MONDAY
SEPTEMBER 9
2013

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

CBS, 5:00 p.m. ET

Yesterday, the top two women’s seeds, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, went at it in a dramatic three-set U.S. Open Women’s Tennis final that lived up to all expecations, and even to their previous matchup. Today, it’s the men’s turn, with the same numerical matchup. No. 1 Novak Djokovic, once again, faces No. 2 Rafael Nadal. It’s their sixth time in a Grand Slam final, and their third time in four years squaring off in the finals at Flushing Meadow.

 
  
 
 

CBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

We’re nearing the end of this summer’s run of this CBS summer hit – and tonight, Big Jim (Dean Morris) reveals his less personable side as never before. Watch for it. Between this series and Breaking Bad, Dean Norris is having the TV summer of a lifetime.

 
  
 
 

PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

This sweet film by High Hanson and Anson Hartford profiles an octet of octogenarians, and even older folks, from around the world, happily and proudly competing in the Over 80 World Table Championships, held in Inner Mongolia. Some of it is about the joy of competition. Some of it isn’t. But even watching an elderly competitor make a dash for it through a pulsating fountain, in this context, is cause for celebration. Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 10:00 p.m. ET

This excellent new documentary import continues tonight with its second installment, a show with a lengthy title but a narrow focus: 1918-28 – The Triumph of American Film and the First of Its Rebels. It covers the ascendance of Hollywood, its first early stars – including the silent-comedy geniuses Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton – and the introduction of sound. And arrive early and stay late, because the night’s TCM lineup also includes Buster Keaton’s hilarious short One Week at 8 p.m. ET, and, at 4:15 a.m. ET, Harold Lloyd's brilliant, full-length Safety Last! feature (pictured) from 1923. My film students, if they watch tonight’s TCM lineup, will be cheating by “reading ahead” – but it’s the one type of cheating I actively encourage.

 
  
 
 

Syndicated, Check local listings

SERIES PREMIERE: Two decades ago, Arsenio Hall emerged on the late-night scene as a brash young comic with a decidedly different viewpoint (he wasn’t white) and a defiant attitude (in a famous pre-premiere cover story, he vowed to “kick Jay Leno’s ass.” He didn’t, and Leno proved astoundingly durable – but Hall, who has been gone from TV since 1994, has decided this is the time to come back. His new show is syndicated, and usually scheduled at the 11 p.m. ET hour (where it plays in New York on WPIX), so... Check local listings.
 
  
 
 
 
 
Read and add comments HERE for today's Best Bets!
 
 
 
 
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3808 Comments
 
 
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
 
 
Sialan para penipu ini karena telah mencuri uang dan kepercayaan orang lain.
Apr 20, 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.