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[Tues, 15.Aug.06]
:. Gene Simmons Family Jewels
Once again, a seemingly antisocial and arrogant rock icon turns out to be a sharp, smart businessman with a solid family unit and a soft and cuddly offstage demeanor.

[Thur, 10.Aug.06]
:. Three Moons Over Milford
Yet another "quirky small town" series, Three Moons over Milford offers conventional characters: newly divorced mother, troublesome but good-hearted kids, and attractive love interest.
:. So You Think You Can Dance
Less deliberately confrontational than Nigel Lythgoe, the other, merely aggravating judges also solicit viewers' contempt, aligning them with relatively sympathetic contestants.

[Thur, 3.Aug.06]
:. Who Wants to be a Superhero?
Being mere mortals, contestants are not expected to leap tall buildings, stop bullets, or outrace locomotives. Instead, they are tested on the human qualities of heroism: compassion, intelligence, attentiveness, and selflessness.
:. Feasting on Asphalt
Alton Brown's recipes usually work, but he uses flow charts and slide rules to figure out serving sizes and cookie diameters.

[Wed, 2.Aug.06]
:. 30 Days
It's not an earth-shattering revelation that illegal immigrants are people too. But 30 Days turned a debate too often reliant on PR spin or faceless statistics into affecting drama.

[Fri, 31.Jul.06]
:. Garth Marenghis Darkplace
British comedian Matthew Holness is one of the rare individuals who can put together an intentionally dreadful entertainment.

[Thur, 27.Jul.06]
:. Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes
Hearing that Chappelle was worried about who was laughing and why is upsetting. His comedy had always seemed "inclusive," making racism "safe" to explore in front of mixed audiences.

[Tues, 25.Jul.06]
:. Eureka
Named for the town that houses this community -- a kind of Epcot for savants -- the pilot episode began with a bang, dragged a bit, then finished with events pilfered from the Roland Emmerich School of Specious Apocalypse.

[Wed, 19.Jul.06]
:. DMX: The Soul of a Man
This has always been the thing about X, his capacity to feel, hugely, completely, publicly. He hardly needs reality tv to exploit that about him.
:. Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King
Adapting Stephen King's short stories, Nightmares & Dreamscapes preserves their spirit as well as their eerie plots.

[Tues, 18.Jul.06]
:. Driving Force
The day these pampered princesses realize their dad is entitled to be "who he is" as well, will be the moment they learn to appreciate him beyond the bank account.

[Mon, 17.Jul.06]
:. The World Series of Pop Culture
Unfortunately, The World Series of Pop Culture is less a test of trivia knowledge than a test of viewer patience.

[Thur, 13.Jul.06]
:. Psych
Psych seems an ideal show for its moment, as viewers can disdain its predictability and identify with its cynicism about that predictability at the same time.
:. The Dudesons
For the Dudesons, it's all about the commotion, the more extreme, the better. For them, pain is a reward. For us, it's more frightening than funny.

[Tues, 11.Jul.06]
:. Slayer
While its premise and execution are overtly derivative, Slayer works through an illuminating politics concerning U.S. military actions and local populations.

[Mon, 10.Jul.06]
:. Raising the Roofs
By definition, all this farting and foolishness is one-note.

[Thur, 6.Jul.06]
:. Edge of Outside
As much as the lines between "independent" and "mainstream" movies seem impossibly blurred, the impulse to mark their difference appears irresistible.
:. Web Junk 20
O'Neal is almost never not funny, but his takes can fall flat, especially when he's responding to items like a two-legged dog.

[Wed, 5.Jul.06]
:. Treasure Hunters
The show is all about America, taking viewers back to a glorious past, boosting domestic tourism, and helping us forget about the war on terror, the price of oil, Karl Rove, and his New World Order.
:. Blade: The Series
Race has been the most compelling narrative and political theme in previous Blade iterations, and it appears to be the case again.
:. Kyle XY
The juxtaposition of the innocent Kyle with such tainted youth indicates the show's attitude regarding "kids today": they're irresponsible, confrontational, and selfish.

