SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 10
2018

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

USA, 7:00 a.m. ET

Now that the opening ceremonies are over, fans of the Olympic Games have to start adjusting to how and when to watch their favorite sports. Streaming sites, most notably NBC’s Olympics site, are the places to go to find the most live coverage available, but NBC and its cable partners are spreading the wealth, with live and packaged coverage, throughout each day. On Saturday, for example, today’s TV coverage begins early, at 7 a.m. ET, on USA, with hockey. And hockey has its own subsets of drama. As the host nation, South Korea automatically gets to field teams in the round robin hockey tournament, including an “integrated” team with players from both North and South Korea (pictured). And the USA teams will not include any players from the NHL, which has decided the Olympics result in no positive impact to their league. How American of them. Anyway, after this morning’s action on USA the cable network, TV coverage switches to NBC…

 
  
 
 

NBC, 3:00 p.m. ET

Olympic coverage today, after beginning early in the morning on USA, shifts to broadcast TV at 3 p.m. ET, when parent network NBC presents three hours of coverage. That’s followed by another three-hour block in prime time, from 8-11 p.m. ET. And finally, at late night, NBC returns at 11:30 p.m. ET with yet more coverage, this time of figure skating. Major highlights: In prime time, downhill gold medal final in men’s alpine skiing, and live coverage of team event figure skating. And that’s only the first full day of competition…

 
  
 
 

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

This 2017 action movie made a major splash not only at the box office, but in pop culture, forever destroying the misconception that superhero movies had to be propelled by male heroes. Wonder Woman, always a popular component of the DC Comics canon, emerges here with what turns out to be the smartest and most entertaining DC-based movie in years. Take that, Batman and Superman! Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman and her Amazonian alter ego Diana, does everything on screen with just the right amount of confidence, cockiness and empathy. Strong support is offered by Chris Pine (who’s used to running his own franchise as Captain Kirk in the Star Trek reboot) as Steve Trevor, and by Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright as Diana’s fellow Amazonians, but this is Gal Gadot’s show all the way. And I’d say that even if I were bound by Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth. Please.

 
  
 
 

Starz!, 8:00 p.m. ET

The newest incarnation of a Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man, showed up in the most recent Avengers movie in a small supporting role, showing off his youthful exuberance as played by equally youthful Tom Holland. In this 2017 action movie, Spidey gets his own headlining role again – and if you think Peter Parker is being depicted on the younger side, wait until you see Marisa Tomei as Peter’s Aunt May. Other players, though, bring the weight of experience, in the examples of both Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) and Michael Keaton as first-time-on-film villain Adrian Toomes (a.k.a. The Vulture).

 
  
 
 

BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET

Tonight’s episode of this don’t-miss nature series is called “The Big Blue,” and ventures deep into the vast expanses of open ocean – deep in both the depth and expanse of water – to capture some truly astounding creatures and footage. Tonight, there are whale sharks, and also sharks forcefully ripping apart a whale carcass, and spinner dolphins churning up the ocean until it seems to boil, and… just watch, okay? You’ll be glad you did.

 
  
 
 

Showtime, 9:00 p.m. ET

In the title of this new biography of guitar god Eric Clapton, 12 Bars refers to a standard blues structure, the 12-bar blues. But Clapton also, throughout his history, had times when he was much less then sober, and visited many more than 12 bars in his day. This film tells his story, which at times is triumphant, and at other times tragic and traumatic. But always, regardless, there’s the music. For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 12:30 a.m. ET

Tonight on TCM, the network’s “31 Days of Oscar” salutes winners in the Best Art Direction category. And you have to be patient, but shortly after midnight ET, TCM presents an uncut, correct-ratio showing of what I consider the most gorgeous movie ever filmed: Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 period masterpiece, Barry Lyndon, starring Ryan O’Neal and (pictured) Marisa Berenson.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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Dave Bianculli
Howdy pardner,

Did you pass out on your keyboard after getting drunk, and then just kept bouncing your head over and over and over???

ROTFFLMBFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously dude, watch more TV, drink less alcohol!!!!

Warmly,

Dave
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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.