Critics

Love It! Hate It! 07.31.06


Myster! Inspector Lewis (PBS)
"…it's a solid and welcome effort, quite in the spirit of the original."
Robert Lloyd, LA Times

Myster! Inspector Lewis (PBS)
"…fantastic on many levels."
Michelle Jones, Nashville Scene

Myster! Inspector Lewis (PBS)
"Happily, there are more murders coming up in Oxford."
Irv Letofsky, The Hollywood Reporter

The Dog Whisperer (National Geographic)
"...endlessly fascinating"
Marshall Fine, Star Magazine

The Dog Whisperer (National Geographic)
"When you put the buzz out of your mind, Millan is just a human-scale guy who has found an earthy style of manifesting power that works remarkably well."
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe

Angela's Eyes (Lifetime)
"'Angela's Eyes' is a middling sort of drama."
Teresa Wiltz, Washington Post

Angela's Eyes (Lifetime)
"If you enjoy the concepts of 'The Closer', 'Missing', 'Psych' and the recently canceled 'Alias', but can't find the time to watch them all at once, Lifetime Network might just have the show for you."
Richard Keller, TV Squad

Love It! Hate It! 07.28.06


Who Wants to Be a Superhero? (Sci Fi)
"…'Superhero' is a supremely entertaining good time."
Rob Owen, Pittsburg Post-Gazette

Who Wants to Be a Superhero? (Sci Fi)
"…ranks among the silliest, most idiotic reality TV concepts ever."
Brian Lowry, Variety

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (Sci Fi)
"Poorly written, horribly acted, and technically inept, 'Darkplace' is a total nightmare."
Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly

A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin (Cinemax)
"This is historical material not to be missed."
Marilyn Moss, The Hollywood Reporter

So You Think You Can Dance? (Fox)
"This show should be required watching for all of America."
Shirley Kennedy, The National Ledger

Love It! Hate It! 07.27.06


30 Days (FX)
"Nowhere in the dime-a-dozen genre of reality TV is there anything that feels as real or important."
Irv Letofsky, National Review

30 Days (FX)
"…it's refreshing to see a reality series that emphasizes more than just cheap confrontation and vain preening."
David Kronke, LA Daily News

30 Days (FX)
"It's the kind of fish-out-of-water conceit that fuels reality shows like 'Wife Swap', only this one is not done for laughs."
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

American Master: Walter Cronkite: Witness to History (PBS)
"A mostly laudatory series."
Irv Letofsky, The Hollywood Reporter

American Master: Walter Cronkite: Witness to History (PBS)
"…looking at TV news the way it is, it's certainly refreshing to spend 90 minutes or so remembering the way it was."
Brian Lowry, Variety

American Master: Walter Cronkite: Witness to History (PBS)
"It registers in the high end of mediocrity, only occasionally striking a stirringly evocative note."
Tom Shales, Washington Post

Blue Collar TV (Comedy Central)
"Turn off brain, enjoy cheesy laughs."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

Love It! Hate It! 07.26.06


Eureka (SCI FI)
"Sci Fi just might be on to something."
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

Eureka (SCI FI)
"If 'Eureka' intends on sticking around, it better smarten up."
Mark A. Perigard, Boston Herald

Eureka (SCI FI)
"'Eureka' is a lazy venture that doesn't bother to go for the gold."
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe

If I Had You (BBC AMERICA)
"Typical of BBC America dramas, this one elevates the art of simple plotting to intriguing heights."
Ray Richmond, The Hollywood Reporter

Miami Ink (TLC)
"Against the odds, there may be something profound -- evoking the themes of caprice, permanence, regret -- in ' Miami Ink'…"
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times

The One: Making a Music Star (ABC)
"Seeing as the first 'The One' was seen by only the two or the three, feel free to think of this as the premiere."
Robert Bianco, USA Today

Love It! Hate It! 07.25.06


Life on Mars (BBC AMERICA)
“The old school has always been cool, but never as cool as 'Life On Mars.'"
Tim Goodman, San Francisco Chronicle

Life on Mars (BBC AMERICA)
“‘Life on Mars’ is a witty, imaginative addition to the prime-time police blotter.”
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

