Labine and Greer completely hijack the show, and almost threaten to turn Biggs (you'll remember him from "American Pie") and Chalke ("Scrubs." "Roseanne") into props. A well-made and skillfully executed sitcom. Oh--almost forgot--fun, too.

The dynamics of the show seem different enough that "Housewives" fans will want to give Miami a try. But we'll have to see if the plot lines will sustain interest.

These stylish suits aren't empty, by any means. But we'll have to see if USA is truly willing to let its heroes' souls get emotionally naked.

Fair warning, dear reader: Wilfred is intensely vulgar, and only guys around the age of 28 whose ears, and sensibilities, are covered with scar tissue will find nothing offensive. Otherwise, it's very funny.

Entourage is clarifying a moral message--drugs will kill you, terrible behavior is terrible, and real friends are forever. It feels like a reassuring final season.

Science channel publicity materials call the show "a real-life Twilight Zone," and in terms of mood, that's on the mark.

The well-written pilot has a couple of brazenly vulgar sight gags, but nothing that will shock "Two and a Half Men" fans.

There's texture galore in this city-shot cop hour, eyed by handheld lenses echoing "Homicide's" edge (and director Peter Berg's "Friday Night Lights" intimacy).

A gritty, almost plausible winner, and distant reflection of Stephen Spielberg's "Minority Report."

A not-bad start that promises to take Dex (and Dexter) in a slightly new and fresh direction.

What's best about Time is its ambition; it glows with a near-theatrical shine, challenging viewers to think about TV drama as something other than boilerplate.

Robbins means business, calmly prodding family members--and not just the apparent aggressors--to truly comprehend where others are coming from. She calls people on their bull, eliciting not just tears from stress but tears of realization.

Solid cast, intriguing premise, and--best of all--the Old West. Should easily be another winner for AMC.

Method makes a solid case for Lewis as underappreciated auteur.

A great concept, mostly divorced from reality, with superb execution, just might extend forever.

It was a dark and stormy night--and a weird, fun, trippy one, too.

Good start to the third season, and from what I sampled, it builds from there.

Cox remains a very engaging lead, and her supporting cast is rock solid.

Still very high quality, and still a tiny bit dull.

Raunchy and at times genuinely funny, Apartment 23 is jam-packed with promise--and inconsistencies.

The show has sneaky depth. The leads are pretty without being "pretty," refreshingly down-to-earth likable, and able to flesh out their youthful stereotypes with this weird thing called personality.

Thought I was going to hate "Total Blackout." Then couldn't help laughing out loud.

One thing you can say for USA: It knows what it's doing. It's got its shtick, and it's sticking to it.

A sober, intelligent, placidly paced drama as only the Canadians can make.

Bunheads seems to know exactly what it's doing.

More of a continuation than a "remake," this one looks to be a winner.

The good Lord created sitcoms like The Soul Man as relaxing, relatable humor with heart, and Cedric's new creation isn't about to mess with His template.

Still fun, but the innocent first moments last season were better.

Some wild twists, but you've seen a variation before on one of them. Nevertheless, the Patty Hewes story is almost over, and in Close's hands, it's still compulsively watchable.

The cast is good, even excellent. But Perry's the one who sells Go On.

A sharply written, acted and directed start that will hook fans immediately.

The characters hold promise, the show looks swell, the stories reflect rich history and the makers have earned our trust.

Brush aside the hyperactivity and hard sell, and you're left with a winner.

[A] stylish Gothic thriller that almost gives away a little too much Sunday. Otherwise, thumbs up.

Fun, wild start to the fourth season--and that's just Kalinda's story.

Chicago Fire definitely has familiarity going for it and familiarity going against it as well.

A loving portrait of a lady--but who probably would be just as happy not to have this or any portrait at all.

Film lovers will--possibly against their better judgment--love Jones' Hitch.

Outrageous, eccentric, funny, campy--and too creepy for small kids.

It aims for epic, and sometimes hits epic--but it's a bit shallow.

In Vogue doesn't get quite as far "in" as one might hope, but the mag and its polished crew never fail to intrigue.

