Critic Reviews

Fire up the DVR before a dome hits and you won’t be able to watch all 13 episodes.

We could all use a good summer TV diversion around now, and if tonight's entertaining, intriguing premiere turns out to be a fair guide, Dome could be just what we've needed.

Looks like a summer winner.

Under the Dome parlays solid special effects and an intriguing storyline, giving CBS’ a bracing breeze of fresh air during a summer season that previously has been a playground for Big Brother and “procedural” crime series reruns.

This kind of limited series is a step in the right direction. And it sure helps that the first hour is intriguing as hell and filled with a lot of storytelling promise. If viewers catch the pilot, they’ll be back for the next episode. Some critics, too.

The first episode of Under the Dome is so intriguing that you may be tempted to Wiki the Stephen King novel on which it's based to find out what will happen next. Don't do that.

Based on the pilot episode--with its taut script, strong performances and special effects that are impressive without being overwhelming--there’s hope that Under The Dome might measure up to its unsettling print progenitor.

Smart, funny and utterly intriguing, it sucks us in better than any procedural with an four-letter acronym.

Ultimately Baer and Vaughan’s efforts point toward Under the Dome offering an alternately effervescent and tense viewing experience, one that’s perfect for the long, hazy days of summer.

Under the Dome gets off to an addictive start on Monday, so much so that it’s hard to imagine any second-episode falloff in viewership.