Masterful.

No, the thrill isn't gone. "24" remains a wild 'n' crazy roller-coaster ride.

Just imagine if Tony Soprano had decided to be a cop instead of a gangster. Yes, scary. Scary and compelling. And that's what you get with Detective Vic Mackey, the brutal, anything-goes Johnny Law at the dark heart of The Shield, an explosively well-done new crime drama. [12 Mar 2002]

Milch's darkly hilarious exploration of the American frontier spirit is back for a third season of twisted human conniving.

Filled with strong writing, a colorful gallery of vivid characters and a rocking good mix of cool dialogue and explosive action, "Battlestar Galactica" rolls on as an intergalactic entertainment classic.

Brimming with cockeyed echoes of everything from "Raising Arizona" to "King of the Hill," NBC's best new comedy since "Seinfeld" is that rare chucklehead treat: it's both wildly irreverent and blessed with a cheerful, endearingly upbeat nature.

Blends Rock's signature, whip-smart irreverence with richly humorous, character-driven stories of his own adolescence to create the rare family comedy that is both hilariously honest and filled with heart.

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" is another Sorkin mother lode of stylish wit, uncompromising quality and timely, topical substance. It's TV with a brain for viewers in search of something other than the same old, same old.

Damages is dynamite. And the fuse is lit.

As Betty Suarez, a beautiful dreamer with a heart full of soul, America Ferrera gives the breakout new star performance of the season. And "Ugly Betty," fizzy, smart and colorfully styled, is looking fine.

The lavishly beguiling historical drama is pumped up on passion, wit and the majestic fire of Helen Mirren's thrilling performance as one of history's most intriguing rulers.

Start to finish in its first-rate opening season, Showtime's "Brotherhood" has the makings of something neat, offbeat and special.

Hall, who invests strange, demented Dexter with real heart and humanity. It's a spooky tour de force.

Pushing Daisies is a delicate, rapturously original little television miracle.

TV's most original and irresistible new comic concoction.

This effort is blessed with a wealth of exceptional talent.

The stylish, fast-moving series premiere is filled with surprising twists, witty repartee and some revved-up, well-choreographed action sequences. But the real star of Alias is, well, the star: athletic Jennifer Garner, who portrays Sydney with intelligence and graceful, hard-bodied charisma. [29 Sept 2001]

Boomtown, created by Graham Yost, who wrote "Band of Brothers" and "Speed," has the potential to be NBC's best crime drama since "Homicide: Life on the Street." [27 Sept 2002]

An instant chucklehead classic.

One tasty comic treat.

And you don't have to be a sci-fi fanatic to get a kick out of Firefly, which brandishes playful bits of Whedon's signature wit and snappy repartee. [20 Sept 2002]

Though it's extremely well done, The Wire lacks the signature HBO kick of discovering something brand new, that giddy feeling of freshness that immediately attached itself to "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under." With The Wire, there's a less-exciting echo: Same old, same old. Been there, done that. [31 May 2002]

A spiffy new version.

Feels like a hit show about to happen.

A terrific, six-hour miniseries, beautifully written and sharply directed.

Thanks mostly to the acting intelligence and talent of Lili Taylor, State of Mind is the more interesting, entertaining newcomer.

The ensemble cast, including David Oyelowo, Edward Woodward ("The Equalizer") and Janet McTeer, is first rate. A winner.

Duchovny possesses the engaging comic empathy skills to make his Left Coast libertine decidedly witty and likable.

As a witty social history viewed through the tempestuous prism of office and sexual politics, Mad Men is big fun ... classy entertainment with a brain.

The writing and comic sensibility are fresh and unpredictable. [23 Aug 1998, p.1L]

Tell those Tinseltown pixies to go grab that big jar of cosmic stardust off the shelf. The magic show biz thing is happening again. [29 Sept 1998, p.1D]

The gracefully gonzo result is funny and affecting, and sometimes it is downright insightful. Good grief. [1 June 2001, p.1E]

Yeah, sounds sappy. But it's just the opposite -- a charming mix of rambunctious wit, honest emotion and interesting characters. Lots of smarts and a generous heart. A winner. [16 Sept 2002]

Grim, stylish, smart and gripping. [26 Sept 2003, p.8E]

You don't have to be a fantasy or sci-fi geek to have fun with it

Television always needs smart, quality shows. And with "ER" on creative life support after 10 years, this challenging new medical drama could be good entertainment therapy. But for many viewers, "House" could be a tough pill to swallow. [15 Nov 2004, p.1C]

"Lucky Louie" is a true original -- a pleasantly twisted variation on "The Honeymooners" or "Roseanne" for the 21st Century.

