SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 22
2015

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

CBS, 7:00 p.m. ET

Last week, 60 Minutes presented the final report by correspondent Bob Simon, who had died earlier that week, a passenger claimed by a tragic, brutal New York traffic accident. This week, an expanded episode of 60 Minutes is all about celebrating Simon and his long, impressive journalistic career. The first half hour is a profile, and includes interviews with many of Simon’s 60 Minutes producers and other colleagues – and the remaining hour repeats three of Simon’s full-length stories, on the war in Bosnia, survivors of the tsunami, and poor people in Paraguay who formed a symphony orchestra after making instruments crafted from garbage. Those stories, respectively, won Simon personal Emmys number 14, 20 and 27 – and 60 Minutes does his memory, and CBS’s viewers, a service by repeating them. For an appreciation of Bob Simon's career, see Noel Holston's The Grassy Noel.
 
  
 
 

HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

Episode 3. HBO provided only the first two episodes of this six-part documentary profile for review, so I don’t know what happens in this third installment. But man, am I eager to find out, because this study of Robert Durst has only begun to tap into interviews filmmaker Andrew Jarecki conducted with him – and so far, this is the most compelling nonfiction murder mystery series since Serial.

 
  
 
 

ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET

Neil Patrick Harris is hosting the Oscars tonight, for the first time. Already, he’s done great work as host of the Tonys and the Emmys – which means, if CBS lets Harris host the Grammys at some point, he’ll be the first performer in show-biz history to complete the EGOT for hosting. Meanwhile, be happy we have him here – Harris is a fabulous live-TV performer – and also be happy he’ll be singing a number written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez – who won an Oscar last year for their song “Let it Go.” You may have heard of it. Oh, and don’t forget to stay tuned, after the local news on the East Coast and at 10 p.m. PT, for Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars, an always entertaining way to end the black-tie, red-carpet ABC evening.

 
  
 
 

PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET

This week’s episode of Downton, even though it airs opposite the Oscars, is a can’t-miss episode, so be sure to record it for later viewing. Rose and Atticus encounter lots of drama, and potential derailings, as their wedding day approaches – though Lily James, as Rose, gets to wear a beautiful gown (as she’s about to do, again, as the titular star in the new live-action movie version of Cinderella. Several other characters on tonight’s Downton make key decisions regarding their own romantic relationships as well. There’s also a very sweet, emotional conclusion to the episode, and more drama, especially at the police station. To say more would be to spoil the fun – but this installment is fun, so catch it when you can. Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

AMC, 9:00 p.m. ET

Last week’s episode ended with a new non-zombie character approaching the survivors and asking to meet their leader. In the past, this type of interaction hasn’t worked out too well – on The Walking Dead, the walkers have turned out to be a lot less deadly than the remaining humans. But this new guy, played by Ross Marquand, could be a good guy after all. If, that is, he’s playing Aaron, a character from the graphic novels who made his first appearance about now in that narrative (which the TV show follows sometimes, but not always).

 

 
  
 
 

HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET

Hannah (Lena Dunham) had a really rough time of it last week, coming back from Iowa and the writers’ workshop to find Adam with a new girlfriend – and still living in Hannah’s old apartment. This week, things don’t start out much better, but the episode, in other story lines, does manage to make room for some noteworthy guest stars: Jason Ritter, playing another prospective employer facing Shoshanna’s astounding attitude, and Marc Maron, playing a very droll community board member at a public hearing, facing another brand of astounding attitude, this time from Ray.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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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.