TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
Charlie Chaplin became an international film superstar by keeping silent (the movies forced him to, at first), and by portraying a sweet soul constantly at odds with a cold, cruel world. But in the sound era, later in his career, Chaplin played a much more vocal and venomous type. As the title character in this dark comedy from 1947, he plays a man who woos and marries wealthy women, with the aim of doing away with them afterward. That aim rings true at first – but not always. Co-stars in this delightfully twisted character study include Mady Corell, Audrey Betz and, believe it or not, Martha Raye.
The Movie Channel, 8:00 p.m. ET
John Goodman didn’t win a Supporting Actor Oscar for his terrific work in Argo, but he was great there. He’s great here, too, in another supporting role that threatens to steal the film from even the other fine actors sharing the screen. (Come to think of it, Goodman just did the same thing in Flight, as well.) And in this 1998 movie, Goodman is sharing the screen with Jeff Bridges and Steve Buscemi, so calling Goodman a scene-stealer in Lebowski is a compliment of the highest order.
FX, 10:00 p.m. ET
Episode five of The Americans, which just aired the other day on FX, vaulted this new series to a higher level, with a plot that plays off the real-life attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. The show has matured, and quickly, and FX clearly recognizes that fact. Tonight at 10 p.m. ET, the network is presenting a marathon of all five episodes to date – encouraging viewers to catch up, and jump aboard, in one Friday night mini-marathon. I encourage you to do the same thing. Keri Russell stars.
HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET
Bill Maher is going to take to the air just as we learn whether Congress and the White House managed to come to a last-minute compromise to avoid preordained budget cuts – or, once again, failed to cooperate and compromise, and thus failed to act. One of Maher’s guests tonight, fittingly, is someone who’s not afraid to flip-flop. He’s the hip-hop artist known as Snoop Lion – who, not too long ago, was the Artist Formerly Known as Snoop Dogg. I’m not Lion.
IFC, 10:00 p.m. ET
SEASON FINALE: The final episode of this season has a plot which threatens to plunge the entire town into a blackout. So pay close attention – the problem, if you see one (or fail to), may not be with your set. And remember: the same was true of the finale of
The Sopranos.