For 917 reviews, this publication has graded:
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75% higher than the average critic
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5% same as the average critic
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20% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 7.9 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average TV Show review score: 71
| Highest review score: |
Critic Score
100
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| Lowest review score: |
Critic Score
0
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Score distribution:
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Positive: 678 out of 678
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Mixed: 0 out of 678
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Negative: 0 out of 678
678
tv reviews
- By critic score
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 83
With its paranormal occurrences, ever-autumn aesthetic, extraneous flashlight use at crime scenes, odd bursts of humor, and constant friction between faith and doubt, Fox's new sci-fi serial Fringe just might be a worthy successor--finally--to "The X-Files." -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 83
The Ex List could be one of the more charming new shows of the fall. -
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Reviewed by
Tanner Stransky 83
The winning Samurai has lots of action, and is generously peppered with comedic asides. [5 Sep 2008, p.70] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 83
Bornheimer absorbs every setback with such a beaten-puppy air that each fresh misery feels ludicrous, rather than merely annoying. Will it work, (worst) week after (worst) week? With Bornheimer, it's strangely possible. His is a feathery touch on wrecking-ball comedy. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
So far, that universe is pleasingly treacherous, though not ?wholly formed, a work in progress that's worth seeing through to completion. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
A pleasant surprise: a drama about a rich, rule-breaking risk-taker (a saucy James Purefoy) that's not cutesy or predictable. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Don't think Leverage is preachy--it's shrewdly conceived, and it moves along like a son of a gun. -
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Critic Score 83
The oddball overload bugs at first, but the incredibly likable cast makes The Unusuals unusually promising. -
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Critic Score 83
Cheesy? Sure. But there's enough sword-clanging Action--not to mention homoerotic tension--to keep viewers happily entertained for a spell. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Modest but terrific, uncool but charming, this ain't According to Jim: Give it a try. -
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Critic Score 83
The plot--based on a true story--drags, but Walters is a hoot as a prig who thinks she can stave off the swingin' '60s with a wagging finger. -
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Reviewed by
Alynda Wheat 83
The humor is wilder, the penury sadder, and Sophie Okonedo a winsome Nancy. The only bad twist is the overwrought score. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The Pacific has both grand scale and intimacy. It builds in intensity as the series proceeds. -
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Reviewed by
Whitney Pastorek 83
Though the hip 'n' urban vibe seems overly calculated--did studies show that 8-year-olds respond to beatboxing white dudes?--and the cast is aggressively up with people, you gotta love new characters. -
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Critic Score 83
Jessica Lange brings typically impressive textures to Big Edie. And just wait till you see Drew Barrymore, as Little Edie, deliver the doc's most famous line, ''This is the best costume for today.'' She's a dead ringer for the real thing. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
On its lacquered surface, New Jersey is The Sopranos with five variations on Adriana. But dig a bit under these women’s verbal clichés and you glimpse lives that are rooted in an earthier, more clear-eyed view of the world than the other Housewives series. -
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Critic Score 83
Aside from a recalcitrant Brown, the contestants are easy to root for: feisty, vulnerable, and winningly honest about how they got there. -
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 83
I never found the character that funny on Family Guy. But tonight's episode of the spin-off is quite a corker, as Cleveland runs over the family dog, with hilarious consequences. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Poehler and the writers have finetuned Leslie's character to be more sharp-tongued, less clueless, and more fearless. -
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Critic Score 83
The moneymen ask informed questions and make shrewd decisions, a welcome relief from Donald Trump's capricious calls on Burnett's "Celebrity Apprentice." -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
With Falco front and center, you don't really care if Nurse Jackie gets silly, as with the patient whose cat attacked his scrotum. -
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Reviewed by
Jennifer Armstrong 83
It mixes the standard elements into a breezy good time, and ends with a number that'll stick in your head all day. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
