SUNDAY

MAY 19

2013

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

THE SIMPSONS

Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET

SEASON FINALE: When The Simpsons returns in the fall, it will be with the start of Season 25 – an amazing accomplishment indeed. For now, The Simpsons ends Season 24 with a two-part finale – the second part of which features guest voice Seth MacFarlane, who plays Ben, a would-be suitor whom Marge mistakenly contacts on an online swingers site. And MacFarlane, thanks to this show and his own Sunday night Fox animation programs, manages to provide voices on every show presented tonight on the Fox network. Nice work if you can get it – and he has.

THE BIG LIVE COMEDY SHOW

YouTube, 9:00 p.m. ET

Best Bets has never pointed specifically to a YouTube offering before, but this one is different, and deserves it. It’s a two-hour live variety show, and it’s streamed beginning tonight at 9 ET on YouTube’s Comedy Week channel. Sarah Silverman, Vince Vaughn, Seth Rogen, The Lonely Island, Ed Helms, Tim and Eric, Key & Peele, Michael Cera, and Jack McBrayer are among the scheduled performers. It’s a long way, and a long time, from the Sunday night variety shows of Ed Sullivan, but this could well be the future of the genre.

GAME OF THRONES

HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET

There aren’t many episodes left this season, and things are getting tense. Battles are coming, and so are weddings – and it’s impossible to say, at this point, which of those events will generate more bloodshed.

MAD MEN

AMC, 10:00 p.m. ET

I guessed right, last week, that last Sunday’s episode would include the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. What I didn’t guess was that it would be included at the very end, almost as an afterthought. But that means tonight’s episode gets to deal with the aftermath – as well as the continuing story line of Don (Jon Hamm) losing control of just about every woman in his life, and his life itself.

FAMILY TREE

HBO, 10:30 p.m. ET

If last week’s series premiere didn’t quite win you over, or make it clear what sort of tone and direction Christopher Guest’s TV series was intending to provide, watch tonight’s episode two. By the time it’s over, all will be made clear. And the jokes about The Mikado, and the monkey puppet, are well worth the investment.

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251 Comments

Mac

Fridays in May have been really interesting on TCM.Rather than concntrate on things essential,host Illeana Douglas has been finding films that fell between the cracks,yet deserve a second look.Not quite Underground,these films are pretty much mainstream,which is part of the charm as to how they got made and never found an audience.Anytime TCM spools "Ace In The Hole",Billy Wilder's lost classic,is a night to rejoice.Ace is only available on a pricy,but worthwhile,Criterion set.

May 17, 2013 | Reply

Jay Kogen

David,
My name is Jay Kogen. I'm an Emmy Award winning writer/producer from The Simpsons and Frasier. I'm making a new show called "Wendell & Vinnie" which I'm trying to make a smart show for adults that kids can watch too. I'm trying to break the mold at Nickelodeon and I've been trying to get you to review my show. Good or bad, let's get it out there. This week's episode "Pick Ups & Drop Offs" is a typical one. It's got parent/child issues at the center and many adult jokes spread around. I wrote to you months ago and got no reply. I hear you on Fresh Air and even though I don't know that you'll love my show, I want to hear your opinion. Anyway, cheers and thanks. Jay.

May 17, 2013 | Reply

Dennis Paul

Thing I find funny about the Office is that it took 10 years to get a documentary made. They should have just made a reality show and it would have been on all this time and then a documentary about making the reality show. I just gave myself a headache.

May 16, 2013 | Reply

Maggie in NJ

Thanks for saying something nice about "Nashville". "Nashville" and "Vegas" were my must-watch shows of this season.

May 15, 2013 | Reply

Brian Becker

Yesterday I was watching an episode of Crackle's "Chosen" on Roku. Today the entire series is gone, vanished. Even a search on their site momentarily provides results and then shows no results. It's a mystery almost befitting the show itself. Any idea why? Thanks.

May 13, 2013 | Reply

Kelly Szentgyorgyi

Re: Doctor Who on May 11, 2013 on BBC America. Tonight's episode is NOT the season finale of Doctor Who - that's on May 18, 2013 with the episode of 'The Name of the Doctor.'

May 11, 2013 | Reply

David Bianculli

Dear Kelly: You're right, and I'm wrong. Sorry -- and thanks for pointing it out so politely.

May 12, 2013

Bill Evans

Hey, David B., I used to work with you at the Gainesville Sun back when we were at the 'historic' downtown site. Love your work! I remember your start with the Sun's primitive TV Week. FYI, I'm at the Gainesville CBS-TV affiliate. Drop me a line....