[Thur, 29.Jun.06]
:. Baghdad ER
No one in Baghdad ER is more reflective about what he witnesses than the Army Chaplain whose dismayed face is ever present in the ER.

[Tues, 27.Jun.06]
:. Entourage
Entourage's depiction of the delicate symbiotic relationship between the talent and their support staff is often perceptive and revealing, elevating the series above pure fantasy or self-parody

[Wed, 21.Jun.06]
:. Dog Bites Man
It tickles, but rarely provokes the full-on belly laugh you'd expect from such talented performers.

[Tues, 20.Jun.06]
:. Lucky Louie
Lucky Louie's preoccupation with the prurient threatens to turn a promising spin on the sitcom into a one-note novelty.
:. Take Home Chef
Hoping to reintroduce refinement to the average household menu, Curtis Stone has come to America to prove that being an epicure can be easy and exciting.

[Mon, 19.Jun.06]
:. Hell's Kitchen
After just one day in Hell's Kitchen, the contestants were already so tired that Larry could get carted off to hospital without anyone else even waking up. Way to go, Gordo.

[Thur, 15.Jun.06]
:. The Hills
She's changed, a point made in the series' first moments, when she's introduced as "Lauren," no longer known by the nickname that served her so well in Laguna.

[Tues, 13.Jun.06]
:. The O.C.
The producers finally figured out a way for commercial tie-ins to complement but not overwhelm the plot.

[Mon, 12.Jun.06]
:. Lovespring International
It's difficult to believe that six people can be so self-absorbed and shortsighted, let alone gathered in the same workplace.

[Wed, 7.Jun.06]
:. Lost
Lost survives because its mix of fantasy and mystery, character development and plot twists, predictability and sharp twists -- in short, its mix of cleverness and crap -- is like nothing else on TV.

[Mon, 2.Jun.06]
:. Scrubs
Although Scrubs' consistency is somehow comforting, it also runs the risk of monotony by giving audiences exactly they expect week after week.
:. My Name Is Earl
Earl's not the sharpest tool in the barn, but his learning process made for entertaining TV.

[Thur, 1.Jun.06]
:. The Office
In Season Two, Michael morphed from clown to sad clown as viewers came to realize his insensitive hi-jinks were driven by his eternal loneliness.
:. American Idol
When the potential Idol whined he was Season Five's Aiken, Simon Cowell responded acerbically, 'But Clay Aiken could sing.' With this one line, he perfectly encapsulated the problem with Idol.

[Wed, 31.May.06]
:. Lost
Sometimes -- when I'm buying the Lost-companion novel Bad Twin or navigating the perplexing websites of the Dharma Project's sponsor The Hanso Corporation -- I think if Lost were my boyfriend, we'd have to break up.
:. The Simpsons
The truth is that a typical Simpsons episode today does not stack up to one picked at random from a decade ago.

[Tues, 30.May.06]
:. Desperate Housewives
Something fantastic happened. About two-thirds of the way through Season Two, some dead weight moved out of Wisteria Lane, and in their place came some exciting new plotlines.
:. Two and a Half Men
Charlie, Alan, and their friends and family may be like hamsters, but it's great fun to look inside their box and watch them squirm.

[Thur, 25.May.06]
:. Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an eight-year advertisement for a 'commercialized gay identity' that did nothing to challenge current constitutions of power.

[Wed, 24.May.06]
:. NCIS
Though she has more than a passing interest in death, BDSM, and the industrial-goth combo Android Lust, Abby is a veritable ray of sunshine among the body parts and analytical equipment that clutter up her workplace.

[Tues, 23.May.06]
:. The Amazing Race - Season Nine
It wasn't just that most players in TAR-9 failed to click with viewers, they also didn't provide enough real competition.

