« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Corkscrewed (FOX REALITY)
"Contrived and ludicrously self-indulgent."
Ray Richmond, Hollywood Reporter
Corkscrewed (FOX REALITY)
"…the show reaches out aimlessly for laughs…and with tired narration."
Anita Gates New York Times
Day Break (ABC)
"As usual, I am so confused."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press
Day Break (ABC)
"At its best, 'Day Break' has a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' feel…[it] just needs to get those pages flying a little faster."
Gillian Flynn, Entertainment Weekly
Day Break (ABC)
"…the season's silliest new action-fantasy-adventure."
Matt Roush, TV Guide
Show Me the Money (ABC)
"Attention fourth-graders and brains that are tired after a long day: ABC presents 'Show Me the Money'."
Doug Elfman, Chicago Sun-Times
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Big Day (ABC)
"Something bold, something new, something funny through and through."
Barry Garron, Hollywood Reporter
Big Day (ABC)
"…all structure and no substance."
Robert Bianco, USA Today
Big Day (ABC)
"Sadly, 'Big Day' wears out its welcome in its very first few minutes."
Andrew Lyons, Media Life
Big Day (ABC)
"'Big Day' is marvelously cast, and the actors, especially Wendie Malick, manage, like the cast of '24', to convey a sense of urgency that almost belongs on the stage."
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times
My Boys (TBS)
"…it has spirit and identity, and it's a positive omen for the future of TBS's scripted efforts."
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe
My Boys (TBS)
"…fields one of the most enjoyable sitcom ensemble casts in some time."
David Hinckley, New York Daily News
The Great American Christmas (USA)
"The producers combine a flexible style of reality production with well-paced storytelling that gives this show a fresh and unpredictable feel."
Robert Urban, After Elton
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
10 Items or Less (TBS)
"…neither the writers nor the actors are good enough at what they're trying to do to justify trying to do it."
Tom Shales, Washington Post
10 Items or Less (TBS)
"It's partially improvised, which comes off looking like they're having more fun than we are."
Matt Roush, TV Guide
10 Items or Less (TBS)
"…labors too hard at being clever and occasionally teeters into shrill mode where a half-dozen characters are all yelling at each other simultaneously."
Brian Lowry, Variety
10 Items or Less (TBS)
"There are no deep belly laughs here but you can count on a steady stream of chuckles…"
Barry Garron, Hollywood Reporter
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)
"Sorkin apparently couldn't care less -- or doesn't realize -- that his characters come off as pompous and clueless."
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune
Uganda Rising (DISCOVERY TIMES)
"Not even the dulcet tones of narrator Kevin Spacey can soften the horror of civil war."
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
10 Items or Less (TBS)
"…neither the writers nor the actors are good enough at what they're trying to do to justify trying to do it."
Tom Shales, Washington Post
10 Items or Less (TBS)
"It's partially improvised, which comes off looking like they're having more fun than we are."
Matt Roush, TV Guide
10 Items or Less (TBS)
"…labors too hard at being clever and occasionally teeters into shrill mode where a half-dozen characters are all yelling at each other simultaneously."
Brian Lowry, Variety
10 Items or Less (TBS)
"There are no deep belly laughs here but you can count on a steady stream of chuckles…"
Barry Garron, Hollywood Reporter
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)
"Sorkin apparently couldn't care less -- or doesn't realize -- that his characters come off as pompous and clueless."
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune
Uganda Rising (DISCOVERY TIMES)
"Not even the dulcet tones of narrator Kevin Spacey can soften the horror of civil war."
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Day Break (ABC)
"…intense and fascinating…"
Glenn Garvin, Miami Herald
Day Break (ABC)
"…a well-made rocket ride that's closer to '24' than anything else on TV."
Jonathan Storm, Philadelphia Inquirer
Day Break (ABC)
"...it's a one-of-a-kind thriller that rewards your attention with nonstop action, endless surprises, exciting cinematography and a great assortment of characters."
