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WEDNESDAY
JULY 10
2019

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 
HARLOTS

Hulu, 3:00 a.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: This series is set in London, about 20 years before the American revolution, and in its first two seasons has delighted in the power plays of the owners and operators of rival British brothels. The owners, like the prostitutes, are female (well, most of them), and their rises and falls here are substantial. Winners get to hobnob in the Royal Court, while losers get locked up in Bedlam. But in this new Season 3, those dynamics change again, quickly and significantly – not only for these major period power players, but for their daughters. Samantha Morton, who was just so scary as Alpha on The Walking Dead, and Liv Tyler star.
 
  
 
 
LOVE ISLAND

CBS, 8:00 p.m. ET

Just in case you watched and liked it last night – remember, this show appears each weeknight on CBS this summer, so it’s here, too…
 
  
 
 
2019 ESPY AWARDS

ABC, ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET

SPECIAL: The annual mashup of sports and entertainment, with athletes rubbing elbows and fashion with actors, rappers and rock stars, is televised by both ABC and ESPN -- and hosted by Tracy Morgan.
 
  
 
 
FLORIDA GIRLS

Pop, 10:00 p.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: The characters and lifestyle from My Name Is Earl have a trailer-trash spiritual descendant in Florida Girls, a new comedy from Pop TV that’s basically about the type of women you might see, with blurred-out faces or speech, on any Florida episode of COPS. Lauren Chinn created this series, and stars as Shelby, one of a handful of twentysomething friends who live in a small Florida town with more goals and dreams than GEDs. As a summer TV diversion, especially to current or former Floridians, this series might hit home, as well as the funny bone. Oh, and the job, shown in the pilot, of wearing mermaid fins and swimming in a pool so that rube bar patrons can watch through “portholes” – a real thing. And for my money, the drinks are overpriced… For a full review, see Mike Hughes' Open Mike. 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Read and add comments HERE for today's Best Bets!
 
 
 
 
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 Page: 1 of 87  | Go to page: 
1722 Comments
 
 
MAS
For everyone looking in vain for Season 2 of "Trapped" rejoice -- it's now on Amazon Prime.
Jul 13, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Kathy Ingrao
I don't want to watch Years and Years - I'm living it! Woe is me.
Jul 8, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
MAS
Hank, in spite of the fact that he was unknowingly after Walter White, was a relatively sympathetic character. When he was shot and severely injured and when he was dealing with his wingnut wife we felt sorry for the guy. Mary Louise is just plain creepy. And I know we're going to find something out about her other son's death that makes her seem even creepier. I don't see any connection between the two characters.
Jul 7, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
SharonGS
The Tour de France starts today and takes place all month. Today and tomorrow the race is in Belgium to honor Eddy Merckx, who first raced the Tour in 1969.
Jul 6, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
scott
I do think 1939 was a great year for movies (although a good case could be made for 1927 with Sunrise, Metropolis, The General, and Duck Soup) and some recently argued for 1999 (with Being John Malkovich, The Matrix, American Beauty, Galaxy Quest. The Thin Red Line and Fight Club). Of course, Casablanca was released in 1942 and was popularized by being shown finals week at Harvard and later rerun many times on network television
Jul 6, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
GreyWolf
I can't be first who caught error so glaring it seems intentional to have Casablanca as a 1939 film. Test to see if anybody is rally reading?
Jul 5, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Manoa Kahuna
Please try to mention the details of not only when a show will air but where. I'd never heard of the Simple Heist and you didn't tell me where to find it. Thank you.
Jul 3, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
-and don't forget Lang's seldom seen "Girl In The Moon" from which we got The Countdown"!
Jul 2, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
Thurs. July 4- The annual Capitol Fourth concert on PBS will take place @8-9:30PM. John Stamos hosts.Highlights include Carole King with the Broadway cast of her "Beautiful" show,featuring Vanessa Carlton(great chops!). Vanessa Williams. Also a tribute of Sesame Street's 50th anniversary featuring Muppet cast members.
Trump's Salute to America goes 6:30-7:30PM-PBS has emphasized that A Capitol Fourth is not affiliated with Trump's salute. D.C. Fireworks(9:07-9:27) relocated to West Potomac Park,closing regular park activities form now to 7/6 and the Arlington Memorial Bridge will be shutdown. Who pays for Trump's show? Dunno,since he still owes the D.C. government $20 million from the 2017 inauguration. 50% chance of showers/thunderstorms all day.
TCM-8PM- Yankee Doodle Dandy,10:15-1776,1:15AM-Music Man.
Jun 29, 2019   |  Reply
 