[Mon, 22.May.06]
:. America's Next Top Model: Cycle 6
To anyone even remotely web savvy, it was obvious who was going to win this cycle of America's Next Top Model long before New Oprah's forehead hove into view for the finale.
:. American Dad!
American Dad! skewers its all-American dad Stan to impel its critique of Bush America.

[Thur, 18.May.06]
:. Thief
Even before his wife was killed and he committed a brutal murder, Nick's life was hardly what you'd call stable.

[Wed, 17.May.06]
:. The West Wing
As is often the case with presidential terms, the Bartlett administration ended with great pomp and little circumstance.

[Tues, 16.May.06]
:. Veronica Mars
Beaver's budding criminal career underlined one of Veronica Mars' favorite themes: the abuse of power by the rich.
:. Gilmore Girls
The sixth season's drawn-out storyline did away with the witty dialogue that attracted me to the show in the first place.

[Mon, 15.May.06]
:. Supernatural
Fearful of being "freaks" themselves, the Winchester brothers find solace in saving others from that same fate.

[Thur, 27.Apr.06]
:. Honey We're Killing the Kids!
Over her three-week stint as the Rickards' calorie commandant, Dr. Hark tries to be both teacher and preacher.

[Tues, 25.Apr.06]
:. Music Road
Insisting that you need to understand something about a local culture to gain insight into the music, Music Road affords context as well as tunes.

[Mon, 24.Apr.06]
:. Shalom in the Home
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's self-help reality series means to dissect the dilemmas facing the new nuclear family, looking for ways to stave off misunderstandings and other meltdowns.
:. What About Brian
At one point, a frustrated Marjorie screamed at Brian, "Don't Brian me!" I have no idea what that means.

[Thur, 13.Apr.06]
:. Everybody Hates Chris
Despite his parents' firm belief that he will be "safer" in the all-white school, Chris' status as the only black student opens him up to a daily barrage of abuses.
:. Survival of the Richest
On Survival of the Richest, the line between "have" and "have-nots" is clearly drawn, and while contestants may cross that line, it's only to visit.

[Wed, 12.Apr.06]
:. Doctor Who
Doctor Who retains the old Who's oh-so-British irreverence, so it actually lives up to the appellation "kid's show for adults."

[Tues, 11.Apr.06]
:. Protocols of Zion
No matter where the film turns, people are confronting, confirming, or complicating their worst fears.

[Thur, 6.Apr.06]
:. Tim McGraw: Reflected
McGraw's perfectly coiffed and toned body looks positively metrosexual.
:. Ed vs. Spencer
As long as the challenge is engaging -- and who doesn't want to see grown men pick pub fights or infect friends with jock itch? -- our peeks behind the scenes are fascinating.

[Wed, 5.Apr.06]
:. The Bedford Diaries
As if it weren't bad enough that Owen finds Natalie's one-time death wish intriguing, she herself paints her swan-dive as liberating.
:. Heist
Unlike the characters, each step of the heist was carefully drawn, proceeding logically in a series of reversals, both physical and mental.

[Tues, 4.Apr.06]
:. The Henry Rollins Show
It's very, very hard not to pull for Henry Rollins, even if he has spent too much time on MTV and has a resume to make you sick with envy.
:. Pepper Dennis
Pepper "wants it all," family, romance and a successful career, yet is now realizing she might not get it. It's enough to make a girl crazy.

[Mon, 3.Apr.06]
:. Prison Break
The broody-eyed brothers Linc and Michael exemplify standards of masculine stoicism and bravery.
:. Character Over Carnage: Dan Curtis (1928-2006)
Dan Curtis' his greatest passion was golf. From the time he was an NBC programs salesman in the 1960s through his later years, Curtis loved the links.

[Thur, 30.Mar.06]
:. Unan1mous
The only "enjoyment" we might derive is a burgeoning sense of superiority, as we realize that contestants will stoop ever lower in order to win an ever dwindling windfall.