May 10, 2013 | Reply

David Bianculli

Bill -- What a hoot! Glad to hear you're still in Gainesville. I'll have someone to visit if the university ever brings me back. Have your people call my people. (I don't have people, but it sounds good.)

May 12, 2013

Justin

NHL Playoffs > NBA Playoffs

May 8, 2013 | Reply

sandra spring

Thanks to you I hung in with Orphan Black. Original and riveting!!

May 4, 2013 | Reply

jan

While I have not yet seen "The Gold Diggers of 1933," I have seen both the musical numbers you mentioned. You're right: "Remember My Forgotten Man" is unforgettable, and the other is just a lot of fun. In fact, after seeing "Remember My Fogotten Man," I immediately purchased the DVD of the movie just to have it. Maybe soon I will actually have the time to watch the whole film (after this semester is over).

May 4, 2013 | Reply

Neil

This is on the trivial side, but the former Mets knuckleballer is "R. A. Dickey" (not "R. J.").

May 1, 2013 | Reply

Elise

The final (of four) season of "The Big C" starts tonight, with Laura Linney and Oliver Platt. I came to this party late but imbibed the first three seasons like a drunken sailor on furlow. This series has made me laugh out loud and sob uncontrollably and really ask myself the question "What WOULD I do if...." I think this show has so much humor and fun (without making fun of!) concerning the circumstances with which this woman and her family is faced and still addresses the gravitas with grace and wisdom. I absolutely love this show and will be rapt (with laughter and tears) until the bitter and inevitable end. If viewers are up to handling the tough subject matter, this show is well worth the time spent watching it.

Apr 29, 2013 | Reply

Eileen

The Killing Fields. Simply one of the best. I defy anyone to watch the final clip of Sam Waterson & Haing Ngor embrancing, with John Lennon's "Imagine" playing in the background, and not cry. Brutal tale of war, but a true "love story" for the ages. Amazing. Should be required viewing. R.I.P. Haing Ngor and Spalding Gray; you'll forever be remembered for this masterpiece.

Apr 23, 2013 | Reply

Rini

I would like to recommend Spartacus. It is the series finale tonight. There is going to be some tears shed.

Apr 12, 2013 | Reply

Peggy

David, is there any news on the Dangerously Funny front. I really want to see that as a movie!

Apr 11, 2013 | Reply

Janet Troughton

Why oh why is Southland not on network tv and why oh why did they take it off. Thank god it continues somewhere.

Apr 10, 2013 | Reply

SharonGS

Your NCAA description is a bit confused. Did you forget to delete something from last week's description?

Apr 6, 2013 | Reply

David Bianculli

Yes, I did. And, thanks to you, I fixed it. I appreciate it.

Apr 6, 2013

Eileen

I'm looking forward to a tribute to Roger Ebert. His illustrious tv career began on PBS-Chicago in 1982 and continued, through various outlets, until 2010. He (& Gene Siskel) were definitely "must see" tv each week, and there has never been an equivalent of their wit & humor on any tv channel. Their pre-Oscar "If I Picked the Winners" was just that: a winner. Roger, you will be sorely missed. R.I.P.

Apr 5, 2013 | Reply

Erin

And here I thought I could use Big Bang as escapism; dossier for tenure goes out to external reviewers in 26 days. (And I bet Leonard will find out if he gets tenure by the end of the episode, not in a year.)

Apr 4, 2013 | Reply

David Bianculli

Dear Erin: Good luck to you. I'm going through the same seventh circle of hell right now. When it's all over, we should meet for a drink, to celebrate or sympathize. Even a virtual one.

Apr 6, 2013

David Marlow

If you can slog through the first unbearable 50 minutes of Smash, there's usually a decent song at the end that not even Bernadette Peters can ruin. Doesn't hurt that Megan Hilty is perfect.

Apr 2, 2013 | Reply

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David Bianculli

Founder / Editor

Behind David in the picture is the first TV owned by his father, Virgil Bianculli, a 1946 Raytheon. (The TV, not his father. His father was a 1923 Italian.) 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 also teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University, and his most recent book, 2009's Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, has recently been purchased for film rights. He's currently at work on another.

New From TVWW

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET

YouTube, 9:00 p.m. ET

HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET

AMC, 10:00 p.m. ET

HBO, 10:30 p.m. ET

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