TUESDAY
JANUARY 16
2018

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

BBC America, 6:00 a.m. ET

Blue Planet II, premiering this Saturday on BBC America, is one of those astounding TV events to make special plans to watch, record, and treasure. I can’t quite wrap my head around the new technology, and infinite patience, that allowed the filmmakers to catch such glorious, jaw-dropping images and events. BBC America is doing its best to get viewers involved in advance, by repeating, in daily marathons, its best nature documentary series of this century to date. Yesterday, the network repeated the original Blue Planet miniseries, from 2002. Today, beginning at 6 a.m. ET and again at 6:50 p.m. ET, it’s showing all episodes of its Planet Earth nature documentary series from 2007. And it’s actually better than the first time around – because back then, Discovery made the bone-headed, xenophobic decision to replace the narration by Sir David Attenborough with new narration recorded by Sigourney Weaver. Now, I love Sigourney as much as the next guy – but not when the next guy is the premier nature documentarian on the planet. Tonight’s Planet Earth repeats feature the original Attenborough narration, so dive in without reservation. And once you dive in, I expect you won’t resurface for hours. It’s that good.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

Everything about this prime-time game show screamed “hit” before it arrived, and nothing since then has slowed or deterred that momentum and prediction. With Ellen DeGeneres at its center, interacting with frighteningly animated contestants and relying on bigger-budget versions of some of her daytime show’s popular goofy games, Ellen’s Game of Games couldn’t miss. And it hasn’t.
 
  
 
 

CW, 9:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: Black Lightning, based on a DC Comics superhero from the 1970s, is the fifth CW prime-time drama based on characters from the DC universe, after Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. (Shouldn’t The CW just give in at this point, and rename itself The DC?) Cress Williams stars, and Black Lightning is a superhero who’s markedly different. For one thing, he’s not a coming-of-age teen just learning to marshal his powers: In his civilian life he’s a middle-age school principal and the father of two daughters. Oh, and he’s African-American, which in the Seventies in the comics, as on TV today, is unusual for a superhero. For full reviews, see Ed Bark's Uncle Barky's Bytes and David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.
 
  
 
 

NBC, 10:00 p.m. ET

Tonight’s episode is called “Clooney,” and has Kate shopping for a wedding dress. Infer from that what you will...

 

 
  
 
 
 
 
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)
 
RBJXT
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 225  | Go to page: 
4483 Comments
 
 
Adams
Checking out classic television recommendations and archival TV reviews is always a great way to discover hidden gems and nostalgic shows to watch. Having dedicated guides makes finding quality entertainment so much easier. While discussing classic media and online entertainment options with friends recently, someone also recommended checking out platforms like [thorfortune](https://thorfortunes.it/) for a smooth and engaging user experience. Thanks for sharing this helpful update!
Aug 19, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Robin_B
Great breakdown! Having well-written television like this makes evening downtime so much more engaging. When I'm taking a break between episodes or just relaxing after a long day of screen time, I usually unwind for a bit with a few casual rounds on [chicken road](https://chickenroad.gr.com/) before starting the next season. Really appreciate the thoughtful recommendations on this site!
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan situs web ini, mereka menipu orang.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini benar-benar bajingan, berbohong kepada orang-orang dan mencuri uang seperti penipu kotor yang sebenarnya.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para bajingan penipu ini benar-benar sampah, pembohong keji yang mencuri dari orang-orang yang tidak bersalah. Persetan dengan para penipu kotor ini dan permainan penipuan mereka yang menyedihkan.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Penipuan murahan yang berpura-pura sah. Jangan sampai tertipu.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Layanan palsu, ulasan palsu, janji palsu—100% sampah penipuan.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini mengira orang-orang itu bodoh. Modus penipuan yang sama, omong kosong yang sama.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu licik menjalankan operasi kotor yang dibangun di atas kebohongan dan penipuan.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Penipuan murahan yang berpura-pura sah. Jangan sampai tertipu.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu yang memalukan memangsa orang-orang dengan klaim palsu dan kebohongan.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini mengira orang-orang itu bodoh. Modus penipuan yang sama, omong kosong yang sama.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini adalah pembohong profesional. Siapa pun yang mempercayai mereka hanya ikut memperkuat penipuan mereka.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini adalah pembohong profesional. Siapa pun yang mempercayai mereka hanya ikut memperkuat penipuan mereka.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan situs web ini, mereka menipu orang.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia tangkap situs web sialan itu
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Penipu sejati, persetan denganmu, jalang!
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Hanya sekelompok penipu lain yang melakukan bisnis kotor secara online.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini adalah pembohong profesional. Siapa pun yang mempercayai mereka hanya ikut memperkuat penipuan mereka.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Penipu berkualitas rendah tanpa integritas dan penuh kebohongan.
Aug 18, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 225  | 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.