The way these characters interact and relate in the first hour is dazzling and involving without being self-consciously clever.

To be sure, the show is like any other crime drama in that it contains darkness and violence--some of it erupting in unexpected ways. But there are enough new wrinkles here to make anyone who takes a chance on it feel thoroughly justified.

It is a great performance [by Mirren], strong enough that it overcomes the flaws of "Elizabeth I."

Torchwood-- the "Doctor Who" spinoff that was a breakout sci-fi hit last year--is back Saturday with new episodes that are as smart, sassy and sexy as ever.

Based on the first two installments of a 13-episode season, it will continue to have viewers perched on the edge of their sofas.

Initially, these and other fresh characters make Season 3 feel overcrowded--and we pity any new fan trying to make sense of it all. But by the middle of the second episode, the show begins to gain traction and sucks you in with its new set of tantalizing mysteries.

At least early on, Nip/Tuck manages to hit the right notes and reclaim a spot as one of television's most watchable and entertaining series.

This BBC-produced series has some of the best writing and acting you're likely to see this season.

[Sorkin's] premier episode for West Wing is a fine piece of work, relying heavily on a presumption that viewers have brains and can absorb a lot in a short period...Rarely has a writer fleshed out so many characters with so few words in such a short period of time. [22 Sept 1999, p.14E]

This year, as in the past, there are all kinds of problems with "24" if you think too hard about what you're watching.

If anything, season 2--also just eight hours long--is even better as Tyler's world in 1973 becomes even more complicated.

From an advance look at the season opener, this season's cast is a particularly lively mix with a multimedia artist, a "Beach Blanket Babylon" costume designer, a model-turned-designer and an ex-biker among those competing.

A pretty lively and entertaining show, maybe the fledgling WB network's first real shot at a breakaway hit. [10 Mar 1997, p.10E]

It manages to be a rousing piece of filmmaking, a fascinating character study and a largely accurate presentation of the time when America was born.

There's a depth, a richness to the series now that was only suggested [in the first season].

The finest purely American TV film to come along in some time.

A finely detailed exploration of high school life and small-city dynamics.

Manages to be crude and sweet, smart and splendidly stupid, all at the same time.

But the feeling here is that Simon may have dipped into his Baltimore crime well one too many times. Tonight's pilot episode, while intriguing in spots, is hampered by a convoluted tangle of multiple plot threads and numerous characters, most of whom seem to have no interesting wrinkles. Worse yet, the story moves at an annoyingly sluggish pace. [1 June 2002, p.4]

I won't pretend "Dexter'' is for everybody. If you wince during scenes on "CSI,'' the series isn't for you.... But if you like the idea of a very good show that wrestles each week with moral dilemmas and the nature of good and evil, "Dexter'' is just the thing.

A richly drawn, unflinchingly real and quietly moving family drama.

The series is a funny, knowing, sometimes dark, sometimes romantic take on the time just before the power of advertising was fully realized.

Crossfire Hurricane deftly blends vintage concert footage, TV broadcasts, pieces of key songs and clips from other documentaries in with voiced-over highlights from 80 hours of fresh interviews with current and past band members--all conducted off-screen.

It is a classic fish-out-of-water comedy that shows a deft touch as it delves into adolescent anxieties and intercultural fears and misunderstandings. There are honest emotions and honestly earned laughs throughout the first half hour.

Burns puts forth a dazzling spread of vintage clips and still photographs, and his love for baseball is palpable throughout. Fellow fans will appreciate how the film celebrates the resilience and enduring appeal of the game.

The good news is that the folks behind "Buffy" -- notably writer-creator Joss Whedon -- have come along for this new chapter in a vampire's life and, at least for the first episode, have brought their wit, style and keen sense of pop culture with them. [4 Oct 1999, p.1C]

Fortunately, the new Steel Magnolias turns out to be a full 90 minutes of wonderful.

The driving force behind the show's appeal is Ferrera, who gives a pitch-perfect, killer performance in the opening episodes.