Historians are coming around to the view that the Civil War that continues to deeply affect the United States wasn’t one with just two stories, North and South, but three. After the Union and the Confederacy is the “Fight for Freedom,” chronicling the account of freedom for formerly enslaved African Americans.
The new series “Civil War 360” (Smithsonian Channel, 8 p.m.) breaks the history up thusly, with Ashley Judd taking on the Union story tonight. Mostly the series seems a way to display the Smithsonian’s vast collection in connection with the war, so various curators and staff historians pull out rare items for her to inspect. Odd to think Judd was thinking of a Senate run earlier this year, but she makes a good tour guide audience here. Even if she tries to relate everything to her own relatives in the war.
In the next two episodes, Trace Adkins covers the Confederacy and Dennis Haysbert “Fight for Freedom.”
Spoiler alert: the union was saved, but also led to this low moment in reality show history: “The Governor’s Wife” (A&E, 10 p.m.) regarding the 86-year-old former Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards, who spent more than eight years in prison for bribery and extortion. While in, he became pen pals with a vivacious woman 50 years his junior, married her, leading to this odd series, chronicling their offputting high-living lives and how she gets along with his daughters, who are in their 60s (one sort of gets along with her, another is coached to seem like a cigarette smoking dragon lady).
The young bride has her own teens from a previous marriage who mostly roll their eyes at their elderly new step-sisters. It’s the kind of train wreck all around that made stars out of Anna Nicole to Honey Boo Boo. And it shows the heights sought by a network somehow still named A&E.
“The Good Wife” (CBS, 9 p.m.) takes a major turn tonight as Alicia’s departure from the firm leads to a mad scramble to retain clients.
There’s a split, too, among those in the prison on “The Walking Dead” (AMC, 9 p.m.), between those afflicted by the mysterious disease and those who are not.
Under the banner of “Gay in Hollywood,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Wanda Sykes and Dan Bucatinsky talk on “Oprah’s Next Chapter” (OWN, 9 p.m.).
If it has the same odd turns as Saturday’s game it may be worth watching Game 4 of the World Series, with Boston at St. Louis (Fox, 8 p.m.). Its prime time competition is Green Bay at Minnesota (NBC, 8:20 p.m.) in Sunday Night Football.
“Homeland” (Showtime, 9 p.m.), after last week’s twist, has some explaining to do.
A double U-turn makes a polka challenge in Poland especially tricky on “The Amazing Race” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
On “Masters of Sex” (Showtime, 10 p.m.), Masters shows some anxiety about being a dad; and Johnson has some parenting issues of her own.
Chalky reaches a wall on “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO, 9 p.m.) and Nucky’s Florida delivery arrives.
Kenny opens his new pool and success goes to his head on a new “Eastbound & Down” (HBO, 10 p.m.). Coincidentally, Stuart has his own pool party on “Hello Ladies” (HBO, 10:30 p.m.).
Something new for this Halloween season is the double feature of “Paranormal Activity” (FX, 8 p.m.) with “Paranormal Activity 2” (10 p.m.).
A Benghazi eyewitness and a visit to the Metropolitan Opera are slated for “60 Minutes” (CBS, 7 p.m.).
In the two hour finale of “I Dream of Nene: The Wedding” (Bravo, 8 p.m.) we can only assume they go through with the ceremony.
It wasn’t so long ago that David Tennant was the 10th incarnation, so he talks about his time in “Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited” (BBC America, 8 p.m.).
“Mr. Skeffington” (TCM, 8 p.m.), meet “Mrs. Parkington” (TCM, 10:45 p.m.).
Later, it’s Lon Chaney in the original silent film “The Phantom of the Opera” (TCM, 1 a.m.). It’s fun when Dick Cheney and Lon Cheney are both on TV.
Sunday Talk
ABC: Dick Cheney, Sens. John Barrasso and Joe Manchin, Howard Dean. CBS: Rep. Darrell Issa, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. NBC: Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Rep. Peter King, Rick Santorum. CNN: Reps. Mike Rogers and John Fleming, former Obama administration health policy adviser Ezekiel Emanuel. Fox News: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Reps, Marsha Blackburn and Xavier Becerra.