Barry Garron, Hollywood Reporter
Show Me the Money (ABC)
"…even with Shatner at the helm, this journey through the inanity zone already feels like a trek along the same old frontier."
Variety staff, Variety
Show Me the Money (ABC)
"William Shatner's willingness to embarrass himself beyond belief didn't end with his vocal rendition of 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.'"
David Bianculli, New York Daily News
Real World Denver (MTV)
"I know, 18 seasons, but at higher altitudes they get drunk and slutty even faster."
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Tony Bennett: An American Classic (NBC)
"This stylish, stirring special is like a wonderful banquet from the heyday of Ed Sullivan, Dean Martin and Andy Williams."
Hal Boedeker, Orlando Sentinel
Tony Bennett: An American Classic (NBC)
"The exquisite special looks more like a Broadway musical or a high-end concert, with more set and costume changes than most broadcast concerts."
Jacqueline Cutler, Boston Herald
Tony Bennett: An American Classic (NBC)
"In a day when it's enough to throw a couple of stars onto an over-lighted stage, point a few video cameras at them and call the result a 'special,' 'Tony Bennett: An American Classic' has been made with unusual care and expense and an evident respect for its subject…"
Robert Lloyd, LA Times
Frontline: Living Old (PBS)
"Images affect us here in ways that text simply can't."
Sam Allis, Boston Globe
Frontline: Living Old (PBS)
"…a relentlessly downbeat look at the medical and emotional side of living long but not well."
Dick Kreck, Denver Post
3 LBS. (CBS)
"…it's hard to escape the sense we're watching the bastard child of the union between 'Shark' and 'House.'"
Brian Lowry, Variety
3 LBS. (CBS)
"…this show could use some brain surgery itself."
Linda Stasi, New York Post
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Heroes (NBC)
"…the best new show NBC has had in years."
Adam Buckman, New York Post
Heroes (NBC)
"In a season overrun with 'Lost' wannabes, 'Heroes' zigs where so many zag…"
Ellen Gray, Philadelphia Daily News
Everybody Hates Chris (CW)
"This episode reminds us of what a good job this series does of presenting life from the point of view of a child on the cusp of manhood."
Kevin McDonough, United Features Syndicate
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
"'Mother' can be a bit frenzied, but it boasts one of the best young comedy ensembles on TV today…"
Robert Bianco, USA Today
House of Carters (E!)
"…it's hard to know which is more pathetic, Bobbie Jean's drinking or Nick's dream of a Backstreet Boys future."
Roger Catlin, Hartford Courant
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Heroes (NBC)
"…the best new show NBC has had in years."
Adam Buckman, New York Post
Heroes (NBC)
"In a season overrun with 'Lost' wannabes, 'Heroes' zigs where so many zag…"
Ellen Gray, Philadelphia Daily News
Everybody Hates Chris (CW)
"This episode reminds us of what a good job this series does of presenting life from the point of view of a child on the cusp of manhood."
Kevin McDonough, United Features Syndicate
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
"'Mother' can be a bit frenzied, but it boasts one of the best young comedy ensembles on TV today…"
Robert Bianco, USA Today
House of Carters (E!)
"…it's hard to know which is more pathetic, Bobbie Jean's drinking or Nick's dream of a Backstreet Boys future."
Roger Catlin, Hartford Courant
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower (HISTORY)
"…it is a terrific way to celebrate Thanksgiving and an antidote to it."
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times
Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower (HISTORY)
"Wonderful story, terrific telling of the tale."
Linda Stasi, New York Post
Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower (HISTORY)
"Best about this special, shot in Plymouth, is that it refuses to lionize the pilgrims at the expense of the natives, giving us a truly balanced portrait of the birth of a nation."
Alynda Wheat, Entertainment Weekly
Monk (USA)
"…it's at least amusing, as 'Monk' so often is, making you smile where you'd hoped to laugh, making you titter when you want to howl."
