SATURDAY

JULY 14

2018

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

Syfy, USA, 7:30 a.m. ET

Syfy and USA present four of the Happy Potter films today, in chronological order, with more to come tomorrow night. The retrospective begins at 7:30 a.m. ET, simulcast on Syfy and USA, with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, from 2001. That’s followed at 10:50 a.m. ET by 2002’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, then at 2:23 p.m. ET by 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, at 5 p.m. ET by 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, finishing at 8 p.m. ET with 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (pictured).

2018 WIMBLEDON WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

ESPN, 9:00 a.m. ET

Two years ago, Serena Williams faced Angelique Kerber in the 2016 Wimbledon women’s championship, and won (pictured). Today they have a rematch – but in the meantime, Serena Williams has won the Australian Open while about two months pregnant, then retired temporarily, returning at this year’s French Open but dropping out with an injury. But now Serena is back at Wimbledon, and back in the final. If she wins, she’ll equal Margaret Court’s long-standing record of 24 career major titles, so history may be made, or at least duplicated, today. And if this match doesn’t start on time, it’s only because the men’s semifinal between long-time rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic was stopped after three grueling sets, with Djokovic ahead two sets to one, and is schedule this morning. Tennis, anyone?

2018 FIFA WORLD CUP

Fox, 10:00 a.m. ET

Today is the third-place game of the 2018 World Cup, featuring the two teams that just missed the chance to play in tomorrow’s final. So it’s a game played for national and individual pride, and both teams have many reasons to be proud. Belgium started the tournament with a dominant 3-0 rout of Panama, and an equally muscular 5-2 win over Tunisia. Belgium then beat England 1-0, after which it embarked on a series of ultra-dramatic matches. It came from behind to beat Japan 3-2, then stunned the world by beating Brazil 2-1 before succumbing to France 1-0 in the semifinals. Now, in hopes of claiming third place, Belgium has a rematch with England, which had a thrilling run of its own. It beat Tunisia 2-1and trounced Panama 6-1 before losing to Belgium, then righted itself with a heart-stopping penalty kick win over Colombia. Next came a 2-0 victory over Sweden, followed by Wednesday’s dream-crushing 1-2 loss to Croatia. Both teams will be strategizing and playing to win here, with aggressive game plans – and players. Then, tomorrow, it’s France vs. Croatia. One last weekend of astoundingly entertaining World Cup soccer. Or football, depending upon the color of your passport.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

After all those real sports on TV today, how about some fake ones? This 2017 movie is a somewhat faithful, totally enjoyable recreation of the tennis match, and the media and social circus surrounding it, between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King in 1973. She was a woman’s tennis champion, he was a loudmouth middle-aged chauvinist tennis player from a previous era – and their match was, indeed, promoted by both sides as “the battle of the sexes.” Emma Stone plays King, Steve Carell plays Riggs, and King and Riggs, in the climax of this movie, play each other. Co-stars include Sarah Silverman, Alan Cumming, Bill Pullman, and Elisabeth Shue.

THE 2000S: "THE PLATINUM AGE OF TELEVISION"

CNN, 9:00 p.m. ET

The next new episode of CNN’s The 2000s documentary miniseries arrives tomorrow. This is a repeat of last Sunday’s two-hour opener, covering TV in general, and such brilliant shows as Mad Men, The Sopranos, The West Wing, The Wire and Breaking Bad in particular. The installment’s title is The Platinum Age of Television, which also is the title of my most recent book. And I’m in this documentary somewhere, too, so consider this a vanity Bianculli’s Best Bet if you must. But if not now, when? If not here, where? And if not me, who? (Or, alternatively: if not I, whom?)

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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

Syfy, USA, 7:30 a.m. ET

ESPN, 9:00 a.m. ET

Fox, 10:00 a.m. ET

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

CNN, 9:00 p.m. ET

David Bianculli

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