MONDAY
JUNE 16
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

ESPN, 11:30 a.m. ET

Today’s the day Team USA finally steps onto the pitch, facing Ghana in its first match of the 2014 World Cup. But first, there are two other games to be played, also televised live by ESPN. Germany vs. Portugal begin play at noon ET, with ESPN beginning coverage 30 minutes earlier. Then, at 2:30 p.m. ET, Iran plays Nigeria, after which, at 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN begins coverage of the initial US match. For a story on today's match and coverage, see Monique Nazareth's MNtv.
 
  
 
 

Fox, 9:00 p.m. ET

In the last hour of this show, President Heller (William Devane) contacted the terrorist directly, agreeing to give himself up to her. Meanwhile, Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) made inroads of sorts by evacuating the terrorist’s daughter, also a terrorist, from a London hospital just before her mother blew it up with a drone strike. And the mother is doing all this to revenge the death of her husband, making this season of 24 a particularly volatile family affair.

 
  
 
 

HBO, 8:30 p.m. ET

Last night, because of the expanded Game of Thrones season finale, the latest installment of John Oliver’s weekly news comedy review was delayed until even later than usual. If you don’t know what you missed, and most viewers don’t, here’s a much more convenient prime-time next-day rerun. And one thing to catch, for sure: Oliver interviewing Stephen Hawking, for real.

 
  
 
 

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

SEASON FINALE: If this season of Louie seems to have gone surprisingly quickly, that’s because FX has doubled up on weekly episodes since the season began – and, tonight, concludes the season with its final two episodes, wrapping up the “Pamela” story featuring Louis C.K. collaborator Pamela Adlon. By coincidence, Adlon is also finishing up a run on another series, as Marcy Runkle on Showtime’s Californication.

 
  
 
 

TNT, 10:00 p.m. ET

Last week’s premiere of this new Steven Bochco series ended with the discovery of a body of a beautiful blonde girl who, apparently, had fallen down the stairs, naked, and died. But personal photos link her to a billionaire Silicon Valley computer genius – while, tonight, other evidence take the cops down another path. It’s not clear yet whether this series deserves support, and a loyal audience, but a few more weeks of its deliberately unfurling plot will soon make that clear. Kathleen Robertson and Taye Diggs star.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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3694 Comments
 
 
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Long-time TVWW devotee here. I manage a commercial vehicle operation and Hialeah Auto Glass Repair (https://autoglassrepairhialeah.com/) keeps our fleet going. Bianculli's picks keep us sane during maintenance delays - essential reading!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
Dave Bianculli
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Sincerely,

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Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
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Smart TV writing for smart viewers - that's TVWW in a nutshell. I manage a motor pool and Macon Auto Glass Repair at https://autoglassrepairmacon.com/ is our go-to service provider. David Bianculli's enthusiasm is contagious.
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Arvid Berggren
Long-time TVWW devotee here. I manage a commercial vehicle operation and Colorado Springs Mobile Mechanic (https://coloradospringcosmobilemechanic.com) keeps our fleet going. Bianculli's picks keep us sane during maintenance delays - essential reading!
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Frida Sundberg
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Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
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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.