Diane Werts, Newsday
The Barbara Walters Special: 30 Mistakes in 30 Years (ABC)
"Barbara Walters has a grand ol' time ragging on herself in this very cool two-night, two-hour journey through the past…"
Ray Richmond, Hollywood Reporter
Koppel on Discovery: Iran -- The Most Dangerous Nation (DISCOVERY)
"This is fascinating television of the type that might get Koppel a spot on a Department of Homeland Security watch list."
Dave Shiflett, Bloomberg
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
30 Rock (NBC)
"…refreshingly bright, sweet and, lest one forget, funny."
Tom Shales, Washington Post
30 Rock (NBC)
"The night's all-star of all-stars is '30 Rock's' Alec Baldwin, whose desert-dry line readings are among the funniest anywhere on television."
David Bianculli, New York Daily News
General Hospital (ABC)
"The resurrection of the Luke-Laura romance has a whiff of desperation to it…"
Charlie McCollum, San Jose Mercury News
Freak Show (CARTOON NETWORK)
"High on concept and low on content, 'Freak Show' feels like a cut-and-paste job rescued from the rejected idea bin at Cartoon Network."
C. Edwards, New York Post
The O.C. (FOX)
"It's looking awfully creaky for a fourth-season show…"
Matt Roush, TV Guide
My Name Is Earl (NBC)
"The show's usually worth a look, but nothing of late has really matched the delirious fun of Season 1..."
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Day Break (ABC)
"A gigantic mess."
Tim Goodman, San Francisco Chronicle
Day Break (ABC)
"Whether you're enticed or repulsed will depend on how often and how violently you like having your mind boggled."
Tom Shales, Washington Post
Day Break (ABC)
"'Groundhog Day' milked considerable comedic mileage from a similar premise, but as a drama, the uncertainty becomes increasingly confounding, and a trifle annoying."
Brian Lowry, Variety
Day Break (ABC)
"'Day Break' doesn't quite work, not only because of its redundancies but because its story line becomes simultaneously convoluted and pointless."
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe
Paparazzi (BBC AMERICA)
"'Paparazzi' provides a sobering, below-the-salt look at the cult of celebrity…"
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times
Jericho (CBS)
"…there's something missing from this post apocalyptic drama, namely, a realistic feeling of apocalypse."
James Poniewozik, Time
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
3 LBS. (CBS)
"…trots out every cliché of character and filmmaking imaginable."
Diane Werts, Newsday
3 LBS. (CBS)
"…a second-rate rip-off that's brazen even by TV's notoriously lax theft-by-imitation standards."
Robert Bianco, USA Today
3 LBS. (CBS)
"If you haven't seen it all before, you haven't watched much TV, and even though Tucci is highly regarded, that doesn't make his character, Douglas Hanson, any less trite."
Tom Shales, Washington Post
Thin (HBO)
"…a stunningly intimate look at the extreme private torments of those struggling with anorexia and bulimia."
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe
Frontline: A Hidden Life (PBS)
"'A Hidden Life' merits that moniker of 'must-see TV'. "
Florangela Davila, Seattle Times
Show Me the Money (ABC)
"More like show me the remote."
Barry Garron, The Hollywood Reporter
Everest: Beyond the Limit (DISCOVERY)
"…manages to make one of the most dangerous places on earth look glorious."
Ellen Gray, Philadelphia Daily News
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Murder by the Book (COURT TV)
"Sometimes fabulous, sometimes not, this can be a real shot in the dark."
Barry Garron, The Hollywood Reporter
Murder by the Book (COURT TV)
"Court TV has devised a highly watchable series."
Oline H. Cogdill, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Murder by the Book (COURT TV)
"The next evolution of Court TV doesn't advance much with this rather perfunctory exploitation of five big-name fiction writers to rehash sensational real-life crime stories."
Brian Lowry, Variety
Murder by the Book (COURT TV)
"This terrific new series is, er, one for the books."
Linda Stasi, New York Post
What About Brian (ABC)
"Most improved show of the year."
Sandy Deane, American Online
The Class (CBS)
"…I don't see the show improving right now the way it is; I don't even see tiny signs of hope, just more of the same mediocrity."
