Robert Lloyd

Robert Lloyd is a veteran television critic at the Los Angeles Times, covering scripted series, specials and the evolving world of broadcast and streaming television. He has held this critic role since 2003, bringing long continuity to his coverage of how TV storytelling and formats change over time. Before joining the paper, he wrote about television and music for alternative weeklies and contributed a regular column to a now-defunct metropolitan daily, adding broader cultural reporting experience to his criticism. His recent work ranges from genre series and prestige dramas to awards telecasts and essays on television history and media culture.

Television series and streaming platforms

Lloyd’s core beat is episodic television, and his archive shows him moving across mystery, romance, sitcoms and historical drama on both broadcast outlets and major streaming platforms.

He reviews British crime and mystery series such as “Tommy & Tuppence” and action-focused spinoff “Neagley,” treating them together as examples of how character and genre pair in contemporary TV storytelling. His coverage of an adaptation of “A Tale of Two Cities,” starring Kit Harington and produced for MGM, reflects an interest in literary source material and how classic stories are reworked for current audiences.

He writes about historical romance and drama in pieces like his review of “Trespasses,” a steamy, historically grounded series airing on PBS, which he presents as a show that combines intimacy with period detail.

Streaming services figure prominently in his criticism, with recurring reviews of series on Apple TV+, Netflix and other platforms. In his piece on “Government Cheese,” he examines an Apple TV+ drama centered on a Black family in Chatsworth, indicating attention to family dynamics and social setting as part of the television story.

His review of “Clean Slate” positions the show as a “sweet, new old-fashioned sitcom,” underscoring his interest in how contemporary comedies draw on traditional forms.

He covers international and industry-focused projects such as “Call My Agent! The Movie” on Netflix, extending his beat to adaptations of a beloved French television series and the world of agents and performers.

Alongside these, he writes about genre hybrids like “Sugar,” following Colin Farrell as an alien private eye across seasons, signaling a willingness to engage with offbeat, high-concept series as seriously as more conventional dramas. Across these pieces, he consistently notes genre, platform and central characters, situating each show within the broader TV landscape.

Awards shows and live television coverage

Lloyd regularly covers major television awards broadcasts, treating them as programs to be reviewed rather than simply events to be recapped.

His review of the 78th Emmy Awards focuses on Mariska Hargitay’s work as host, describing her as a gift to the ceremony and paying close attention to pacing, tone and the interplay between humor and recognition. In his Golden Globes coverage, he writes about host Nikki Glaser and the attending stars staying focused on awards, framing the telecast as a balance between spectacle and the business of honoring television. Across these articles, he foregrounds the host’s performance, the structure of the show and how production choices affect the viewer’s experience, treating award nights as carefully constructed television in their own right.

This line of work shows that live events and specials are a recurring part of his beat, not an occasional diversion.

Television history, genre and media culture

Beyond individual episodes and seasons, Lloyd writes about television history and media culture, often using specific decisions or personalities as entry points.

His article on “Looney Tunes” being removed from Max treats that move as an attack, giving weight to questions of library curation, corporate control and the vulnerability of classic animation in the streaming era. He contributes commentary on actors whose careers span multiple eras of TV, as in a piece highlighting Tim Curry’s British charm and comic presence across seven television roles, using performance history to explain why certain figures remain enduringly funny on screen.

His feature on Tim Heidecker parodying Alex Jones for The Onion’s projects looks at how comedic personas intersect with political media, linking television comedy to broader information ecosystems. Taken together, these articles show a consistent interest in how archives, platforms and performers shape the stories audiences receive, and how television reflects wider cultural and technological shifts.

Lloyd’s long tenure as a critic and his background writing about music and daily life columns inform this broader view of the medium.

He moves from reviews of individual series to examinations of awards shows and media history without changing tone, treating each subject as part of one connected television culture. His beat is defined less by a single genre than by a sustained focus on how TV works - on screens, in schedules and within streaming catalogs - and how creative choices and business decisions intersect across the medium.