[Wed, 29.Mar.06]
:. The Evidence
The introduction of a running metanarrative that links all the episodes upsets the underlying sense of justice this formula typically provides.

[Tues, 28.Mar.06]
:. Thief
You're still catching your breath after Lem's devastating exit last week on The Shield. And now comes a whole other kind of hurt. André Braugher plays a career criminal whose life swings way out of control in Thief, FX's slot-replacement for Lem's show.

[Mon, 27.Mar.06]
:. Teachers
Fortunately for all concerned, Kali Rocha plays school principal Emma Wiggins as Megan Mullally-lite, with barely a hint of a circulatory system.

[Thur, 23.Mar.06]
:. Big Love
Big Love illustrates the ways the cell phone serves as faux "intimacy." Everyone voice mails or pages each other, creating bland clips of conversation without contexts.
:. American Inventor
Maybe George Foreman and Suzanne Sommers are the engine that drives our economy and what this country needs is another Big Mouth Billy Bass to shake us out of doldrums.

[Tues, 21.Mar.06]
:. Cheerleader Nation
If one of Cheerleader Nation's many home sequences had revealed that Terri and Amanda were mutant lizard sleeper agents waiting patiently for the return of V, I wouldn't have been at all surprised. Well, maybe a little.

[Mon, 20.Mar.06]
:. Miracle Workers
Perhaps the most objectionable aspect of Miracle Workers is its invocation of the charity model of disability management, conjoined with its lottery logic.

[Thur, 16.Mar.06]
:. The Sopranos
The "circle of life" refers to how, in The Sopranos, the dead continuously circle the living.
:. Modern Men
The problem here is that the show presumes from the outset that there are essential differences between men and women, and if men could only learn to embrace their feminine sides, the war of the sexes would finally be over.

[Wed, 15.Mar.06]
:. Black. White.
The premise is almost fatally flawed. No matter the truism, it's impossible to experience another existence by merely "walking in someone else's shoes".
:. Top Chef
Stephen insists on the importance of the wine to any meal, how it brings out the flavors of a dish when appropriately paired. He's right, but he's so prissy about it that you can't help but hate him.

[Tues, 14.Mar.06]
:. The Biggest Loser: Australian Edition
The Blue Team's bullshit, taking too much screen time, reminds us that this is a ratings-first program, no matter the good it eventually does.
:. Indelible: Jack Wild (1952-2006)
In 1976, Jack Wild was in his mid 20s, and learning the hard lesson of juvenile stardom: it fades quickly.
:. Sons & Daughters
ABC's new "wacky family" show can't help but suffer from comparisons to Arrested Development.

[Mon, 13.Mar.06]
:. The New Adventures of Old Christine
What Susan Faludi has called the "backlash" against women is still in full effect, if not even Julia Louis-Dreyfus can get a character on air who even tries to break free.
:. The Apprentice
The show delivers emotional carnage, and as voyeuristic fare goes, that's the top.

[Thur, 9.Mar.06]
:. The Unit
It's a show about the Army's clandestine counter-terrorist unit, called The Unit and created by David Mamet. What more do you need to know?

[Wed, 8.Mar.06]
:. Invasion
It's in the consideration of race and race differences that Invasion has emerged in its first season as one of television's most insightful terrorism-scare shows.

[Tues, 7.Mar.06]
:. The Amazing Race - Season Nine
While I wish Desiree hadn't described herself and her mother Wanda as "sexy little tamales", their Team Boricua is both charming and competent, but doomed to fail on a physical challenge.

[Thur, 2.Mar.06]
:. Conviction
If you wonder whether the rookie lawyer will stick with his grim new gig, you must not know much about TV pilots.

[Tues, 21.Feb.06]
:. Arrested Development
Arrested Development went down uncompromised, with guns a-blazing and showing no remorse over its own potential demise.

