FRIDAY
OCTOBER 31
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

BBC America, 8:00 p.m. ET

Happy Halloween. If you want genuinely creepy TV fare to go along with your spooky festivities, this 1991 high-class, Oscar-winning horror classic is the way to go. Especially if you show the movie with specially prepared TV dinners, with fava beans and a nice chianti. Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster star.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

These are your father’s zombies. Maybe your grandfather’s. But made in 1968, George Romero’s low-budget 1968 movie about the brain-hungry, flesh-seeking undead would inspire the genre for decades, no less than Tod Browning’s 1931 Dracula. Dollar for dollar, it must be one of the most influential horror movies ever made.

 
  
 
 

PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET

The reopening of the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center certainly is cause for celebration, in any event. But this particular event (taped, not live, at least in TV terms) is especially welcome. Michael Feinstein opens his Americana songbook, and opens the door of the Rainbow Room to a handful of selected guests, all of whom fill the place with music, and a very entertained invited audience, for an hour. Among the guests: Christine Ebersole. Among the highlights: Nebraska actress June Squibb singing a Sophie Tucker number that I may adopt as my theme song: “I’m Living Alone and I Like It.” Check local listings.
 
  
 
 

HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET

Tonight’s show is heavy on second-tier celebrities, but ones who are very active in politics: Kal Penn (seen, in photo, with another politically connected guy you might recognize) and Eva Longoria. And with midterm elections around the corner, their perspectives on minority voting turnout and trends may prove quite insightful. Also on the bill: Gen. Wesley Clark and Sen. Angus King.

 
  
 
 

HBO, 11:00 p.m. ET

The city providing the setting and inspiration for tonight’s installment is Nashville. Dave Grohl visits with country legends old and new (represented, respectively, by Dolly Parton and Carrie Underwood). There’s a new song – and on the same night, at the same time in real life, the Foo Fighters also are in Nashville, hosting a sold-out, come-in-costume concert at the famed Ryman Auditorium.   

 
  
 
 
 
 
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 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
LJGNP
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 191  | Go to page: 
3809 Comments
 
 
Thanks for your marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a great author. I will remember to bookmark your blog and may come back in the foreseeable future. I want to encourage that you continue your great writing, have a nice evening!
Apr 24, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu kelas rendah melakukan apa yang paling mereka kuasai—berbohong, menipu, dan menghilang dengan uang orang lain.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan para penipu itu, tangkap mereka dan persetan dengan mereka karena telah menipu banyak orang.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu yang memalukan memangsa orang-orang dengan klaim palsu dan kebohongan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This article is packed with insights! I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into making it so engaging. Well done!
Apr 22, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Such an amazing read! Your ability to explain things in a simple yet detailed way is truly impressive.
Apr 22, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
Dave Bianculli
Hey sweetie,

It's not that complicated! It's TV!!! Do what I do!!!!! Grab a six pack of Miller Lite, crack the first one open and drink it. Rinse and repeat!!!!!!! ROTFLMBFFAO!!!!!!!!!

Just let the TV flow over you.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

Dave
Apr 21, 2026
 
 
 
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This was well explained since it stayed concise and clear. Thanks for sharing this insight.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini adalah pembohong profesional. Siapa pun yang mempercayai mereka hanya ikut memperkuat penipuan mereka.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan para penipu itu, tangkap mereka dan persetan dengan mereka karena telah menipu banyak orang.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia tangkap situs web sialan itu
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Practical stream
A thoughtful reflection on TV criticism’s evolution and legacy—blending nostalgia, personal memories, and appreciation for creators who shaped meaningful viewing experiences.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sialan para penipu ini karena telah mencuri uang dan kepercayaan orang lain.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Situs web ini benar-benar penipuan, jangan percayai mereka.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Perilaku penipuan murni. Bajingan-bajingan ini tidak punya moral dan tidak ragu-ragu menipu orang lain.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Hanya sekelompok penipu lain yang melakukan bisnis kotor secara online.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 191  | 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.