Life on Mars (BBC AMERICA)
“The TV equivalent of a page-turner, the BBC's latest impressive twist on a tired genre hinges on a compelling mystery woven into an old- (and new) fashioned cop drama.”
Brian Lowry, Variety

Tabloid Wars (BRAVO)
‘Tabloid Wars’ does for The Daily News what the paper does for New York City: it provides a hyped, colorful but nonetheless fair and accurate portrait of how it all works.”
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

Tabloid Wars (BRAVO)
“’Tabloid Wars,’ though it doesn't come right out and say it, raises old but important issues of where to draw the line between what readers want and what a conscientious newspaper should give them.”
Barry Garron, The Hollywood Reporter

Hell's Kitchen (FOX)
“Every reality show needs an ogre, and Ramsay's antics make for a morbidly fascinating spectacle, but at the moment, that is the only reason to tune in.”
Kevin Wong, Pop Matters

Love It! Hate It! 07.24.06


Sexual Healing (SHOWTIME)
"It's not much more sophisticated than a Cosmopolitan article on sexual compatibility."
Matthew Bilbert, Boston Globe

Sexual Healing (SHOWTIME)
“No one who watches this mishmash of psychobabble cliche and self-indulgent exhibitionism masquerading as marital therapy will ever have sex again.”
Glenn Garvin, Detroit Free Press

Sexual Healing (SHOWTIME)
"It's just not very compelling television - if only because it invites us to be interested for all the wrong reasons."
David Hinckley, New York Daily News

Read It and Weep (DISNEY)
“Geared toward tweens but cool for the whole family, this original movie plays with all the stereotypes and politics of high school while still staying sweet.”
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

Read It and Weep (DISNEY)
“…fun, frivolous and totally forgettable.”
Laura Fries, Variety

The Messengers (TLC)
“’The Messengers’, part revivalist tent meeting, part Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, is not at all boring.”
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

The Messengers (TLC)
“This is a somewhat interesting idea turned entirely lame by the elimination format.”
Ray Richmond, The Hollywood Reporter

Miss Universe Pageant 2006 (NBC)
“It's nice that in times of world conflict and strife, there are still beauty pageants to remind us of the importance of proper lip gloss application.”
Tim Stack, Entertainment Weekly

Love It! Hate It! 07.19.06


Work Out (BRAVO)
"Whoever came up with the idea to set a reality show at a gym deserves a medal.”
Matthew Weiss, After Elton

Work Out (BRAVO)
“…surprisingly compelling, a rollicking workplace melodrama set amid protein shakes, elliptical machines and glistening abs.”
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

Work Out (BRAVO)
“Jackie's a gold mine; she's attractive in a curious, non-Barbie way and even her platitudes come across as biker-zen deep.”
Joanna Weiss, Boston Globe

American Masters: Marilyn Monroe: Still Life (PBS)
“Even if the documentary was presented without commentary or interviews with photographers and writers, the breathtaking array of photographs would be worth your hour.”
Mark McGuire, Albany Times Union

American Masters: Marilyn Monroe: Still Life (PBS)
“…with so much allure and mystery surrounding Monroe, only complete novices or true diehards will find much within this hour that merits another look back.”
Brian Linder, Variety

Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (TNT)
“Cool twilight zone chills.”
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press


House of Boateng (SUNDANCE)
“Watching the slow motion humbling of a U.K. fashion star is deliciously cruel, addictive and absolutely worth 30 minutes of boob tube commitment.”
Adario Strange, New York Press

Windfall (NBC)
“Well-acted and fairly involving, the broadcast networks' only scripted summer offering is getting more interesting by the week.”
Gail Pennington, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Hex (BBC AMERICA)
“If you never liked ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’... then you may have a chance to redeem yourself with ‘Hex.’”
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times

The Dudesons (SPIKE)
“…more frightening than funny”
David Kronke, Pop Matters

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
“’Sunny’ traffics in the kind of cheerful amorality that DeVito’s most memorable characters have reveled in..”
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune


