MONDAY

FEBRUARY 23

2015

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

SEASON OPENER: For tonight’s opening Season 8 installment, the blind auditions – this show’s best feature – begin again. The judges in the swivel chairs this time around (and around, and around) are stalwarts Blake Shelton and Adam Levine, both of whom have turned this NBC musical showcase into new levels of stardom, Pharell Williams, and, returning after some time off, Christina Aguilera. The new season will not resemble those high-concept promos from the Super Bowl, in which Aguilera lorded over a futuristic, Thunderdome-type arena competition. Though, honestly, I wish NBC had followed through and done precisely that…

THE LEGEND OF LEAD BELLY

Smithsonian, 8:00 p.m. ET

This new Smithsonian TV documentary about the convicted murderer and composer of “Goodnight Irene” and other standards is televised the day before a new major boxed set, Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection, is released on CD. But it stands on its own, in no small part because it includes not only vintage clips, but newly recorded testimonials from such enthusiasts as Van Morrison. Many questions are answered, but here’s one of mine: I have no idea when people started spelling Huddie Ledbetter’s stage and recording name, Leadbelly, as two words. To me, it seems a bit arbi trary…

ANNIE HALL

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

Very few comedies have won the Oscar as Best Picture. Woody Allen’s Annie Hall did, in 1977, and deserved it, even against a field that included the first installment of Star Wars. It’s a great movie, Diane Keaton gives a fabulous performance – and if you watch the film now, almost 40 years later, you can catch traces of all of today’s most cutting-edge TV comedies, up to and including Louie.

CITIZENFOUR

HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET

Less than 24 hours after winning an Oscar, Laura Poitras’ 2014 documentary about federal whistleblower Edward Snowden premieres on TV tonight, on HBO. Will you be watching, and listening? According to Snowden, someone usually is.

BETTER CALL SAUL

AMC, 10:00 p.m. ET

I’m excited: I haven’t seen tonight’s Episode 4 in advance, because AMC sent only the first three installments for preview. So I’m anticipating this episode as eagerly as any TV-viewing “civilian,” including, perhaps, you. Here’s hoping we all have a great time.

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART

Comedy Central, 11:00 p.m. ET

Knowing that every remaining episode featuring Jon Stewart is something to cherish, I suggest that some of them may be even more valuable than others. Like tonight’s, because Stewart, who is enough of a wonk to be fluent talking about the intricacies of national and global economies, has as his guest Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Don’t look for Lagarde on, say, The Tonight Show – but don’t miss her here.

THE NIGHTLY SHOW WITH LARRY WILMORE

Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. ET

So far, since his launch, Larry Wilmore pretty much has done without A-list guests – or B-list ones, for that matter. But tonight, The Nightly Show makes room for its biggest star since the show’s premiere: Martin Short.

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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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BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

Smithsonian, 8:00 p.m. ET

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET

AMC, 10:00 p.m. ET

Comedy Central, 11:00 p.m. ET

Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. ET

David Bianculli

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