Mac
Ooops. The money alleged that the Inauguration Committee owes is $7 million. Still,imagine having a New Years Eve party to ring in 2017 and the caterer let you slide 2 1/2 years to finish paying for it. Then you want them to do a cookout today.
Jul 4, 2019
 
 
Mac
Stories abound with confusing information about the viewing of military might scheduled for Trump's Parade. After all of his demands of flyovers,fireworks and a speech from Fearless Leader,the quantity and quality of
ground firepower may differ from the original idea. Trump orders of multiple armored vehicles boasted "brand new Sherman tanks",which may prove difficult as the Sherman was been replaced in the 1950s. He requested new Shermans,but as per the D.C. City council tweet:"Tanks,but no tanks."
Jul 2, 2019
 
 
 
Cathy B.
Very much enjoyed the visuals of “Yellowstone Live” but I did not care for the commentary by Josh Elliott and Jenna Wolfe. I was tempted to turn the sound off. Seems like they would be better suited to hosting a cheesy game show. The final scene of the first episode was heartbreaking when a bear cub was swept away by the current and attacked and killed by a male bear.
Jun 24, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Leila L'Abate
Sarah Shahi has already gotten the starring tv role she deserves at least twice, in "Reverie,"way back in 2018, which was reviewed here on this site. And more entertainingly, in "Fairly Legal," in 2011-2012.I've seen women listed as writing for this site, but have never seen any reviews by them. Several shows raved about here would probably not be favorites of most warm-hearted estrogen-based life forms, and quite a few shows you completely ignore would captivate them...SO please more gender variety! THANK YOU!

AND, Netflix has just picked up all 5 seasons of the much-beloved in English subtitles, historical Turkish drama "Dirilis Ertugrul," translated as"Resurrection Ertugrul," So please review it. At least 6 Facebook fan pages are devoted just to the English version of it. Folks around the world passionately love it for its very beloved cast, great scripts, devout but canny characters, as well as colorful, sometimes over-the top villains, and brilliantly choreographed fights
Jun 24, 2019   |  Reply
 
Sue
Don't forget the short lived "Life" with Damion Lewis.
Jun 24, 2019
 
 
 
Leila L'Abate
Sarah Shahi has already gotten the starring tv role she deserves at least twice, in "Reverie,"way back in 2018, which was reviewed here on this site. And more entertainingly, in "Fairly Legal," in 2011-2012.I've seen women listed as writing for this site, but have never seen any reviews by them. Several shows raved about here would probably not be favorites of most warm-hearted estrogen-based life forms, and quite a few shows you completely ignore would captivate them...SO please more gender variety! THANK YOU!