[Mon, 20.Feb.06]
:. Real Time with Bill Maher
Material can turn scandalous, even scatological. Bill Maher is often the first to drag the focus into the social sewer, and he loves to play the non-PC card.

[Mon, 13.Feb.06]
:. Trick My Truck
A make-over show for Mac trucks is a stellar concept. Too bad CMT went for the good old boy instead of the gearhead.

[Wed, 8.Feb.06]
:. There & Back
Though Ashley is not as pitiful as his old bandmates -- he has a recording contract and this MTV series -- the first few episodes indicate he is not getting the respect (or the advances) he wants from Soul Power Productions.

[Tues, 7.Feb.06]
:. Get This Party Started
Takes insipid voyeurism to new heights, proffering pseudo-celebrity culture as a panacea for whatever ails you, whether that's being displaced by hurricane Katrina, recovering from cancer, or wondering what to do for your birthday.

[Wed, 1.Feb.06]
:. The L Word
Now that The L Word has considered many of the broad topics of the day (with the notable exception of a same-sex wedding or commitment ceremony), it can do its own thing.

[Tues, 31.Jan.06]
:. Courting Alex
Here's hoping that Alex allows Jenna Eflman to explore the full extent of her comedic capabilities.

[Mon, 30.Jan.06]
:. 24
Nothing is ever quite what it looks like in 24, whose writers famously revise and rethink as each season barrels along.

[Thur, 26.Jan.06]
:. Monk
Now entering its fourth season, Monk finds itself in a precarious position.

[Wed, 25.Jan.06]
:. American Idol 5
American Idol is an entertainment industry shark, a brutally efficient money-making machine.
:. South Beach
Despite the seeming scandal and sensationalism, the series is bland and unmemorable.

[Tues, 24.Jan.06]
:. Love Monkey
A hip, sophisticated look at the music business and the love lives of four 30-something New York guys is not what you expect from CBS.
:. The Shield
The betrayals work in all directions at once.

[Mon, 23.Jan.06]
:. Emily's Reasons Why Not
The problem with the latest pretender to the Sex and the City throne is that it doesn't take the mimicry far enough
:. Skating with Celebrities
Follow Todd's lead, and let figure skating's sequin-spangled freak flag fly.

[Thur, 19.Jan.06]
:. Crumbs
Poking harsh fun at mental illness is risky business, and anyone who has faced psychological disorders may not find much to laugh at here.

[Wed, 18.Jan.06]
:. Sleeper Cell
Both terrorist and FBI agent mean to win, even when the costs are too great to bear.
:. Distraction
When is a game show not really a game show? When it's an excuse for public humiliation called Distraction.

[Mon, 16.Jan.06]
:. The Bachelor: Paris
For dark comedy, the show relies on its 25 wannabe Mrs. Bachelors, who must preen, banter, and scheme to keep their dream alive past opening night.

[Thur, 12.Jan.06]
:. Beauty and the Geek
This year, Mr. Kutcher, in his wisdom, has decided science will be better served if the girls lounge around by the pool in their bikinis, while the nerds present themselves for inspection one at a time.
:. The Book of Daniel
In tackling extreme life issues with such wishy-washy conclusions, The Book of Daniel gets a lot of little moments right, but smudges the big picture. [second review]
:. Dallas S.W.A.T.
We are stuck with our chosen pair during this first outing, and they do a poor job of selling what makes S.W.A.T. so "special".

[Wed, 11.Jan.06]
:. E-Ring
Hopper plays McNulty with all kinds of pro-military gusto, though he's perpetually pissed off at the administration, because civilians tend to miss points and tactics.
:. The Biggest Loser - Special Edition
You could call this The Biggest Loser Lite, and since I like nothing better than a cheap laugh, I will.

[Tues, 10.Jan.06]
:. Dancing with the Stars
I anticipated lots of debonair campiness. Sadly, George Hamilton's biggest mistake in the first episode was to make his desire to be Season Two's John O'Hurley so overt.
:. Four Kings
Women get the worst of it in Four Kings: they're harpies or self-absorbed princesses.

