The one fall show I knew I could count on was “Mulaney” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.), just from what I knew of John Mulaney himself, a very funny young comic, who has been on things from “Saturday Night Live” to “Kroll Show” over the years. His own sitcom, though, is almost perversely flat — almost as if it were intended to be a parody of a sitcom. Therefore, there’s a studio audience for some of it, and it’s so structured on “Seinfeld,” from its stand-up intros to apartment neighbors of weirdos, that there’s a joke about it being a ripoff of “Seinfeld” every week.
Still, any show with Nasim Penrad and Martin Short in it has to have something in it, and future episodes show it to be a mildly agreeable series at its best, even if it’s not the one you wanted to save TV.
“Homeland” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) returns to reinvent itself, having done the brave thing and killed off a major character last season. What you have to believe is that Carrie Mathison is not only still with the agency, but that she’s head of a bureau in Kabul, angling to get over to Pakistan. She’s been taking her meds to such a degree that she is on an even keel even when she orders a bomber strike on a place holding a major target, which turns out to be a wedding.
She’s arranged to have her sister do long term babysitting back in D.C. for her new baby, which looks so much like Brody it’s like Brody is still on the show. Saul is still around, working for a private security agency and Quinn, ever disillusioned, is still around as well. The foreign setting (with South Africa subbing as the middle East) and the addition of a couple of key cast members make for what seems a promising season of cat and mouse. It’s smart that tonight’s premiere will quickly immerse you in it, with two consecutive episodes. Settle in as you would for a good movie.
One of the new faces on “Homeland” Is Corey Stoll, who happens to be on another network tonight as well, winding up the first season of the prescient and widely entertaining series “The Strain” (FX, 10 p.m.), one of the many summer highlights.
It’s Cincinnati at New England (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) in Sunday Night Football. Earlier NFL games include Atlanta at Giants (Fox, 1 p.m.), Baltimore at Indianapolis (CBS, 1 p.m.) and Jets at San Diego (CBS, 4:25 p.m.).
Baseball playoffs include game threes for Baltimore at Detroit (TBS, 3:30 p.m.) and Angels at Kansas City (TBS, 7:30 p.m.).
“60 Minutes” (CBS, 7:30 p.m.) has been on a roll lately. Tonight FBI director James B. Comey talks with Scott Pelley about terrorism and cybercrime, while Anderson Cooper profiles a dog.
A reporter threatens to release confidential documents on “Madam Secretary” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) and Tea Leoni’s character has to use her husband to deal with Pakistan. It, like “The Good Wife” (CBS, 9:30 p.m.), comes at an inexact time again, because of late afternoon football. And “CSI” (CBS, 10:30 p.m.) may run way late.
The fifth season of “Bob’s Burgers” (Fox, 7:30 p.m.) begins, with Gene putting on a musical version of “Die Hard.”
At least “The Simpsons” (Fox, 8 p.m.) and “Family Guy” (Fox, 9 p.m.) have been separated again, for good.
A new series of “Inspector Lewis” begins on “Masterpiece Mystery!” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) with the former inspector coming out of retirement as Hathaway begins his first case.
The work of cinematographer Jack Cardiff is featured on Turner Classic Movies tonight with a 2010 appreciation “Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff” (10:30 p.m.) that follows his work in “The Red Shoes” (8 p.m.).
Preseason hockey includes Carolina at Washington (NHL, 3 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Tom Frieden. CBS: Infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health Dr. Anthony Fauci, Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Elijah Cummings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. NBC: Frieden, White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer, Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus, former Sen. Jim Webb. CNN: Frieden, Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jack Reed. Fox News: Fauci, Sen. Kelly Ayotte.