TUESDAY
DECEMBER 11
2018

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

TCM, 6:00 p.m. ET

Tonight TCM presents a double feature that, basically, presents the absolute best examples of two different film genres. First up is the movie musical – and you don’t get any better than this 1952 musical, starring Gene Kelly, that presents a hilarious account of the movie industry’s transition from silent to sound films, and, along the way, the movie musical itself. Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor co-star, Kelly and Stanley Donen co-direct, Betty Comden and Adolph Green co-write – and every contribution is invaluable and terrific. And that goes, also, for supporting players Cyd Charisse (as a standout dancer) and Jean Hagen (as haughty silent star Lina Lamont, pictured with Kelly). If you’ve never seen Singin’ in the Rain, rectify that today. If you have seen it, watch it again.
 
  
 
 

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

Last night’s overly padded two-hour installment gave room for the Top 8 to sing solo, and in pairs – but tonight, that spotlight narrows, as, in anticipation of next week’s finals, the Top 8 is halved to the Top 4. One who should make the cut for sure, based on last night’s performance: young Chevel Shepherd (pictured), whose version of LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue” was pure and beautiful.
 
  
 
 

CW, 8:00 p.m. ET

The conclusion of this multi-part, multi-series “Elseworlds” crossover event has the heroes of Flash, Arrow and Supergirl traveling to Gotham City – the home turf of Batman, of course. Except that, in this particular story line, the Caped Crusader has been missing from Gotham for about three years (the Fox series Gotham has been missing for a while, too, but returns with new episodes in January). So who’s minding the store, and the city? As was revealed last night on Arrow, it’s Ruby Rose as Batwoman (pictured) – a character who wasted no time in befriending Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl. In tonight’s conclusion, a bad guy has been given the power to reshape reality, and twists things to change the identities, fates and powers of almost all the heroes of this comic book-based tale.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

Here’s another genre superstar entry from TCM. When it comes to Westerns, there’s not one more iconic, important or influential than 1939’s Stagecoach, in which director John Ford defined and captured the look of the American West (and inspired all those Chuck Jones Road Runner cartoons), and made a star of John Wayne, as king of the Western. Watch it all happen here.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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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.