For Mel Brooks lovers everywhere (you know who you are), but it's on the light side.

Fans will be pleased, though they shouldn't be too surprised by the major plot development Sunday--it's obvious by half.

A surprisingly revisionist take on one of the most controversial trials of the decade.

You have plain old smashmouth elemental TV story devices--good guys, bad guys, evil corporations, a family unit, and a headlong rush toward the Truth, whatever that may be. Plus this special bonus: Intimations of Jack Bauer.

Engaging docudrama with lots of interesting detail. Worth watching.

Initial impression: It fits. Fans of Chalke will remain fans, and everyone who long ago realized that Elizabeth Perkins was the best thing about "Weeds" will as well.

Leonardo may not like what Starz has turned him into, but you probably won't mind this joy ride.

The intrigue continues and The Borgias remains one of TV's more reliable potboilers.

While the story is briskly and engagingly told, with some key players debriefed, there's not a lot new here. It's a very good beginner's history.

Takes time to get into, but once in, you're in.

Her shrewd, straightforward perspective and her semisweet, offhand attitude make her reflections fresh and relatable.

This is almost too clever, funny and ironic for MTV.

Good, compelling, creepy start.

The characters are vibrantly well-defined... And the writing is smart, with a light touch.

Any doubts the tube can get graphic enough for today's gore-heads disappear almost instantly with tonight's premiere installment.

A rich character drama and riveting suspenser that makes Fox's "24" seem lackluster.

"Mrs. Harris" unfolds with a basic playfulness that keeps the mood light even as the story becomes dark indeed.

Uncompromisingly revelatory.

It's fabulous in every sense of the word.

The filmmakers' assurance makes this miniseries play more like bang-up drama than fact-filled documentary. Yet their facts pass informative muster, and emotional validity, too.

It's hilarious, really, and refreshing, and original and - absolutely - an acquired taste.

A soul-deep sense of humanity grounds "Heroes."

This fall's most satisfying series delight.

"Dexter" knows what it's doing, and savors its skill immensely.

A rare and almost totally unexpected triumph.

If all this sounds like "24" has been hijacked by public policy wonks or Shakespeare profs, don't worry. Your show very much remains your show.... It's just that your show got a little smarter.

It's hard to convey all the ways that this tightly directed show goes right: quietly observant character detail, solid sleuthing, play-it-straight absurdity and sneaky "Airplane!"-style parody riffs.

They've translated the radio show's aural mosaic to the visual medium so effortlessly in this first season of six half-hours, we hope Showtime orders more of this life we all can recognize.

"Big Love" does more this year than you might expect, and more richly, more provocatively, more dramatically and amusingly, too.

Fans of "The Sopranos" looking for a new Sunday-night must-see may find it here - though perhaps not fans driven to fits by that HBO hit's ambiguous conclusion.

These folks know how to hit a note, and hold it, which means "Burn Notice" doesn't wobble around wondering how serious/silly to be. Its pitch is perfect.

As well as New Yorkers know these three characters, it's amazing how quickly the real faces fade and the three actors here become their own "strong-willed people."

Richness of detail permeates this modern tube-noir. The more damage done, the more juicy fun for us to savor.

Giving us hope are Kapinos' brisk writing and Duchovny's agile performance, conveying smarts, savvy, self-indulgence and sad stupidity in equal amounts.

He's sincere; he rings true. And that is why, in the wasteland of reality and makeover shows, Gunn shines.

The real-world intrigue is matched in dramatic flair by Chuck-world jeopardy. His store's fierce assistant-manager competition resounds as fatefully as saving the universe from evil. Which makes the dark light enough and the light dark enough to meld into a tasty escapist treat.

It's all sharp and snappy.

Good thing is, this ABC hour lives up (down?) to its name, arriving as a wacky/kinky escapist saga of screwed-up rich folks and the down-to-earth family attorney/fixer hired to sort out their shenanigans.

This narrated comedy-drama finely observes the particulars and peculiarities of teen life, both in the family its narrator is trying to outgrow and the high school pecking order he's hoping to rise in.

