She is all over the map and that's precisely what's refreshing about her. What the world needs now is not another over-stylized, super-slick talk show.

With Life's Too Short, he [Ricky Gervais] again delivers.

Luck is a smart and ambitious series that looks to truly pay off in the home stretch.

House of Lies is giving him (and the rest of the actors) something fresh and different to devour, which makes it a show you need to consult with.

The Borgias retains the intrigue and conniving family politics that made season one such a pleasure ride, but it all has more snap now, with Jordan spinning the plates with aplomb.

The show from creator Nahnatchka Khan is fresh and funny, with fast-paced jokes and witty cynicism in abundance.

If people stay with it, what they'll find are exceptional performances, some truly fine writing and a premise, by virtue of being complicated, that could unspool some really interesting plotlines.

The film isn't trying to break ground with revelations, so what it comes down to is whether Game Change is a good movie, as opposed to a balanced documentary. For the most part, it is.

Going into Season 2, the acting performances are the primary reason to tune in.

Your eyes are in for a treat, and Judd grows on you.

Along the way, Elementary should prove rather conclusively that it's a solid cousin to Sherlock and will give fans of the character more chances to see him solve crimes.

If you're not put off by some of those Sorkin traits--and honestly, they are ever-present--then The Newsroom might be a drama that hooks you with what it's ultimately trying to say about some complicated issues.

Khouri's strong writing and sense of character prove the show is no mere soap--does an excellent job of identifying them [storylines] without spending too much time on them.

CBS has managed to create a period piece without relying solely on that factor as the cool conceit.

There is a slightly claustrophobic feel to some of the pilot--reminiscent of the feeling the revamped Battlestar Galactica gave--but you can't help but feel that on a submarine. Despite that, Last Resort manages to move at a feverish pace, with pulse-pounding twists and turns.

Fellowes has a stronger hold on telling the individual tales of his well-drawn characters, and that pinpoint focus utterly redeems the series early on.

By the second episode, 1600 Penn neatly has found its compass on how to be a show about the first family and how to define the ensemble.

It never flags in pace, and all the performances, even the smaller ones (like Gambon's), are enthralling.

Ripper Street is a well-acted, well-written and compelling mystery series. And even better, there's no waiting around, wishing it would improve. It's alluring from the start.

Obviously Legit isn't yet in the realm of Louie, one of the best comedies on television, but like Wilfred before it, the show is setting its tone early and hitting that aforementioned sweet spot impressively.

By the end of the first hour, it has managed to make Dancy, Fishburne and Mikkelsen a formidable trio of characters, and each actor responds in kind with strong, engaging performances. Another sign of a good series is the fact that beyond the main three, the supporting cast is filled with solid actors and--more important--strong, vivid characters.

Expect a slow(ish) rollout for Bates Motel, as the first couple of episodes establish character and location, before things take an uptick during episode three. But there’s more than enough intrigue and entertainment--on top of Farmiga’s outstanding turn--to keep viewers wanting more of this new-style nonhomage to Psycho.

Even though the movie is loaded with enough to satisfy those who believe Spector did it, as Mirren’s role is written and Pacino’s performance hints at, the film seems eager to suggest Spector was found guilty mostly of being a freak. That have-it-both-ways storytelling doesn’t make Phil Spector a great legal movie, but it allows two exceptional actors and a talented writer a chance to play with reality.

This isn’t look-at-me journalism with a fitted Gap t-shirt. It’s more of a holy-hell-can-you-believe-this approach that fights perfectly on a cable channel trying to do something different.

It takes what's great about the WTF podcast--Maron's smarts, his profound love of and understanding of comedy and the people who perform it--and adds a scripted, fictional element where Sally Kellerman can play his mother and Judd Hirsch can play his father and a bevy of real-life comics and friends can stop by to mingle the two worlds and it all works out marvelously and hilariously.

Season 6 proves that the best part of "24" is its ability to make your pulse race as you sit slack jawed in front of the bastard machine mumbling, "They didn't just do that, did they?"

While it's true that television has been overloaded with acronyms lately and the redundant, long and confusing Navy NCIS is an egregious offender, it's also true that television is exploding with quality dramas and this is another of them.

One thing is certain -- Kathryn Morris is going to be a star. Whether her starring vehicle ever catches up to or captures her potential is another thing.