SUNDAY
AUGUST 6
2017

BIANCULLI’S BEST BETS

 

Showtime, 8:00 p.m. ET

Last week, Twin Peaks: The Return finally made room for one of the original series’ central figures: Audrey Horne, played by Sherilyn Fenn. We waited until Episode 12 of the new series to see her, and see where and with whom Audrey ended up with after all these years. And now it’s Episode 13, and there’s truly no telling who might be showing up this week. Spare moments of Twin Peaks: The Return have matched the appealing oddness of the original, but we still are in search of a satisfying primary plot – and explanations for lots of what we’ve seen so far. Like, how did Audrey escape the explosion when she had chained herself in protest to an ultimately blown-up bank in the end of the original Twin Peaks? Oh, well. Since Kyle MacLachlan’s Dale Cooper was trapped in some alternate Black Lodge reality at the end of that show, with an evil doppelganger taking his place possessed by the spirit of Killer Bob – and since, 13 episodes in, we still haven’t gotten back to the “real” Cooper yet, what right do I have to complain? If there’s one thing about which David Lynch is consistent, it’s inconsistency. For example: All season, Twin Peaks: The Return has been televised Sundays at 9 p.m. ET – but beginning tonight, it moves back an hour, to 8.

 
  
 
 

Syfy, 8:00 p.m. ET

Syfy’s Sharknado franchise is the Pet Rocks of modern TV. There’s no explaining how an idea this basic, and this stupid, ever got this popular. Yet here it is, with a rabid social media following that keeps these tongue-in-cheek, teeth-in-mouth shark movies coming, each more intentionally absurd than the last. Ian Ziering and Tara Reid continue to star, and a bewildering array of guest stars make cameo appearances, usually as some type of instantly devoured shark victim. One thing about Sharknado 5 that’s worth applauding, though, is its sloganeering. Not only is Global Swarming a clever subtitle, but this latest Sharknado outing has an unbeatable tag line it’s using on promos: “Make America bait again.”

 
  
 
 

CNN, 9:00 p.m. ET

This week’s installment is called Terrorism Hits Home – yet it also focuses on terrorism abroad, and how it finds its way to U.S. targets and operations. One terrorist introduced in this decade, and covered in The Nineties, is Osama bin Laden. More on him in future decades…

 
  
 
 

HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET

The episode shown tonight was pirated and leaked online a few days ago. But I didn’t see it, so whatever otherwise top-secret intrigues occur in tonight’s episode, they’re still secret to me. But I have a feeling, just from the promotional photos that were released officially in advance, that Daenerys Targaryen probably won’t be having a terrific time.

 
  
 
 

Showtime, 9:00 p.m. ET

SEASON PREMIERE: Season 5 of this strong Showtime series promises to start very dramatically, with a death in (or around) the family. But it also begins by introducing this year’s season-long guest player: Susan Sarandon, playing a movie executive whose needs, and enemies, pull Liev Schreiber’s problem-fixer Ray Donovan back into the Hollywood world where we first met him. For Sarandon, it’s another dazzling TV role, right on the heels of playing Bette Davis on FX’s Feud: Bette and Joan. Like her co-star in that excellent FX miniseries, Jessica Lange (who played an equally unforgettable Joan Crawford), Sarandon has decided that TV is where the best roles are these days – for women, and especially for more mature women, but basically for everyone. For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower

 
  
 
 

HBO, 11:08 p.m. ET

So John Oliver does a segment on a lawsuit-happy coal executive, Bob Murray, after which Murray obliges by suing Oliver. Now the ACLU has filed an amicus curiae brief with the court, on Oliver’s behalf. Oliver may not be able to discuss this at any length on tonight’s show – it is, after all, a case in active litigation – but hey, perhaps he’ll raise someone else’s hackles with tonight’s show. At any rate, he gets to talk about a lot… including a grand jury.

 
  
 
 
 
 
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3808 Comments
 
 
Para penipu kelas rendah melakukan apa yang paling mereka kuasai—berbohong, menipu, dan menghilang dengan uang orang lain.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan para penipu itu, tangkap mereka dan persetan dengan mereka karena telah menipu banyak orang.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu yang memalukan memangsa orang-orang dengan klaim palsu dan kebohongan.
Apr 23, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This article is packed with insights! I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into making it so engaging. Well done!
Apr 22, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Such an amazing read! Your ability to explain things in a simple yet detailed way is truly impressive.
Apr 22, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
Dave Bianculli
Hey sweetie,

It's not that complicated! It's TV!!! Do what I do!!!!! Grab a six pack of Miller Lite, crack the first one open and drink it. Rinse and repeat!!!!!!! ROTFLMBFFAO!!!!!!!!!

Just let the TV flow over you.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

Dave
Apr 21, 2026
 
 
 
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
This was well explained since it stayed concise and clear. Thanks for sharing this insight.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Para penipu ini adalah pembohong profesional. Siapa pun yang mempercayai mereka hanya ikut memperkuat penipuan mereka.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia, persetan dengan para penipu itu, tangkap mereka dan persetan dengan mereka karena telah menipu banyak orang.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Pemerintah Indonesia tangkap situs web sialan itu
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Practical stream
A thoughtful reflection on TV criticism’s evolution and legacy—blending nostalgia, personal memories, and appreciation for creators who shaped meaningful viewing experiences.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Manusia sampah sejati, memangsa orang-orang tak berdosa hanya untuk mengisi kantong mereka yang serakah. Sungguh memalukan.
Apr 21, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sialan para penipu ini karena telah mencuri uang dan kepercayaan orang lain.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Situs web ini benar-benar penipuan, jangan percayai mereka.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Perilaku penipuan murni. Bajingan-bajingan ini tidak punya moral dan tidak ragu-ragu menipu orang lain.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Hanya sekelompok penipu lain yang melakukan bisnis kotor secara online.
Apr 20, 2026   |  Reply
 
 
Sialan para penipu ini karena telah mencuri uang dan kepercayaan orang lain.
Apr 20, 2026   |  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.