WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER 16

2016

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

BBC America, 8:00 p.m. ET

MINISERIES PREMIERE: Parts 1-3. This six-part British miniseries stars Sophie Okonedo of Hotel Rwanda as a highly ranked prosecutor in the British courts. The story spans several decades, and two continents, and co-stars Dennis Haysbert of 24 and Adrian Lester of Red Band Society – as, respectively, her client and her husband. Both of the men have deep secrets, and they’re unfurled slowly in a character study about undercover officers and ulterior motives. Concludes tomorrow night. For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.

POLAR BEAR TOWN

Smithsonian, 8:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: This new nature series spends several episodes in the very small town of Churchill, Manitoba. Its human population is 800 – but as winter approaches, the polar bear population outnumbers them, at around 1000. It’s a confluence of man and animal that’s already been chronicled on TV, by David Attenborough’s The Hunt, but it’s documented very well here also. For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.

THE ENDLESS SUMMER

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

Alec Baldwin didn’t show up to impersonate Donald Trump last week on Saturday Night Live, but tonight he shows up on TCM, continuing his guest hosting chores on this month’s overview of documentary films. Tonight he begins, at 8 p.m. ET, with this surfer-culture classic from 1966, which promopted more than a generation of surfer dudes to seek out the perfect wave. At 9:45 p.m. ET a documentary on basketball, 1994’s Hoop Dreams, follows, and the evening culminates at 12:45 a.m. ET with that salute to music, mud, and generational merriment, 1970’s Woodstock. Just watch out for the brown acid.

DESIGNATED SURVIVOR

ABC, 10:00 p.m. ET

You have to wonder where the writers of scripted drama series get their ideas. Who would believe, as this week’s story line would have you believe, that the U.S. government was threatened by a clandestine attack orchestrated by… the Russians?

SOUNDBREAKING: STORIES FROM THE CUTTING EDGE OF RECORDED MUSIC

PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

Part 3 of 5. Tonight’s installment on the evolution of recorded music looks at different types of studio performers, and two of the types chosen couldn’t be more different: Amy Winehouse and Christina Aguilera. For a full review, see David Hinckley’s All Along the Watchtower. Check local listings.

SOUTH PARK

Comedy Central, 10:00 p.m. ET

Today on the subway in New York, I saw a poster advertising South Park after all these seasons, proclaiming proudly that the show was “Still here,” and “Stilll going there.” Very true. This season’s extended, continuing story line is taking on the election and its results more openly, and more cleverly, than most serious news shows. And tonight, the President-Elect visits South Park.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY 6

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

SEASON FINALE: This series has unfurled like a reality-show version of Rashomon: Whose story can be believed, if anyone’s? Just because the reality show within this scripted show claims its narrative is true, that doesn’t make it so. But whatever happened, or didn’t happen, in that supposedly haunted house will be sorted out tonight. It better be, because this is the show’s season finale. Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson star.

<< PREVIOUS | NEXT >>

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)


Type in the verification word shown on the image.

Page: 1 of 251 | Go to page:

5019 Comments

Jpbosku

Sweet internet site , super pattern , real clean and employ genial .

Oct 15, 2026 | Reply

Jpbosku

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

Oct 15, 2026 | Reply

Jpbosku

A superbly written article, if only all bloggers offered the same content as you, the internet would be a far better place

Oct 15, 2026 | Reply

Jpbosku

Thank you for taking the time to publish this information very useful!

Oct 15, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

I am hoping the same best effort from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing skills has inspired me.

Oct 15, 2026 | Reply

Online Business

This web site really has all the information I wanted about this subject and didn't know who to ask

Oct 15, 2026 | Reply

??????

" '??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ? ??? ? ???? ?? ?? ????. ??? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?????. ?????! ??? ??, ??? ? ???,? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ? ????? ? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???. ????? ???? ???? ??? ??????.

Oct 15, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

Such a very useful article. Very interesting to read this article. I would like to thank you for the efforts you had made for writing this awesome article.

Oct 15, 2026 | Reply

?????

Very good topic, similar texts are I do not know if they are as good as your work out. These you will then see the most important thing, the application provides you a website a powerful important internet page:

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

??????

Nice work i love your work keep it up.....

Oct 14, 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!

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

?????

Excellent post.I want to thank you for this informative read, I really appreciate sharing this great post.Keep up your work

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

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..

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

Impressive work on the essayist's part.

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

??????

After research a couple of of the weblog posts in your website now, and I really like your method of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website record and will probably be checking back soon.

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

Sweet internet site , super pattern , real clean and employ genial .

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

Very useful info. Hope to see more posts soon!.

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

I really like the new design. It is a lot easier to use and visually attractive.

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

Thanks for sharing these informations. I really like your blog post very much. You have really shared a informative and interesting blog post .

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

Zonahoki28

This is a fantastic website, thanks for sharing. There's no doubt i would fully rate it after i read what the idea about this article is. You did a nice

Oct 14, 2026 | Reply

Page: 1 of 251 | 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

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

BBC America, 8:00 p.m. ET

Smithsonian, 8:00 p.m. ET

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

ABC, 10:00 p.m. ET

PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

Comedy Central, 10:00 p.m. ET

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

David Bianculli

PBS' 'Frontline’ Examines Pension Promises and — Spoiler Alert — Finds the Math Doesn’t Add Up

The Decadence of ‘Versailles’ Comes to Ovation

Prescribing Mamie Gummer in 'Emily Owens, M.D.'

Looking for a Free Ride? HBO Can Deliver

'Pass the Biscuits' Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Pop-Culture Legacy