WEDNESDAY
JANUARY 24
2018

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET

Last year, the best, most entertaining and most absurdly comic and cosmic episode of The X-Files came courtesy of writer Darin Morgan, whose small but superb contributions to that show’s canon include such rule-breaking, playful, self-aware installments as “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose,” “Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space’ and last season’s ‘Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster.” Tonight, Morgan is at it again, with a new episode that begins with a Twilight Zone spoof, ends with some galactically appropriate political jokes, and plays with the entire X-Files canon, start to finish, in the middle. The episode is titled “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat,” and features Brian Huskey as Reggie, the third founding member of the X-Files team. Don’t remember Reggie? You may be a victim of the Mengele Effect, which this show has great fun explaining…

 
  
 
 

PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

When you go to the dentist, the discovery of cavities is bad news. But when you’re using a new scientific technique to scan for hitherto undiscovered secret rooms in the Great Pyramid of Giza, finding cavities is about as exciting as it gets. Last November, the Scan Pyramids research team, given special permission by the Egyptian government to use the non-invasive technique of bombarding the structure with sub-atomic particles, tracing their trajectories, and looking for temperature differences that suggest voids, or hidden rooms, within the pyramids. The Great Pyramid, unlike such burial monuments as King Tut’s Tomb, has never yielded any secret rooms, treasures or royal remains… but thanks to something called muograhy, that mystery may now be closer to being cracked. Look, ma! Some cavities! Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

In tonight’s episode two, the extended flashbacks continue as we spend most of our time not with murder victim Gianni Versace (though, played by Edgar Ramirez, Versace is shown mounting one of his glamorous fashion runway shows), but with his eventual killer, Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss, pictured). This hour of The Assassination of Gianni Versace shows Cunanan fleeing from other murders and arriving in Miami, setting up base near Versace’s opulent mansion.
 
  
 
 

Paramount, 10:00 p.m. ET

MINISERIES PREMIERE: This six-part dramatization of the 1993 faceoff between the FBI and David Koresh and his Branch Davidian religious sect is the first major dramatic production by the Paramount Network – which, until last week, was the network known as Spike TV. Now it’s trying to project a new, more mature image, and Waco, starring Taylor Kitsch from Friday Night Lights, is the first salvo in that new campaign. Michael Shannon from Boardwalk Empire co-stars as the FBI hostage negotiator who led the siege against the Branch Davidians. Of special note: This miniseries emanates in part from the Weinstein Company, whose credits have been removed after the publicity surrounding the sexual scandals involving Harvey Weinstein.

 
  
 
 

TBS, 10:30 p.m. ET

I wonder if Samantha Bee will ever experience a tough day in the writers’ room, where she gathers her staff and says, “How in the world are we going to turn this slow news week into an interesting satirical take on the headlines?” So far, that hasn’t exactly been her problem. And this week, again, is a newsy doozy…

 
  
 
 
 
 
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)
 
DUHJI
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 207  | Go to page: 
4137 Comments
 
 
Excellent analysis! Your perspective on this matter provides a lot of value to the community. I recently saved for future reference, and your points align perfectly with their updated guidelines. Thanks for putting this together.
Jul 6, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
The majority of coach bags labeling tend to be steel although not all are.
Jul 6, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
The appearance positively wonderful. All of these miniature info are fashioned utilizing massive amount historical past experience. I want it all significantly
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sialan para penipu ini karena telah mencuri uang dan kepercayaan orang lain.
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
??? ???? ??????. ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ????. ?? ??? ?????. ? ???? ??? ?? ?????.
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
?? ??? ? ?? ???? ???? ? ?? ?? ?? ? ????. ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ????
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
?? ??? ? ?? ???? ???? ? ?? ?? ?? ? ????. ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ????
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
?? ??? ? ?? ???? ???? ? ?? ?? ?? ? ????. ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ????
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
???
??? ???? ??????. ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ????. ?? ??? ?????. ? ???? ??? ?? ?????.
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
?? ??, ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
?? ??, ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
?? ??, ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I can see that you are an expert at your field! I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me .. Thanks for all your help and wishing you all the success in your business
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Penipu berkualitas rendah tanpa integritas dan penuh kebohongan.
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu yang memalukan memangsa orang-orang dengan klaim palsu dan kebohongan.
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
You have a good point here! I totally agree with what you have said !! Thanks for sharing your views. hope more people will read this article !!
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Very rapidly this site will be famous among all blogging and site-building users, due to it's good articles
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu licik menjalankan operasi kotor yang dibangun di atas kebohongan dan penipuan.
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sialan para penipu ini karena telah mencuri uang dan kepercayaan orang lain.
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I have learn several good stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how so much effort you place to make this type of fantastic informative web site.
Jul 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 207  | 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.