2021
 
 
 
 
 
 
2020
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2012
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2010
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2009
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2008
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2007
 
 
 
 
 
 
2001
 
 
 
 
1998
 
 
 
 
1990
 
 
 
 
1989
 
 
 
 
1987
 
 
 
 
1985
 
 
 
 
1982
 
 
 
 
1980
 
 
 
MONDAY
SEPTEMBER 15
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 
THE ROOSEVELTS: AN INTIMATE HISTORY

PBS, 8:00 p.m. ET

Part 2. Last night’s opening episode established the Roosevelt family tree, and in particular tiptoed along one branch, following brash young Theodore as he worked his way into politics, ultimately ascending to the largely ceremonial office of U.S. Vice President. Beginning with tonight’s Part 2, Teddy Roosevelt suddenly finds himself as the President – and what he does with that office, expanding its powers largely through force of will, gets the 20th century off to an amazingly fast start. Also in this installment: Teddy’s niece and his fifth cousin, Eleanor and Franklin, marry one another. For my full review, see Bianculli’s Blog. And to hear my review on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, which includes audio samples from several episodes, visit the Fresh Air website. Check local listings.
 
  
 
 
PRIVATE SCREENINGS: LAUREN BACALL

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

Tonight and tomorrow night, TCM presents a two-night salute to the late Lauren Bacall. The salute begins tonight in prime time, with a repeat of the interview special in which TCM host Robert Osborne spoke to Bacall about her career, and her life, in 2005. That’s followed by two of her very best movies: 1944’s To Have and Have Not at 9 p.m. ET, in which Bacall made her famously sultry film debut at age 19, and, at 10 p.m. ET, 1946’s The Big Sleep, another film noir classic in which she co-starred opposite Humphrey Bogart, her leading man off-screen as well as on.

 
  
 
 
TERROR AT THE MALL

HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET

Many of today’s scripted horror movies are built around the concept of “found footage” – of framing their drama, visually and narratively, from the point of view of hand-held and surveillance cameras. This new documentary does the same thing, but this is no trick, and the horror in this hour-long program is that the violence is all too real. British filmmaker Dan Reed assembled Terror at the Mall using surviving footage from hundreds of surveillance cameras, still photos, cellphone video, and by interviewing survivors about their ordeal. The event in question took place last year in an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, when four young men from the Shabab militant group invaded the mall, sporting automatic weapons and killing almost everyone in their path – more than 60 by the time the siege was over. But the cameras, and this documentary, also show acts of amazing heroism and ingenuity, as some of those people trapped in the mall find ways to survive, while others try to enter the mall in hopes of saving them. It’s as captivating and haunting as any scripted drama I’ve seen all year – and stays with you long afterward.

 
  
 
 
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART

Comedy Central, 11:00 p.m. ET

Tonight’s show features two of the people making some of the smartest, most entertaining and most illuminating television of their generation: guest Ken Burns, whose The Roosevelts: An Intimate History continues tonight on PBS, and host Jon Stewart.

 
  
 
 
HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE

TCM, 1:00 a.m. ET

This part of today’s TCM salute to Lauren Bacall arrives late – well, late at night, anyway – but it’s worth the wait. Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe co-star in this 1953 comedy, playing three women who finagle their way into temporary use of a luxury Manhattan apartment, and try to pool their resources to find and land a rich husband or two. Or three.

 
  
 
 
 
 
Read and add comments HERE for today's Best Bets!
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment: (No HTML, 1000 chars max)
 
 Name (required)
 
 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
PWUKO
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 268  | Go to page: 
5348 Comments
 
 
Thank you for some other informative blog. Where else could I get that type of information written in such an ideal means? I have a mission that I’m just now working on, and I have been at the look out for such information.
Nov 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Amazing website sir. A great information given by you in this blog. It really informative and very helpful. Thank you.
Nov 7, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
That is certainly on top of that a superb send i always basically liked mastering. It may not be everyday that any of us store the chance to determine the one thing.
Nov 7, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. This is very nice one and gives indepth information. Thanks for this nice article.
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value. Im glad to have found this post as its such an interesting one! I am always on the lookout for quality posts and articles so i suppose im lucky to have found this! I hope you will be adding more in the future...
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Glad to chat your blog, I seem to be forward to more reliable articles and I think we all wish to thank so many good articles, blog to share with us
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I am so pleased I situated your blog site, I actually situated you by mistake, while I was taking a look at on google for another point, Anyways I am below now in addition to additionally would certainly just like to insist give thanks to for an outstanding blog post along with an all-around entertaining internet site
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is a great post. I like this topic.This site has lots of advantage.I found many interesting things from this site. It helps me in many ways.Thanks for posting this again
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sweet internet site , super pattern , real clean and employ genial .
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. Thanks..
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Really amazing post. I just stumbled beside your blog. I will definitely suggest your blog to all of my friends. Thanks for sharing this valuable information for free
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I am definitely enjoying your website. You definitely have some great insight and great stories.
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next pos
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Great knowledge, do anyone mind merely reference back to it
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I have read your excellent post. This is a great job. I have enjoyed reading your post first time. I want to say thanks for this post. Thank you..
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This specific seems to be definitely excellent. These very small facts are produced using wide range of qualifications know-how. I favor the idea a good deal
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Nice post! This is a very nice blog that I will definitively come back to more times this year! Thanks for informative post
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I'm really enjoying the design and layout of your site. It's a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme? Superb work!
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next pos
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 268  | Go to page: 
 
 

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.
 
 
New From TVWW

PBS' 'Frontline’ Examines Pension Promises and — Spoiler Alert — Finds the Math Doesn’t Add Up
By Alex Strachan
 
 
 
 
The Decadence of ‘Versailles’ Comes to Ovation
By David Hinckley
 
 
 
 
Prescribing Mamie Gummer in 'Emily Owens, M.D.'
By Ed Bark
 
 
 
 
Looking for a Free Ride? HBO Can Deliver
By Christy Slewinski
 
 
 
 
'Pass the Biscuits' Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Pop-Culture Legacy
By Noel Holston