FRIDAY

MAY 18

2012

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

George Lucas directed this film in 1973, before embarking on his Star Wars saga. Richard Dreyfuss starred in it. Harrison Ford, Suzanne Somers and many others appeared in it. And playing the star-crossed young lovers on one eventful night are Ron Howard and Cindy Williams — he soon to star in Happy Days, she soon to star in one of its spinoffs, Laverne & Shirley. All that, and it’s the movie that brought vintage rock back into play in a gorgeous soundtrack, too. (And speaking of vintage rock: Rock Around the Clock — the 1956 movie, not just the song — follows at 10 p.m. ET.

GRIMM

NBC, 9:00 p.m. ET

SEASON FINALE: It’s not the series finale, though, because this series was just renewed for a second season. That’s Grimm news – but hardly grim news.

THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW

HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET

On today’s show, Ricky Gervais asks Karl Pilkington to describe a typical day in the life of Karl Pilkington – and no sooner does Karl begin to comply than Ricky explodes with one of his appreciative, incredulous hyena laughs. Not only should this series be nominated for outstanding comedy series – Gervais deserves an Emmy for outstanding one-man laugh track.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER

HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET

It’s live television, and Dan Rather, who has a new book out, is one of Maher’s guests. Must-see viewing? You bet. You put Maher's irreverence next to Rather's unpredictability, and that's an interview worth anticipating...

THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON IN SCOTLAND

CBS, 12:37 a.m. ET

This special week of shows from Scotland – a week that’s been so entertaining – concludes tonight, with the host taking one more fact-paced tour around his homeland and home town. For my exclusive TV WORTH WATCHING INTERVIEW with Craig Ferguson about this week of shows, read HERE. Warning: the language is definitely for mature audiences only.

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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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