As an adventure series bristling with ideas, it's V+. Or as we grade 'em on Earth: B+ -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
After artistic duds like the TV version of "Crash," Starz may have found its destination series in Spartacus. This might prove to be the not-at-all-guilty pleasure of the season. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The show combines sci-fi-ish conspiracy suspense with excellent prime-time-soap drama. And I like the fact that, post-blackout, people don't Google each other; they say, ''I Mosaic'd you.'' A good sense of humor humanizes this grand puzzl -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Target is a helluva lot of fun. Valley delivers punchlines as well as he does elbows to the faces of villains. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Diaries promises us a season of sharp-tongued amusement. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The throbbing red heart of The Vampire Diaries remains the tension between Damon and Paul Wesley's Stefan, and their mutual attraction to whomever Dobrev is embodying at the time. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The Good Wife will settle into a case-of-the-week lawyer show. I'd also bet it'll have a rotating bunch of colorful judges with whom Alicia can debate. And you know what? Given the caliber of the acting and writing, that suits me --and, I'll wager, millions of viewers--just fine. -
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Critic Score 83
McHale gets to flirt and insult to his heart's content, and he's impishly believable in both modes. The supporting cast members manage to make each of their sad little lives amusing, so what could have been a downer of a show is often absurdly funny. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Better Off Ted is certainly the most original sitcom to come along in a while. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
That's where the fun of Work of Art resides, in convincing viewers that egomaniacal kooks can make good and bad art, and yes, there are standards besides split-second opinions. -
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Reviewed by
Keith Staskiewicz 83
Creator Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) is no stranger to pretzel-twist plots and out-of-the-left-field surprises, and his new series, about a gaggle of strangers, abducted and abandoned in a CCTV-monitored ghost town, promises both in spades. -
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Reviewed by
Keith Staskiewicz 83
The cases (a baby at risk, a man with lung cancer, an unconscious drunk) are surprisingly moving, the editing only mildly manipulative, and you genuinely feel there's an element of reality to the show, a rare trait indeed for reality TV. -
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Reviewed by
Keith Staskiewicz 83
Luther avoids some genre cliches--we know the killer's identity from the get-go, which sidesteps the time-stamp predictability of a Law & Order episode--but plunges headfirst into others. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
So far, O'Loughlin has come most alive when he's engaged in the premiere's close-quarters, elbow-chopping fight scenes. But it's clear that, like other CBS shows from NCIS to CSI, the team byplay is going to be the heart of Hawaii Five-0. Thank goodness Caan is here to provide gruff humor, and Kim and Park play off each other nicely. -
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Reviewed by
Keith Staskiewicz 83
The premise is a neat riff on immigration and fitting in, but the jokes are a bit conventional for a show that looks so pleasantly odd. -
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Critic Score 83
The gimmick is hokey, but beneath it lies a surprisingly untrashy reality show that actually sheds some light on the dating game. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
This wittily raunchy spy spoof from Adam Reed (Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo) features intentionally stiff cartoon characters led by the title hero. -
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Reviewed by
Tanner Stransky 83
Because this is on ABC Family, it comes with a big helping of cheesy jokes, but Hart and Lawrence share a buoyant, delightful chemistry. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
What Buscemi brings to this production is his great gift for channeling neurotic self-consciousness into a man of action. He may fret about retaining his empire, but you believe Nucky Thompson is a lord of venality, right down to his immaculate spats. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Tone is everything in a detective show, and this one's is unique: easy-rolling yet prickly. [10 Sep 2010, p.82] -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Dead is beautifully shot, but what it's shooting are former humans with rotting skin and bleating agonized groans. And like the comics, there's great, grim humor.- Posted Oct 27, 2010
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Reviewed by
Tim Stack 83
One hopes that producers don't drag out the mystery for too long, because so far The Event delivers, especially its doozy of a climax. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Devious Patty is still drinking like a fish, while wan Ellen is still seeking her advice (still, Ellen? Really?), and I still will not be able to resist watching every episode I possibly can.- Posted Jul 11, 2011