Eureka (SCI FI)
“Sci Fi's experiment with a ‘Northern Exposure’-like drama can't yet be labeled an unqualified success, though further testing might be required.”
Brian Lowry, Variety

Eureka (SCI FI)
“…if it's a thoroughly engaging and suspenseful show you want, you're not likely to shout ‘Eureka!’”
Barry Garron, The Hollywood Reporter

Eureka (SCI FI)
“So far, the show is more likable than memorable, but there are worse places to spend a midsummer's night.”
Matt Roush, TV Guide

Eureka (SCI FI)
“The folks at Sci-Fi Channel clearly intended to reinvent the summer TV series here, and come up with something breezy and fun.”
David Bianculli, New York Daily News

The Contender (ESPN)
“…‘The Contender’ is back - leaner, meaner, faster than ever.”
Mark A. Perigard, Boston Herald

The Contender (ESPN)
“These gloves may not be golden, but they can still pack a punch...on occasion.”
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly

P.O.V.: The Fall of Fujimori (PBS)
“…a fascinating retelling of the rise of Alberto Fujimori…”
Karen Hunter, Hartford Courant

P.O.V.: The Fall of Fujimori (PBS)
“…a marvel of storytelling…”
Glen Garvin, Miami Herald

Love It! Hate It! 07.17.06


The Closer (TNT)
“Ms. Sedgwick will not only win an Emmy, she'll also carry ‘The Closer’ all the way to syndication….”
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times

The Closer (TNT)
“‘The Closer’ remains a standout in a crowded field of crime procedurals.”
Barry Garron, The Hollywood Reporter

Driving Force (A&E)
“‘Driving Force’ may not be the millionth show to imitate ‘The Osbournes,’ but it sure seems that way.”
Kevin McDonough, United Features Syndicate

How to Get the Guy (ABC)
“We watched for four weeks, endured the pain, and now we don't even get to see how it all turns out.”
Rain Jokinen, San Fransisco Gothamist


Meerkat Manor (ANIMAL PLANET)
“'Meerkat Manor’ is adorable fun.”
Adam Finley, TV Squad

Squirrel Boy (CARTOON NETWORK)
“Boring, boring, and more boring.”
Duke, Toon Zone

Global Warming: What You Need to Know (DISCOVERY)
"...is the kind of reality television we should all be watching.”
Marilyn Moss, The Hollywood Reporter

Global Warming: What You Need to Know (DISCOVERY)
“Tom Brokaw hosts a straightforward, detailed and sobering primer on the impending dangers of a potential climatological apocalypse.”
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

Angela's Eyes (LIFETIME)
“‘Silly, poorly cast and full of clunky dialogue, ‘Angela's Eyes’ is even burdened with a peculiar title, though to be fair, ‘The Closer’ and ‘Psych’ were taken, and ‘The Human Lie Detector’ probably didn't clear legal.”
Brian Lowry, Variety

Angela's Eyes (LIFETIME)
“It's a somber, often leaden affair, beset with stiff dialogue and a gloom that not even the fitful gibes of tech guy/designated comic relief Joe Cobden or the odd romantic cliche and glowing morning-after can dispel.”
Robert Lloyd, LA Times

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (IFC)
“‘Yet another great original doc from IFC, this clip-and commentary-heavy look at the history of gay and lesbian film is funny, fast and, well, fabulous…”
Maureen Ryan and Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

Love It! Hate It! 07.14.06


America's Got Talent (NBC)
"'Talent' is 'Idol' with its stockings rolled down and belt loosened, something between amateur night at the Elks Lodge and the counselor's farewell roast at summer camp."
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

America's Got Talent (NBC)
"... re-imagines vaudeville for the channel-surfing mindset of today's viewers in a casual, freewheeling style that speaks to a summertime sensibility."
David Zurawik, San Jose Mercury News

Windfall (NBC)
"'Windfall' sure hasn't won the quality lottery."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

Gay Getaways (TRAVEL)
"It seems that the show was made to educate clueless travel agents on what they might be able to sell to a gay couple."
Brian Moylan, Washington Blade