On top of the stars' subtlety and Fuller's verbal wit, Sonnenfeld's pilot direction ladles layers of flashy frosting--theatrical camera angles, emphatic zooms, intensified color and those heavyhanded moments when the narration can't quite straddle the sap line.

Samantha Who? which is not nearly as cool a title, but still a sparkling comedy that treats its viewers as--gasp!--actual grown-ups.

The busy season premiere quickly constructs an intriguing seesaw of aspirations and emotions, and it's self-contained enough to sell itself to even Nip/Tuck newcomers.

Despite occasionally expressing Simon's concerns about journalism too pedantically, The Wire continues to deserve its accolades as the most remarkable drama series in television history.

Humans vs. cyborgs in a movie spin-off that's surprisingly effective for fans of both action and character drama.

Creator Vince Gilligan ("The X-Files") never loses touch with the mundane reality that so brilliantly magnifies its absurd horrors.

As bizarre as things can get, Torchwood still feels more like sci than fi, and more ego/id than alien vs. human. The Gwen character in particular radiates intelligence, and empathy, and curiosity, about what's out there and what lies inside Jack. We can't help but share her, um, enthusiasm.

Like a series of one-act two-handers--stage plays where just a pair of actors face off--this sneaky little gem steadily strips away its therapy patients' emotional defenses and excuses, exposing the raw fears and paralyzing reactions beneath.

The second season of CBS' cult fave broadens beyond the first season's lawless action and family sentiment, even its rallying sense of community, to a wider and deeper purpose.

The "quarterlife" series, too, offers an especially hopeful kind of exuberance, even a glowing warmth to the friendships, that shines brighter than previous Herskovitz-Zwick shows.

ABC's latest single-camera comedy is utterly relatable. Even better, it's filled with the same warm yet witty, always smart and eccentric vibe as previous misfit-student faves "Square Pegs," "Popular" and "Malcolm in the Middle."

This is a hit, and has been carefully crafted by Disney to become one. The formula may be as old as pop culture itself, but (again) who really cares?

You'll be happy to know that every second -- particularly every second with Sedgwick onscreen -- is pretty much a joy.

This impressive fact-based debut from cultural journalist turned director Nelson George keeps us captivated simply by honing in tight on the character of its people, sketching in fine detail not just their admirable strengths but their all-too-human flaws.

Seinfeld's gentle humor is easy to take. Unlike other current comedians, such as Andrew Dice Clay or Sam Kinison, Seinfeld isn't angry: He's more awed by the wonder of it all. [13 May 1990, p.13]

NCIS is going to succeed first and foremost because of Harmon. His character is more or less the same quietly confident, genial guy he played when he was Allison Janney's ill-fated love interest on "The West Wing." He's essentially playing himself, and he's very good at it. [23 Sept 2003, p.B02]

Angel upholds Whedon's spellbinding "Buffy" mantle and expands it, taking his surprisingly mature and witty view of life among the supernatural into an adult realm. [5 Oct 1999, p.B27]

Can be charming one moment, insufferable the next. [16 July 2004, p.C01]

There's real thought behind The West Wing, a blessed exhilaration in this increasingly apolitical medium. For those who remember when '70s TV comedy took on the world, this is a welcome arrival. True, the pilot takes some fish-in-a-barrel potshots at sanctimonious evangelists, in Sorkin's speechifying manner from "Sports Night." But it also delivers that series' satisfying depth of reflection and rich characterization. Eventually. Once we know who these people are. [21 Sept 1999, p.B27]

We're talking major-league adult content here - from unblinking strip searches, to human branding, to brutal violence and language that the broadcast networks have never even thought about airing. But that's only an alert, not a warning, because this drama series from tube auteur Tom Fontana ("Homicide," "St. Elsewhere") packs a dramatic wallop as potent as its frankness. [11 July 1997, p.B47]

Originally a half-hour sitcom, redeveloped into a light hour, this latter-day "Northern Exposure" creates its own eccentric, cantankerous, sweet and silly world. Can this wacky enchantment last? [6 Oct 2000, p.B51]