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Reviewed by
Jennifer Armstrong 83
It's in the shooting's emotional reverberations that the show is regenerating after the past few hit-and-miss seasons.- Posted Oct 28, 2010
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
He's always making his audience come up to his level, instead of lowering himself to theirs. He's gonna do just fine. But more Andy, please.- Posted Dec 8, 2010
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Reviewed by
Keith Staskiewicz 83
This powerful documentary about the lingering effects of military conflict makes the point that PTSD existed long before we named it.Posted Dec 9, 2010 -
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Critic Score 83
The automobile-enthusiast program may lack the British wit of the original series, but it's beautifully shot, just as silly, and nearly as much fun. [26 Nov 2010, p.68]Posted Dec 10, 2010 -
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Critic Score 83
The results is an unapologetically whiny--but funny!--and often plays lika (successful) audition tape for The View.Posted Dec 14, 2010 -
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Reviewed by
Dalton Ross 83
FNL's final season begins with one person staying put (Taylor Kitsch's Riggins is still in jail) and others moving on (Aimee Teegarden's Julie and Jesse Plemons' Landry are college-bound). Meanwhile, Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) heads to the basketball court to find his next star player. [Oct 22/29 2010, p.107]Posted Dec 13, 2010 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
At its strongest, it freshens those themes without melodrama, opting instead for slow-boil tension. The challenge for this artful series is whether that boiling point is too slow for viewers raised on WWE Raw and mixed martial arts.- Posted Jan 12, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
If you find the premiere poky, stick with it: Episodes gets funnier with each succeeding episode, and the acting is superb. Yes: Matt LeBlanc = superb.- Posted Jan 3, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Pope, and Cunningham's sardonic performance, provide Skies with some much-needed flashes of sharp humor. Ultimately, though, Falling Skies rises above any one performance; it's the spectacle of humans versus aliens that draws you in.- Posted Jun 15, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
With its debonair, jump-cut editing, Breaking In is a vigorously original, joke-packed bit of fun that could develop into something special. I'm serious, my Wookiee.- Posted Apr 5, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
By concentrating on what it means to practice polygamy in the 21st century, the series again comes close to achieving its goal of defining what it means to be a family.- Posted Feb 3, 2011
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Reviewed by
Tanner Stransky 83
[When] all four of the weirdo personalities arrive in the last few minutes, fully energized and ready to help her navigate her dark ride through academia. It's clear then and there it's gonna be a wonderful season.- Posted Mar 28, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Some viewers may find The Killing a little too cold and deliberate, but give it time. Its intensity builds steadily, giving the series unexpected power.- Posted Mar 23, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Blood creator Alan Ball knows how to juggle multiple pretty people and knotty, danger-stuffed story lines for the maximum amount of breathless romance and over-the-top action.- Posted Jun 29, 2011
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Reviewed by
Keith Staskiewicz 83
Fishburne's gravitas helps do the Supreme Court justice...justice.- Posted Feb 23, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
If you buy the overwrought emotions so ornately expressed, you'll buy this TV movie's conviction. I was occasionally skeptical, but sold by the terrific performances.- Posted Mar 16, 2011
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Reviewed by
Jennifer Armstrong 83
High concept, and yet it works, thanks to solid acting.- Posted Jun 2, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Sound gaggy? It's not. Twain is incapable of treacle: She travels, talks, and even sings!- Posted May 4, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
There's all the slamming violence you might want in your gas-fumed escapism, mingled with real-world difficulties.- Posted Sep 2, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The sheer, cynical heartlessness of nearly everyone on-screen--from a wonderfully blunt Tony Shalhoub as Morgan Stanley's John Mack to Topher Grace as a calculating Paulson aide--is both dismaying and riveting.- Posted May 20, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Despite all the repetition and longueurs, this Downton Abbey frequently works, as the first one did, as a peppery little trifle.- Posted Jan 13, 2012
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Critic Score 83
Annie Walker tackles a new case--but it feels like a distraction as the Ben mystery continues. [3/10 Jun 2011, p.109]Posted Jun 3, 2011 -
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Reviewed by
Melissa Maerz 83
Until we find out what happened long ago, we'll just enjoy watching all the beautiful, golden-tanned people say awesomely ridiculous things like: "These guys really put the suck in seersucker."- Posted Sep 19, 2011
