SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 16
2013

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

This new HBO Film, directed by Spike Lee, captures Mike Tyson’s limited-run one-man Broadway show, a lengthy biographical monologue in which, backed by visual aids, he runs through his life, giving running, high-energy commentary along the way. It’s certainly a way to get inside Tyson’s head, but sometimes, as when he gives his account of his marriage, the surprise revelations are offset by some off-putting misogynist one-liners. Tyson’s Truth may not be undisputed – but it’s unvarnished, which makes his very physical, very verbal show impressive on that count alone.

 
  
 
 

CBS, 9:00 p.m. ET

There have been so many JFK specials already this month, you may have to be persuaded to tune in to one more. So here goes: This one, from 48 Hours, is the real deal. It’s hosted by Bob Schieffer, who was reporting 50 years ago as John F. Kennedy visited Fort Worth and Dallas, and also includes reflections from fellow CBS veterans Dan Rather and (on tape) Walter Cronkite. Its vintage footage includes rare reports from the local CBS TV station in Dallas, and many pieces that put those four November days in a more fluid, even more frightening perspective. No matter how many JFK specials you’ve seen to date, this one is all but guaranteed to show you something you haven’t seen before.

 
  
 
 

Science Channel, 9:00 p.m. ET

This two-hour telemovie is the Science Channel’s first foray into dramatic rather than nonfiction programming – and what a great start. The only thing wrong with it is its title, because you may well presume, as I did, that it’s a TV movie about the explosion of the 1986 space shuttle Challenger. In reality, it’s a drama about what came afterward: the Presidential Commission set up to determine the cause of the tragedy. Members included astronauts Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride, but the focus of The Challenger Disaster is scientist and professor Richard Feynman, played by William Hurt. As depicted here, he’s part Serpico, and part Columbo: doggedly determined to pursue and uncover the truth, despite political and institutional concerns and cover-ups. Co-stars include Bruce Greenwood and Brian Dennehy, who, like Hurt, are terrific. Stay tuned for the final credits, when footage of the real-life Feynman, delivering his climactic testimony, proves just how accurate Hurt’s performance is.

 
  
 
 

Starz!, 9:00 p.m. ET

Episode 5. This is the culmination of the dramatic story line of this miniseries – the episode in which Louis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) tries to make his escape to safety, aided by journalist Stanley (Matthew Goode), while Masterson (John Goodman) offers a reward to stop him, and Julian (Tom Hughes) also surfaces at this point, to solve one mystery while adding, intensely, to the drama. Next week, Dancing on the Edge provides an epilogue of sorts, in which Ejiofor, as Louis, is interviewed in character, about his life – and interviewed by Stanley.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 11:29 p.m. ET

Who are tonight’s guest host and musical guest, and why should you watch? Because the answer to all those questions is the same two words: Lady Gaga.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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Dave Bianculli
Howdy pardner,

Did you pass out on your keyboard after getting drunk, and then just kept bouncing your head over and over and over???

ROTFFLMBFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously dude, watch more TV, drink less alcohol!!!!

Warmly,

Dave
Jun 20, 2026
 
 
 
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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.