Most Evil (DISCOVERY)
"Great, Discovery put the 'most' next to the 'evil' so the serial killers can compete for superlatives."
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly

Love It! Hate It! 07.13.06


Project Runway (BRAVO)
“Of all the and-then-there-was-one competitive reality shows I've seen, this is the one I've been able to sink my teeth into, or which has sunk its teeth into me.”
Robert Lloyd, LA Times

Project Runway (BRAVO)
“The spry pace and involving personalities put it firmly in the top tier of reality shows, and it's more surprising and even more heartfelt than many scripted shows.”
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune

Project Runway (BRAVO)
“At its best, ‘Project Runway’ is almost better than shopping.”
Joanne Ostrow, Denver Post

Nightmares and Dreamscape: From the Stories of Stephen King (TNT)
"...fueled by strong acting, solid writing and superb, visually arresting production values, delivers high-quality summertime entertainment from the rich twilight zone of Stephen King's mind.”
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press

Nightmares and Dreamscape: From the Stories of Stephen King (TNT)
“As always in this genre, the results are uneven, but King's spooky hooks are as simple and effective as the production is impressively elaborate.”
Matt Roush, TV Guide

Nightmares and Dreamscape: From the Stories of Stephen King (TNT)
"…a mixed bag that never quite moves beyond non sequitur creeps and special effects.”
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe

American Masters: Woody Guthrie Ain't Got No Home (PBS)
“The film is a must-see for anyone who cares about American popular music and its rich protest legacy.”
Rick Bird, Cincinnati Post

DMX: Soul of a Man (BET)
"…BET's follow-the-star gimmick here is misguided opportunism.”
Verne Gay, Newsday

Love It! Hate It! 07.12.06


Wide Angle: 18 With a Bullet (PBS)
“…the only regular series of in-depth, international documentaries on American television today.”
Courtney Potter, Zap2It

Wide Angle: 18 With a Bullet (PBS)
“'18' makes for powerful watching.”
Teresa Wiltz, Washington Post

Wide Angle: 18 With a Bullet (PBS)
“Pollack's cameras capture some amazing moments and emotional revelations with these gang members; the access he received and the honesty of his subjects is amazing.”
David Kronke, Los Angeles Daily News

City of Men (SUNDANCE)
“…succeeds at conveying the joie de vivre of being young, free and as innocent as one can be in a dangerous culture.”
Aaron Barnhart, Kansas City Star

Rock Star Supernova (CBS)
“’Rock Star’ judges its contestants on how well they inhabit cliched, outmoded archetypes; their goatees and piercings matter as much as their voices.”
Tom Breihan, The Village Voice

Love It! Hate It! 07.11.06


Pee Wee's Playhouse (CARTOON NETWORK)
“Feel free to relive the madness...but keep a bottle of Ritalin handy.”
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly

Pee Wee's Playhouse (CARTOON NETWORK)
“Today's secret word is: triumphant return.”
Diane Werts, Newsday

Pee Wee's Playhouse (CARTOON NETWORK)
“Pee-wee remains one of the best shows ever produced for kids — or adults.”
Robert Bianco, USA Today

The World Series of Pop Culture (VH1)
"...a nicely conceived tournament of mindless trivia..."
Brian Lowry, Variety

The World Series of Pop Culture (VH1)
"VH1 has come up with an enjoyable, well-thought-out format, but its sludgy execution holds down the fun factor."
Erik Pedersen, Hollywood Reporter

Beach Patrol: Miami Beach (Court TV)
“‘Beach Patrol: Miami Beach’ is so depressing you might swear off sandy shores for the rest of the summer.”
Robert Bianco, Boston Herald

Love It! Hate It! 07.10.06


Psych (USA)
"'Psych'... is bipolar: inventive one minute and ploddingly formulaic the next."
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times

Psych (USA)
"A clever private eye romp that wittily illustrates the unheralded virtues of slackerdom."
Ray Richmond, Hollywood Reporter

Psych (USA)
"’Psych’…is seldom more than a private eyesore."
Ed Bark, Detroit Free Press

Psych (USA)
"...feels more like a programming move than a creative endeavor."
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe