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
This show, which reunites the undeniably charming Bilson with The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz, is a goodie that mixes heartstring-tugging moments with lines like this: "There it is. Rock bottom. I just played 'Dixie' with my butt."- Posted Sep 26, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Much of The Big C's unoriginal dramatization of cancer concerns is mitigated by the fresh, dynamic performances of Linney and Oliver Platt as husband Adam. [1 Jul 2011, p.67]Posted Jun 24, 2011 -
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Reviewed by
Tanner Stransky 83
She navigates the sharky waters of high school, friends, mean cheerleaders, and cute boys with a snarky voice-over that makes her--and Awkward.--easy to fall in love with.- Posted Jul 18, 2011
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Reviewed by
Henry Goldblatt 83
It's the best show on MTV--and one of the best on any network this summer. [6 Jul 2012, p.71]Posted Jun 29, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The show can simultaneously unsettle, comfort, excite, and amuse its viewers--something for everyone, if you, like Mr. Finch, like to watch.- Posted Sep 16, 2011
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- Posted Sep 26, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Work of Art remains TV's most enjoyable high/low, art/TV example of...cultural hybridity!- Posted Oct 13, 2011
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Reviewed by
Dalton Ross 83
It's time to pick a side, and I'm on whichever one the dude with half a face chooses.- Posted Sep 19, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
AHS is pretty much all scare, all the time: a whole lotta screams, sex, jolts, mashed faces, psychotic behavior, and dead babies.- Posted Sep 29, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
By this third episode, the tone has become open, generous, and alert to every sort of character.- Posted Oct 24, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
If you can get past the notion of Nighy being irresistible to every woman he encounters (I almost did), you'll get caught up in the carefully modulated intrigue.- Posted Nov 4, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
More and more, this series is looking like a minor classic, which I mean as a major complement. [20 Jan 2012, p.70]- Posted Jan 13, 2012
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
Host Graham Norton is a pro, able to score laughs from both elephant farts and the KKK in under 30 minutes.- Posted Nov 30, 2011
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Bag of Bones is occasionally hokey, and Brosnan overworks his mad cackling, but the production is never less than creepily engaging. [19 Dec 2011, p.72]Posted Dec 9, 2011 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
It's a measure of how absorbing Hell on Wheels is that each of these characters has evolved into someone we know and, in varying degrees,m root for. [10 Aug 2012, p.65]- Posted Aug 3, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The movie goes on a bit too long, but it makes up for it with finely tuned performances.- Posted Dec 9, 2011
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
You'll be intrigued by the 85-year-old showman, his legion of devotees, and the fact that he still tells rabbi-and-priest jokes.- Posted Dec 16, 2011
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Critic Score 83
It does feel like the last of the fist pumps are fast approaching, but until then, soak up the sun and the new term "guido bingo."- Posted Jan 5, 2012
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
Lowe is (surprisingly) perfect as Chicago cop Drew Peterson, who's suspected of murdering his third and fourth wives. [20 Jan 2012, p.71]Posted Jan 23, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
What starts out lean and mean can grow flabby and sentimental, and flaws can turn into handsome plot twists. Which is one reason to just bite down hard and go with the show.- Posted Jun 14, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The performances are good but constrained by the parameters of scary-story acting.- Posted Apr 13, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Creator Kyle Killen has set up a provocative, appealing puzzler, full of knottiness for the intellect and emotion for the heart. [2 Mar 2012, p.70]Posted Feb 24, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The show is a scrubbed-clean soap. [28 Sep 2012, p.66]Posted Sep 21, 2012 -
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Critic Score 83
Season 3 opener backslides a bit into tired first-season silliness when Andrea (Gabourey Sidibe) returns from Ghana with a new African name, Ababuo. But things improve when Cathy's slacker brother, Sean (John Benjamin Hickey), steps up as "guardian buddy" to Adam (Gabriel Basso) in the event that he ends up parentless.- Posted Apr 5, 2012
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Reviewed by
Keith Staskiewicz 83
It has sharp writing and endearing characters.- Posted Apr 2, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
We know that a guilty, defensive Jackie is the best Jackie to watch.- Posted May 11, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
