SUNDAY

FEBRUARY 15

2015

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CBS, 7:00 p.m. ET

There’s a special reason to tune in to 60 Minutes tonight: It’s scheduled to contain what will turn out to be the last story filed by Bob Simon, who died earlier this week in a horrific car accident in New York. It’s a story on the quest for a cure for the Ebola virus – and will, by tragic necessity, be introduced by someone other than Simon himself. Another sad note: Simon worked on this piece with his daughter Tanya, a 60 Minutes producer. For Noel Holston's salute to Bob Simon, see The Grassy Noel.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

This live special, celebrating 40 years of Saturday Night Live, is preceded by a red-carpet pre-show, at 7 p.m. ET, hosted by the hosts and personalities from the Today show. But it’s at 8 p.m. ET when this massive salute, uniting cast members, guests hosts and performers from various eras of SNL, for one live, lively, lengthy celebration. Serving as anchors are surviving cast members from the original cast of Not Ready for Prime Time Players, including Dan Aykroyd and Laraine Newman. And expect pretty much everybody, for what looks to be the biggest TV party since CBS celebrated its golden anniversary (counting back from its CBS Radio launch) in 1978. For my column about this particular SNL anniversary, and mine, see Bianculli’s Blog.

THE JINX: THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF ROBERT DURST

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

Episode 2. This is the second of six installments in this nonfiction miniseries by Andrew Jarecki, and it’s even more involving – and mysterious – than the first. Two hours in, and I still have no idea whether the filmmaker considers Robert Durst, the wealthy and eccentric New York real-estate heir, innocent or guilty of the many murders of which he has been accused over the years. But Durst himself is interviewed to answer those charges – and the more he speaks, the more unsettled, and unsettling, he seems. For a full review, see Ed Bark's Uncle Barky's Bytes.

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC: "DOWNTON ABBEY"

PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET

We’re up to Episode 7 in this year’s batch of Abbey episodes – only a few left, so certain plot threads are beginning to be resolved. That includes the end of one arrangement and the flowering of a new one – as well as what might be called an Isis crisis. Check local listings.

THE WALKING DEAD

AMC, 9:00 p.m. ET

Last week’s midseason opener was a moody shocker, and ended with yet another grave being dug. This week, the gang seems to have a direction and a goal, though not necessarily much hope – but the road before them is long, and there are many miles to go before they sleep.

LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER

HBO, 11:00 p.m. ET

Last week’s Season 2 premiere was a very funny comic meditation about pharmaceutical sales as they relate to patient care. It’s the sort of topic Oliver and his team could have worked on for months, assured that no other late-night comedy show would tackle it – but now they’ve had only a week to prepare this one. And over on Oliver’s old Comedy Central home, Larry Wilmore is now tackling the topic of the day, Oliver-style. But don’t worry about John Oliver. He already proved he could substitute for Jon Stewart, back before we knew we needed one. So he’s got skills – and, by now, should have the trust so you’re eager to tune in.

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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

CBS, 7:00 p.m. ET

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET

AMC, 9:00 p.m. ET

HBO, 11:00 p.m. ET

David Bianculli

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