FRIDAY

JANUARY 10

2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

Public Television, Check local listings

Bill Moyers had announced his intention to stop his public TV series by now, until being persuaded otherwise by fans who begged him to remain a presence and provide his voice to the media mix. (Count me as one of those beggars.) Well, the new version of Moyers & Company begins tonight – trimmed from 60 to 30 minutes, but still determined to examine important issues in a way, and at a depth, that few other TV programs even attempt. Tonight’s inaugural edition of this series reboot pairs Moyers with another of my favorite TV talkers: astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, whose smart, confident conversational style is perfectly matched to that of Moyers. Moyers & Company airs from Friday to Sunday on local public TV stations; to find it in your local area, visit the BillMoyers.com website.

CHEECH & CHONG'S ANIMATED MOVIE

IFC, 8:00 p.m. ET

The twisted, more than half-baked comedy minds of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong entertained millions of moviegoing and record-buying stoners (and a few others) in the 1970s – and here are their routines all over again, reimagined through animation. See “Dave’s not here!” and other bits, strewn together in this new 2012 production. Then stay tuned at 9:45 p.m. for Up in Smoke, the duo’s 1978 live-action comedy. Compare and contrast.

"SCIENCE IN THE MOVIES" MARATHON

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

For January 2014, one of the month’s themes at TCM is “Science in the Movies,” a compilation, every Friday, of movies concerned with themes of scientific inquiry, and, usually, science gone awry. Tonight, the action begins at 8 p.m. ET with 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein (pictured), followed at 9:30 p.m. ET by 1941’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, at 11:30 p.m. ET by 1951’s The Thing from Another World, and at 1:15 a.m. ET by 1956’s genre reworking of Shakespeare, Forbidden Planet.

BANSHEE

Cinemax, 10:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: Season 1 of this Cinemax action series ended with a brutal beating, torturing and climax that demanded notice, and put more than one of its main characters through the wringer. Season 2 begins with them healing, slowly, as outside threats and dangers continue. One new one, this year, is an incoming investigative avenger played by Zeljko Ivanek – but, as before, this series belongs chiefly to the women, starting with Ivana Milicevek as Carrie, who, like most characters on this show, has a secret, sordid past. And/or present.

HELIX

Syfy, 10:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: This new 13-part Syfy series from Ron Moore of Battlestar Galactica is part Outbreak, and part The Thing, with a small dose of Alien thrown in for good measure. The action takes place at a remote research facility in the Arctic, where Centers for Disease Control doctor Alan Farragut (Billy Campbell, fresh from The Killing) tries to contain, and find a cure for, a mysterious outbreak that is infecting and altering the staffers there. Each episode takes place in one day, with the first two days presented in tonight’s occasionally tense premiere. Helix starts off with enough momentum and promise to stay tuned – but it’ll take until about Day 7 to see whether this new series is going anywhere worth following for the duration.

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David Bianculli

Founder / Editor

David Bianculli has been a TV critic since 1975, including a 14-year stint at the New York Daily News, and sees no reason to stop now. Currently, he's TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and is an occasional substitute host for that show. He's also an author and teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University. His 2009 Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour', has been purchased for film rights. His latest, The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to the Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific, is an effusive guidebook that plots the path from the 1950s’ Golden Age to today’s era of quality TV.

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BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

Public Television, Check local listings

IFC, 8:00 p.m. ET

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

Cinemax, 10:00 p.m. ET

Syfy, 10:00 p.m. ET

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