AND, Netflix has just picked up all 5 seasons of the much-beloved in English subtitles, historical Turkish drama "Dirilis Ertugrul," translated as"Resurrection Ertugrul," So please review it. At least 6 Facebook fan pages are devoted just to the English version of it. Folks around the world passionately love it for its very beloved cast, great scripts, devout but canny characters, as well as colorful, sometimes over-the top villains, and brilliantly choreographed fights
Jun 24, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
Stick around after Dog Day Afternoon for the 1973 Al Pacino/Gene Hackman Scarecrow. Two drifters agree on a business model but make a few stops along the way, The early days of HBO filled their schedule with then-recent Warner Bros. box office bombs and this one spooled almost daily with a pair of A-list actors. Hackman called this "a mixture of Midnight Cowboy and Of Mice & Men"(from the TCM website and Roger Ebert's take as well) so expect sadness added to sadness. Folks listen to the blues to cleanse the soul. This film is a slow moving tsunami for the soul.
Jun 22, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
A major reason to comment less frequently is that I don't participate in subscriber channels-Netflix,Amazon Prime,HBO etc. Don't .Won't Ain't. A financial wall tougher than anything Gen. Bonespurs attempts. And PBS adds to the crime with their Passport paywall,keeping the Public out of the vault.
So I had to smile at a recent story of the Foundation For A Christian Civilization calling for Netflix to cancel the Good Omen series and getting 20,000 petitioners to protest. Trouble is,the series comes from Amazon Prime and not Netflix. Wrong pew,wrong church. So much for Return to Order. It isn't Satan winning,it is stoopid.
Jun 20, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
A major reason to comment less frequently is that I don't participate in subscriber channels-Netflix,Amazon Prime,HBO etc. Don't .Won't Ain't. A financial wall tougher than anything Gen. Bonespurs attempts. And PBS adds to the crime with their Passport paywall,keeping the Public out of the vault.
So I had to smile at a recent story of the Foundation For A Christian Civilization calling for Netflix to cancel the Good Omen series and getting 20,000 petitioners to protest. Trouble is,the series comes from Amazon Prime and not Netflix. Wrong pew,wrong church. So much for Return to Order. It isn't Satan winning,it is stoopid.
Jun 20, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
A major reason to comment less frequently is that I don't participate in subscriber channels-Netflix,Amazon Prime,HBO etc. Don't .Won't Ain't. A financial wall tougher than anything Gen. Bonespurs attempts. And PBS adds to the crime with their Passport paywall,keeping the Public out of the vault.
So I had to smile at a recent story of the Foundation For A Christian Civilization calling for Netflix to cancel the Good Omen series and getting 20,000 petitioners to protest. Trouble is,the series comes from Amazon Prime and not Netflix. Wrong pew,wrong church. So much for Return to Order. It isn't Satan winning,it is stoopid.
Jun 20, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
A major reason to comment less frequently is that I don't participate in subscriber channels-Netflix,Amazon Prime,HBO etc. Don't .Won't Ain't. A financial wall tougher than anything Gen. Bonespurs attempts. And PBS adds to the crime with their Passport paywall,keeping the Public out of the vault.
So I had to smile at a recent story of the Foundation For A Christian Civilization calling for Netflix to cancel the Good Omen series and getting 20,000 petitioners to protest. Trouble is,the series comes from Amazon Prime and not Netflix. Wrong pew,wrong church. So much for Return to Order. It isn't Satan winning,it is stoopid.
Jun 20, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
A major reason to comment less frequently is that I don't participate in subscriber channels-Netflix,Amazon Prime,HBO etc. Don't .Won't Ain't. A financial wall tougher than anything Gen. Bonespurs attempts. And PBS adds to the crime with their Passport paywall,keeping the Public out of the vault.
So I had to smile at a recent story of the Foundation For A Christian Civilization calling for Netflix to cancel the Good Omen series and getting 20,000 petitioners to protest. Trouble is,the series comes from Amazon Prime and not Netflix. Wrong pew,wrong church. So much for Return to Order. It isn't Satan winning,it is stoopid.
Jun 20, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
A major reason to comment less frequently is that I don't participate in subscriber channels-Netflix,Amazon Prime,HBO etc. Don't .Won't Ain't. A financial wall tougher than anything Gen. Bonespurs attempts. And PBS adds to the crime with their Passport paywall,keeping the Public out of the vault.
So I had to smile at a recent story of the Foundation For A Christian Civilization calling for Netflix to cancel the Good Omen series and getting 20,000 petitioners to protest. Trouble is,the series comes from Amazon Prime and not Netflix. Wrong pew,wrong church. So much for Return to Order. It isn't Satan winning,it is stoopid.
Jun 20, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
SharonGS
Thank you for finally mentioning the Women’s World Cup. Folks should realize, however, that there are many exciting games involving teams other than the U.S. Check it out, people! It’s on Monday-Thursday this week; knock-out rounds start next Saturday
Jun 16, 2019   |  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.
 
 
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