Kyle Anderson

A fresh set of relationships and complications is just the transfusion the show needed. [9 Oct 2015]

Murder has no basis in the reality of the legal system, and just like Scandal, there are probably two too many characters to have to care about. But it manages to continuously elevate the dramatic stakes and navigate the ever-evolving relationships of its principals while rarely allowing itself to become narratively untethered.

Ferrell's genuine reverence for the national pastime and his noble goal make it a breezily feel-good hour. [11 Sep 2015, p.55]

The League remains steadfast--certainly playoff-worthy, but not quite championship material. [11 Sep 2015, p.55]

The Agent is as tedious as the NFL combine, and will appeal only to hardcore pigskin aficionados who can't get enough debates about wingspan. [14 Aug 2015, p.56]

Plenty of automotive and beachside real estate escapism, but underneath lurks a funny, fast-moving skewering of the same types of headline-grabbing controversies Roger Goodell would like you to forget. [19 Jun 2015, p.58]

While the presentation can get a little stilted, Making is a relatively clear-eyed look at a still-gripping mutation of the American dream. [19 Jun 2015, p.56]

Bacon works hard trying to sell depressingly heavy-handed material, but The Following seems poised to remain one of the most unpleasant watches on television. [6 Mar 2015, p.74]

Bassett leaves a game DaCosta on the sidelines, only trotting her out to recreate performances that look cheap and feel alarmingly like filler. [16 Jan 2015, p.71]

The show nails a stellar one-two punch, playing the rapid-fire barbs exchanged between the pigeon and Queensberry against Tyson's straight-ahead buzz-saw gags.

Without surging too deep into soapy territory, Kingdom grinds out excellent family drama via lived-in characters and escalating stakes. The cast's chemistry is phenomenal, with Jonas as the standout.

The premiere is weak.... But by its third episode, the show is confident enough to make you think it might, as Seinfeld did, survive its rocky start. [3 Oct 2014, p.67]

BoJack hits funny bones hardest when it loads up on background gags--for example, the fact every character has a terrible ringtone provides surprisingly rich humor as the six episodes advance. [22/29 Aug 2014, p.100]

While the sense of escalation is reasonably contagious, the push to the finale would feel better if it were worth investing in any of Skies' army of limp, interchangeable characters.

Those standoffs [Cullen/Swede and Durant and Wyoming governor John Campbell (Jake Weber)] only mildly elevate Hell's flat writing.

Sharknado 2 is a rousing upgrade from middling shlock to high-quality schlock. [25 Jul/1 Aug 2014, p.108]

Aggressively forgettable summer fodder with a scary absence of originality or voice. [11 Jul 2014, p.64]

Only Anthony Stewart Head, nefariously pulling strings as a Machiavellian senator, keeps things from becoming entirely hellish. [20 Jun 2014, p.59]

With a season-long focus on a single case, the story has plenty of breathing room, and the San Francisco setting feels particularly natural. As unnecessary things go, Murder is exquisite. [13 Jun 2014, p.75]

The volatile combo of elements leads to occasionally sloppy storytelling, but the cast--particularly the icy Hardwick and the oft-nude Naughton--makes it a deeply bingeable guilty pleasure. [30 May 2014, p.115]

The second season mostly upholds the first's tricky precedent, but the absence of regular Gervais associate Karl Pilkington means the yuks are a bit less hearty.

Dancing is so carefully curated with period detail that it is sometimes rendered inert, especially in this bloated premiere. But it's worth sticking around for the remaining four parts to enjoy the still-fresh music and the agile performance by Matthew Goode as a shady journalist. [18 Oct 2013, p.61]

The debut treads water getting everybody up to speed, but the dagger-in-the-heart of a cliffhanger--coupled with [Joseph] Morgan's radioactive onscreen charm--should keep The Originals' veins flowing amply. [4 Oct 2013, p.60]

Even though it's season 4, there's something alarmingly off about the chemistry between titular crime-solvers Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.

All told, it's a fantastic collection of talent that keeps the show moving, even when the case-of-the-week is something of a clunker.