Normally I’d be cheering another collaboration between Jim Carrey and director Michel Gondry, whose “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” remains a favorite movie. But in the new series “Kidding” (Showtime, 10 p.m.), Carrey plays a sad sack children’s TV entertainer (a job that doesn’t really exist any more), with a broken marriage who can’t get over the death of a son.
The cast is exceptional, with Judy Greer, Catherine Keener, Frank Langella and Justin Kirk. But the tone is dour, t the flights of fancy for Gondry limited to the kiddie show set and Carrey’s character a little stalky and less than universally beloved. I’m willing to see if it gets better, though. It accompanies the return of the network’s most popular show by far, “Shameless” (Showtime, 9 p.m.), which returns for season 9 with Frank in trouble with the PTA.
You might look at the season 2 premiere of “The Deuce” (HBO, 9 p.m.) and think it was season 3 or 4. After moving so slowly in season one, it all jumps ahead to the late 70s, with Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Candy a successful filmmaker, and James Franco running a hit disco backed by the mob (the twin brother Franco also plays in’t doing as well). Because it’s 1977 New York, punk rock begins to rear its head as well.
Lifetime is not a stranger to stalker stories but the new series “You” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.) ups the quality and entertainment considerably. One of several series on air by Greg Berlanti (“Riverdale” is one of them), it’s based on Caroline Kepnes’ book, it glides along on the personality of narrator played by the charming Penn Badgley of “Gossip Girl.” One would think he merely has a thing for a customer in his bookstore (Elizabeth Lail), but it’s clear in the pilot he’s gone too far in finding out about her, first through all the available channels of social media, and then by breaking into her house. Its creepiness comes from another angle and feels uncomfortably up to date.
As much good will as Lil Red Howery has engendered in his standup and on “The Carmichaels” and in “Get Out,” his new sitcom about a man whose wife left him for his barber is rather flat. The first episode of “Rel” (Fox, 8 p.m.), which also features Sinbad, is shown as a sneak preview in advance of its premiere Sept. 30.
“Masterpiece” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) is back with a gorgeous looking three-part series about a young woman married to a 17th century Amsterdam merchant, based on Jessie Burton’s novel and lit like a Vermeer painting. Anya Taylor-Joy stars with a stern Romola Garai.
The 2019 Miss America Competition (ABC, 9 p.m.) is supposed to have been retooled, with no swimsuit portion and meant to be more of a scholarship contest. Carrie Ann Inaba and Ross Mathews host.
Rob Lowe directs and also stars in a remake of the horror film about a scary little kid, “The Bad Seed” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) with Mckenna Grace in the creepy role.
Queen Latifah hosts “Black Girls Rock! 2018” (BET, 8 p.m.), whose honorees include Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Naomi Campbell, Lena Waithe, dancer Judith Jamison and activist Tarana Burke.
“The Last Ship” (TNT, 9 p.m.) returns for its fifth and final season, picking up three years after a global famine.
Looks like a Vegas trip for the girls on “Insecure” (HBO, 10:30 p.m.).
The singer and occasional lip-syncher Ashlee Simpson returns to the realm of her sister Jessica in the reality series “Ashlee & Evan” (E!, 10 p.m.), about her life with her husband Evan Ross, son of Diana Ross.
Level Six is running out of outsiders to nominate for eviction, but Kaycee will likely put up the last two on “Big Brother” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
Angela forms an A-team on “Power” (Starz, 8 p.m.).
Mariah needs anger management on “Married to Medicine” (Bravo, 8 p.m.).
Jess takes on the principal on “America to Me” (Starz, 10:20 p.m.).
On “Chesapeake Shores” (Hallmark, 9 p.m.), Wes has a new girlfriend.
Strand and Dorie are marooned on “Fear the Walking Dead” (AMC, 9 p.m.).
Kim’s dream on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” (E!, 9 p.m.) is to appear on “family Feud.”
“Too Stupid to Die” (MTV, 9 p.m.) gets a sneak preview.
Joe weighs a new offer on “Ballers” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
“Basketball Wives” (VH1, 10 p.m.) are still in Amsterdam.
Turner Classic Movies pairs a couple of recent documentaries that were chock full of lost old footage. “Dawson City: Frozen Time” (8 p.m.) is a trove of movies from the Klondike Gold Rush and the 1919 World Series. “Fragments” (10:15 p.m.) is a compendium of lost clips including the final reel of John Ford’s “The Village Blacksmith” and Emil Jannings in “The Way of All Flesh.” It’s followed by the silent “The Prisoner of Zenda” (12:30 a.m.) and Fassbinder’s epic “World on a Wire” (2:30 a.m.).
The first football Sunday of the season has Buffalo at Baltimore (CBS, 1 p.m.), Jacksonville at Giants (Fox, 1 p.m.), Washington at Arizona (Fox, 4:25 p.m.) and Chicago at Green Bay (NBC, 8:20 p.m.).
Baseball includes Cubs at Washington (TBS, 1:30 p.m.), Atlanta at Arizona (MLB, 4:30 p.m.) and Houston at Boston (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
In golf, final rounds are played in the BMW Championship (Golf, noon; NBC, 2 p.m.).
In auto racing, NASCAR has its Big Machine Vodka 400 (NBC Sports, 1 p.m.) and there’s the America’s Tire 250 (Fox Sports 1, 5 p.m.).
Soccer has Norway at Bulgaria (ESPNews, 11:50 a.m.) and Slovenia at Cyprus (ESPNews, 2:30 p.m.).
Game 2 of the WNBA Finals has Washington at Seattle (ABC, 3:30 p.m.).
Women’s college volleyball has Iowa State at Nebraska (ESPNU, 2 p.m.).
Women’s college soccer has Samford at LSU (ESPNU, 5 p.m.).
And running has its 5th Avenue Mile (NBC, noon).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos. CBS: Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Mark Warner, Democratic National chair Tom Perez, Republican National chair Ronna McDaniel. NBC: Kellyanne Conway, Sens. Ben Sasse and Dick Durbin. CNN: Conway, Warner, Sasse. Fox News: Pence, Sen. Chris Coons.