SATURDAY
JULY 27
2013

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

BBC America, 7:00 p.m. ET

As BBC America works its way through the history of the various Doctors – while working its way towards the show’s upcoming 50th anniversary in November – it’s now up to The Seventh Doctor, the title of tonight’s special. It’s a profile of the incarnation of the Doctor played by Sylvester McCoy, who embodied the doctor for a brief run from 1987 to 1989. The tribute also includes a taste of Doctor Who episodes of the McCoy vintage.

 
  
 
 

Oxygen, 8:00 p.m. ET

This 2006 movie is most remembered for its star turn by Meryl Streep, who was nominated for an Oscar (but did not win) for her role as an imperious fashion editor, and for Anne Hathaway’s star-making turn as her new assistant. But the supporting cast is worth a second look. In addition to Stanley Tucci, who’s always great, there are key roles by actors who would attain greater fame after this film was released: Emily Blunt, Simon Baker and Adrian Grenier.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

What a delight. Dustin Hoffman is a revelation as Dorothy, the woman he pretends to be to further himself as an actor – but he’s no less impressive as Michael, the passionate actor so dedicated to his craft.  His on-screen arguments with Sydney Pollack, who also directed this film, are classic. And Bill Murray, Jessica Lange, Geena Davis, Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, Charles During – all of them add something special to this breezy, witty comedy, which has heart as well as laughs. Larry Gelbart co-wrote the screenplay, so that’s no surprise.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 10:00 p.m. ET

This 1982 movie, a thinly veiled behind-the-scenes look at TV’s classic Your Show of Shows variety series, was produced by Brooksfilms. That’s Mel Brooks’ company, and Brooks, of course, was one of the writers on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows through its entire run. Richard Benjamin directs this wild comedy, which stars Joseph Bologna in the Caesar-type role, Mark Linn-Baker as the wide-eyed young comedy writer, and Peter O’Toole as a wild and crazy actor, a former matinee idol signed as the week’s guest star. I love TV history, and this movie gets it so right, I love this movie, too.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 12:00 a.m. ET

Barry Levinson arrived, big time, with this 1982 character study, a smart and tender look at a bunch of friends in Baltimore at the end of the 1950s. Levinson both wrote and directed this movie, and deserves equal credit for both. He also deserves praise for his eye for casting, because the group of actors he assembled here is top-notch, and catches most of them at the start of their careers. Daniel Stern. Mickey Rourke. Kevin Bacon. Steve Guttenberg. Paul Reiser. Ellen Barkin. Tim Daly. And the whole hang-out-at-the-diner, argue-about-insignificant-things approach? Wecome to the clear prototype for Seinfeld.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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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.