FRIDAY

AUGUST 11

2017

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

Netflix, 3:00 a.m. ET

SERIES PREMIERE: This new Netflix series stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as a mother fiercely determined to help her teen child, who’s autistic, navigate the world. Keir Gilchrist plays Sam, an 18-year-old on the higher end of the autism spectrum, and Michael Rapaport and Brigette Lundy-Paine play his father and sister, respectively. Tonally, Atypical is a comedy with sharp edges, closest on the TV comedy spectrum to ABC’s Speechless, which is about the supportive yet barely functional family of a nonverbal high school boy with cerebral palsy. For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.

THE VIEW

ABC, 11:00 a.m. ET

Today is the 20^th anniversary of this daytime ABC talk show. To mark the occasion, David Hinckley analyzes its history and legacy in a new All Along the Watchtower column. And ABC, to mark the same occasion, today is repeating the original, inaugural View installment from Aug. 11, 1997. Barbara Walters is there, along with Meredith Vieira, Joy Behar, Debbie Matenopoulos, and Star Jones.

SON OF SAM: THE KILLER SPEAKS

CBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

SPECIAL: In the mid-1970s, David Berkowitz terrorized New York City with a series of random shootings. He remains in prison – and on the 40^th anniversary of his capture, the self-described “Son of Sam” killer is interviewed by Maurice DuBois.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER

HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET

Quite a lineup tonight: Bill Maher’s scheduled guests include Richard Dawkins, Jim Parsons, Jon Meacham, and Fareed Zakaria.

TOP HAT

TCM, 10:00 p.m. ET

Today is Ginger Rogers day on TCM – and included in the movies showcasing her is the ultimate movie musical pairing her with Fred Astaire, 1935’s Top Hat. It’s a black-and-white study in sheer opulence and grace and class, and not only when Rogers and Astaire are on the dance floor. Top Hat has some great Irving Berlin songs, including the title number and “Cheek to Cheek,” as well as some fairly sophisticated and sexy comedy, particularly for the era. And TV fans get a special brief treat: Watch for the unnamed flower shop clerk. She’s played by a young actress named Lucille Ball.

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4198 Comments

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Nolan

This farewell page feels unusually personal for a recommendations site. What I appreciate most is the attention to habit: returning to shows, voices, and small details over time. That same kind of close listening matters in music practice too, where separating a full mix into parts can make hidden details easier to notice.

Jul 13, 2026 | Reply

Nolan

This closing note has a nice sense of memory and gratitude. I especially liked the way it treats television criticism as something personal rather than just a list of recommendations. It made me think about how much of media work is really about listening closely, saving small details, and returning to them later. I often do that with music practice as well, using simple tools like https://tunestems.com/ to separate parts and hear what is happening underneath the full mix.

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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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BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

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ABC, 11:00 a.m. ET

CBS, 10:00 p.m. ET

HBO, 10:00 p.m. ET

TCM, 10:00 p.m. ET

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