WEDNESDAY
OCTOBER 11
2017

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET

Taraji P. Henson, as Cookie, is all about the fashion – but Henson, as an actress, is all about the acting, too. That’s why she enjoys throwing herself to the other extreme, and revisiting, in flashbacks, Cookie’s anything but glamorous stint in prison – back when orange was the old orange.

 
  
 
 

CW, 8:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: The Season 1 premiere of this series began with the discovery of a body, suggesting that this TV adaptation of the Archie comics franchise was going to go to darker places than Pop’s malt shop.  Season 2 of Riverdale, picking up tonight where last season’s cliffhanger ended, has Archie (KJ Apa) investigating the shooting of his own father (Luke Perry) – in, if memory serves, that very malt shop.

 
  
 
 

AT&T Audience Network, 8:00 p.m. ET

SEASON FINALE: This could very well have been the series finale for this series, which heads tonight to a climax with killer Brady embarking on what may be a new murder spree – but AT&T has announced that this series has been renewed, meaning that Stephen King and producer David E. Kelley will continue to adapt his trilogy of tales next year.

 
  
 
 

PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

This new edition of Frontline details how the Environmental Protection Agency has shifted agendas, from protecting the environment to – as recently as this week – scaling back its mandated protections. And, as this documentary shows, solving this particular mystery isn’t that tough: This particular caper was an inside job. Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

CW, 9:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: This is not a recommendation. Dynasty was a giant hit in the 1980s, ABC’s answer to CBS’s soap opera smash Dallas, that it’s not surprising that show was selected for a reboot. However, since this CW version is so squarely aimed at its young demographic, I’m not sure how much momentum will carry over. The new-generation, new-century approach is encapsulated by the fact that the character of Krystle, millionaire Blake Carrington’s young bride (played in the original by Linda Evans), is now spelled Cristal. Like the champagne. She’s played by Nathalie Kelley, seen here with Elizabeth Gillies from Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, who plays Blake’s daughter, Fallon. Blake is played by Grant Show from Melrose Place, but don’t look for the vixenish Sammy Jo, played in the original, in a star-making turn, by Heather Locklear. Sammy Jo is now a guy, played by Rafael de la Fuente. And Alexis, the scene-stealer played in the original by Joan Collins? That character showed up in Season 2 of the old Dynasty, and hasn’t been cast yet. I’d say I can hardly wait, but that’s not true. After seeing the premiere, I can wait just fine. While I’m watching other, much better shows.

 
  
 
 

USA, 10:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: Mr. Robot is back for Season 3. I’d remind you where it left off – but all these months later, I’m still not sure, and less sure of what is or isn’t real on this series. But I’ll be watching, to try and figure it out. Like Legion, this is a series told from the point of view of an entirely unreliable narrator. And it’s fascinating.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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3695 Comments
 
 
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Long-time TVWW devotee here. I manage a commercial vehicle operation and Colorado Springs Mobile Mechanic (https://coloradospringcosmobilemechanic.com) keeps our fleet going. Bianculli's picks keep us sane during maintenance delays - essential reading!
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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.