This eccentric romantic comedy deserves a chance to survive.- Posted Mar 20, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Boss may be florid, but its peeks into backroom in-fighting, at favors promised and betrayed, remain strong elements in its favor.- Posted Aug 13, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Louis-Dreyfus isn't quite believable as a vice president--even a sitcom VP whose lack of gravitas is the show's central joke. But she's still a joy to watch, especially when she shows off that famous gift for physical comedy.- Posted Apr 13, 2012
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Reviewed by
Rob Brunner 83
The Pitch is an absorbing look at the frustrations and satisfactions of the creative process. [4 May 2012, p.65]Posted Apr 27, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
Twin comics Randy and Jason Sklar make statistics as entertaining as possible.- Posted May 11, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Overall, Hatfields & McCoys is engrossing, and enlightening about a feud that proves to be a lot more than the bumpkin brawl of pop legend.- Posted May 25, 2012
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Reviewed by
Tim Stack 83
On paper this sounds somewhat ludicrous, but the series is surprising moving. [13 Jul 2012, p.68]Posted Jul 6, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Elementary is probably the closest thing to a new fall-season surefire hit. Miller gives off an infectious enthusiasm in this new role.- Posted Sep 26, 2012
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
If only Glee had as much heart as this Project.- Posted Jun 4, 2012
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 83
The fact that Push Girls borrows heavily from the Real Housewives format is initially worrying, given the sensitive subject matter, but ultimately seems like a savvy, on-the-side-of-the-angels move.- Posted Jun 4, 2012
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Reviewed by
Darren Franich 83
There's plenty to enjoy in this period drama. [28 Sep 2012, p.64]Posted Sep 21, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Overall, Dallas is a solidly constructed soap opera with strong dialogue and oily plot twists. [15 Jun 2012, p.72]Posted Jun 8, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Rob Brunner 83
Political Animals' rich characters and complicated relationships seem like they'd need six seasons to develop.- Posted Jul 12, 2012
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 83
The result is satisfyingly twist-filled and chilling in every sense.- Posted Sep 4, 2012
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 83
Leads Justin Kirk and JoAnna Garcia Swisher charm. [10 Aug 2012, p.70]Posted Aug 3, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 83
[Hotel Hell] shows the Brit on his best behavior. By which we mean his worst.- Posted Aug 13, 2012
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Reviewed by
Melissa Maerz 83
Williams and O'Quinn bring genuine creepiness to their roles, making this drama crazy-fun, with emphasis on the crazy. [28 Sep 2012, p.66]Posted Sep 21, 2012 -
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Critic Score 83
[Braugher and Speedman's] warm chemistry gives this crackling conspiracy thriller a much-needed emotional charge. [28 Sep 2012, p.64]Posted Sep 21, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Filmed with a muddy palette, the premiere hums with menace. There's lots of low-down action, with brass knuckles applied.- Posted Aug 16, 2012
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Reviewed by
Keith Staskiewicz 83
The pilot is promising, with sharp dialogue, a solid supporting cast, and Kaling's appealing unapologetic protagonist. [28 Sep 2012, p.64]Posted Sep 21, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Your interest in Arrow depends on how much you miss the troubled-in-love, conflicted-by-family heroics of Smallville--it mirrors that series' setup.- Posted Oct 23, 2012
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Reviewed by
Dalton Ross 83
The kill count is unprecedented, and before all is said and done, Rick will have to make a terrible, terrible choice while the fate of one of his own hangs in the balance. [12/19 Oct 2012, p.97]Posted Oct 5, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 83
There are enough surreal, self-referential, and/or testicle-related jokes to have me signing up for at least a few more weeks of tutelage. [8 Feb 2013, p.69]Posted Feb 1, 2013 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
As sweet as treacle tart, the third season of Downton Abbey arrives reasonably fresh and warm. [11 Jan 2013, p.74]- Posted Jan 2, 2013
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
The movie belongs to Queen Latifah, who brings so much heart to M'Lynn, she will make yours break all the more.- Posted Oct 5, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
A simmering bit of silly suspense fun created by X-Files writer-producer Frank Spotnitz.- Posted Nov 1, 2012
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- Posted Oct 15, 2012
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Reviewed by
Nuzhat Naoreen 83
Although you may not gain much wisdom from the stories, you'll at least gain an appreciation for the fact that your life is not a Lifetime movie.- Posted Oct 16, 2012
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
The twisty tale tries to tackle more than it can handle in the suspense department, but the remarkable acting keeps you sucked in till the very last confusing second.- Posted Dec 5, 2012
