WEDNESDAY

MARCH 8

2017

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

CBS, 8:00 p.m. ET

CYCLE PREMIERE: Because Survivor tends to turn out two editions per year, its competitions are more technically cycles than seasons. But as CBS is describing the granddaddy of reality competition shows, Survivor is now on Season 34 – and has been cranking out variations on its outplay-outwit-outlast theme since the year 2000. Tonight’s new cycle is set in the Mamanuca Islands, and the Game Changers in the titles are, like this game’s All-Stars, previous Survivor competitors, returning for another run. And jump. And swim, and everything else.

CLEOPATRA

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

Robert Osborne is gone, but far from forgotten – and the legacy he left, of appreciating and showcasing films and filmmakers, will survive so long as TCM stands. Which, for my money (going to my very hefty cable and satellite bill), should be eternal. Meanwhile, TCM’s Star of the Month is Richard Burton – and the movies featuring him tonight also feature his most famous significant other, Elizabeth Taylor. The evening starts with the 1963 movie that got the two of them together, on-screen and off.

LEGION

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

We’re up to chapter five of this new FX series from Noah Hawley. The plot isn’t getting any clearer – but in this case, that’s not a complaint. And this week, Jean Smart gets even more fun stuff to do… For more on, and from, Jean Smart, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

TCM, 12:15 a.m. ET

This 1967 movie, a rowdy and bawdy cinematic exploration of the fiery Shakespeare comedy, benefits greatly from a Shrewd bit of casting. Elizabeth Taylor plays the spitfire who rails against men and romance, and Richard Burton plays the man determined to romance her into submission. Feminists may want to skip the final scenes, but embracing it as a classic is totally acceptable. And what a wild ride this is…

DR. FAUSTUS

TCM, 2:30 a.m. ET

The same year Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor filmed William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, they filmed another movie based on a classic play: This telling of the Faust story, by Shakespeare contemporary Christopher Marlowe. Burton plays a man tempted by the Devil – and by Taylor, who embodies several forms and guises, from satanic demon to Helen of Troy. Her wardrobe and makeup choices don’t make Dr. Faustus amazing – but they sure do make it memorable.

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3685 Comments

Gerda Lundgren

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Mar 21, 2026 | Reply

Dave Bianculli

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Sincerely,

Dave

Mar 22, 2026

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Mar 21, 2026 | Reply

Arvid Berggren

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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.

New From TVWW

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

CBS, 8:00 p.m. ET

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

TCM, 12:15 a.m. ET

TCM, 2:30 a.m. ET

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