Charlie McCollum

It is smart, challenging television that is respectful of its audience's minds and delves into a corner of our world where no series has gone before. [28 March 2000]

A dark but wildly funny comedy. [19 March 2000]

This series is not only funny but actually seems to have something on its mind when it comes to religion and man's spirituality. [6 March 2000, p.1E]

With all this going for it, the real question about The Beat may be whether a smart audience will ever find it buried on the testosterone-driven UPN schedule. The series has some kinks to work out but it's definitely worth tracking down. [21 March 2000, p.1E]

There are some bumpy spots in the first two episodes, but "Life" is worth sampling. [7 Oct 2004]

At least "Watching Ellie" takes some risks and tries something different -- even if the risks don't translate to laughs and the concept doesn't really work. [26 Feb 2002]

Unfortunately, what hasn't changed is that this comedy about the life of a neurotic nightclub singer simply isn't very funny. [14 Apr 2004]

As TV science fiction goes, there's nothing particularly bad about this spinoff from the long-running Stargate series. On the other hand, there's nothing particularly good about it either. [15 Jul 2004]

At times, the storytelling is hopelessly and irritatingly convoluted. But you have to admire the ambition of the filmmakers in tackling both tough subjects and complex themes, a cast that rises to the occasion and the "24"-like kinetic energy. [26 Jan 2004]

The series' first episode was lifeless, with perhaps three good lines in the entire half hour. Almost all of the film's charm seems to have drained away during the transition to TV. Perhaps later episodes will be better, but I wouldn't hold out much hope. [26 Feb 2003]

Gone are the wit, the entertaining twists on sci-fi films and actors (outside of Gross) who knew they were doing a sendup of the genre. And the special effects are so cheesy that it looks as if the series cost about $1.95 to make...It's hard to believe that Sci Fi canceled the fine "Farscape" to put this series on the air. [28 Mar 2003, p.TV]

The dialogue is often sharp, well-observed and very funny. It is sexy and, occasionally, raunchy in both language and love-making. The cast members make the lead characters warm and interesting. [16 Jan 2004, p.7G]

Las Vegas has proved to be an entertaining guilty pleasure. Flashy, often trashy and slickly produced, the drama may be fluff, but it's good, sexy fluff with James Caan on hand to provide a bit of gravitas. [13 Sept 2004, p.1C]

Put together, all these elements make Rescue Me one of the television's top dramas, on a par with the likes of "Deadwood" and "The Shield." It is that rare TV series that offers insight, generates heartfelt emotion and challenges the viewer to consider the darker corners of the soul. [21 June 2005, p.2D]

There is no question Rescue Me walks a very thin artistic line. The miracle, in television terms, is how brilliantly it works. While heart-wrenching at times, it is also a very funny series. [21 July 2004, p.6E]

Deadwood may not offer the vision of the Old West Americans have had for years, but it is a stunning, intelligent, almost poetic view of how we came to be a nation. [5 Mar 2005, p.1E]

What Deadwood becomes within its first four episodes is a complex, neo-Shakespearean take on social and institutional corruption, racism, environmental barbarism, and the nature of good and evil. It not only provides a different view of how the West was won but also muses on how the taming of the frontier mirrors modern times. [21 Mar 2004, p.3E]

It's an extraordinary achievement, particularly since the miniseries ended up involving seven directors, including Hanks, and six writers. There is an inevitable difference in tone between the episodes, but "Band" never wavers from its vision of re-creating the experience of war through the eyes of average soldiers. [9 Sept 2001, p.3E]

The writing is clever with sly references to the Man of Steel myths. In Welling and Kristin Kreuk, who plays Lana Lang, they have actors who are not only good but will be on the cover of every teen magazine within weeks. And Michael Rosenbaum manages to make Lex sympathetic even when you know he will end up being Superman's greatest enemy. [16 Oct 2001, p.1E]

Until "Carnivale" fulfills more of its promise, my enthusiasm is restrained. [3 Jan 2005]

The writing... is sharp and rich. The production -- from the design of the carnival to the evocative cinematography -- is dazzling. The direction from the likes of "Sopranos" veteran Rodrigo Garcia is first-rate. And the acting is sensational. [14 Sep 2003]

The special stays true to the tone and searing wit of the original series and makes for a spectacularly funny coda to "The Office." [18 Oct 2004]

"The Sopranos" has renewed and refreshed its ability to surprise. [4 Mar 2001]

Jammed with characters and story lines, it has a Dickensian quality in its ability to capture time and place with precision. It is almost never predictable, avoiding the cliches of the Mafia genre even while it revels in them. Just when you think a story line is going in a particular direction, the show will suddenly shift gears and veer off into unfamiliar terrain without stretching plausibility to the breaking point. [16 Jan 2000]

As good as some other cop shows are -- "The Shield," for example -- no other comes this close to a true-to-life portrayal of life on the mean streets. [29 May 2003]

It is a relentlessly grim (and rather gruesome) episode with none of the bits of humor that mark the other "CSI" shows. [22 Sep 2004]

There is more tension to the interaction between the characters and more emotions in play. [23 Sep 2002]

It can be downright uproarious at times. [27 Jun 2006]