TUESDAY

JUNE 14

2016

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: Now here’s an interesting development. The quiz and game shows of the 1950s were a cheap form of popular programming that quickly took over much of prime time., spreading like kudzu. The only thing that stopped it was the quiz show scandal, when it was discovered that certain show sponsors and producers collaborated to rig games and feed answers to certain contestants. The viewing public was so outraged that the networks pulled all shows in the genre from the schedule. Today, reality TV was able to grow and flow and ebb of its own accord – and this summer, ABC is throwing a bunch of game show revivals against the wall, to see what sticks. Starting tonight: A reboot of the vintage game show To Tell the Truth, hosted by Anthony Anderson. And I’m not lying.

UNCLE BUCK

ABC, 9:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: Back in 1990, CBS launched a sitcom version of the 1989 John Candy Uncle Buck movie. It was not only astoundingly unfunny, but ended up causing a backlash when the premiere episode featured a little kid saying the line “You suck.” Back then, that was enough to spark a firestorm. These days, regardless of the dialogue, a new Uncle Buck is likely to vanish quickly without incident. Whether or not that’s progress, it’s tough to say. For his take on the show, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.

O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA

ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET

After last weekend's premiere episode of this nonfiction documentary series was shown on ABC, it moves to ESPN for the rest of its run, beginning with tonight’s Part 2 at 9 p.m. ET. And if you missed the opener, ESPN is repeating it at 7. Very highly recommended. No matter how much you’ve seen about O.J. Simpson, this is something different.

ANIMAL KINGDOM

TNT, 9:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: Based on the 2010 Australian film starring Jacki Weaver, this new TNT series gives the role of the crime-family matriarch to Ellen Barkin. Co-stars include Scott Speedman, Finn Cole, Jake Weary, Shawn Hatosy and Ben Robson. For a full review, see David Hinckley’s All Along the Watchtower.

MAYA & MARTY

NBC, 10:00 p.m. ET

This is week three for this summertime variety series experiment from NBC, executive producer Lorne Michaels, and variety-show enthusiasts Martin Short and Maya Rudolph. So far, the most memorable bits have been the filmed pieces, not the ones performed before an audience. And that will have to change, I suspect, before this show will connect significantly with viewers.

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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.

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BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET

ABC, 9:00 p.m. ET

ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET

TNT, 9:00 p.m. ET

NBC, 10:00 p.m. ET

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