SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 9
2019

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

PBS, HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET

Morgan Neville’s wonderful, inspirational and almost certainly tear-inducing documentary on Fred Rogers, the disarmingly honest and empathic host of PBS’s Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, comes to TV tonight after a heartwarmingly successful run in theaters. Its TV debut is significant, too, because of its inclusiveness: It premieres on the premium service HBO, which will continue to show it at other times this month, but for this first-night TV premiere, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is simulcast on the PBS series Independent Lens. Considering Rogers’ long and constant commitment to public television (he not only appeared on public TV before it became PBS, but almost single-handedly secured the funding to continue it), the documentary’s availability on public TV is symbolic as well as perfect. When you watch this program tonight – and you must – I predict its messages, of civility and inclusion and empathy – not only will make you think, but will make you weep. One word of warning, however: I’m in here somewhere, briefly, providing a TV historian’s perspective on the impact and importance of Fred Rogers. But watch it anyway, please. And record it, because you’ll want to see it more than once, all the way to the emotional closing credits. Beautifully done, Mr. Neville.
 
  
 
 

BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET

This is such an enjoyable new nature documentary series, in part because it’s such an inspired hybrid of the old and new. Its storytelling approach, singling out one family of creatures (tonight: painted wolves) and following them like a drama, goes all the way back to the early Walt Disney and Wild Kingdom nature shorts. Yet the technological tools it uses, capturing the sound and sight of these animals, day and night, over a period of years, provide breathtakingly modern new perspectives. And of course, there’s the host, Sir David Attenborough, the world’s best at presenting nature on television. And when I say “world’s best,” I really do mean that literally.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 11:29 p.m. ET

Tonight’s guest host, on this new installment, is Halsey. The musical guest also is Halsey, which means she’s pulling double duty – and following in the footsteps of such SNL host-and-musical-performers as Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Donald Glover, and the first-ever “I’ll-do-both” host/musician, Desi Arnaz. (Technically, the musical guest for that 1976 episode was his son, Desi Arnaz Jr., but the elder Arnaz returned to his bandleading roots to perform, among other songs, his classic “Babalu.”

 
  
 
 
 
 
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)
 
MDLMQ
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 233  | Go to page: 
4642 Comments
 
 
Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info
Sep 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
???
Excellent article..ts a good site to explore ..Thanks for the blog post.Really thank you! Much obliged..
Sep 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Bajingan keparat, akan kupukul pantatmu dengan sangat keras!
Sep 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I like your blog. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing it
Sep 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Hanya kebohongan dan taktik penipuan. Buang-buang waktu dan uang saja.
Sep 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
???
Greatly composed article, if just all bloggers offered a similar substance as you, the web would be a much better spot.
Sep 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Bajingan keparat, akan kupukul pantatmu dengan sangat keras!
Sep 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu licik menjalankan operasi kotor yang dibangun di atas kebohongan dan penipuan.
Sep 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia tangkap situs web sialan itu
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Penipuan murahan yang berpura-pura sah. Jangan sampai tertipu.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini mengira orang-orang itu bodoh. Modus penipuan yang sama, omong kosong yang sama.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para bajingan ini tidak punya rasa malu sama sekali, menipu orang-orang yang tidak bersalah setiap hari.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan situs web ini, mereka menipu orang.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Tidak ada yang nyata di sini. Hanya omong kosong penuh tipu daya dari orang-orang serakah.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para bajingan ini tidak punya rasa malu sama sekali, menipu orang-orang yang tidak bersalah setiap hari.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Penipu berkualitas rendah tanpa integritas dan penuh kebohongan.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para bajingan penipu ini benar-benar sampah, pembohong keji yang mencuri dari orang-orang yang tidak bersalah. Persetan dengan para penipu kotor ini dan permainan penipuan mereka yang menyedihkan.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia tangkap situs web sialan itu
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Bajingan keparat, akan kupukul pantatmu dengan sangat keras!
Sep 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 233  | 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.