WEDNESDAY
MARCH 12
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

If you want three strongly persuasive reasons to watch, or revisit, this 1941 film noir classic directed by John Huston, who co-wrote the screenplay with original author Dashiell Hammett, here they are: Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre. Oh, Mary Astor’s important too, but it’s that terrific trio that really enlivens this marvelous mystery movie.

 
  
 
 

ABC, 9:00 p.m. ET

This week’s new episode is called “”Other People’s Children,” and shuffles the decks to put the show’s youngsters in situations with elders other than their own parents. Young Lily, for example, needs a new dress so she can be a flower girl at a wedding -- and taking her on her shopping trip are Claire (Julie Bowen) and Gloria (Sofia Vergara).

 
  
 
 

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

Plots are getting thicker and thicker on The Americans, as some spy missions intensify while others begin to implode. Philip and Elizabeth (Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell) are getting ready to embark on a dangerous new task – while, at home, their daughter Paige (Holly Taylor) is beginning to show signs of being a fledgling spy of her own, by investigating her own mother. And Soviet embassy worker Annet Mahendru as Nina (pictured), blackmailed into becoming a double agent by Noah Emmerich’s FBI agent Stan, is now heavily active as a triple agent, having told the KGB about her contacts with the FBI. Which are significant, since Stan is in love with her now, and suspects nothing. Cold war. Hot show.

 
  
 
 

Comedy Central, 11:00 p.m. ET

On tonight’s new show, expect the host and the guest to have a droll-off, to see who can deliver their one-liners in the most tossaway, deadpan manner. That’s because Jon Stewart is a master at that – as is his guest, actor Jason Bateman.

 
  
 
 

Fuse, 11:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: Billy Eichner returns for Season 3 of this expanded-from-the-Web game show, perhaps the most frantic TV game show since Supermarket Sweep. And it’s a lot better than that one. After all, Supermarket Sweep didn’t make room for celebrity guests, such as Neil Patrick Harris…

 
  
 
 
 
 
Read and add comments HERE for today's Best Bets!
 
 
 
 
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3701 Comments
 
 
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Mar 30, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
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Mar 29, 2026   |  Reply
 
Dave Bianculli
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Gerda Lundgren
Long-time TVWW devotee here. I manage a commercial vehicle operation and Hialeah Auto Glass Repair (https://autoglassrepairhialeah.com/) keeps our fleet going. Bianculli's picks keep us sane during maintenance delays - essential reading!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
Dave Bianculli
Golly Gerda, you make me blush with your kind words, but maybe instead of giving me praise, how about giving me a discount on your service bills!!!! ROTFLMBFFAO!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Dave
Mar 22, 2026
 
 
 
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Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Birger Samuelsson
Smart TV writing for smart viewers - that's TVWW in a nutshell. I manage a motor pool and Macon Auto Glass Repair at https://autoglassrepairmacon.com/ is our go-to service provider. David Bianculli's enthusiasm is contagious.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
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Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
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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.