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Brooks remains quick-minded and vivid. [14 Dec 2012, p.66]Posted Dec 7, 2012 -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Outrageous lewdness and delightful non sequiturs speed by, which makes each episode rewardingly rewatchable.- Posted Jan 14, 2013
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
The fourth season of Justified gives us exactly what we want: much laconic tough-guy humor from Timothy Olyphant's U.S. marshal Raylan Givens, much grandiloquent nastiness from Walton Goggins' drug dealer Boyd Crowder, and much swift violence.- Posted Jan 10, 2013
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Reviewed by
Rob Brunner 83
Despite the somewhat strained setup, Banshee is a kick: ultraviolent, over-the-top, and wickedly fun. [11 Jan 2013, p.80]Posted Jan 3, 2013 -
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Reviewed by
Jeff Jensen 83
The individual alien races aren't all that fresh. Yet I am engaged by the show's lively metaphor for a polyglot culture fractured by tribalism and Otherness, for a world that can easily put aside past pain and present differences to tackle a common threat.- Posted May 15, 2013
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
Both Bacon and Purefoy are so intensely earnest, The Following quickly supersedes its patent Silence of the Lambs setup.- Posted Jan 17, 2013
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 83
What gives this film grit are the visual displays of her work ethic and her fierce determination to "bring R&B music back" to the center of current pop music, to "forget being cool" and reveal naked passion. [15 Feb 2013, p.60]Posted Feb 8, 2013 -
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 83
The most believable character--and the real reason to check in to Bates Motel--is undoubtedly Farmiga's Norma.- Posted Mar 20, 2013
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 83
The film costars an on-form Helen Mirren as Linda Kenney Baden, one of Spector's real-life defense attorneys.... Pacino too is excellent. [22 Mar 2013, p.58]Posted Mar 15, 2013 -
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 83
Hemlock Grove takes its time with story lines, ensuring that each one has plenty of room to ripen. It carries out every dastardly deed with gusto, but still offers enough moments of levity.- Posted Apr 24, 2013
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Reviewed by
Jeff Jensen 83
The Goodwin Games will have to consistently match the cleverness and poignancy of its pilot to win in the long run. Coming from the creators of How I Met Your Mother, there's reason to hope.- Posted May 15, 2013
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
24's best seasons have always hinged on a central, tantalizing character... This year could finally be Jack's turn to fascinate.... Otherwise, this round of mayhem has little to differentiate itself. [19 Jan 2007, p.67] -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
You can never tell how the uneven days of 24 will vary in quality, but here's hoping the show keeps doing all the right things it does in these opening hours. -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
When gunplay, kickboxing, and throat slitting actually feel like breaks in the action, you've got a series with brains as well as teeth. [28 Jul 2006, p.55] -
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Critic Score 75
There's a danger that visitors to Rome may contract a mild case of Naughty Classy Cable Fatigue. -
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Critic Score 75
This season, the Housewives aren't desperate: They're avidly ambitious, like the series itself. -
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Critic Score 75
Ditching the tired suburban backdrop might prove to be just the creative shake-up Weeds needs after an overly wacked-out season 3. [20 June 2008, p.60] -
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Critic Score 75
Brenda and Bill have enough reluctant chemistry and icky tension to make Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter proud. [18 Jul 2008, p.56] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
Brian's writing, while witty, tends to be oversize. [21 Apr 2006, p.64] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
The series could move more quickly... Still, creator Shaun Cassidy has plenty of enticing layers at work. -
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Critic Score 75
Familiar, formulaic fun, but one night too long. [9 Dec 2005, p.81] -
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Critic Score 75
Fans of the Pretty Woman shopping-montage scene... will be pleased with Windfall for sprinkling in splurges both decadent and dutiful... But... Windfall is smart enough to tighten the screws immediately. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
This being Mamet, there's lots of folksy jargon. [10 Mar 2006, p.56] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
So, yeah, Three Wishes will leave your heartstrings over-fondled. But if you can get past that... it's also one of the most interactive TV shows around. [4 Nov 2005, p.63] -
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 75
Serviceably scarifying. [26 May 2006, p.100] -
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Critic Score 75
The movie's tone teeters on the edge of self-righteousness, but the glassy-eyed numbness of the enslaved girls is a devastating portrayal of their living nightmare. [28 Oct 2005, p.77] -
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Reviewed by
