How do you get new audiences to your well-established, critically acclaimed show?
Run a special that explains what’s been happening until now. Presumably, “The Good Wife: A New Beginning” (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) will do just that as well as tease current fans with scenes from the third season premiere.
One of the greatest episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO, 10 p.m.), and therefore one of the greatest comedy episodes in TV history comes tonight in another marvelously intricate plot that guest stars and absolutely resurrects the career of one Bill Buckner.
Many dramas go for reruns on Labor Day weekend, but not “Breaking Bad” (AMC, 10 p.m.), which shook things up with last week’s episode and shines a light tonight on Skyler’s money woes. The movie that precedes it, “No Country for Old Men” (AMC, 8 p.m.) makes a good match.
A new Inspector Lewis yarn on “Masterpiece Mystery” (PBS, 9 p.m.) concerns a murder during a reunion at an all-female college. Sound familiar? He investigated a similar one a decade ago.
There are a couple of new 9/11 10th anniversary shows on tonight, though the floodgates really open later in the week. Tonight, “9/11: Heroes of the 88th Floor” (TLC, 9 p.m.) looks at the final moments of Frank De Martini and Pablo Ortiz, Port Authority workers who saved 77 people in the North Tower. Chris Noth narrates. Another angle looks at those who investigated the terror act as a criminal matter in “I.D. Investigates: 9/11 Crime Scene Investigators” (Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m.).
A new season starts for “Border Wars” (National Geographic, 9 p.m.) and its slightly sensationalized view of the problems along the line, mostly involving drugs.
There’s no Sunday Night Football tonight, awaiting the official start of the season Thursday. But there is “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (NBC, 8:30 p.m.).
A winner is named in this year’s gospel singing TV competition “Sunday Best” (BET, 9 p.m.). But then the finalists will have been thoroughly intimidated by a pair of guest singers on the finale, Yolanda Adams and Shirley Caesar.
White Sox at Tigers for Sunday Night Baseball (ESPN2, 7 p.m.) almost certainly won’t be as exciting as Saturday’s game between the two.
There’s always the Sprint Cup in Atlanta (ESPN, 8 p.m.). But if I want NASCAR, I’ll take “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (Comedy Central, 7:30 p.m.).
Which brings up the question: Do parallel universes exist? That’s also the question of the night on “Curiosity” (Discovery, 8 p.m.), after which they’re talkin’ ‘bout a “Dinosaur Revolution” (Discovery, 9 p.m.).
Wendi McLendon-Covey performs in the UVC Shopping sketch and there’s a takeoff on “Glee” auditions on a new “In the Flow with Affion Crockett” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.)
How bad is network TV this summer? Bad enough that “Big Brother” (CBS, 8 p.m.) wins the night every time it’s on – and it’s on three times a week. Last time we checked, Shelly was evicted and the rest were still in the middle of the head of household competition. Whoever wins gets to nominate two more for eviction, though there are rumblings about the return of Pandora’s Box and a celebrity visit to the compound.
Video tape can be so useful in carving a narrative. Witness “The Blair Witch Project” (Flix, 8 p.m.) and “Sex, Lies and Videotape” (Flix, 9:30 p.m.).
Sookie’s using her faerie powers on a new “True Blood” (HBO, 9 p.m.). Not to be confused with Snooki on “Jersey Shore” (MTV, 8 and 9 p.m.), a show that shouldn’t be confused with “New Jersey Shore: Then & Now” (Travel, 9 p.m.), which is about the shore itself from past to present (but probably not including last weekend’s hurricane).
Why you can’t get a contractor: Twenty people compete in the second season of “All American Handyman” (HGTV, 9 p.m.).
Now only four months away: “2012” (Starz, 7:21 p.m.).
How has everybody been doing who was in season five of “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” (VH1, 9 p.m.)? The show checks back in with Amy Fisher, Bai Ling and Michael Lohan 150 days after checkout.
There’s a double bill of films on based on the work of playwright William Gibson (not to be confused with the science fiction writer of the same name), “The Miracle Worker” (TCM, 8 p.m.) and “Two for the Seesaw” (TCM, 10 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Sen. Jim DeMint. CBS: Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Gov. Jon Huntsman. NBC: Rep. Maxine Waters, Thomas Friedman, Doris Kearns Goodwin. CNN: Sens. DeMint and Joe Lieberman, Rep. Mike Rogers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters President James Hoffa. Fox News: Dick Cheney.
The family and I enjoyed this movie the first time we watched it. I hope the kids like it as much the second time. I am looking forward to having them watch it tonight after a long day of camping. My husband and I will setup DISH’s Tailgater and put it on in the camper while we stay outside and get some alone time by the fire. I work for DISH so it was great to know about the tailgater as soon as it came out, http://goo.gl/vd4M4. I have a feeling the Tailgater will be something we keep on the camping checklist.