Joel Keller, TV Squad
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS)
"A poignant and brilliant conclusion."
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe
Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS)
"…Helen Mirren's latest scintillating performance elevates this otherwise conventional potboiler into a fitting sendoff."
Brian Lowry, Variety
Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS)
"Ms. Mirren is a fearless actress, and never more than when portraying this dedicated, redoubtable, not always lovable detective."
Alessandra Stanley, New York Times
Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS)
"…as to whether this final 'Prime Suspect' is worth your time -- the answer to that is an unequivocal yes."
Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune
MXC (SPIKE TV)
"This is one of the most entertaining shows on TV…"
Doug Elfman, Chicago Sun-Times
MXC (SPIKE TV)
"…may be the most absurdly hilarious show on television…"
Jonathan Storm, Philadelphia Inquirer
I Trust You To Kill Me (VH1)
"…seeing Sutherland sell himself while struggling with his own identity is easily as fascinating as Jack Bauer capturing another terrorist."
Ryan Pearson, Associated Press
Brothers and Sisters (ABC)
"This is a series worth keeping an eye on."
Charlie McCollum, San Jose Mercury News
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
The O.C. (FOX)
"It's all so silly and so false that it has the desperate feel of the end."
Lavanya Ramanathan, Washington Post
The O.C. (FOX)
"What was once fresh is now formulaic and predictable."
Samuel Van Eerden, American Chronicle
Iconoclasts (SUNDANCE)
"It's 'must-see' television for the cultural aware…"
Rick Ellis, All Your TV
Six Degrees (ABC)
"…a pleasantly diverting bumper-car drama of chance encounters, new friendships and random triggers…"
Robert Abele, LA Weekly
'Til Death (FOX)
"You won't be quoting lines from it over Friday morning coffee, but it is, if not good, then good enough."
Melanie McFarland, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Underfunded (USA)
"…sporadically amusing…"
Karen Hunter, Hartford Courant
Underfunded (USA)
"…another enjoyably off-kilter USA Network crime-fighting drama in the spirit of 'Monk' and 'Psych'."
Tom Jicha, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Underfunded (USA)
"The jabs at Canada age quickly, but the cast's chemistry is a good reason to check it out, eh?"
Paul Katz, Entertainment Weekly
Paparazzi (BBC America)
"…absolutely riveting."
Linda Stasi, New York Post
Secrets of the Dead: Dogfight Over Guadalcanal (PBS)
"For those who like a good war story, or even for those who don't, it's bracing stuff."
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times
Lost (ABC)
"The human brain can only handle so many questions before it explodes. Or tells you to change the channel."
Kevin D. Thompson, Palm Beach Post
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Gilmore Girls (CW)
"'Gilmore Girls' is beginning to lose it mojo."
Amanda Cuda, Connecticut Post
Gilmore Girls (CW)
"The once-sharp dialogue has turned to mush, and the human warmth has cooled right along with it."
Stephen Brookes, Media Life
Gilmore Girls (CW)
"…the show that made a virtue of brittleness has become almost moony."
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times
NCIS (CBS)
"…the worst-written hit on television."
Robert Bianco, USA Today
Nip/Tuck (FX)
"It's just another slaphappy hour of the garish, colorful, tasteless, preposterous, overrated and yet undeniably entertaining plastic surgery soap opera."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press
Friday Night Lights (NBC)
"…NBC's intensely stirring 'Friday Night Lights' scores its emotional points with raw authenticity."
Matt Roush, TV Guide
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
The F Word (IFC)
"Manufacturing reality doesn't quite support the movie's hope for truth in media."
Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe
The F Word (IFC)
"Though predictable in his politics, Weintrob tries for some fairness and balance, and the real-life street scenes (with some acting sprinkled in) make this more watchable than just another leftie doc."
Aaron Barnhart, Kansas City Star
The F Word (IFC)
"Too often it lapses into Air America debates that obscure the thorny free-speech issues it raises."