Alynda Wheat 75
On its mild merits, it proves worthy. [2 Dec 2005, p.73] -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
As with P.G. Wodehouse novels and Robbie Williams songs, you have to be either British or adolescent to commit to this stuff; for the rest of us, it's a head-scratching lark. -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
This isn't much different from Season 1--confusion, frustration, bell-bottoms--but it's still a good, uneasy time. [14 Dec 2007, p.62] -
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Critic Score 75
This funny U.K. import's premiere introduces snobbish techie Moss (Richard Ayoade), his luckless-in-love buddy Roy (Chris O'Dowd), and their pretty but computer-illiterate new boss Jen (Katherine Parkinson). -
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Reviewed by
Jennifer Armstrong 75
Despite all of the pontificating, TBS' comedy shows promise. [8 Dec 2006, p.70] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
Jericho works when it sticks to the eerie surreality of a nuclear attack... The show, unfortunately, flops about in its first two episodes, leaning too heavily on the action-adventure stuff. -
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Reviewed by
Henry Goldblatt 75
Between its cinematography, setting, and subject matter, Lights doesn't look a whole lot like anything else on television right now. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
Baldwin's sharklike momentum pulls you through a sitcom that otherwise makes little sense. -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
All the bases are covered, and if that doesn't make for the most inventive show, it makes for a quite watchable one. [1 Sep 2006, p.61] -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
Scott is terrific as the conflicted son who's something of a sap, a patsy for Patty and Winstone. Plus, we're promised more Ted Danson as Arthur Frobisher, a reason for celebration. And the bottom line on Close is: Nobody upstages Patty. It's the character's curse, and the actress' triumph. -
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Critic Score 75
With some fine-tuning and bolder steering, Drive could be one souped-up storytelling machine. -
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Reviewed by
Alynda Wheat 75
[Lovespring is filled] with some of the best comedic talent out there. [16 Jun 2006, p.68] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
Standoff doesn't recreate the genre, but it certainly refreshes it. [15 Sep 2006, p.64] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
Underbelly eschews cliche and makes pregnancy surprisingly laughable. -
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Reviewed by
Alynda Wheat 75
Neither as incisive as The Office, nor as over-the-top loony as Reno 911!, Dog ends up being too much bark and not quite enough bite. [9 Jun 2006, p.132] -
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Critic Score 75
Del Shores brings his movie and stage show about crazy Texan Women and slightly-less-crazy gay men to TV with a cavalcade of camp icons and brilliant, canon-ready Beth Grant. [25 Jul 2008, p.64] -
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Critic Score 75
Though his cliche hard-boiled voice-over doesn't work, much of this series... does. [29 Sep 2006, p.73] -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
The sooner our Dex puts away the Kleenex, the better the season will be. Because who wants to watch a remorseless avenger who's inert with remorse? -
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Reviewed by
Alynda Wheat 75
For the willing, it's still a story worth hearing. [2 Mar 2007, p.64] -
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 75
Cute enough if you're 8 years old or under. [3 Nov 2006, p.71] -
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Reviewed by
Alynda Wheat 75
It's a novel idea: Remove the middleman and let artists interview themselves. [25 Nov 2005, p.96] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
As much fun as the adventure is, the central mystery — what happened in that motel on that May date that created such cosmic blowback — is never truly explained. -
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Critic Score 75
An earnest soap about women who are scrappy, sensitive, and stoic. [1 Jun 2007, p.64] -
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Reviewed by
Alynda Wheat 75
Jean appears to have liked humiliation... Such masochism is hard to watch, even with a stellar cast. [24 Feb 2006, p.58] -
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Critic Score 75
The uneven Sarah Smith may be a lesser "Who," but it's smarter than most kids' fare. [11 Apr 2008, p.70] -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
The plots are often unbelievable. But I like Mary, especially as she's set up in the series premiere, complete with a wacky mom. -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
Neither self-serious nor campy, the new ABC police drama is just what I've been craving amid all the businesslike "Law & Orders" and "CSIs." -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
The pie puns continue to make me wince--Olive says she’s ''really flaky,'' while Lily accuses her of being ''all pious.'' And Chi McBride's cynical detective still feels oddly disconnected from the rest of the ensemble. But the show has a fresh, vigorous snap, and the impeccably deadpan Pace gets off some good lines. -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