Who'da thunk this one'd be so adorable? Cox gets to cook comedically in this smart souffli, with great support from von Esmarch and company. Big bonus: elaborate weekly production numbers spoofing Godzilla, the penitentiary and, of course, the French Revolution. Love those decapitated dancers! [6 Oct 2000, p.B51]

Arli$$ is character comedy. The humor comes out of the characters, the relationships and their work. It rings true all the time. [7 Aug 1996, p.B65]

Shannen Doherty as a witch. Perfect. [6 Oct 1998, p.03]

This is just an action fairy tale, a modern Saturday afternoon serial or contemporary penny dreadful, designed to keep us hanging on its every outlandish turn by exasperating us, if necessary, with characters we love to hate and contrivances we delight in dissing. ... It's insulting to our intelligence. And we can't stop watching. [28 Oct 2003]

Good show with fine cast, but it all still feels a little too familiar and old-fashioned.

I wanted to love Fringe, with its extraordinary pedigree and exotic, soulful Australian beauty Torv in the lead role, and splendid Noble in key support. Plus, Blair Brown's here, too, as a top exec at an evil corporation. But I just can't shake this word "derivative."

This is good bunk, fun bunk, energetic bunk. Much better bunk than the last volume.

The formula--must find murderer of beautiful woman before last commercial break--predates the dinosaurs, but also incorporates some satisfying twists.

This is pure kiddie fare; no big deal--Chuck's back; TV's a better place.

This is a cool weekly cartoon series from Lucasfilm Animation that finds a fresh new style for depicting the struggle of the Jedi and their army of genetically engineered clones against the seemingly indomitable droid army of evil Separatists.

There's some very funny stuff here, but the serious question before NBC is this: How long can it stretch the joke before viewers go stark raving mad?

Gritty, jarring, profane and smartly produced.

Surprise! Crusoe's good, and by "good" I mean competently produced and acted.

By dint of smart casting, imaginative challenges and A-list guests, Top Chef retains its three stars for culinary entertainment.

Rest easy. Scrubs is just fine (with all cast members, except Jenkins, back), though the opening episode is superior to the follow-up.

The season's premiere represents pig-in-the-python storytelling--there's so much to work through, so many details, stories, characters and time dimensions to attend to, that after a while this all starts to feel like a very full meal.

This doesn't pretend to be a deep show, but it's a pleasant diversion with a good cast, and really good (read: expensive) production values.

Kings is a worthy enterprise that will deeply puzzle millions of viewers.

Cannavale's Cupid is at least funny and charming. He's good here and so is Paulson. The weak link--the "B" story, like tonight's tepid one with the Postie, which was as appetizing as week-old cod.

What a hoot. What a ridiculous, soap-operatic cutup of a series. But if you can stop giggling long enough, as I managed to--quite a feat, let me tell you--Harper's Island is also hugely enjoyable.

What's new here? Nothing, really. Jane is likable, Adams is, too, and so--believe it or not--is Hung. That's another problem. Hung needed to be scabrously funny. Instead, it's just middlebrow amusing.

Overall, a meaner, harsher fashion competition, but compelling.

Suffice it to say, keep the kids away, but you will laugh - and feel guilty about it afterward.

Tere's real promise in Parenthood. In time, we may all genuinely care whether Crosby and Sarah find themselves, or at least grow up.

Often profane and occasionally offensive, Louie won't be to every viewer's taste, but it's a more interesting show than many with a definitive point of view.

Can Rescue Me wrap all this up in the short time left? I hope so, but this episode feels like so much temporizing.

All this is to say, simply, that Passmore is an intriguing screen presence who holds a well-constructed if otherwise boilerplate cop show together.

It's an upbeat, glass-half-full hour with some tough love from Tony, who also dispenses sound couples therapy advice. But the hour also feels facile, and rushed.

The "Melissa & Joey" pilot is no great shakes. But Melissa and Joey could be.

Admirers of the novel probably will be pleased. Average viewers who never read the novel (or any historic fiction) will be either confused or bored--possibly both.

