TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 23
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

CBS, 8:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: Next year it will be 20 years since NBC premiered JAG, a drama about lawyers working in the Navy. NBC canceled that show after one season, but CBS picked it up, and watched it develop into a hit series that ran for a decade. And in the interim, in 2003, CBS launched a spinoff series, called NCIS, which now is the most popular drama series on television, and has launched several spinoffs of its own. (Basically, NCIS is to NBC what The Beatles are to Pete Best.) And tonight, on the same evening NCIS launches its latest spinoff, NCIS: New Orleans, it also presents the season premiere of its own series. Season premiere number 12.

 
  
 
 

ABC, 9:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: Two different drama series, on two different networks, begin their new seasons tonight with plots that are remarkably similar: In order to survive, and combat the bad guys, a team of heroes goes underground, adopting new identities to evade detection while planning their next moves against the evil forces amassed against them. On this series, Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), already revived from the dead at the start of this series, has to exercise his talents for rebirth once again, as he gathers what’s left of S.H.I.E.L.D. and recruits new faces as well. This allows for some new recurring guest stars, including – ready? – Lucy Lawless, who shows up tonight as a trusted former colleague of Coulson’s, and who is a great get for any series, genre or otherwise.

 
  
 
 

CBS, 9:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: This new CBS series was presented initially as a back-door pilot (with Scott Bakula, the star of New Orleans, established as a Southern NCIS cohort in a regular episode of NCIS, opposite flagship series star Mark Harmon). Now the baby bird flies from tne nest and goes out on its own. Will it soar in the ratings? No question, really. If there’s any show this season that’s guaranteed to succeed, NCIS: New Orleans is it.

 
  
 
 

CBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: Two different drama series, on two different networks, begin their new seasons tonight with plots that are remarkably similar: In order to survive, and combat the bad guys, a team of heroes goes underground, adopting new identities to evade detection while planning their next moves against the evil forces amassed against them. On this series, Finch (Michael Emerson) and his team have to separate, and assume alter egos, so that the evil new supercomputer, Samaritan, can’t track them down. That makes the new super-surveillance machine a Bad Samaritan – and this new season a basic reboot of the series premise. Instead of working for such an artificial intelligence, this gang is now working against one.

 
  
 
 

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

To say that, in this show’s final season, it’s gone to the dark side is a bit of an understatement. Jax (Charlie Hunnam) has gone from being tortured (agonizing over the death of his wife) to being torturer (brutalizing and killing the man he was told was responsible). And since he acted on bad information, from his own murderous mother (Katey Sagal), things are setting up for one nasty Freudian climax: a veritable case of Oedipus wrecks.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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)
 
DVYFF
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 268  | Go to page: 
5348 Comments
 
 
Thank you for some other informative blog. Where else could I get that type of information written in such an ideal means? I have a mission that I’m just now working on, and I have been at the look out for such information.
Nov 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Amazing website sir. A great information given by you in this blog. It really informative and very helpful. Thank you.
Nov 7, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
That is certainly on top of that a superb send i always basically liked mastering. It may not be everyday that any of us store the chance to determine the one thing.
Nov 7, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. This is very nice one and gives indepth information. Thanks for this nice article.
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value. Im glad to have found this post as its such an interesting one! I am always on the lookout for quality posts and articles so i suppose im lucky to have found this! I hope you will be adding more in the future...
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Glad to chat your blog, I seem to be forward to more reliable articles and I think we all wish to thank so many good articles, blog to share with us
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I am so pleased I situated your blog site, I actually situated you by mistake, while I was taking a look at on google for another point, Anyways I am below now in addition to additionally would certainly just like to insist give thanks to for an outstanding blog post along with an all-around entertaining internet site
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is a great post. I like this topic.This site has lots of advantage.I found many interesting things from this site. It helps me in many ways.Thanks for posting this again
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sweet internet site , super pattern , real clean and employ genial .
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. Thanks..
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Really amazing post. I just stumbled beside your blog. I will definitely suggest your blog to all of my friends. Thanks for sharing this valuable information for free
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I am definitely enjoying your website. You definitely have some great insight and great stories.
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next pos
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Great knowledge, do anyone mind merely reference back to it
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I have read your excellent post. This is a great job. I have enjoyed reading your post first time. I want to say thanks for this post. Thank you..
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This specific seems to be definitely excellent. These very small facts are produced using wide range of qualifications know-how. I favor the idea a good deal
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Nice post! This is a very nice blog that I will definitively come back to more times this year! Thanks for informative post
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I'm really enjoying the design and layout of your site. It's a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme? Superb work!
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next pos
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 268  | 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.