By the second or third episode, it evolves into another Hollywood rarity: a TV show that is truly about relationships, complex and captivating for the long haul.

Absorbing, if not squirm-worthy.

It's just a touch of the veddy, veddy humor that helps make everything so delightful before the world intrudes into Masterpiece Classic's revival of Upstairs Downstairs.

Falling Skies generates its own excitement, very much worth the ride, like Lost and Jericho, to watch characters develop as they struggle under confusing and life-threatening circumstances.

National Geographic has a fascinating hour, George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview, in which the former president describes the whys and wherefores of his actions in the time immediately following the attack, and during the subsequent days.

Of course, it all sounds preposterous, but so did a movie about a guy who remembered everything backward, and Jonathan Nolan was nominated for a writing Oscar for Memento.

A hilarious family fish-out-of-water tale that fits seamlessly Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on 6ABC between The Middle and Modern Family.

American Horror Story may not rank that high on a TV list, but fans of this kind of thing will want to chop themselves in half, strangle in a bathtub, and slit their throats--just to name a few of the things that happen in the first two episodes--if they miss it.

It's still as irresistible as a bowl of pistachios.

It's quick, quippy, and quite funny.

White Heat is a bold, fabulously written (if at times overbearing) chronicle of the political and social changes which sweep through Britain beginning in the mid-1960s.

Encore offers Thorne: Sleepyhead, a powerful and gripping British import starring David Morrissey as Detective Inspector Tom Thorne.

Wallander, as you might expect, has a very Scandinavian tone, full of gray landscapes and characters shot through murky panes of glass. But the acting is excellent, down to supporting-cast members.

It's fast and funny. As long as Ryan continues to mix humor from the cute and the curdled sides of the aisle, this show will entertain.

Like The Office, The Mindy Project trades deftly on the humor of excruciating awkwardness.

[A] cleverly written show.

Last Resort is going to need that rich blend of characters and plots. The pilot is sensational--a suspenseful, cinema-quality grabber.

Stylishly directed, Elementary is one loaded show, including its wonderful, well-matched leads.

The pilot of Arrow is a darkly gleaming gem. If the show can keep up its cinema-quality action sequences and maintain an air of mystery to Ollie's agenda, this could be a really fun series.

You don't have to like country to enjoy Nashville with its twisty plot threads of ego, sex, ambition, backstabbing and regret.

Despite its occasional heavy-handedness, Hunted will give genre junkies a real high--and some food for thought.

Crossfire Hurricane is deeply enjoyable for the songs--from "She's a Rainbow" to "Brown Sugar"--and for the extraordinary trove of archival film it has assembled.

The pilot rivals anything you'll see at the cineplex in terms of acting, surprise, and suspense. You will go into each commercial break with your heart in your throat. But what really makes The Following more like a feature film than a primetime program is its extravagant, emphatic savagery.

The Americans may be a tricky concept to sustain, because it means bringing the protagonists to the very brink of discovery on a regular basis. But for now, it's a daring tightrope walk, full of action and suspense.

Funny. The characters, even the hip comic star, become likable very quickly. Despite yourself, you'll be laughing before the first commercial. [31 May 1990, p.C11]

The cases aren't always exciting--there's a lot of waiting around--but the people we meet are always interesting and are depicted with class. This is Cops for people who hate shows like Cops.

[A] gritty, visceral, and emotionally engaging thriller.

Spies of Warsaw is a deeply romantic, intricately plotted, and well-structured character study.