THURSDAY
OCTOBER 31
2013

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET

Originally televised by CBS in 1966, this is one of the two perfect Charles M. Schulz Peanuts specials – the other, of course, being the first, A Charlie Brown Christmas. And like that one, this is, at bottom, a cartoon about the value and strength of faith. This time it’s epitomized in Linus’ belief that the Great Pumpkin will visit him on Halloween, a faith that puts him, for a while, in a rough patch.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET

This prime-time special is a compilation of Halloween skits from past shows – and since there are nearly 40 years from which to draw, it ought to be filled with many more treats than tricks.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

All over the TV cable and satellite spectrum today, you can see marathons of spooky movie franchises: the Halloween movies on AMC (beginning at 10 a.m. ET), most of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies on Syfy (beginning at 9n a.m. ET), even the Saw movies on IFC (beginning at 3:45 p.m. ET). But for Halloween purists, one better place, especially if there are younger eyes still watching, is TCM’s lineup of classic horror films starring Vincent Price. The action starts at 8 p.m. ET with 1961’s The Pit and the Pendulum, a start that’s entire apro-Poe – and  continues all night and even into Friday morning, when TCM concludes with two of the best: 1968’s creepy witch-hunting drama The Conquerer Worm (at 6:30 a.m. Friday) and the wittiest serial-killer movie ever made, 1973’s Theatre of Blood (8:15 a.m. ET Friday), co-starring Diana Rigg and using the works of Shakespeare as inspiration for vengeful, imaginative bloodshed.

 
  
 
 

Comedy Central, 8:30 p.m. ET

This 1984 supernatural movie comedy may be the ultimate post-Halloween TV treat. Enjoy it with kids, and have marshmallows or Smores ready to enjoy at the climax. Bill Murray stars, Dan Aykroyd is wonderful, and Sigourney Weaver is great – especially when she’s possessed.

 
  
 
 

Sundance, 9:00 p.m. ET

MINISERIES PREMIERE: This eight-part miniseries from France is a lot of things even Sundance’s promos won’t tell you. First, it’s subtitled – but don’t let that deter you. Second, it unfolds so deliberately, revealing its surprises and shocks so meticulously and patiently, that to give even the most basic summary would rob The Returned of some of its fun, and wonder, and eerieness. The less you know about this eight-part psychological thriller going in, the better, so all I’ll say is this: Set in a remote small town in the French Alps, it starts with a disaster, introduces a pair of increasingly mysterious sisters (pictured), and eventually introduces a serial killer, a series of mysterious characters and events, and an overall creepiness that makes this a drama that lingers with you long after each episode is over. Truly, impressively creepy. For a full review, see Bianculli's Blog.

 

 
  
 
 
 
 
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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.