SATURDAY
JUNE 17
2017

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

Starz!, 8:00 p.m. ET

This 2016 thriller is the latest entry in the adaptations of Dan Brown’s popular, puzzle-filled dramas, launched with The Da Vinci Code and starring Tom Hanks as crafty symbologist Robert Langdon. Once again, Ron Howard directs, and the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose screen credits include adaptations of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, Brown’s Angels & Demons, and, currently, the classic Universal horror movie The Mummy. But this latest Brown story has Langdon suffering from amnesia, and teamed with a doctor, played by Felicity Jones from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. They’re about the only two familiar faces in the entire movie – but it’s the plot, and the twists, that are supposed to fuel this Inferno.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

Alec Baldwin has been in charge of TCM’s Saturday night movie showcase, The Essentials, this season, and tonight he winds up an entertaining stretch in which his guest co-host is David Letterman. This evening’s salute is to the Raymond Chandler film noir classic detective character, Philip Marlowe, and it’s a well-chosen triple feature. First up, at 8 p.m. ET: 1946’s The Big Sleep, with Humphrey Bogart as gumshoe Marlowe, and young Lauren Bacall positively bursting off the screen, and setting it afire. Then, at 10:15 p.m. ET, comes 1969’s Marlowe, starring James Garner as a different-generation Marlowe – and that’s followed, at midnight ET, by Lady in the Lake, starring Robert Montgomery, who also directed, as Marlowe. It’s a fascinating cinematic exercise, because it’s shot entirely from Marlowe’s subjective visual point of view. The only time you fully “see” Montgomery as Marlowe is when he catches his own reflection (pictured). Upon reflection, it’s a wonderfully weird thing to watch – and I expect Letterman will have a lot of funny things to say about it.

 
  
 
 

AMC, 9:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: This fourth and final season of Turn: Washington’s Spies begins tonight, getting to the end of its revolutionary story – and I mean that literally. Ian Kahn stars as Gen. George Washington.

 
  
 
 

BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET

As we time-travel through this latest season of Doctor Who, we’re also rapidly approaching the moment when Peter Capaldi will leave the title role, and turn it over to someone else. Meanwhile, tonight the Doctor and his companions go backward in time, to ancient Scotland – where they pursue the long-standing mystery of the vanished Ninth Roman Legion.

 
  
 
 

MSNBC, 9:00 p.m. ET

Of all of tonight’s TV events, this is the one I’m anticipating most eagerly. Last night, ABC presented a two-hour special on the Watergate scandal, and it was very clearly structured, and at times unexpectedly emotional. Tonight, MSNBC covers similar ground, but through a particularly fascinating prism: the movie made, starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, who played Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in All the President’s Men. “Arguably the best movie on reporting made,” Hoffman says of the film, and he’s right.

 
  
 
 

BBC America, 10:00 p.m. ET

This final season of Orphan Black already is shaking things up considerably, with the clones dividing, reuniting, and tentatively agreeing to new alliances. The emotional stakes are high – and they work because Tatiana Maslany, in every role she plays here, is believable, sympathetic (even Rachel), and identifiable.

 
  
 
 

HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET

One of the standout stars of HBO’s Silicon Valley gets what he’s more than earned from his dryly hilarious work there: His first solo HBO standup comedy special.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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)
 
BPOFO
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 251  | Go to page: 
5011 Comments
 
 
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
 
 
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
 
 
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
 
 
Sweet internet site , super pattern , real clean and employ genial .
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Very useful info. Hope to see more posts soon!.
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I really like the new design. It is a lot easier to use and visually attractive.
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
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
 
 
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
 
 
very nice post, i surely really like this website, go on it
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I’ve read some good stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much effort you put to create such a great informative website.
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Fabulous post, you have denoted out some fantastic points, I likewise think this s a very wonderful website. I will visit again for more quality contents and also, recommend this site to all. Thanks.
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I got what you mean , thanks for posting .Woh I am happy to find this website through google.
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Good post but I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Appreciate it!
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Thanks for the nice blog. It was very useful for me. I'm happy I found this blog. Thank you for sharing with us,I too always learn something new from your post.
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I got too much interesting stuff on your blog. I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! Keep up the good work.
Oct 14, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Excellent article. Very interesting to read. I really love to read such a nice article. Thanks! keep rocking
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.