The show remains a game mix of satire and sweetness--although Chuck still has better chemistry with his sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) than Sarah. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
The cast is as good as its target demo, but I admire its fleet pace and sly craft. [21 Sep 2007, p.72] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
A standard detective story that's brightened by unusual characters and snazzy dialogue. -
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Reviewed by
Henry Goldblatt 75
Journeyman is an enjoyable romp--one that provides the accessibility of a procedural as well as the continuing mystery of "Lost" or "Heroes." [28 Sep 2007, p.94] -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
Based on a popular BBC series, Life on Mars, like Mad Men, makes a long-ago era feel both alien and nostalgic, like in the sweet moment where Sam wanders into a record store and just beams. -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
Too much? Yes, too much! And yet, it's one of those moments you just have to shrug at and enjoy. -
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Critic Score 75
At least the TV spin-off is decent--definitely more suspenseful and character-centric than the bombastic pilot flick. -
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Reviewed by
Jessica Shaw 75
Turner and Tovey get the best material, while Crichlow mopes a lot. Then again, she's a ghost, so let's cut her some slack. -
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Reviewed by
Gillian Flynn 75
The tricks he performs are overshadowed by the glee with which Baker performs them. Like any good grifter, he gets a genuine thrill out of entertaining, manipulating, or confusing people. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
Garcia is impeccable, and Newbrough and Hale are likably bratty. Funnier would help, but charm is abundant. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
Minghella's direction sets the tone for the series, placing Scott's boldly colored dresses against warm green walls and sand-brown buildings. Scott provides big love, but "Big Love" this ain't. -
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 75
The pilot drags, but Saul Rubinek, who plays the warehouse curator, is entertaining enough that I want to believe it will improve. -
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Critic Score 75
This drama from Battlestar Galactica's Ron Moore about quarreling astronauts on a 10-year mission boasts an interesting cast (including Clea DuVall) and an Alien-invoking vibe (if no aliens). -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
There are moments of low-down fun, and host Vivica A. Fox adds some genial energy. Let's see where this goes. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
All in all, a large-scale, impressive debut. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
Money burns through a lot of TV clichés, from "My Name Is Earl" redneckiness to "Saving Grace"-ish action scenes, but there's an undercurrent of true emotion in Metcalf's tough-sweet demeanor. -
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Reviewed by
Alynda Wheat 75
The material's solid, but it won't convince the newbies. -
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Reviewed by
Leah Greenblatt 75
It may not be the stuff Emmy dreams are made of, but it's still goofy, broad-strokes summer fun. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
Uneven but irreverent, Rescue Me manages to rescue itself, immersing us in the tumultuous firefighting life that is the reason we watch the show. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
Certainly, the show is still exciting and thoughtful in the way that it disassembles many pat notions we may have of tribe loyalty, family bonds, and the treachery of the business world. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
Pete and Myka remains cutesy, Artie and his boss, CCH Pounder's Mrs. Frederic, are gratifyingly intense. I also like the intelligent sullenness of Artie's assistant, Claudia (Allison Scagliotti). -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
No one's ever going to say Royal Pains, with its pun title (although Scott is the only royalty around, most of the upper-class patients prove to be real pains), is a classic addition to the medical genre, but it certainly is zippy fun. -
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Critic Score 75
It's pretty exciting stuff, though Watson & Co. sometimes make it as easy to hate them as to be on their side. [7 Nov 2008, p.87] -
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Reviewed by
Clark Collis 75
We're totally hip to the fact that the real reason to watch remains Ted Danson's titanically louche magazine editor. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
While I laughed out loud only a few times during Parks' pilot, I dug the performances, the attitude, and the atmosphere that's being created. -
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Reviewed by
Ken Tucker 75
With a strong assist from Luis Guzmán as Cam's loan-shark cousin, Make It doesn't have a lotta laughs, but it's got charm and a feel for the atmosphere of downtown art galleries, parties, and business hustling. -
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Reviewed by
Tim Stack 75
Eastwick is not much more than fanciful fluff, but the chemistry between the likable trio and Gross proves bewitching. -
