It's the characters of Banshee and their labyrinth of relationships that make the show an engrossing, entertaining portrait of a fictional small town.

The animated comedy returns in stronger comedic shape in its fourth season.

Southland" remains a stand-out series for its gritty, on-the-street scenes of police work and the engrossing stories of its characters.

The Nat Geo movie is a thoroughly entertaining, exciting docudrama.

Lost itself has a certain intriguing quality that makes it worth coming back for more. [19 Sept 2005, p.TV-5]

An animated series with an odd mix of historical figures and parodies of teen-appeal TV, advertising and music. It's a bizarre combination, to be sure, but it works. [12 Jan 2003, p.D-3]

Taken altogether--the determined detective, the drug lord, the kooky encampment, the mystery of Tui's disappearance--Top of the Lake makes for a compelling mix of moody, character-driven drama.

Fans of legal dramas should be intrigued by Phil Spector, a well-paced 90-minute character-driven film.

Orphan Black begins with a solid, well-constructed, one-hour pilot that breezily introduces the characters and the show's conceit. It does allow some questions to linger, but it won't leave viewers scratching their heads in confusion, an important distinction and a balance not all genre shows are capable of getting right.

An intriguing behind-the-scenes drama with moments of dewy-eyed idealism. [22 Sept 1999, p.E-3]

Terrific performances make it a movie worth seeing.

Tonight's season premiere does a fairly good job of wrapping up the sixth season finale and setting the stage to move forward but there's still a fair amount of cleanup to be done.

It's still a hugely entertaining show thanks to its charismatic lead actor and the tension that builds in its twisty-turny plots. But when a lead character is a murderous anti-hero, there's a fine line to walk between cheering a righteous vigilante and offering sympathy for the devil.

It is a well-made little show of horrors that's likely to scare and thrill its target audience.

Cute but not overly cuddly, there's an authenticity to the relationships in "Mother" that makes it a comedy worth meeting.

Though the characters are quite different, "Earl" somehow brings to mind NBC's "Ed," perhaps because both shows feature a cast of oddballs and are ultimately uplifting, heartwarming portraits of people trying to do good by making a fresh start.

"Sex" proves to be a series with loads of appeal for viewers still mourning the cancellation of "Melrose Place."

Better than average.

"Related" won't be for everyone, especially viewers lacking estrogen, but it is a quality weekly "chick flick" for TV.

Even if this strikes a cynical adult as too syrupy-sweet, it's refreshing to have a too-nice role model.

It's an entertaining hour sure to appeal to fans of A&E's equally fast-paced British import "MI-5."

"Mrs. Harris" is interesting but not intimate. It's cold, aloof and distant, much like the relationship it depicts between the principal characters.

By the third episode... "Big Love" becomes an addictive treat.

A lively comedy.

Some of the pop-culture humor and creatures owe a nod to "Farscape," but the camp level is high and can be mighty funny.

"Thief" offers strong moments aplenty, but what it lacks are strong connections, both between those moments and among some of its characters.

Although most viewers will notice a scale-down in the scope of effects and stunts, the style, the look and the impact are much the same as in the films.

The lighthearted "Psych" charms even as it duplicates the structure and tone of "Monk."