The formula's a little too familiar, the pilot a tad dull. But Michalka's a big talent and for that reason, Hellcats has potential.

Good start with a pair of shockers. Beware.

Lots of eye candy, mystery, intrigue, questions, and superlative production values. But who's ready to jump back in this pool again?

Absent the overworked conceit of actors glancing at the camera to register annoyance or irony, this has turned into just another well-produced cop show with some excellent actors, like Imperioli or James McDaniel, who plays Det. Jesse Long and played Lt. Arthur Fancy on "NYPD Blue."

Gardell and McCarthy are two of the more realistic-feeling, instantly appealing sitcom personalities in ages. They're enough to make it worth drudging through the sludge tonight's pilot considers comedy writing.

Second-season expectations for Glee are almost too high. Potential reality series, movies, spinoffs, tours, record contracts...the surround sound that's jacked up around this hit is now officially deafening. Unrelenting distractions can push series off their game, and there's evidence tonight Glee is off its game.

The Whole Truth equals " Law & Order: The Next Generation." It's still just a little too overeager and needs to mature.

Proceed with caution into this foul but funny cauldron of catastrophe.

Executive producer Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption") is wonderfully skilled at framing shots to achieve maximum horror effect. But the middle stretch tends to bog down. My advice--watch the first 25 minutes (they're really good), then go trick-or-treating.

Being Human echoes, move for move, the BBC America fave of the same name. Yet, Syfy simplifies the tone into young-adult novelhood, where there's lots of white space around really big print. Subsequent episodes improve as plots thicken.

Information tumbles off the screen and often flat onto the floor. Too bad, because much of what's here is very funny, if occasionally cruel.

Monday's pilot can't quite close the sale, but there's promise here. The Chicago Code deserves another look.

Producers clearly encourage some to-the-camera carping, but the overriding emotional tone is one of bonding and growth. And respect. In a reality competition!

Knox is neither absolved nor condemned, and you'll end up with more questions that you began with. But pay close attention: There are many telling little details throughout.

The problem with Jackie is that split personality--drama or comedy. What's funny here is funny, like last season's final seconds. There aren't enough moments that remind you when to laugh.

Rule-breaking law enforcers! Wherever have we seen this before? But it sure works Friday, seasoned with devil-may-care brio from a cool cast.

The indulgence gets annoying, even as the basic details are fascinating and fun, as are the seductive testimony settings. You gotta love the fantasy of all those swank joints and modern mansions.

Another Discovery/BBC beauty, but short on answering obvious questions.

While you're left to wonder why these four stars need a reality show, or why the contestants never truly made it in the first place, "The Voice" should remain a solid performer for NBC--which it so very badly needs.

It's an odd concept, but it works pretty well.

Sometimes, you're not looking for great TV. Sometimes, you're looking for par-tay! And dudes paid "to mess with the zombie culture," while also acing the case, surely fits the bill.

This intelligent, sensitive portrait effectively explores a lost childhood and remarkable mind. It's engrossing to a point, then tiresome.

Super set-up seems to punch every teen ticket there is, with plenty to admit adults, too. Future execution will be key--in more ways than nine.

It feels fresh and amusing. "True Blood" did a similar fast-forward, and both have benefited.

For such a vast and important story, Torchwood: Miracle Day feels strangely confined and artificial. Here's hoping for more by Episode 4.

The Closer may be the most comfortable old shoe on all of television; slip it on and be assured of no blisters. In fact, the cast (and not just Sedgwick) is so competent, the characters' tics so familiar; and the format and formula so firmly etched in "ceeement" (as Brenda might say) that it all feels almost too comfy.

While a bit deliberately paced, a good start, with (as always) an excellent guest-star roster.

Inexorably transfixing, whether you're taking names or taking notes.

A quick summary makes it sound schlocky, but William & Catherine is pretty slick schlock.

In blunt and at times salty language, Bush gets to say exactly what 9/11 meant to him; it's visceral but only occasionally revelatory. We all know this story very well. Maybe too well.

A well-rounded, nicely mature comedy.

A competently made soap with some good actors and nicely staged musical numbers.