Ben Spier, Entertainment Weekly
Vincent (BBC AMERICA)
"'Vincent' is top-notch contemporary British television."
Brendan Bernhard, New York Sun
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
"If you're looking for the old-fashioned joys of a first-rate sitcom, take a new look at 'Old Christine'."
Robert Bianco, USA Today
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)
"Our advice: less preaching about comedy, more actual comedy."
Kelly Woo, America Online
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Class of 3000 (CARTOON)
"Unfortunately, as with 'Idlewild', the enjoyable and colorful but lightweight 'Class of 3000' promises more than it delivers."
Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Class of 3000 (CARTOON)
"Frenetically energetic, as all good music-school cartoons should be, 'Class of 3000', like 'The Simpsons', has material for young and old alike."
Jonathan Storm, Philadelphia Inquirer
Class of 3000 (CARTOON)
"Think 'The Simpsons' with soul."
Diane Werts, Newsday
Nature: Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History (PBS)
"It's a well-spent hour, even if no one is apt to find it 'cute.'"
Brian Lowry, Variety
Nature: Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History (PBS)
"…touching and thoughtful…"
Walt Belcher, Tampa Tribune
Roseanne Barr: Blonde and Bitchin' (HBO)
"Roseanne reminds us what a captivating, politically charged performer she can be."
Henry Goldblatt, Entertainment Weekly
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XVII (FOX)
"Frightfully funny."
David Bianculli, New York Daily News
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
Hacking Democracy (HBO)
"…disturbing stuff…"
Virginia Heffernan, New York Times
Hacking Democracy (HBO)
"…complicated, flawed and messy."
Paul Farhi, Washington Post
Hacking Democracy (HBO)
"…unravels like a '24' episode - with enough twists to satiate conspiracy buffs."
Mark A. Perigard, Boston Herald
Hacking Democracy (HBO)
"Watching 'Hacking Democracy' might be enough to put you over the edge."
Melanie McFarland, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The O.C. (FOX)
"'The O.C.' hasn't totally fallen into the hole of oblivion, but it's clinging to the edge by its fingernails."
Charlie McCollum, San Jose Mercury News
The O.C. (FOX)
"The show remains a sleekly appealing mix of teen drama, family soap opera and sly suburban satire, frothy escapism with a twinkle in its eye."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press
Rob & Big (MTV)
"This is very far from funny."
Kevin McDonough, United Features Syndicate
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
30 Rock (NBC)
"…a weirdly appropriate and hilarious symbol of our times…"
Robert Abele, LA Weekly
30 Rock (NBC)
"'30 Rock' leaves you wondering: Why wasn't Fey this funny when she was writing for that other show?"
Aaron Barnhart, Kansas City Star
The Nine (ABC)
"…smart, clever and especially wise…"
Verne Gay, Philadelphia Inquirer
The Nine (ABC)
"…if you're willing to invest some time and brain cells, 'The Nine' is an absorbing experience."
Glenn Garvin, Miami Herald
The Rich List (FOX)
"The lowest common denominator elevator of mindless escape is going down, down, down."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press
Twenty Good Years (NBC)
"John Lithgow fans should see it while they can."
Karen Hunter, Hartford Courant
« 10.01.06
12.01.06 »
House (FOX)
"After a long baseball break 'House' returns with a quick reminder: This is still the best show on TV."
Mike Hughes, Gannett News Service
House (FOX)
"Watching these toxic/troubled characters — and terrific actors — go at each other promises to give this so-far so-so season an injection of sick fun."
Jeff Jensen, Entertainment Weekly
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (NBC)
"Liza Minnelli turns in a touching, restrained performance…"
Robert Bianco, USA Today
Caroline Rhea: Rhea's Anatomy (BRAVO)
"There may not be costumes and candy, but you can be sure Rhea's routine is a treat in and of itself."
Megan Cherkezian, TV Guide
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
"It's the very definition of hokey pokey piffle."
Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press
Ghost Hunters Live (SCI FI)
"This is so cool."
Sandy Deane, America Online
