2021
 
 
 
 
 
 
2020
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2012
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2010
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2009
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2008
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2007
 
 
 
 
 
 
2001
 
 
 
 
1998
 
 
 
 
1990
 
 
 
 
1989
 
 
 
 
1987
 
 
 
 
1985
 
 
 
 
1982
 
 
 
 
1980
 
 
 
SATURDAY
AUGUST 23
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 
THE SIMPSONS MARATHON

FXX, Check local listings

All day, and for the rest of the month and beyond, The Simpsons will be on FXX any time you tune in there. But I highly recommend making a point to catch or record the network late tonight, at 1:30 a.m. ET, when FXX presents “Who Shot Mr. Burns?,” the brilliantly funny two-parter that ended Season 6 with a cliffhanger, and opened Season 7 with a very satisfying conclusion back in 1995. The two-part mystery riffed on everything from Dallas to Twin Peaks, including a dream sequence in which Chief Wiggum is fed cryptic clues by a backwards-talking Lisa in a weird red room.

 
  
 
 
DOCTOR WHO TAKEOVER WEEK

BBC America, 8:00 a.m. ET

I’ve absolutely loved this week-long marathon of modern Doctor Who episodes, and I’ve finally realized why. I’ve set my DVR to record my very favorite episodes, even though I already have them on DVD – and whenever I’m home, I’m switching between this marathon, and the FXX mega-marathon of The Simpsons, enjoying old delights and noticing new ones. And while I slept overnight, my DVR recorded the first Doctor Who appearance by Jenna Coleman, the current companion, who first showed up in a different role, then was reintroduced as Clara, the role she portrays in all of today’s episodes, opposite Matt Smith. So what I finally realized, revisiting these old Doctor Who episodes out of order, is that I’m popping in on all of these Doctor Who time lines whenever I want, in any order. I’m a TV Time Lord, using my TiVo, and BBC America, as my virtual video TARDIS. What fun. And what a cleverly written show.

 
  
 
 
THE BIG INTERVIEW WITH DAN RATHER

AXS TV, 8:00 p.m. ET

On his post-CBS cable and satellite TV home, exiled like Napoleon at Elba, Dan Rather continues to hold court at AXS TV, headlining documentaries and conducting extending interviews – like this one, with former American Idol judge Simon Cowell. There’s a cynically obvious reason for the booking of this particular interview – the AXS TV network has obtained U.S. telecast rights for Cowell’s The X Factor U.K., the ongoing original British version of X Factor that begins Season 11 later this month, with executive producer Cowell returning to the judging panel after years away from the camera. Those programs will be imported by AXS TV beginning Sunday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m. ET. And in the meantime, Rather visits Cowell for an in-depth conversation about exactly how Cowell amassed his clout and fame, while assessing the talent of others.

 
  
 
 
DOCTOR WHO

BBC America, 8:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: After a week of Doctor Who repeats, here comes what all the show’s fans have been waiting to see: The first Season 8 episode of the new Doctor Who, introducing the latest regeneration of the Doctor – now played by Peter Capaldi, who inherits his fabulous co-star, Jenna Coleman as the Doctor’s time-traveling companion, Clara. Coleman has such a vibrant presence on screen, and has been so good, so magnetic, and sometimes so chameleonic, throughout her run on this show, that I expect bigger roles will come to her quickly in the years to come. For Capaldi, the oldest Doctor in quite a while, this is the biggest role for his lifetime – and he knows it. Though, if you want a look at a much younger Capaldi, and a pre-stardom Hugh Grant as well, I strongly recommend seeking out Ken Russell’s kinky camp horror classic, 1988’s The Lair of the White Worm, based on a story by Dracula creator Bram Stoker. It stars Amanda Donohoe, later of L.A. Law, as a serpentine demon seductress, and features some of the most knowingly funny and twisted scenes ever included in a horror film. But back to the new Doctor Who, David. Take a deep breath – and recommend “Deep Breath,” the season-opening episode introducing Capaldi as the new Doctor.
 
