Chicago Sun-Times' Scores

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For 1,047 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 67% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 30% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.4 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average TV Show review score: 68
Highest review score: 100 Transparent: Season 1
Lowest review score: 0 Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II: Season 1
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 762 out of 762
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 762
  3. Negative: 0 out of 762
762 tv reviews
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  1. Colin in Black & White: Season 1
    Both the traditional fictional narrative and the real-world messages are often delivered with wicked-smart comedic touches — an especially effective means of providing social commentary without making us feel as if we’re sitting in on a lecture. My only complaint about “Colin in Black and White” is that six episodes aren’t enough.
  2. Swagger: Season 1
    Whether you’re a basketball junkie or a casual fan, “Swagger” is an instantly captivating and authentic dramatic ride.
  3. Invasion (2021): Season 1
    The writing and the performances are so strong in “Invasion” that we’d be drawn to these stories even if the sci-fi element never came into play. Ever-reliable Sam Neill delivers subtle and strong work as Sheriff Tyson.
  4. Succession: Season 3
    Mostly, though, this is a bold and original work, with great acting and razor-sharp writing. And it’s among the best series in the world right now.
  5. What Happened, Brittany Murphy?: Season 1
    Skilled documentarian Cynthia Hill weaves together a story featuring home-movie footage of a young and bubbly and adorable Brittany; clips from Murphy’s movies; the occasional re-enactment; news footage, and interviews with reporters who covered Murphy’s death, the retired Assistant Chief Coroner who handled Murphy’s case, friends and colleagues such as Heckerling and actress Kathy Najimy, and the mother and brother of Murphy’s late husband, Simon Monjack.
  6. Dopesick
    This is an uneven series that is often quite good but feels like a missed opportunity to be something great.
  7. Pretty Smart: Season 1
    Sweet-natured but deeply unfunny show.
  8. Maid: Season 1
    There are times when, like Alex, we feel as if we’re experiencing downbeat déjà vu. Ultimately, though, this is a worthwhile journey containing valuable insights into the myriad of ways the system works against those who need it most, how emotional abuse is abuse nonetheless, and how one young woman climbed her way to success by sheer determination.
  9. The Problem With Jon Stewart: Season 1
    If it all sounds a bit like a grad school lecture delivered by the hippest and funniest prof on campus, well, that’s kind of what we’re getting, and it’s vintage Jon Stewart: thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud funny, insightful, clever, occasionally a bit too pleased with itself but on balance, pretty flippin’ great.
  10. Midnight Mass
    Even though it’s is an original work from Flanagan, it feels like a high-level adaptation of a particularly haunting King novel.
  11. The Big Leap: Season 1
    This is a mild, mostly affectionate lampoon of reality shows and the people who make them and the people who compete in them.
  12. The Premise: Season 1
    The new FX on Hulu anthology series “The Premise” is problematic but has promise. ... While some chapters are told in broad, mostly comedic strokes that result in hit-and-miss storytelling, the most effective episodes play out in more dramatic and realistic fashion. ... The most powerful episode in the series is “Moment of Silence,” with Jon Bernthal giving one of the most effective performances of his career as Chase Milbrandt
  13. Chicago Party Aunt: Season 1
    A bawdy, rollicking, farcical, hilarious and surprisingly warmhearted love letter to the Chicago (and the Chicago area).
  14. American Rust: Season 1
    There are times when “American Rust” gets things just right. ... Too often, though, we’re mired in wheel-spinning storylines. The great Canadian poet Neil Young once told us rust never sleeps, but “American Rust” takes too many naps.
  15. Scenes From A Marriage: Season 1
    This is a full-on remake that retains much of the basic framework of Bergman’s masterpiece and carries an emotional punch that’s nearly as powerful. Old Juilliard pals Chastain and Isaac, who teamed up so memorably in the 2014 crime noir “A Most Violent Year,” deliver a master class in tandem acting that’s as good as anything I’ve seen on any platform in 2021.
  16. Impeachment: American Crime Story
    A lurid, sudsy, melodramatic and addictively watchable political noir thriller and character study.
  17. Only Murders in the Building: Season 1
    A whip-smart and wryly observational gem.
  18. Clickbait: Season 1
    “Clickbait” has a suitably noir-ish look and a few neat wrinkles, but far too often, we branch out and fall down too many different rabbit holes. ... The cast turns in solid work and we appreciate the ambition and scope and timeliness of the subject matter, but the payoff is delivered off in currency that’s pure counterfeit.
  19. NYC Epicenters 9/11 -> 2021 1/2: Season 1
    Comprehensive and illuminating. ... Through it all, Spike Lee’s lifelong love affair with New York City and its people is fierce and unwavering.
  20. Gossip: Season 1
    With crisp editing and talking-head interviews interspersed with archival footage, “Gossip” moves at a brisk pace.
  21. Nine Perfect Strangers: Season 1
    It’s a surprisingly wobbly, not-good performance from a great actress in a beautifully photographed and occasionally entertaining but mostly ridiculous and off-putting melodrama from some of the same folks (series co-developer David E. Kelley and author Liane Moriarty) who gave us “Big Little Lies.”
  22. Marvel's What If...?: Season 1
    A relatively breezy and often humorous series that puts a quirky and borderline goofy spin on the Marvel timeline as we know it.
  23. Untold (2021): Season 1
    Like the best of ESPN’s “30 for 30” docs, the “Untold” series is framed in the world of sports but goes far beyond that to tell the stories of some greatly talented and widely celebrated athletes who are also as flawed and vulnerable as the rest of us.
  24. Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami: Season 1
    This is an extremely well-crafted, fast-paced and consistently involving series, featuring the usual true-crime documentary mix of archival footage, undercover audio and video recordings, present-day interviews with prosecutors, journalists and many of the key criminal players on the expansive Magluta/Falcon crime tree, and some terrific visuals. ... “Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami” is one of the best true crime documentary series in recent years.
  25. Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union: Season 1
    Director Peter Kunhardt delivers a solid, straightforward, mostly linear work. ... More provocative are the new interviews with some key figures who didn’t always see eye-to-eye with Obama, either during his presidency or while his star was ascending.
  26. The Pursuit of Love: Season 1
    It was a smart move to limit this story to just the three hourlong episodes, as it keeps us entertained but also allows for Linda to make her exit before her act has worn thin on us.
  27. Ted Lasso: Season 2
    It’s a more deeply layered and dramatically richer effort, with some relatively minor, undeveloped characters from Season 1 taking turns in the spotlight and becoming more vital players in the ensemble, not unlike what happened with “The Office.” This is still primarily Ted Lasso’s journey and Sudeikis owns the role of his lifetime, somehow making Ted hilarious and peppy yet contemplative and complex.
  28. Schmigadoon!: Season 1
    A slyly funny, sometimes sticky sweet and exceedingly charming endeavor that pokes fun at old-school musicals such as “Oklahoma!”, “The Music Man,” “Carousel” and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” while also paying tribute to the genre.
  29. Heist (2021): Season 1
    As in the two previous stories, “The Bourbon King” moves at a brisk pace, alternating interviews with real-life subjects with re-creations set to catchy music as the craziness spirals out of control. All three of these tales have more than enough material to make for a feature-length film.
  30. Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes: Season 1
    Over the course of each half-hour episode, directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato deftly toggle between Farrow’s podcast interviews and archival footage and photos, using just the right amount of stylistic touches to create a compelling atmosphere. Mostly, though, this is the story of voices. The voice of Ronan Farrow, whose mission is to get to the truth no matter how long it takes, and the voices of the brave souls who spoke out against an alleged monster.
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