WEDNESDAY
JULY 30
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

Syfy, 7:00 p.m. ET

I know, I really shouldn’t be highlighting this 2013 Syfy movie. Yet after generating one unsuccessful hybrid monster schlockfest after another  – many of which are on view early today, as with Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus (9 a.m. ET), Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (1 p.m. ET), and Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark (3 p.m. ET) – the cable network finally hit it big with Sharknado, its small-screen equivalent of the media frenzy once generated by Snakes on a Plane. Nobody went to see that movie in theaters, but Sharknado, now as when it premiered last year, is available without leaving your living room. In other words, no one has to see you watching. And stay tuned, of course, for the brand new sequel, which touches down tonight at 9 ET.

 
  
 
 

CW, 8:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: Imported from England, this series allows Penn & Teller to do what Harry Houdini, in his last years, enjoyed doing: Witnessing various purported acts of magic and spiritualism, and calling them out as fakes. Penn & Teller may take a kinder approach to the amateur magicians they host on his show – but don’t bet on it.

 
  
 
 

CBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

In tonight’s episode, Molly (Halle Berry) flees to protect her son the robot – and finds she has other things that should be making her wary as well.

 
  
 
 

Syfy, 9:00 p.m. ET

The title of this 2014 sequel suggests how tongue-in-cheek the filmmakers are approaching this, and viewers should approach with that in mind. Ian Ziering and Tara Reid return for this second go-round, which is less of a draw than cameos by Kelly Ripa, Matt Lauer, Robert Klein and Viveca A. Fox. The true draw, of course, is the idea of the gloriously cheesy special effects, approximating giant funnel storms that deposit killer sharks all over New York. Personally, I’m waiting for a variation on the theme, one that would marry meteorology and zoology in even more bizarre ways. Why make more than one Sharknado? Why not move on to other grafted animal-filled storms? Submitted, for your approval: airborne bison in Herdicane. Piggish Northern Lights in Aurora Boar-ealis.  And, last and probably least, the potentially R-rated weather thriller, Kittytwister.

 
  
 
 

TV Land, 10:00 p.m. ET

Here’s something potentially scary: In tonight’s episode of Hot in Cleveland, the female characters, including Betty White, are portrayed as their animated counterparts. And here’s something even scarier: Getting the same two-dimensional treatment is Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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3695 Comments
 
 
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Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
Dave Bianculli
Golly Gerda, you make me blush with your kind words, but maybe instead of giving me praise, how about giving me a discount on your service bills!!!! ROTFLMBFFAO!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

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Mar 22, 2026
 
 
 
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Another great set of picks! My trucking partners and I share your recommendations over coffee. We rely on West Palm Beach Auto Glass Repair (https://westpalmbeachautoglassrepair.com) for vehicle service. TVWW makes the downtime worthwhile.
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
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Arvid Berggren
Long-time TVWW devotee here. I manage a commercial vehicle operation and Colorado Springs Mobile Mechanic (https://coloradospringcosmobilemechanic.com) keeps our fleet going. Bianculli's picks keep us sane during maintenance delays - essential reading!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Frida Sundberg
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Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
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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.