SATURDAY

MAY 16

2015

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

This TV project has been in the works for a long time – so long that the late Horton Foote earned a story credit for the screenplay of this biography of blues singer Bessie Smith, who fought her way to feisty popularity in the 1920s. Based on a 1972 biography by Chris Albertson, and starring Queen Latifah in the title role, it’s got a cast that HBO fans should love. Michael Kenneth Williams, from The Wire and Boardwalk Empire, plays Jack Gee, and Khandi Alexander from The Corner plays Bessie's sister Violet. Also appearing: Mo’Nique as singer Ma Rainey, and Charles Dutton as Rainey’s manager. For a full review, see Ed Bark’s Uncle Barky’s Bytes.

ORPHAN BLACK

BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET

This series has gotten extremely tense this season – except for the comic relief about the local election seat and the connected drug sales, which almost count as comic relief. But right now, in the main plots, there are an awful lot of clones – female and male – in pain, in trouble, or in captivity…

IVERSON

Showtime, 9:00 p.m. ET

If the NBA playoffs have given you a slight case of pro basketball fever, here’s a documentary that might help. It’s a profile of 11-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, a Little Engine that Could kind of player (for the Philadelphia 76ers) who was brash, noncomformist, relatively small – and, on the court, positively inspired.

THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW

BBC America, 10:00 p.m. ET

This week’s show features an especially Brit-heavy couch – but that’s not a complaint, because I’ve learned about some talented people early here (hi, James Corden!) by watching this talk show. Rupert Everett is the biggest name to American viewers, I’m guessing, but there’s also Miranda Hart, Greg Davies, and musical guest Electro Velvet.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

NBC, 11:29 p.m. ET

SEASON FINALE: Should be a great way to close out the season. Louis C.K. returns as guest host – he’s been great here, in prior appearances – and Rihanna is the musical guest.

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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

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET

Showtime, 9:00 p.m. ET

BBC America, 10:00 p.m. ET

NBC, 11:29 p.m. ET

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