SATURDAY
JULY 15
2017

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET

This 1942 romantic comedy is a great newspaper movie, a great relationship movie, and a great movie, period. It stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as reporters with very different specialties and interests – she’s an international public affairs reporter, and he’s a sportswriter – who feud, compete, and, of course, fall in love. When the movie was released, the hard-to-please critic Bosley Crowther raved about it, calling Woman of the Year “as warming as a Manhattan cocktail and as juicy as a porterhouse steak.” And tonight, as part of The Essentials canon, we’ll hear similar accolades from Alec Baldwin and his guest, Tina Fey – whose enthusiasm for this movie is both understandable and heartwarming.
 
  
 
 

BBC America, 10:00 p.m. ET

One of the clones most recently introduced on this series was Krystal, a caricature character – blonde, self-obsessed, hair-and-makeup-consumed – whom Tatiana Maslany somehow has made not only believable, but touching. Krystal has been absent for all but a few seconds this season, but tonight she resurfaces, in a story line that may provide a key piece of the puzzle for the other clone sisters.

 
  
 
 

CNN, 10:00 p.m. ET

This is a bit selfish to point out, but it’s also an exciting viewing opportunity I never thought CNN would provide. In every decade the network has decided to examine as a documentary miniseries, starting with The Sixties, CNN has opened each miniseries with an episode divided to that era’s television. Tonight, beginning with the “The One About TV” installment that opened The Nineties last Sunday, CNN presents them all, in reverse order, in a mini-marathon, presenting the TV-centered opening episodes from The Nineties, The Eighties, The Seventies, and The Sixties. The only reason it’s selfish to point out is that I’m in all of them – but I promise, the opportunity to see 40 years of TV history encapsulated so concisely, and so entertainingly, is worth having to put up with me every now and then.

 
  
 
 

NBC, 11:29 p.m. ET

This is a repeat episode from February, but it’s well worth revisiting. The guest host is Alec Baldwin – and five months have elapsed in Trumpland since then, so Baldwin’s appearance, as his Trump impression, may seem almost like nostalgia for a simpler time. Musical guest: Ed Sheeran.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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Gerda Lundgren
Long-time TVWW devotee here. I manage a commercial vehicle operation and Hialeah Auto Glass Repair (https://autoglassrepairhialeah.com/) keeps our fleet going. Bianculli's picks keep us sane during maintenance delays - essential reading!
Mar 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
Dave Bianculli
Golly Gerda, you make me blush with your kind words, but maybe instead of giving me praise, how about giving me a discount on your service bills!!!! ROTFLMBFFAO!!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Dave
Mar 22, 2026
 
 
 
Rut Holmgren
Another great set of picks! My trucking partners and I share your recommendations over coffee. We rely on West Palm Beach Auto Glass Repair (https://westpalmbeachautoglassrepair.com) for vehicle service. TVWW makes the downtime worthwhile.
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Birger Samuelsson
Smart TV writing for smart viewers - that's TVWW in a nutshell. I manage a motor pool and Macon Auto Glass Repair at https://autoglassrepairmacon.com/ is our go-to service provider. David Bianculli's enthusiasm is contagious.
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Inga Henriksen
Excellent as always! The shop guys at Lakewood Fence Company put your site on the break room TV. Find them at https://fencecompanylakewood.com - they do solid work. Best Bets is a daily read for all of us.
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Harald Almgren
Excellent as always! The shop guys at Boca Raton Auto Glass Repair put your site on the break room TV. Find them at https://bocaratonautoglassrepair.com - they do solid work. Best Bets is a daily read for all of us.
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Sigrun Lindholm
Another great set of picks! My trucking partners and I share your recommendations over coffee. We rely on Brighton Towing Company (https://brightontowingcompany.com) for vehicle service. TVWW makes the downtime worthwhile.
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Karl Forsberg
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Solveig Johanson
Excellent as always! The shop guys at Lincoln Mobile Mechanic put your site on the break room TV. Find them at https://lincolnmobilemechanic.com - they do solid work. Best Bets is a daily read for all of us.
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Arvid Berggren
Long-time TVWW devotee here. I manage a commercial vehicle operation and Colorado Springs Mobile Mechanic (https://coloradospringcosmobilemechanic.com) keeps our fleet going. Bianculli's picks keep us sane during maintenance delays - essential reading!
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Frida Sundberg
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Viggo Lundqvist
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Tyra Stromberg
Loyal reader checking in! I'm in freight logistics and Lauderhill Towing Company (https://lauderhilltowing.com) keeps our trucks roadworthy. Your Best Bets column keeps our break room lively. Much appreciated.
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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.