It’s the end of Dirty John’s Betty Broderick saga
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Tuesday, July 14. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story (USA, 10 p.m., season finale): This second season of USA’s based-on-actual-events crime anthology series has been gripping from the start, thanks in particular to an Amanda Peet performance that is, frankly, ludicrously good. Here’s what Gwen Ihnat had to say about Peet in her pre-air review:
How does a beautiful, well-off wife and mother, a pillar of Southern California society, devolve into a mentally unstable convicted murderer? To explain this tragic transformation, Amanda Peet doesn’t portray Betty as much as she embodies her. It’s an astonishing performance: so painful at times that it’s difficult to witness—yet so compelling, it’s impossible to look away.
Betty’s story (the fictionalized version, at least) comes to an end tonight, and so does the performance that brought it to life. Look for Gwen’s interview with Peet tomorrow.
Can you binge it? If you’ve got cable, you can log in with your provider I.D. to watch the second season in full on USA’s website. As for the first season, you can catch that over on Netflix.
Regular coverage
Wild card
Showbiz Kids (HBO, 9 p.m., premiere): As helmed by Alex Winter (an accomplished director who also happens to be the guy behind Bill S. Preston, Esq.), this documentary looks at the risks and life-long costs of a childhood in Hollywood. Interview subjects include Evan Rachel Wood, Mara Wilson, E.T. star Henry Thomas, and others.
Hot Ones, “Paul Rudd” (10:30 p.m., TruTV): Here’s your chance to see the meme in context (assuming you never actually watched the original YouTube video in full), following the season premiere of the tongue-searing interview series’ game-show spin-off.