Television series
Rod Lott
Adapting Kate Atkinson's literate mystery novels couldn't have been easy, but the BBC series "Case Histories" did it not only admirably, but wonderfully. Fresh from its American airings on PBS, all six episodes have been collected into a double-disc set with infinite repeat value.

Television series
Rod Lott
Thank God for networks like Fox and The CW, because on the Big Three, shows like "Fringe," "Supernatural" and "Nikita" would have been canceled by now, if ever given a chance to air at all. By appealing to a smaller audience — but that most highly coveted youth audience — edgier fare can flourish without having to pull monster ratings.

Television series
Rod Lott
HBO's "Hung" must be one of the most under-the-radar shows of high quality on the tube. I hear everybody talking about "Boardwalk Empire," but not a peep about about this half-hour dramedy, now with two strong seasons under its belt. Their loss.

Television series
Rod Lott
I've only read a few of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer novels, but that's enough to know that the private investigator of "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer" TV series is not the same guy.

Television series
Rod Lott
All signs pointed to me liking "The Hour":

Television series
Rod Lott
"How to Make It in America" is HBO's Rodney Dangerfield: It gets no respect. As critics creamed over the tediously paced "Boardwalk Empire," this eight-episode wonder seemed to escape mass-media's gaze. I can understand why: Who wants to see a show about two guys trying to launch a line of jeans?

Television series
Rod Lott
Richard Roundtree is there, and so is Isaac Hayes' iconic, Oscar-winning theme, but "Shaft: The TV Movie Collection" isn't quite the "Shaft" of the 1970's feature-film trilogy. The operative word there: "TV," which means little of the R-rated shenanigans that made the character so popular.

Television series
Rod Lott
Far too young to catch it when it debuted in 1973, I’ve literally waited decades to set my eyes on “Police Story,” the NBC anthology series that broke the mold for cops on the tube by adding realism. Reading creator Joseph Wambaugh’s recent episodic novels about Hollywood cops only strengthened my thirst.

Television series
Rod Lott
The third time’s not the charm for “Sanctuary,” a one-time web series now a full-fledged Syfy hit. It’s still a darn good show overall, but season three moved away from what it originally was, and with so many other shows doing the same thing — “Warehouse 13” and “Fringe” come to mind — and better, it’s beginning to feel tired.

Television series
Rod Lott
Not to sound all VH1 on you, but, hey, remember the '80s? Specifically, Thursday nights watching television? All of America tuned in to NBC for two solid hours of sitcoms — in order, "The Cosby Show," "Family Ties," "Cheers" and "Night Court." 'Twas a glorious time!

Television series
Rod Lott
Certainly the ratings success of Starz's "Spartacus" franchise spawned "Camelot," culled from the same cloth of merging the historical with the hotties. I liked it much more. So, naturally, it's been canceled, despite the "First Season" subtitle of the Blu-ray and DVD sets' covers.

Television series
Rod Lott
When season four of "Dexter" ended with our favorite forensics scientist/serial killer (Michael C. Hall) defeating the Trinity Killer (John Lithgow), only to find himself outsmarted in the final moments, viewers gasped and thought, "Wow! How are they going to top that?"

Television series
Rod Lott
When life gave cable channel Starz lemons (in the form of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" star Andrew Whitfield getting cancer, thereby jeopardizing a second season of the breakout hit), it made lemonade (in the form of a prequel, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena"). The thirsty public lapped the batch up, because it tasted just like the original.

Television series
Rod Lott
Perhaps the ultimate reality television series, 1973’s “An American Family” spent seven months with Santa Barbara’s Loud clan in order to carve 12 hour-long episodes for PBS. The cinéma vérité series was a cultural phenomenon, and you can’t change a channel today without feeling some of its aftershocks.

Television series
Rod Lott
“Manos: The Hands of Fate” is the single-best episode in the 10 seasons of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” period. End of debate.