact that at that stage, some of the supporting characters still came close to being caricatures.

Suffice to say that Archer will probably appeal to viewers who like their comedy literate, demented and subversive.

This well-intentioned Sense gets the job done.

As a whole, the dramedy is much more enjoyable than it was last season, which was a bloated and repetitive mess.

The series would fall apart if Al-Farik were a cardboard cutout villain. Who’d want to watch eight hours of this man’s journey if he were just a shallow action-movie bad guy? But thanks to Fehr’s brave, layered performance, it’s impossible to ignore Al-Farik or the ideas that motivate him.

It's good news that much of Season 4 will focus on Brenda's investigative team and on police department politics.

"Practice" has the kind of easy flow that comes from veteran sitcom experts.

Not all of the show’s demented comic gambits work, but Sunny gets points for inventiveness, and all things considered, the show is far more consistently entertaining than it was in its first couple of seasons.

Simm is also compelling (as he was in a couple of standout “Doctor Who” episodes earlier this year), though his performance is sometimes pitched to a level of intensity that the occasionally formulaic storytelling doesn’t quite match.

Meeting the Walker clan and getting a glimpse at their personal lives... is like being led to a table of tantalizing appetizers. Even as you take a sample of these introductory delights, you’re wondering whether the main course will live up to your expectations.

It may not sound funny on paper, and some of these snippets may not be quite as side-splitting as scenes from the deadpan British original, but this edition of “Creature Comforts” is good fun.

"Jericho" has a surprising ability to create tension from the unthinkable.

This is one show that could, with the right kind of leadership, make it to the playoffs.

The show may not quite be as immersive as it was at its best; we may not see the likes of FNL’s breathtaking first season again. But in Season 3, it’s more evident than ever that many of FNL’s most powerful moments occur when there’s no dialogue at all.

Goldblum’s thoughtful, enjoyable presence is — rather than the one saving grace of an otherwise tiresome procedural — the centerpiece of a generally well-crafted drama, one that’s sprinkled with loving nods to Raymond Chandler and “Double Indemnity.”

The kind of well-made brain candy that nearly demands that you watch it with a bowl of popcorn.

It’s a slender conceit for a television show but also a novel one. And the romantic sense of yearning that infuses “Six Degrees” is refreshing in a TV schedule full of corpses and cops.

"Betty" walks a fine line between satire and drama and, astonishingly, it doesn’t fall off that razor’s edge very often.

The show offers a satisfying dose of alien-flavored escapism, especially for younger fans of genre fare (Sarah Jane has a few hip and appealing teen companions).

If State of Mind can work out its mixture of mild wackiness and emotional revelation, it may have a chance.

By the time the many story threads link up... "The State Within" has an unstoppable momentum that’s as good as the best of "24."

The dangers for the mostly engrossing “Riches” is that it occasionally hits the “we’re stealing the American Dream” theme a little too hard, and it remains to be seen whether it will coast on the taut, engaging performances of Izzard and Driver.

Though the show can demonstrate narrative drive within particular episodes--the second episode of Season 2, for example, is moderately suspenseful--over the long haul.

Eli Stone is not quite there yet; the characters are pretty thinly drawn in the first few episodes, and the law cases seem heavily tilted toward the "little guy" side.

This new comedy, which stars the wildly talented Judy Greer, is terrific.

Despite the fine work of Pace and Friel--who convey tenderness despite the director’s efforts to stamp it out--the sheer quantity of forced whimsy and visual razzle-dazzle can be exhausting.

The show’s pace is brisk and efficient, and Headey (“300”) and Glau bring welcome intelligence and energy to their roles as very protective women.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles returns with a solidly enjoyable action-oriented outing.

The charms of this series are subtle, but only grow over the course of the first few episodes.

I found it to be more or less the same competent procedural that it was last season.

His repetitive fights with his ex-girlfriend, Karen (Natascha McElhone), with whom he reunited at the end of last season, are by far the most tiresome part of the show. Much more fun is the easy camaraderie Hank has with his growing entourage, all of whom share his cynical and saucy outlook on life.