Caroline Siede

In an episode that doesn’t do much hand-holding as it leaps through time and space, that line offers a little bit of reassurance from Chibnall. This episode is supposed to be confusing, but it’ll all pay off in the long run.

Perfectly paced and anchored by Smith’s star-making breakthrough performance, Annie Live! proved to be a lovely way to spend a Thursday night amidst the busy rush of the holiday season and the general scariness of the world right now.

Overall, these first two episodes do a nice job teasing some mysteries while putting character and comedy front and center. The action is solid, if not particularly superb, with the wine bottle fight as a highlight. But it’s the Yuletide joy that takes center stage here.

Like the glam rock montages and wry Wes Anderson-inspired cutaways, Linda’s glamorous nihilism adds a spiky edge that occasionally jazzes up The Pursuit Of Love’s classic period piece formula with something new.

Firefly Lane is a show that’s better in concept than in execution. But considering the ideas it’s exploring are relatively unique in the TV landscape, it’s at least a mom show with merit.

The series recaptures the earnest, music-filled appeal of the High School Musical franchise far better than the sequel series Disney+ released last year. And what Julie And The Phantoms lacks in depth, it makes up for with an endearing cast and endlessly catchy pop tunes. Just be prepared to get a lot of new songs stuck in your head.

There’s both too much and not enough to Little Voice. Still, the show’s good intentions, catchy tunes, and likable young cast smooth over some of the rough spots, particularly as the season progresses.

Belgravia’s wildly varying tones and storylines provide a sort of all-you-can-eat buffet of period storytelling. While this sort of thing has been done better elsewhere (not least of all by Dickens himself), the show’s exploration of grief, motherhood, and the interior lives of middle-aged women is at least somewhat of a unique calling card.

The show opens with two big production numbers that weave in and around the movie fairly seamlessly. ... The rest of the numbers are more of a mixed bag. ... Queen Latifah absolutely nails her performance of Ursula’s “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” She’s the clear MVP of the night, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that her styling and costuming are fantastic to boot. ... It’s a fun, breezy, somewhat forgettable trip back under the sea.

All in all, this was a mostly satisfying, if not completely exhilarating year for the Tonys.

Ramy is interested in the kinds of big political and cultural questions that TV comedies don’t often ask. ... Aesthetically and tonally, much of Ramy feels similar to other coming-of-age single-camera dramedies. In terms of the stories it chooses to tell, however, Ramy feels like nothing else on TV.

Rent: Live To Tape did what these live musicals are supposed to do—reimagine a beloved musical with a new aesthetic, new performers, and new staging choices.

This year’s ceremony leaned directly into the earnestness--and it was all the better for it. ... Bareilles and Groban were great anchors throughout the evening, popping up every so often to provide a sense of continuity without eating up too much screentime.

Although the second season tries to directly address some of the complaints against the series (it more explicitly links self-harm to mental illness and acknowledges the dangers of glamorizing suicide), it can’t help but return to the over-the-top drama it so clearly loves.

An exhilarating production that once again revolutionized the still-evolving live musical format. Yes, the sound mix wasn’t as clean as it should be and not all the lighting design read as well on TV as well as it should have. But the final sequence of Jesus’ crucifix rising into the air to be surrounded by a larger crucifix of light was a breathtaking bit of stagecraft that blended the theater and concert aspects of the show perfectly.

There’s just not much depth to the story of Ralpie’s childhood desire for a gun-filled Christmas, but maybe that’s the point. A Christmas Story isn’t meant to challenge, it’s meant to comfort. And as reheated holiday leftovers, A Christmas Story Live! just about hits the spot.

Class could have benefited from a slower approach to its world building. Despite those weaknesses, however, Class is a highly engaging, highly watchable addition to the Doctor Who universe.

In almost every way Grace And Frankie steps up its game for its second season. Though many of the changes are subtle, they result in a season far more worthy of Tomlin and Fonda’s considerable talents.