If it were just the merits of the awards alone, “The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards” might not demand much attention, especially considering the shadowy credentials of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
But the array of stars it brings from the worlds of movies and television, its position as first of the season’s big awards shows, and especially the sly and disarming duo of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey returning as hosts pretty much make it essential event watching.
The red carpet watching is its own separate Super Bowl starting with “Countown to the Red Carpet” (E, 4 p.m.), leading to full coverage at 6 p.m. with the network’s own red carpet coverage starting at 7 p.m. The alcohol might make coverage of the afterparties at 11 p.m. on E! amusing as well.
“Girls” (HBO, 10 and 10:30 p.m.) returns for its third season with some stability — Hanna an Adam are together and solid, Shoshanna trying to balance school with her sex life, and Marnie moping from a breakup, while Jessa demands attention as well. In fact, in the bonus second episode, there’s a road trip to pick her up from rehab.
The fourth season of the generally underrated “Shameless” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) has the dissipated patriarch found near death and Fiona doing well at work and dating her boss. On the third season start of “Episodes” (Showtime, 10:30 p.m., Sean and Beverly are back together and things might seem to be smoother, but then Matt gets in trouble. On “House of Lies” (Showtime, 10 p.m.) the former team is widely dispersed.
On “Masterpiece Classic” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings), a big party at Downton Abbey brings an interested suitor for Lady Mary in the guise of a visiting Lord Gillingham, but they have to decide where to put a visiting opera singer — down with the servants before the party or with the main table? New visitors also means new footmen downstairs, which could spell problems as well.
Last week’s season premiere of “Downton Abbey” drew the largest audience ever for PBS drama. Tonight’s is a better shaped and more succinct hour-long episode (but preceded by all two hours of the premiere at 7 p.m.).
Then they’re already starting to sell the return next week of their other big import with “Unlocking Sherlock” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) in which the stars of “Sherlock” Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are joined by creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss to discuss the series.
Three songs from Bruce Springsteen’s new album “High Hopes,” which coincidentally comes out Tuesday, will be heard during tonight’s episode of “The Good Wife” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
Accordingly, networks aren’t throwing up reruns against the Globes in defeat with new episodes of “Revenge” (ABC, 9 p.m.), “The Simpsons” (Fox, 8 p.m.), “Bob’s Burgers” (Fox, 8:30 p.m.) and “The Mentalist” (CBS, 10 p.m.). But there is also a burn-off episode of the cancelled “Betrayal” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
Interesting to see ABC try to spin off “The Bachelor” into a two night a week show by showing repurposed and unseen footage in things like “The Bachelor: Behind the Scenes” (ABC, 8 p.m.), which includes nothing that advances the competition.
NFL playoff games today are San Francisco at Carolina (Fox, 1:05 p.m.) and San Diego at Denver (CBS, 4:45 p.m.).
I hate being in the line while some dude in awful hair is doing “Guy’s Grocery Games” (Food Network,8 p.m.).
“Beaver Brothers” (Animal Planet, 8 and 8:30 p.m.) go before “Gator Boys” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.).
An Ingrid Bergman double feature of “Anastasia” (TCM, 8 p.m.) and “Gaslight” (TCM, 10 p.m.), make way for a couple of hours of Fatty Arbuckle comedy shorts, beginning with “Fatty’s New Role” (midnight).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Rep. Adam Kinzinger, former White House adviser David Plouffe. CBS: Sen. Marco Rubio. NBC: Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, former Sen. Rick Santorum, former Rep. Jane Harman. CNN: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Sen. John McCain, Republican National zcommittee communications director Sean Spicer. Fox News: Sens. Ben Cardin and Jim Inhofe, Reps. Steve Southerland and Chris Van Hollen, Bob Woodward.