CBS, 8:00 p.m. ET
Not since Bob Hope hosted the Oscars a total of 18 times has any performer owned, and been associated with, an awards show the way Neil Patrick Harris has come to be linked with this lively celebration of all things theatrical. This is his fourth time as host here (the third in a row), and this is where the black-tie audience members know, and appreciate, just how hard he works to pull off his opening and closing numbers. And speaking of numbers: Tonight’s festivities promise to present performances from eight nominated musicals, including Matilda the Musical, Motown the Musical (where do they come up with these inventive titles?), and Kinky Boots.
ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET
Miami hosts the first two games of this series, giving the Heat an emotional edge – but that didn’t help in Game 1, which the San Antonio Spurs won by keeping its turnovers to an impressive minimum (only four in the entire game). The Spurs won on Thursday, 92-88, but expect LeBron James and teammates to come out much more aggressively, and effectively, for Game 2. They’d better, before the series moves to Texas for Game 3.
HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET
SEASON FINALE: Last week’s episode, “Red Wedding,” delivered so many shockers so quickly that even watching fans
watch the episode is entertaining. (For proof, see this
Video Worth Watching from our newest TVWW contributor, Al Mannarino.) And tonight's expanded episode is the season finale, with the immediate aftermath of all that bloodshed and betrayal.
AMC, 10:00 p.m. ET
Last week Roger and Don followed the advice to “Go West, young man,” but found out, when they got to Hollywood, they no longer were the young men in town. Attending a Hollywood party, the libation of choice was delivered not in a martini glass, but in a hookah. Just another acknowledgment that this year’s story line is about Don, and his generation, losing power as well as direction and focus. And, on this series, the volatile year of 1968 isn’t over yet…
HBO, 10:10 p.m. ET
It’s such a busy night, this sitcom normally wouldn’t make the cut. Other worthwhile TV events tonight, in addition to the others listed in today’s Bianculli’s Best Bets, include new episodes of AMC’s The Killing and HBO’s Family Tree, an Oprah’s Master Class with Susan Sarandon on OWN, the ambitious if not entirely successful season premiere of TNT’s Falling Skies, and an absurdly impressive trio of 1970s films on Sundance Channel, starting at 6 p.m. ET: Network, The Candidate, and All the President’s Men. But tonight’s Veep gets mentioned (finally) because its guest star, playing a member of the White House press corps, is Allison Janney, who used to wrangle that very press corps as C.J. Cregg on The West Wing.