It’s still raining in Seattle, in the welcome but unexpected return of “The Killing” (AMC, 8 p.m.). The effective, atmospheric thriller, canceled by its network until Netflix stepped forward to pay for half of it, begins some time in the future, with practically a new cast.
But the strong Mirelle Enos is still there, though her job has changed considerably, and so is Joel Kinnamen in just as surprising a role – a detective on his way up. When a murder of a young girl begins to resemble a case that she had been working on years ago, they intersect again. Problem is that her case resulted in the death penalty sentence of a compelling character played by Peter Saarsgard.
The strength of “The Killing” is how different it is from other series, how powerful the acting is and how acutely it observes a bleak contemporary world where young people are ignored or discarded or otherwise treated badly. So glad this unfairly maligned series is back.
An imported benefit concert, “The Women’s Concert for Change: Live from London” (NBC, 9 p.m.) features an array of stars including Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Florence + the Machine, Ellie Goulding and even some dudes — Jay-Z, John Legend and Timbaland to raise money and awareness for various nonprofit organizations supporting women’s education, health care and justice. Among those also taking part are Madonna, Gloria Steinem and Desmond tutu.
Sunday night has become the beacon for gaggles of off-putting women. Both the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” (Bravo, 8 p.m.) and “Keeping Up withthe Kardashins” (E!, 9 p.m.) are back with new seasons. And there’s a new group of them: “Princesses of Long Island” (Bravo, 9 p.m.), being a gaggle of Jewish women seeking husbands while living at home with their parents. Their actions will repel you if their accents won’t. Maybe they’ll run into the “Long Island Medium” (TLC, 8 p.m.) which has four new episodes. I feel like drinking a Long Island Ice Tea.
“Top Hooker” (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.) is the unnecessarily naughty title for a new show about fishing. Will they find mermaids?
It’s preceded by four new episodes of “Call of the Wildman” (Animal Planet, 8 p.m.).
“Game of Thrones” (HBO, 9 p.m.) is back and gearing up for something; it’s the second to last episode of the season. Daenerys has got an army, dragons and a boy friend.
A new season starts for “Food Network Star” (Food, 9 p.m.), with twelve contenders competing for their own show (behind the scenes we imagine there is another competition for what show will have to give up space for the winner.
A government shutdown causes lots of furlough fever on “Veep” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
Weird that Sunday night is becoming a growing repository for same-week reruns, from “The Bachelorette” (ABC, 8 p.m.) to “The Voice” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
A quick turnaround provides the story of the May 20 disaster in “Mile Wide Tornado: Oklahoma Disaster” (Discovery, 10 p.m.).
The animated “Cinderella” (ABC Family, 8 p.m.) makes way for the live action “The Princess Diaries” (ABC Family, 9:30 p.m.).
Lenny Kravitz spills on “Oprah’s Master Class” (OWN, 10 p.m.) about the transition from being Mr. Lisa Bonet to Mr. Laura Dern.
A paying gig for the ventriloquist sister on “Family Tree” (HBO, 10:30 p.m.) doesn’t go so well.
Bill Hader, who recently bid farewell to “Saturday Night Live,” hosts a Sunday night series on essential films for small fry on Turner Classic Movies. His pick: “The Court Jester” (8 p.m.) with Danny Kaye. But it also stars Basil Rathbone who is the official star of the night with “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (10 p.m.) also showing.
It’s Diamondbacks at Cubs (ESPN, 7:15 p.m.) in Sunday Night Football.
In game 2 of their series, it’s Los Angeles at Chicago (NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m.) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The NBA playoffs have the day off.
Sunday Talk
ABC: Former White House senior adviser David Plouffe, Karl Rove, Rep. John Dingell. CBS: Sens. John McCain adn Jack Reed, New York Times editor Jill Abramson. NBC: Reps. Mike Rogers and Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Charles Schumer, David Axelrod. CNN: Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Rep. Darrell Issa, Paul Begala, Kevin Madden. Fox News: Republican committee chair Reince Priebus, Reps. Bob Goodlatte and Chris Van Hollen.