SATURDAY
DECEMBER 20
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

TNT, 7:45 p.m. ET

Nobody gets in to see the Wizard. Not nobody, not nohow! Not unless you have cable – in which case, you can tune to TNT tonight and see, almost casually, the annual movie-on-TV event that was so significant, and so eagerly awaited, when I was a child that I wrote about it in advance, in a countdown, in my diary at age 7. And today, by the way, is the final day of my Personal History of Television exhibition at the Apexart gallery in New York, where that very diary is on display under glass. But that’s just for laughs. More seriously, on display, are such things as Rod Serling’s typewriters, Fred Rogers’ sneakers and sweater, and the writers-room scene-by-scene notecard breakdown of the final episode of Breaking Bad. And yes, Wizard of Oz is represented, too, on one of the video wall TV history displays. The exhibition is free – and it’s been fun. At least for me.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

Here’s a truly informative “compare and contrast” exercise, though it takes a full day to complete. Tonight in prime time, NBC presents a repeat of last year’s live TV theatrical event, starring Carrie Underwood in the 2013 adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Then, tomorrow night at the same time, ABC presents the 1965 movie version of the same musical, starring Julie Andrews. Guess who wins?

 
  
 
 

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

Shailene Woodley stars as Tris in this 2014 action movie, one of the latest films to aim squarely at the young audience by building a drama, and a potential franchise, around a defiant, strong and independent young woman. And Divergent hit its mark, so there will be more.

 
  
 
 

BBC America, 10:00 p.m. ET

Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey are on hand in this new edition, to promote Dumb and Dumber To – but look who else is on hand, as a big bonus. There’s Tamsin Greig, the Episodes actress I absolutely adore – and Jude Law, about whom many women I know feel likewise.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 11:29 p.m. ET

Amy Adams, star of Big Eyes, is the guest host for tonight’s new episode. The musical guests: One Direction.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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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.