With a little bit of prime time luck, Lost just may become what it sets out to be -- a mesmerizing thrill ride with a brain and more than a little humanity. [22 Sept 2004, p.1C]

[A] smart, hard-edged new crime drama.

Like the frequently audacious comic strip that gave it life, "The Boondocks" doesn't mess around.

The breezily irreverent "Entourage" -- chock-full of witty banter, Hollywood insider jokes and real-life celebrities in self-spoofing mode -- parties on in especially fine style.

"Sleeper Cell" works as a smart, sharply styled thriller about a very serious subject.

A comedy anchored in the flawed, deeply genuine humanity of its characters often delivers the rollicking natural high of laughter.

"The West Wing" was more vivid, original and compelling than "Commander in Chief" is likely to become. But impressive Geena Davis and the Oval Office gender twist are indeed refreshing.

It's a fresh, darkly comic workplace/social life farce peppered with good laughs.

Like any over-the-top, conspiracy-laced concept, "Prison Break" will only work if viewers are giddily enticed to jump aboard the Willing Suspension of Disbelief Express.

Both fun and unexpected.

An offbeat treat worth rooting for.

It's styled as a sort of laid-back Gen X updating of "thirtysomething," replacing that show's neuroses-fueled, East Coast edge with a more casual, lighthearted California vibe.

A compelling tale of ordinary people ensnared in extraordinary circumstances.

Right from the dark start, the new "Night Stalker" is a more provocative, emotionally layered thrill ride.

Besides the nifty, repressed romantic dynamic between Brennan and Booth, "Bones" has some fun with snazzy hologram visualizations of the murder victims in each case.

It's uneven in spots, with the riveting action sequences sometimes overshadowing the more subdued domestic scenes. But unlike the often gratingly shallow "JAG," "The Unit" allows for ambiguity.

A raunchy, mostly forgettable female bonding sitcom.

"Out of Practice" is that increasingly rare old-fashioned sitcom that delivers decent laughs.

It's actually rather funny, broadly entertaining and blessed with a sweet screwball spirit. It's a promising farce with heart.

Has some genuinely funny moments despite its laugh track and conventional sitcom framework.

You know you're in the presence of a fresh, original sitcom when you don't even mind the laugh track.

A terrific series pilot that gives off little echoes of everything from "GoodFellas" to "The Departed."

What may appear at first glance to be a cheap reality TV gimmick... soon evolves into something quite compelling.

With fun, familiar faces like Field, Flockhart and Griffiths on board, attending a family reunion with the Walkers every Sunday could be a lively, entertaining way to end the weekend.

It arrives fresh, charming and consistently funny.

A breezy summertime comic joy.

Though the crime thriller territory is familiar, Liotta and the talented supporting cast give "Smith" an extra kick of dramatic energy.

[A] sly spoof.

The smartly told stories of first-year coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler, "King Kong") and his Dillon High School Panthers are packed with gritty style and heartfelt emotion.

Darkly gripping.

Yes, the premise may be decidedly derivative, but it's all in the witty execution.

Fey's humor possesses a sly, literate snap. And like NBC's recent cool comedies, "The Office" and "My Name Is Earl," her rollicking "30 Rock" has a surplus of nutty imagination.

Thanks to Corddry's social misfit charisma, Ricky Blitt's affable lowbrow lunacy flashes with a sharp, dizzy wit.

"Eureka" is clever paranormal escapism that sometimes teeters on the edge of whimsical excess. But that doesn't mean you won't find plenty of affable, oddball entertainment.

A witty, sophisticated romantic drama.

"The Nine" unfolds with an abundance of emotion-charged imagination.

Feresten makes a rather engaging talk show host.

Dexter is... one of the most compelling new characters on TV.

On a simple quality drama level, it's the best network miniseries in several years.

A clever new animated series.

A richly entertaining winner, a saga that both stirs the emotions and whips up vivid outbursts of satisfying, varmint-vanquishing action.

