TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 9
2014

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

PBS, 8:00 p.m. ET

This new program has taken an unusual path to get to public television: It started with a Kickstarter campaign, and, in telling its story of a WWII spy, relies heavily on docudrama elements, with actors playing the central characters. Regardless, it’s an intriguing story being told here: Noor Inayat Khan was the daughter of an Indian Muslim father and American mother, and served as a British spy in Paris in the early 1940s. She became a wireless operator for the French Underground, and defied the Nazis even as she was captured and interrogated by the Gestapo. Grace Srinivasan portrays Noor Inayat Khan in the dramatic recreations. Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

Orson Welles directed this intense, brooding thriller, and also stars, along with Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young, in a story about a war crimes investigator seeking out a fugitive Nazi thought to have bolted to Connecticut and blended in after the war. One of the amazing things about this film is that it was released in 1946, only a year after WWII ended, making its inclusion of footage shot at Nazi concentration camps incredibly timely – and, in a film history sense, incredibly early.

 
  
 
 

PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET

For this new PBS special, the producers of Pioneers of Television have taken their interview with, and footage of, Robin Williams, compiled for an earlier installment on TV comedians, and supplemented them with fresh interviews of peers offering remembrances and appreciative remarks. Pioneers usually takes a simple and superficial approach to its chosen subjects, but even that, in this case, is worthwhile – especially since it features such now-resonant clips as Williams acting opposite Joan Rivers, another recently deceased comic, in a failed 1970s revival of Laugh-In.  Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

The news of the Ebola outbreak is spreading – but not as fast as the disease itself. That makes this new Frontline installment, examining not only the disease’s modern resurgence to the tactics and efforts to contain and combat it, particularly timely, as well as important. Also included: a separate report on the hunt for the radical Islamic group Boko Harum in Nigeria, and how that hunt has resulted in its own history of atrocities. Check local listings.

 
  
 
 

FX, 10:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: For this final season of Sons of Anarchy, the opening episode both begins and ends with a song on the soundtrack that plays uninterrupted – wildly different songs, but in both cases accompanied by almost unwatchable depictions of graphic and sadistic violence. The point? Jax (Charlie Hunnam) has not exactly come to terms with the murder of his wife, Tara – and one of the people on whom he relies most, in the aftermath of that tragedy, is, unknown to him, Tara’s murderer: His own mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal, whose performance in this installment is creepily effective).

 
  
 
 
 
 
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)
 
SYXQQ
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 268  | Go to page: 
5353 Comments
 
 
I read your post and I found it amazing! thank
Nov 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Great post i must say and thanks for the information. Education is definitely a sticky subject. However, is still among the leading topics of our time. I appreciate your post and look forward to more.
Nov 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you offer!.
Nov 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I was truly thankful for the useful info on this fantastic subject along with similarly prepare for much more terrific messages. Many thanks a lot for valuing this refinement write-up with me. I am valuing it significantly! Preparing for an additional excellent article
Nov 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
"This issue is currently being discussed quite actively across several online forums and communities, with many people jumping in to share their own perspectives."
Nov 10, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Thank you for some other informative blog. Where else could I get that type of information written in such an ideal means? I have a mission that I’m just now working on, and I have been at the look out for such information.
Nov 9, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Amazing website sir. A great information given by you in this blog. It really informative and very helpful. Thank you.
Nov 7, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
That is certainly on top of that a superb send i always basically liked mastering. It may not be everyday that any of us store the chance to determine the one thing.
Nov 7, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. This is very nice one and gives indepth information. Thanks for this nice article.
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value. Im glad to have found this post as its such an interesting one! I am always on the lookout for quality posts and articles so i suppose im lucky to have found this! I hope you will be adding more in the future...
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Glad to chat your blog, I seem to be forward to more reliable articles and I think we all wish to thank so many good articles, blog to share with us
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I am so pleased I situated your blog site, I actually situated you by mistake, while I was taking a look at on google for another point, Anyways I am below now in addition to additionally would certainly just like to insist give thanks to for an outstanding blog post along with an all-around entertaining internet site
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is a great post. I like this topic.This site has lots of advantage.I found many interesting things from this site. It helps me in many ways.Thanks for posting this again
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sweet internet site , super pattern , real clean and employ genial .
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
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
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. Thanks..
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Really amazing post. I just stumbled beside your blog. I will definitely suggest your blog to all of my friends. Thanks for sharing this valuable information for free
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
I am definitely enjoying your website. You definitely have some great insight and great stories.
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next pos
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Great knowledge, do anyone mind merely reference back to it
Nov 5, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 268  | 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.