[Mon, 9.Jan.06]
:. Rollergirls
If the boldest thing you do all week is a little unauthorised web surfing from your corporate cubicle, then you should celebrate the Lonestar Rollergirls and their refusal to renounce violence or dress appropriately.

[Tues, 13.Dec.05]
:. Daisy Does America
I don't need Daisy Donovan to tell me we're weird, that we behave irrationally.

[Tues, 6.Dec.05]
:. Homecoming
The genius of Homecoming is that it speaks an antic-seeming truth to power, even as U.S. news media can't.

[Mon, 5.Dec.05]
:. ER / The West Wing
The West Wing's chief relationships have been tested and compromised, turning Sorkin's noble, fast-walking liberals into more than the sum of their quips and ideals.

[Mon, 28.Nov.05]
:. Rome
If there is a civics lesson to be gleaned from Rome, it is to beware the passions inflamed by a government in the midst of an identity crisis.

[Wed, 16.Nov.05]
:. The West Wing
There are growing overlaps between politics, news, and entertainment. Hard news has taken a back seat to feature journalism and talk shows, real politics to realpolitik.

[Tues, 8.Nov.05]
:. Masters of Horror
Before you know it, the moon man is getting scissors in the eye and homemade arrows through the shoulder. It's horror Home Alone-style.

[Mon, 7.Nov.05]
:. The Colbert Report
What The Colbert Report ridicules, then, is our tendency to listen most closely to those with whom we agree, whose shining unrealities make us feel good.

[Thur, 3.Nov.05]
:. The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross
When a battle reaches its peak, this documentary's melange of visual and aural resources -- scholarly commentary, digital animation-assisted recreations, maps, and a commentator illustrating the movements at present ruins -- reaches a fever pitch.

[Mon, 31.Oct.05]
:. 7th Heaven
7th Heaven rejects the notion that adulthood means independence.

[Wed, 26.Oct.05]
:. South Park
Parker and Stone are like observational stand-up comics, without all the wry self-referencing and glib performance shtick.

[Mon, 24.Oct.05]
:. Drawn Together
The eight house residents on Drawn Together are growing tiresome; they're always the same.

[Thur, 20.Oct.05]
:. Cosmos: 25th Anniversary Edition
Carl Sagan is a man of immense verbal power. His phrases are carefully chosen, his analogies focused and fascinating.

[Wed, 19.Oct.05]
:. Grey's Anatomy
Confession and communication aren't the norm at Seattle Grace. Instead, the hospital crew all harbor secrets.

[Thur, 13.Oct.05]
:. Without a Trace
The agents are often too late to save the missing or realize that the missing is alive but better off wherever he or she has landed than back at home.

[Wed, 12.Oct.05]
:. Related
Given its pedigree, Related makes its performance anxiety annoyingly audible.
:. Sex, Love & Secrets
The atrocious new UPN series fails to drum up the slightest distinction even to be a guilty pleasure.

[Tues, 11.Oct.05]
:. Close to Home
Violence and oppression are everywhere in Close to Home. And that "everywhere" is specific -- the burbs.

[Mon, 10.Oct.05]
:. A Man Out of Time: Nipsey Russell (1925-2005)
Whether appearing on TV and nightclub stages, or in movies, Nipsey Russell seemed both timeless and perfectly timed.

[Thur, 6.Oct.05]
:. Three Wishes
God and Amy Grant, in all their just bounty, have the right to say no to your wishes. Before then, at least you can audition your agony in front of the American public.
:. Night Stalker
The remake of the Darren McGavin vehicle derives from the adventures of Mulder and Scully, down to the male/female tag team of investigators and a secret conspiracy involving mysterious deaths, unexplained body markings, and brooding supernatural forces.
:. Twins
The disturbing thing about these reversals of "smart" and "dumb" is the anti-intellectualism they represent.

