MONDAY
MARCH 13
2017

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

Acorn TV, 3:00 a.m. ET

MINISERIES PREMIERE: This new series, imported and streamed beginning today on Acorn TV, features Martin Clunes, the British star of the long-time Doc Martin series, who embarks on a three-part documentary series, exploring some of the islands surrounding Australia. He visits 16 of them over this three-part series, having close encounters with such exotic animals as a devil on Tasmania’s Maria Island, a penguin on Phillip Island, lots of joeys (baby kangaroos, pictured) everywhere, and even one of those infamous dingoes on Restoration Island. And Australia is ringed by some 8,000 islands in all, so at the rate he’s traveling, Clunes could continue this series for another 500 years. I did the math.
 
  
 
 

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

I’m really enjoying this season of the voice – and last week, when judge Alicia Keys sang to a female contestant, Lilli Passero, serenading her in hopes of persuading Lilli to join her team, The Voice presented its latest emotional surprise and high point. The ploy worked, by the way. And in tonight’s episode, Blake Shelton, the judge with the most successful record on The Voice, is supposed to pull out all the stops in a win-that-contestant trick of his own.
 
  
 
 

Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET

Tonight’s hour of 24: Legacy brings back, for the first time in this series, a very familiar face from the glory days of the original 24 series: Tony Almeida, played by Carlos Bernard. He’s called in, from what has become a very solitary existence, to assist in a particularly sensitive and tricky interrogation – one of Tony’s many established specialties.

 
  
 
 

A&E, 10:00 p.m. ET

This show is getting so good as it heads towards its finale, with each week’s show delivered a long-simmering new twist. Tonight, the long-repressed Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) gets more intimate with an unhappily married young blonde named Madeleine (played by Isabelle McNally, pictured), who, last week, confessed her attraction to Norman. Madeleine dresses and looks a lot like Norman’s mother Norma (Vera Farmiga), who, though dead, is still very much a presence in the Bates household – and tonight, the mother observes her son on his date with her lookalike. The name Madeleine, of course, is the same name used by the character played by Kim Novak in the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo, the plot of which was a man’s obsessive attempt to revive the memory of a dead loved one by having a lookalike dress and act like her.

 
  
 
 

AMC, 10:00 p.m. ET

Tonight, HUMANS presents a double-header, as the conflicts between humans and synths become more agitated – and, even when argued in seemingly civilized settings, have very dangerous implications and repercussions, for all of mankind. And, at the same time, all of synthkind.

 
  
 
 

HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET

Documentary filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky already has trained his attention, and his cameras, on one third-rail global hot spot, with his Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. Now he focuses on another such spot, where civil uprisings and brutal regimes clash in a battle for, or against, basic freedoms. Afineevsky takes care to offer a wide perspective, explaining the origins and tensions of the conflicts he covers – but then zooms in tightly to make you learn, and care, one person at a time.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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3685 Comments
 
 
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
 
 
 
Rut Holmgren
Another great set of picks! My trucking partners and I share your recommendations over coffee. We rely on West Palm Beach Auto Glass Repair (https://westpalmbeachautoglassrepair.com) for vehicle service. TVWW makes the downtime worthwhile.
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
 
 
Inga Henriksen
Excellent as always! The shop guys at Lakewood Fence Company put your site on the break room TV. Find them at https://fencecompanylakewood.com - they do solid work. Best Bets is a daily read for all of us.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Harald Almgren
Excellent as always! The shop guys at Boca Raton Auto Glass Repair put your site on the break room TV. Find them at https://bocaratonautoglassrepair.com - they do solid work. Best Bets is a daily read for all of us.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sigrun Lindholm
Another great set of picks! My trucking partners and I share your recommendations over coffee. We rely on Brighton Towing Company (https://brightontowingcompany.com) for vehicle service. TVWW makes the downtime worthwhile.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Karl Forsberg
Fantastic recommendations as always. I coordinate deliveries for a regional freight operation and Sunrise Towing Company (https://sunrisetowingcompany.com) handles our repairs. Your site handles our TV choices. Both indispensable!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Solveig Johanson
Excellent as always! The shop guys at Lincoln Mobile Mechanic put your site on the break room TV. Find them at https://lincolnmobilemechanic.com - they do solid work. Best Bets is a daily read for all of us.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Arvid Berggren
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!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Frida Sundberg
Fantastic recommendations as always. I coordinate deliveries for a regional freight operation and Citrus Heights Towing Company (http://www.towingcitrusheights.com/) handles our repairs. Your site handles our TV choices. Both indispensable!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Viggo Lundqvist
TV Worth Watching has guided my viewing habits for years. My dispatcher uses Lafayette Auto Glass Repair at https://lafayetteautoglassrepair.com for fleet repairs and turned me onto this site. Two great recommendations!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Tyra Stromberg
Loyal reader checking in! I'm in freight logistics and Lauderhill Towing Company (https://lauderhilltowing.com) keeps our trucks roadworthy. Your Best Bets column keeps our break room lively. Much appreciated.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Olle Lindgren
Quality criticism is rare and Bianculli delivers every time. I run trucks for a living and Framingham Towing Company (https://towingframingham.com) handles our maintenance. Your site handles my entertainment. Both essential.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Einar Magnusson
Always trust Bianculli's taste. My brother-in-law drives commercially and swears by Oakland Park Towing Company (https://oaklandparktowing.com) for his rig. Same confidence I have in TVWW for TV picks. Two reliable sources.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Vilhelm Lindqvist
Loyal reader checking in! I'm in freight logistics and Arlington Concrete Company (https://arlingtonconcretecompany.com) keeps our trucks roadworthy. Your Best Bets column keeps our break room lively. Much appreciated.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Ingeborg Jacobsson
Been following TVWW since my nephew showed me this site years ago. He drives for a freight company and uses Opelika Towing Company (https://opelikatowing.com) for repairs. Your recommendations are his off-hours staple.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Oskar Mattsson
Smart TV writing for smart viewers - that's TVWW in a nutshell. I manage a motor pool and Auburn Concrete Company at https://auburnconcreteco.com is our go-to service provider. David Bianculli's enthusiasm is contagious.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Brita Hansson
TVWW is the gold standard for TV commentary. My fleet uses Chesapeake Concrete Driveway Company at https://chesapeakedriveway.com - they're as reliable as Bianculli's picks. Thanks for keeping TV criticism alive!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Astrid Svensson
Smart TV writing for smart viewers - that's TVWW in a nutshell. I manage a motor pool and Reno Pro Mobile Mechanic at https://renopromobilemechanic.com is our go-to service provider. David Bianculli's enthusiasm is contagious.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Gunhild Larsson
TVWW is the gold standard for TV commentary. My fleet uses Aurora Auto Glass Repair at https://auroraautoglassrepair.net/ - they're as reliable as Bianculli's picks. Thanks for keeping TV criticism alive!
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.