  
 
 
THE INTRUDERS

BBC America, 10:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: I’ve seen only the first two episodes of this new series – certainly not nearly enough to figure out what’s going on, much less whether this series is worth watching in the long run. My first impression is a reluctant no – partly because most of the early performances are as overdone as the violence. Mira Sorvino doesn’t even get enough of a chance to be judged fairly in the early episodes, but others do – and even the youngest players seem miscast. Glen Morgan is the guy behind this complicated story about consciousness hopping from body to body – and while his X-Files lineage bodes well, his subsequent overseeing of NBC’s dismal reboot of The Bionic Woman does not.

 
  
 
 
 
 
Read and add comments HERE for today's Best Bets!
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment: (No HTML, 1000 chars max)
 
 Name (required)
 
 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
BIAKD
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 211  | Go to page: 
4210 Comments
 
 
I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I Was Eagerly Looking For Content Like This, Right To The Point And Detailed As Well Accordingly Depending Upon The Matter/Topic. You Have Managed This Greatly For Sure
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
???
Uncommon tips and clear. This will be to a great degree supportive for me when I get a chance to start my blog
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
i really like this article please keep it up
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Stunning! Such an astonishing and accommodating post this is. I super love it. It's so great thus amazing. I am simply stunned. I trust that you keep on doing your work like this later on moreover
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I am propelled by the information that you have on this blog. It demonstrates how well you grasp this subject
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
???
Cool stuff you have and you keep overhaul every one of us
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
???
Cool stuff you have and you keep overhaul every one of us
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is my first time visit to your blog and I am very interested in the articles that you serve. Provide enough knowledge for me. Thank you for sharing useful and don't forget, keep sharing useful info:
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
thank you for your interesting infomation
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Thanks for a very interesting blog. What else may I get that kind of info written in such a perfect approach? I’ve a undertaking that I am simply now operating on, and I have been at the look out for such info
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
i was just browsing along and came upon your blog. just wanted to say good blog and this article really helped me
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini mengira orang-orang itu bodoh. Modus penipuan yang sama, omong kosong yang sama.
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This farewell page feels unusually personal for a recommendations site. What I appreciate most is the attention to habit: returning to shows, voices, and small details over time. That same kind of close listening matters in music practice too, where separating a full mix into parts can make hidden details easier to notice.
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This closing note has a nice sense of memory and gratitude. I especially liked the way it treats television criticism as something personal rather than just a list of recommendations. It made me think about how much of media work is really about listening closely, saving small details, and returning to them later. I often do that with music practice as well, using simple tools like https://tunestems.com/ to separate parts and hear what is happening underneath the full mix.
Jul 13, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Situs web ini benar-benar penipuan, jangan percayai mereka.
Jul 12, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini pantas untuk diungkap kebohongan dan kebusukan mereka.
Jul 12, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu kelas rendah melakukan apa yang paling mereka kuasai—berbohong, menipu, dan menghilang dengan uang orang lain.
Jul 12, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I can set up my new idea from this post. It gives in depth information. Thanks for this valuable information for all
Jul 12, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I just want to let you know that I just check out your site and I find it very interesting and informative .
Jul 12, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 211  | Go to page: 
 
 

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.
 
 
New From TVWW

PBS' 'Frontline’ Examines Pension Promises and — Spoiler Alert — Finds the Math Doesn’t Add Up
By Alex Strachan
 
 
 
 
The Decadence of ‘Versailles’ Comes to Ovation
By David Hinckley
 
 
 
 
Prescribing Mamie Gummer in 'Emily Owens, M.D.'
By Ed Bark
 
 
 
 
Looking for a Free Ride? HBO Can Deliver
By Christy Slewinski
 
 
 
 
'Pass the Biscuits' Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Pop-Culture Legacy
By Noel Holston