Monk (USA)
"…a once-wonderful series that is now, well, less wonderful."
Robert Bianco, USA Today

Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes (COMEDY CENTRAL)
"As a piece of TV history, the shows are fascinating; as entertainment, they may not be what fans had hoped for."
Charlie McCollum, San Jose Mercury News

Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes (COMEDY CENTRAL)
"…these episodes have a memorial quality to them and, like fame itself, their impact feels fleeting."
Melanie McFarland, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes (COMEDY CENTRAL)
"The sketches here are high-grade Chappelle: funny and surprising, if not a full-on riot, as his best work on the show has been."
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times

Brotherhood (SHOWTIME)
"This is the jewel Showtime has sought for years."
Phil Gallo, Variety

Brotherhood (SHOWTIME)
"…richly plotted and totally absorbing, one of summer TV's best surprises.”
Matt Roush, TV Guide

Reno 911! (COMEDY CENTRAL)
"’Reno’ is, as usual, subversive, silly and consistently grin-inducing."
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune

Love It! Hate It! 07.07.06


Big Brother: All-Stars (CBS)
"…the new and improved ‘Big Brother’ is, at best, an average mash-up of ‘Survivor’ and ‘The Real World’."
Alan Sepinwall, New Jersey Star-Ledger

Big Brother: All-Stars (CBS)
"Look at that title and tell me it's not an oxymoron -- and in the case of ‘Big Brother’, put the heavy emphasis on ‘moron’.”
Austin O’Connor, Lowell Sun

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
“There is a willful, even gleeful abandonment of political correctness in FX's spare, painfully funny comedy."
Tim Goodman, San Francisco Chronicle

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
“It's one of the freshest comedies on TV right now...”
Jonathan Toomey, TV Squad

Raising the Roofs (SPIKE TV)
“These men make the Clampetts of ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ look like the Bloomsbury set.”
Anita Gates, New York Times

Love It! Hate It! 07.06.06


Rock Star: Supernova (CBS)
“The reason to watch ‘Rock Star: Supernova’…is not to see grizzled, journeyman rock dudes get their fame on again, but to experience those kinds of cool rock ’n’ roll moments, courtesy of the talented contestants.”
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune

Rock Star: Supernova (CBS)
“…a reality show that might best be described as ‘American Idol’ meets the want ads.”
Gail Pennington, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Edge of Outside (TCM)
“…a welcome reminder that art is not lost from filmmaking.”
Lisa Trifone, Filmfodder

Edge of Outside (TCM)
“…a thoughtful, respectful – but not too reverent – distillation of the indie spirit….”
Sheldon A. Wiebe, Eclipse Magazine

Edge of Outside (TCM)
“If you don't know about the relationship between independent filmmakers and big studio money, this is the place to start.”
Marilyn Moss, Hollywood Reporter

America's Got Talent (NBC)
“'Talent’ is the Gong Show for the new millennium.”
Gerald Gay, AZ Nightbuzz

Love It! Hate It! 07.05.06


Whistler(The N)
"While the soap opera is a tad over the top, 'Whistler' is a murky whodunit that should keep young viewers glued to the frozen slopes all summer long. "
Kevin McDonough, United Features Syndicate (Albany Times Union

Country Fried Home Videos (CMT)
"Think 'America's Funniest Home Videos' for all those folks, like Britney Spears, who consider themselves 'country'."
John Maynard, Washington Post

Desolation Canyon (HALLMARK)
"From the scenery to the costumes to the shootouts, the movie looks straight out of an amusement park's frontier town: fake."
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

Desolation Canyon (HALLMARK)
"We're all for saving the Western, even if it stars Patrick Duffy."
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly

Shooting the Police: Cops on Film (ENCORE)
"The docu is full of information, but how much of it has substance is hard to tell."
Marilyn Moss, Hollywood Reporter

What's Your Sign? Design (HGTV)
"There is a little of the kind of irreverent humor that makes 'Queer Eye' the best makeover show on television, but it's not quite the same thing when the experts ridicule the subjects behind their backs."
Anita Gates, New York Times

Love It! Hate It! Archive


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