FRIDAY
JANUARY 22
2016

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

Amazon Prime Video, 12:00 a.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: David Tennant did something quite unusual in the history of TV series adapted from overseas with new American remakes: He starred in both the original Broadchurch and the USA remake’s Gracepoint, playing the same character but with different accents. Well, starting today on Amazon, Ben Chaplin stars in this new Americanized (or Amazonized) version of Mad Dogs, after starring in the original British series of the same name. But this time, he’s decided to play a completely different role than the first time around. It’s about four guys whose vacation trip to an untouched wilderness in Belize turns out to be much more of an adventure, and much more potentially deadly, than they imagined. Think of it as Deliverance played for laughs – a few, anyway. Michael Imperioli and Steve Zahn co-star in this expanded American retelling, which begins today.

 
  
 
 

PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: Soprano Anna Netrebko makes her debut at the Met as Leonora, the tragic heroine in this Verdi opera, which opens Season 10 of this valuable PBS series. Dmitri Hvorostovsky co-stars as Count di Luna, and Dolora Zajick plays Azucena the Gypsy. Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

Showtime, 9:00 p.m. ET

The National Lampoon is a magazine, spawned from alumni of the Harvard Lampoon, that deserves to be remembered and celebrated, as it is in this new documentary. Though it contributed so much more to the history of humor, it deserves that honor on the basis of one outrageous cover illustration and headline alone – the one with a gun pointed to the head of a worried-looking canine, with the headline, “If You Don’t Buy This Magazine, We’ll Kill This Dog.” The National Lampoon, at that time in 1973, cost 75 cents – but that cover was priceless.

 
  
 
 

Starz!, 9:00 p.m. ET

This 2015 Avengers movie, the latest in the Marvel Comics franchise on the big screen, is a big movie in every aspect – big budget, big running time (two hours, 22 minutes), big box-office (almost half a billion dollars in the U.S. alone), and a big, big cast of superheroes. Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Black Widow, the Hulk, Hawkeye – they’re all here, up against a Big Bad that sounds a lot like James Spader. Because he provides the voice of Ultron, the latest threat to the planet, and life as we know it, in the Marvel universe.

 
  
 
 

HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET

Everyone from Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers to Larry Wilmore and Trevor Noah have had fun, the last few days, reacting to Sarah Palin’s wordy and rambling endorsement of Donald Trump this week. Tonight, it’s Bill Maher’s turn.

 
  
 
 
 
 
Read and add comments HERE for today's Best Bets!
 
 
 
 
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3808 Comments
 
 
Para penipu kelas rendah melakukan apa yang paling mereka kuasai—berbohong, menipu, dan menghilang dengan uang orang lain.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan para penipu itu, tangkap mereka dan persetan dengan mereka karena telah menipu banyak orang.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu yang memalukan memangsa orang-orang dengan klaim palsu dan kebohongan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This article is packed with insights! I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into making it so engaging. Well done!
Apr 22, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Such an amazing read! Your ability to explain things in a simple yet detailed way is truly impressive.
Apr 22, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
Dave Bianculli
Hey sweetie,

It's not that complicated! It's TV!!! Do what I do!!!!! Grab a six pack of Miller Lite, crack the first one open and drink it. Rinse and repeat!!!!!!! ROTFLMBFFAO!!!!!!!!!

Just let the TV flow over you.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

Dave
Apr 21, 2026
 
 
 
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This was well explained since it stayed concise and clear. Thanks for sharing this insight.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini adalah pembohong profesional. Siapa pun yang mempercayai mereka hanya ikut memperkuat penipuan mereka.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan para penipu itu, tangkap mereka dan persetan dengan mereka karena telah menipu banyak orang.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia tangkap situs web sialan itu
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Practical stream
A thoughtful reflection on TV criticism’s evolution and legacy—blending nostalgia, personal memories, and appreciation for creators who shaped meaningful viewing experiences.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sialan para penipu ini karena telah mencuri uang dan kepercayaan orang lain.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Situs web ini benar-benar penipuan, jangan percayai mereka.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Perilaku penipuan murni. Bajingan-bajingan ini tidak punya moral dan tidak ragu-ragu menipu orang lain.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Hanya sekelompok penipu lain yang melakukan bisnis kotor secara online.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sialan para penipu ini karena telah mencuri uang dan kepercayaan orang lain.
Apr 20, 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.