John J. O'Connor

As a situation, Taxi is no better or worse than any other situation comedy on television. But the series has two distinctive assets. The scripts tend to be better than average. And the cast, headed by Judd Hirsch as the somewhat sour, deadpan AleX, happens to have coalesced rather rapidly into a first‐rate repertory company.

Absolutely Fabulous is grandly bawdy and uninhibited; Cybill, more restrained for American sensibilities, ends up too often being only vulgar. Still, Ms. Shepherd and Ms. Baranski have their delightful moments. And the series appears to be getting stronger.

Not taking itself very seriously, Murder, She Wrote is a pleasant, almost old-fashioned entertainment, and it does not require a single screeching car chase.

The cast is pleasant enough. The rest depends on how cleverly Gary David Goldberg, the creator and producer of the series, can bring a sense of freshness to an overworked device.

An excessively manic laughtrack is supplied to mark off the points of supposedly irresistible mirth. Each vignette has its own separate writer and director, and that may account for a certain lumpiness of execution in the dreadful porridge of a conception.

At times the pop-culture references threaten to turn into a Dennis Miller routine, grabbing everything from the Rolling Stones to the Menendez brothers.

This television production leaves the movie in the dust...Mr. King's script and the direction of Mick Garris (''Stephen King's 'The Stand' '') slowly and skillfully bring The Shining to a pitch of screeching horror. Mr. Weber, shucking the light comedy of sitcom, is chillingly effective as a man battling his own personal demons.

The result, featuring a strong cast, is far better than any adaptation so far of a King book...The special effects are exceptionally effective. If you're pining for a good creepy-crawly scare, don't miss it.

Clearly, there are snakes in this fountain. And "Golden Years" promises to have a grand old time, in a fingernail-biting sense, trying to banish them. With the statue of the Blessed Virgin prominently on Harlan's mantelpiece, Mr. King is characteristically likely to find religious significance in all of this.

We are in archetypal King territory. The formula is wearing thin, but this adaptation by Lawrence D. Cohen ("Carrie") manages to squeeze out a respectable quota of creepy chills. Heading a strong cast are Jimmy Smits and Marg Helgenberger as a man and wife heading for an explosive separation. She gets the dog.

The two-part film is dotted with clever tensions and neat touches, not least a drinks trolley eerily rolling down the aisle of the near-empty plane. But the inflated story goes fairly predictable in a hurry, and the underlining is heavyhanded.

But score a couple of solid hits for the good folks. Ray Walston is crustily effective as an elderly artist. And in the movie's most tender relationship, Rob Lowe, whose character can neither hear nor speak, and Bill Fagerbakke, as a mildly retarded Li'l Abner-type country boy, are outstanding.

The style and humor in these romps is generally broad. When the corrupt sheriff of monarchical America goes on television to hoodwink the citizens yet again, he assures them: "I feel your pain. Let us create a kinder and gentler nation." No contemporary cliche goes unscathed in this often inventive but sometimes tiresome concoction.

Ham performances seem to be encouraged, perhaps as a means of keeping viewers puzzled in lieu of being enthralled.

Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, former writers and executive producers on NBC's "Sisters," manage to transcend an off-putting concept by making their young characters quite credible and likable as they encounter the obstacles of growing up...The cast is exceptionally attractive; the characters are unusually affecting.

If the acting can get to a level above a robotic stiffness that recalls old Saturday-matinee movie serials, Babylon 5 could prove fun to have around.

Even a hobbled rendering of And the Band Plays On adds up to tough and uncommonly courageous television. Excessive tinkering has left the pacing of the film sluggish in spots, but the story is never less than compelling.

One of the better [of the season's family sitcoms], simply because it's kind of cute and a bit offbeat.

The title role is filled quite solidly by John Wesley Shipp, who has won Emmy Awards for his work in the daytime soaps ''As the World Turns'' and ''Santa Barbara.''

Coach is painlessly affable. Mr. Nelson, departing from his customary serious roles, reveals a nice sense of comic timing. The only thing missing is a smidgin of originality.

The title role of the hourlong show is played with insinuating relish by Avery Brooks. ... Now the series ... has to find some scripts worthy of the character.

Mr. Urich is the perfect television-series star, appealing without being overwhelming or threatening.

When it's bad, it's incredibly embarrassing. But then when it's good, it's terrifically on target.

Although off to a sluggish start, Brewster Place represents an Olympics-sized leap in prime-time programming.

This is an impressive production. The cast is generally quite good; Ms. Martin is extraordinary, making Christy's fresh-faced innocence utterly captivating on these beautiful and sometimes dangerous mountains.

The plot of "House of Cards" requires more than just a couple suspensions of disbelief. Seemingly perceptive characters turn inexplicably naive. The obvious is overlooked just a bit too frequently. But, directed by Paul Seed, the production moves ahead briskly, and as the story turns more and more vicious, the timely potboiler becomes surprisingly compelling. Much of the credit belongs to Ian Richardson's scarily perfect performance as Francis Urquhart.

The madcap humor of the television version begins to wear noticeably thin halfway through the first hour.

Initial verdict: clunky.