New York Post by Linda Stasi

Given that, let me also say that virtual sets don't make up for virtual plots. Not that Sanctuary doesn't have its moments, and those moments might prove to be fast and furious after tonight's two-hour premiere when the show goes to a more manageable one-hour format.

Chicago Tribune by Maureen Ryan

Sanctuary’s pace is a little on the stately side, and the show is competent if not particularly innovative sci-fi.

Los Angeles Times by Mary McNamara

Much of it feels dreadfully slow, not so much moody as stretched for time....Things do pick up significantly with the arrival of Christopher Heyerdahl as John Druitt.

Variety by Brian Lowry

The competent but uninspiring two-hour pilot doesn't deliver the kind of thrills destined to rock anyone else's world.

The Hollywood Reporter by Ray Richmond

It takes on an early thrilling ride, only to inexplicably start coasting when we need it to shift to the next gear.

The New York Times by Mike Hale

It’s not an embarrassment for the channel, but it doesn’t raise the stakes either.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by Rob Owen

The show isn't helped by a two-hour premiere that states and re-states its premise too many times.