PBS, 8:00 p.m. ET
This third installment in the new season of this PBS series is devoted to Superheroes, from Adventures of Superman and the campy TV version of Batman to The Greatest American Hero. It does feature one of the last interviews with Robert Culp, and one factoid I didn’t know before previewing it: the creator of Wonder Woman comics also invented the lie detector, which was reflected in his heroine’s truth-compelling “golden lasso.” But so many of the stories told here, like so many of the scenes shown, are sadly shallow, familiar, or both. As a “Super” show, this edition of TV history is maddeningly Super-ficial. Check local listings.
Cinemax, 8:00 p.m. ET
Yo, Adrian! This boxing movie won the Oscar as the best picture of 1976 — an award it didn’t really deserve, not in a year when the other nominees were All the President’s Men, Taxi Driver, Network and Bound for Glory. But you have to give it to Sylvester Stallone, who wrote the script, for refusing to sell it unless he got to play the lead, thus launching his movie-star career. And for those of us who live in and around Philadelphia, Rocky is a terrific snapshot of Philly in the year of America’s Bicentennial.
PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET
This new American Experience biography fits its subject to a T – a Model T, the automotive innovation that made Ford both an icon and a tycoon. His impact on the history and popularity of cars remains obvious; his impact on production assembly lines, even more so. Check local listings.
BBC America, 10:00 p.m. ET
The popular actor from
Lost and
Lord of the Rings takes his second week behind the reins of this new nature series, seeking out strange things in strange lands. Tonight he descends into an underground cave, on an inflated kayak, in hopes of finding a giant spider that was identified only in this century. It’s an ambitious quest, with a charming and impressive finale. For a review of the show, and an interview with Monaghan, see
Bianculli’s Blog.
FX, 10:00 p.m. ET
Last week, Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) showed up for a scheduled tough-guy duel with Randall (guest star Robert Baker), the immensely strong – and violent – ex-husband of Raylan’s new girlfriend, Lindsey (Jenn Lyon). But Randall didn’t, and before the episode was over, Lindsey was gone, too, along with Raylan’s money. Tonight, Raylan goes in search of all three.