The X Factor is a hugely entertaining endeavor full of malarkey, good performances (and bad), and enough momentum to keep you engaged from the first overblown second to the last.

The opener is marred by a conventional plot. The producers--who include Steven Spielberg--show almost complete indifference to science (or sci-fi). That said, TV's most ambitious new series has some promise.

Amusing to watch, but not particularly scary. "Creepy" seems the better word.

Richly documented, but tends to become long-winded--or just plain winded--by the end.

Hoggers is more down-market than Beers' crab fishermen and ice road truckers.

Grimm has real promise if NBC has real patience.

Noble intentions meet nice people.

An amusing and not-bad game show; Bailey makes it bearable.

Old-fashioned and a bit placid, but Stults and Duncan save the day, and maybe the series.

Odd...make that very odd, and not for all tastes--probably very few. But there are some funny bits.

If you can see the forest through the trees, it's good, wearable fashion that's the real "fashion star" on this show, and it gives viewers an unusual glimpse into the world of retail despite all the superfluous hoopla.

Which isn't to say Duck Dynasty isn't entertaining. It's just more of the same.

You may hate yourself for laughing--just don't be too surprised if and when you do.

First impression of the third season is a good one.

Hardly a treasure, but a lively island of adventure.

Dogs is a perfectly pleasant show based on the perfectly reasonable proposition that dogs are people, too.

Unassuming Longmire doesn't shout "LOVE ME!" but instead works its charms subtly, quietly.

Yes, indeed, a love letter this is, but 41 is better than rank puffery because it also takes the full measure of Bush.

Skies fans should be pleased.

It does well what standard sitcoms do.

There's plenty of heart here--and some very sharp writing and acting, too.

Bible Challenge tries to cover all bases in America's complicated Christian field.

Sure, the plot's ridiculous, but the film's mostly fun, while the pleasure of watching Burstyn play a homicidal wacko is not to be denied anyone.

No, it's not exactly "House." But it isn't like any other show, either, with its mad mix of moral dilemmas, medical crises, family ties, double-life-living and, y'know, rubouts 'n' stuff.

Two things are going for this latest adaptation--solid production values and a talented lead actor.

Though they certainly cover the heady early days, filled with screaming girls and their cultivated persona as the anti-Beatles, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards aren't afraid to keep it real. Both show some interesting insights into their success.

There are real pleasures with "The Hour," but the hour (actually, about an hour and 15 minutes Wednesday night) ticks by far too slowly.

Good performances, good period details, good payoff. But Restless would've worked better as a two-hour film.

Heights almost feels like atonement for the biggest hit in MTV history. The kids don't swear (much), esteem their elders, work at their dreams and have no obvious or debilitating vices--until they drink.

Extremely raunchy, and often quite funny.

A partially successful reboot, with less music, more story.

A not-bad techno-thriller that could go interesting places.

Vikings quickly settles into a fairly routine sword-and-sandal epic narrative that revolves around a sociopath overlord and the subjects who dare to challenge his authority. But it gets better.

Not a lot new here, but Cheney gets a fair hearing--even though a tougher one is occasionally warranted.

The Save Me pilot saves itself artistically. But debuting in a summertime double dose makes series salvation improbable.

It could easily be mean and cynical, but manages to avoid both fatal pitfalls because the finalists are so genuinely enthusiastic and so blissfully uncomprehending of their shortcomings.

It's one tasty piece of lunacy.

It's a romp and a half.

Could... become a very pleasant surprise.

Anyone who wants to take a walk on the wild side and lose an appetite in the process, your show has arrived.

Congenial.

An effective and well-wrought drama, with enough cinematic flair and energy to paper over some of its more obvious faults.

Like many Lifetime productions, this one is designed to make you stand up and take action on a hot-button issue. Unlike many, it's got the dramatic chops to keep you on your feet applauding.

"Crumbs" is surprisingly good.

The best thing about "Free Ride" is the lack of pressure to be about something. Trusting its talented cast to embody their own truths, it ambles and weaves, leaving space for the characters, even folks briefly bumped into, to nail a specific attitude or situation.