[Wed, 5.Oct.05]
:. America's Next Top Model: Cycle 5
It's easy (and obligatory) to poke fun at America's Next Top Model, but important to remember that it represents the televisual tip of a gazillion dollar industry iceberg.
:. Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds confuses critical thinking with supernatural abilities.
:. Loonatics Unleashed
The "plot" consisted of typical tricks, lots of lame puns, and more action scenes than in Michael Bay's wettest dreams.

[Tues, 4.Oct.05]
:. House
If you're not already watching Fox's House, you should be.
:. Commander in Chief
Having gone to the trouble of putting a woman in the White House, Commander in Chief plans to focus on her efforts to keep house. See how far we've come?

[Mon, 3.Oct.05]
:. Medium
Allison Dubois (new Emmy winner Patricia Arquette) is a particularly sane TV psychic.
:. How I Met Your Mother
The story of that meeting unfolds in what will surely become the longest flashback in TV history, especially if the series stays on the air beyond a season.

[Thur, 29.Sep.05]
:. The Ghost Whisperer
Melinda's acquaintances get their dead-o-grams and move on, serene again even though we know their pain can never fully heal.
:. Killer Instinct
Despite its frequent reveling in eroticized violence against women, Killer Instinct demonstrates some awareness of the problem.
:. Smallville
Season Five of Smallville continues to reward comics fans with details taken from Superman's various incarnations over the years.

[Wed, 28.Sep.05]
:. Invasion
Invasion is the best Stephen King series he never penned.
:. Veronica Mars
Even as Veronica observes that 'all appears hunky-dory' now, she's not about to believe such nonsense.

[Tues, 27.Sep.05]
:. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit / Law & Order
Lynda Carter's villain embodies Cold War momism refitted for the war on terror. The conflagration is inspired.
:. nip/tuck
The inevitability of death is suggested by the lurking Carver, always a threat to Sean and Christian.
:. Out of Practice
The pilot episode offered only one moment when anyone appeared relaxed, and those characters, a loving elderly couple Ben spotted in a restaurant, are extras.

[Mon, 26.Sep.05]
:. Extras
Ricky Gervais' new project finds a rich vein of comic agony in the world of film and television background players.
:. Kitchen Confidential
Presentation, on the plate or on television, goes a long way, and Confidential has the look of a winner.
:. The Office
Aside from making its occupants physically uncomfortable, the office intensifies their confrontations, forcing them to butt heads without the chance for literal escape from conflict.

[Thur, 22.Sep.05]
:. The Apprentice
More than any other episode, The Apprentice premiere is so consumed with scene setting and its money-shot boardroom footage that there is precious little focus on the challenge itself.
:. Everybody Hates Chris
The brilliantly constructed and deceptively complex pilot succeeds by not trying to force an awkward story over the exposition required of a premiere episode.
:. Love, Inc.
Like Sex and the City, Love, Inc. features a quartet of single women in the Big Apple, each with her own issue.
:. Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor remains an addictive, morbidly entertaining affair.

[Wed, 21.Sep.05]
:. E-Ring
No one else could make this dialogue sound like poetry quite like Dennis Hopper, so misfitted for his role as a Pentagon Colonel that he seems perversely perfect.
:. Head Cases
There's lots of "adult" humor and madcap legal maneuvering. The Practice should have been this much fun.
:. Threshold
Threshold doesn't want to give too much away (typical of the genre), making the central crisis hard to fathom.

[Tues, 20.Sep.05]
:. My Name Is Earl
What's so wonderful about My Name Is Earl is that it's a comedy with its heart in the right place and everything else gleefully in the gutter.
:. Breaking Bonaduce
What is startling, is how every single bad decision, personal fuck-up, and human flaw is written on Bonaduce's raw face.
:. Supernatural
It's a modern-day cowboy story: nomadic young men with nothing but their weaponry, transportation, and grit, obeying no law but their own.