Simultaneously appealing and rather sadly appalling, "Mrs. Harris" gets at the messy truth of it all in a distinctively mischievous manner.

"The Sarah Silverman Program" is not for everyone. But if you've chuckled along to the rascals on "South Park" -- or if you thought "Borat" was one hilarious movie -- then chances are you'll get some perverse jollies with Sarah Silverman's latest venture.

The most compelling storytelling usually involves the combative relationship between Steinbrenner and Martin.

Laced with profanity, amoral behavior and fine performances, "The Riches" adheres to its own maverick set of family drama values ... infused with secrets and lies, twisted laughs and lots of love.

It's actually good ... and genuinely funny.

The show's ensemble cast -- which also includes Jill Clayburgh, William Baldwin and Samaire Armstrong ("Entourage") -- is pretty darn fabulous. And the entertaining result is sophisticated trash with stylish flash.

Bitter family power struggles, corporate rivalries and a touch of murder highlight a promising, if overly tangled and busy series premiere.

It's headed in the right direction ... fast, loose and fun.

Lewis is terrific. But his brazenly loopy lawman may not be to everyone's offbeat crime drama tastes.

Aliens in America delivers the laughs. It's one of the most enjoyable members of this fall's freshman class.

With its sharp writing, wonderful cast and wacko spirit, Reaper is one helluva good time.

Although it's not quite as much smart, trashy fun as "Rome," it is still an engaging romp that moves along at a stylish pace.

It makes a smart, charmingly irreverent first impression, thanks to its pleasantly warped, deadpan writing and performing.

The snap, crackle and pop of witty dialogue well delivered. That is the consistently amusing, escapist pleasure of Back to You.

High School Musical 2 is pretty much a total tuneful blast.

Thanks to sleek production values, a generally top-notch cast and an absorbing overall story that smartly mixes explosive action with quieter moments of sinister intrigue, The Company delivers a refreshingly solid jolt of summertime Big Event drama.

The opening episode is solidly done and pretty entertaining. But a fifth season of "Everwood" would have been a much better fit in the time slot following "7th Heaven."

A sly, witty step up from the boorish "Becker."

"Wedding Wars" tries to do a lot, with moderate success.

You'll never regret missing Navy NCIS if you forget to watch. [23 Sept 2003, p.1F]

Two and a Half Men manages to generate some smiles. Series creator Chuck Lorre ("Dharma & Greg") has scrounged up a few funny moments for the series premiere. But not enough of them. [22 Sept 2003, p.6E]

In between the sardonic wisecracks and tangled storytelling, it's easy to lose interest.

Maybe they all graduated from the Melrose Place College of Law.

"Modern Men" feels anything but, well, modern. But in its own goofy, good-natured retro way, this old-school comedy... generates some lighthearted, if predictable grins.

[A] bland, formulaic family comedy.

A gimmicky, cliched legal drama that seems to have been unearthed from 20 years ago.

Doesn't quite rise to the cheerful, sweetly clever quality level of WB's "Beauty and the Geek."

Lame storytelling and dialogue.

There's nothing remotely fresh or original about "3 Lbs." But it is well made, reasonably diverting and lucky to be on CBS.

Even with its erratic start, "Inconceivable" still manages to deliver a fair share of escapist, bun-in-the-oven fun.

A breezy summertime soap opera.

With its attractive cast and the Emmy Award-winning talent behind-the-scenes... "Related" should be a lot more fizzy, witty fun than it is.

So MacLachlan's enjoyable. The supporting cast is OK. And the unconventional premise is rather promising. Now it's up to the producers to give "In Justice" a more distinctive dramatic zing.

Breezily prefabricated sitcom humor that lacks the fresh zing of anything remotely original.

[It has] just enough funny, semi-improvised moments to make you wish it was better.

Shepherd scores in a so-so docudrama.

"Run's House" seems to be the reality sitcom flip side of "Being Bobby Brown."

Even with Blackthorne's occasionally engaging portrayal of Harry Dresden, this whodunit lacks the wit and imagination that might transform it into something special.

"Saved" is a sometimes entertaining, often predictable trauma drama.

The Old Testament just shouldn't be this dull.

Slick, predictably convoluted and pumped up on conspiratorial dread, "Day Break" may be a trifle late to the serial thriller party.

"Big Day" just doesn't deliver many big laughs.

That morbid premise -- in addition to the so-so storytelling, devolving badly by the second episode -- sure feels morosely overwrought for 8 o'clock.

"Justice" offers slick, efficiently produced whodunit escapism without a whit of real originality or dramatic spontaneity.

With too many hints of recycled stock characters and formula thriller cliches, "Drive" sputters off the starting line.

From start to finish, "Standoff" is slickly contrived, formulaic crime drama nonsense.

Though the glossily well-made "Vanished" may prove intermittently diverting, it lacks any of the original serial thriller zing of far better shows like "24," "Lost" or "Prison Break."

There's nothing remotely hip or ahead of the trendy zeitgeist curve about "Hidden Palms." But there are some of those agreeable guilty pleasures to be found, like cliffhanger twists at the close of each episode that keep the mystery bubbling.

A haphazard farce that fails to find a consistently funny groove.

The only thing missing is fresh, smart, unpredictable humor.

Alternately engaging and annoying.

Despite the presence of a capable cast of bumbling Robin Hood wanna-bes... "The Knights of Prosperity" quickly devolves into tepid, overwrought whimsy and struggles to sustain its premise.

Some will find it appalling. Others just may find it appallingly addictive.

A glossy hunk of over-the-top, sleaze 'n' tease melodrama.

There are moments of dizzy, semisweet fun to be had on the premiere. But the honeymoon could be short.

Yes, the show's glossily generic. But the attractive cast clicks.

Big Shots isn't brilliant. And despite that attractive, well-matched male ensemble, the so-so series premiere lacks sufficient creative zing.

A decent, potentially appealing cast -- one that includes Fred Goss ("Sons and Daughters"), Faith Ford and Jerry O'Connell--has to make do with ho-hum storylines and writing that lacks anything resembling real snap and imagination.

Moonlight falls somewhere in the middle of the new paranormal pack. It's neither great nor awful.

If you like watching culinary train wrecks, this is your show.

Far, far away from the cutting edge, Life in the Wild offers a family-drama walk on the mild side.

McKidd's a fine actor and there's promise here for an engaging romantic drama. But it's a bit too tangled, confusing and erratic in the opening weeks.

Despite her extreme makeover, this new Bionic Woman is mostly slick, dull and portentously sullen.

Even with Walsh's star sizzle and an attractive, talented supporting cast that includes Tim Daly, Amy Brenneman, Taye Diggs and Audra McDonald, Rhimes still hasn't found her spinoff's storytelling groove

Mr. Know-It-All can be rather irritating. [20 Sept 2002]

Screwloose, occasionally amusing...Yeah, Beavis and Butt-head would make fun of this show. Heh-heh-heh. [20 Jan 2003]

The few good laughs in an otherwise so-so show are supplied by the slyly wigged-out Beth Lacke.

There are occasional funny moments amid the raging comic mediocrity.

A tepid traditional sitcom.

A lame, uninspired faculty farce.

A pretty bland romantic confection.

A tediously bloody bore.

Crusading criminal prosecutor Annabeth Chase... [is] the most irritating lead character on any new drama series this fall.

Just another tediously cliched crime procedural. Whodunit? Who cares.

Disheartening proof that even the most talented producers sometimes concoct a prime-time crock.

[A] trite little laugh-track factory.

[A] cheesy carnival of reality TV.

This is by far the least charming--the lame, leering sitcom tales of two brainiac losers (Johnny Galecki, above, and Jim Parsons) goofily smitten by the babelicious girl next door (Kaley Cuoco). It's about as witty as a pocket protector.

A ho-hum traditional sitcom filled with formula banter and cliched cuteness.

In terms of intelligence, wit and quality, "Desire" is a serious cut below most prime time drama series.

A tediously insipid show that is perilously low on wit, intelligence or imagination.

Slick, cynical teen soap nonsense.

Tell Me You Love Me is little more than an intellectually pretentious, emotionally vapid snoozer.

Despite Lithgow and Tambor's capabilities, the series sags badly amid the moldy excesses of generic, over-the-top slapstick.

[A] dreadful little laugh-impaired comedy.

A slick 'n' grim crime procedural piled high with deadly dull cliches

This is entertainment? Awful.