They sure make a bigger deal of it than it really deserves, but it’s still fun to watch The 86th Academy Awards (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) for the universal experience. Ellen DeGeneres will be an upgrade from last year’s Seth MacFarlane, and the song nominees will be performed again, this time by U2, Karen O, Pink, Idina Menzel and Pharrell Williams. Also singing: Bette Midler and the children of Judy Garland — Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft — doing a “Wizard of Oz” tribute.
Mostly it will be about the nominees, the presenters, clips, dresses, and wasting time between awards, when they will stop at nothing to stop cut winners’ speeches short. Before hand there’s three hours of “Live from the Red Carpet: The 2014 Academy Awards” (E!, 5:30 p.m.) with Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic (though they’ll be having pre-Oscar coverage as early as 1;30 p.m. There’s also “Oscar Red Carpet” (TV Guide Chanel, 5 p.m.).
The network has its own official “Oscars Red Carpet Live!” (ABC, 7 p.m.) as well, which will go on for 90 excruciating minutes. Then when it’s all over there’s still “Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars” (ABC, 12:05 a.m.).
Even as Matthew McConaughey waits to see if he’ll get the best actor Oscar, he’ll also be on “True Detective” (HBO, 9 p.m.) where in the second to last episode, they will largely in in real time joining forces and trying to find out what really happened.
Another actor at the Oscars but also on TV is Jane Squibb, nominated for “Nebraska” who also plays Hanna’s ailing grandmother on a new “Girls” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
Kicking off a week of wondering whether’s there’s life in outer space, “NASA’s Unexplained Files” (Science 10 p.m.) looks at anomalies in the galaxy that, unlike the title, are all pretty much explained.
They’re still in China on“The Amazing Race” (CBS, 8 p.m.). It’s just about the only new episode of anything on broadcast TV.
If you missed the two hour finale of “Downton Abbey” last week, it’s on again on “Masterpiece Classic” (PBS, 7 p.m., check local listings).
No new episodes on Showtime tonight, but you can catch up on recent episodes of “Shameless” (Showtime, 7, 8, 9 10 p.m.).
They won’t be talking Oscars on “Talking Dead” (AMC, 11 p.m.). They will be pretty much spending their time on the new episode of “Walking Dead” (AMC, 10 p.m.).
For people who’d rather see movies than see them being honored, there are a lot of big things on tonight, from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (Syfy, 6:30 p.m.). “E.T.” (TNT, 8 p.m.), “Goodfellas” (IFC, 5 and 8 p.m.), “Lincoln” (Showtime 2, 5 p.m.) and “The Shining” (Sundance, 10 p.m.).
“Mutiny on the Bounty” (TCM, 8 p.m.) won the Academy Award for best picture in 1935 against “Captain Blood” (TCM, 10:30 p.m.), “Ruggles of Red Gap” (TCM, 12:45 a.m.), “Top Hat” (TCM, 2:30 a.m.) and “David Copperfield” (TCM, 4:30 a.m.).
NBA action includes New York at Chicago (ABC, 1 p.m.) and Dallas at San Antonio (NBA, 7 p.m.).
Hockey includes Ottawa at Vancouver (NBC Sports Network, 4 p.m.) and Boston at Rangers (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.).
Spring baseball includes Baltimore vs. Boston (MPB, 1 p.m.).
Men’s college hoops includes DePaul at St.John’s (CBS Sports, noon), George Mason at George Washington (NBC Sports, 1:30 p.m.), Marquette at Villanova (CBS, 2 p.m.), Ohio State at Indiana (ABC, 4 p.m.), Georgia Tech at Florida State (ESPNU, 6 p.m.), Stanford at Arizona (ESPNU, 6p.m.) and Oregon State at UCLA (Fox Sports 1, 9 p.m.).
Women’s games include Virginia at Florida State (ESPNU, 12:30 p.m.), Duke at North Carolina (ESPN, 1 p.m.), Nebraska at Purdue (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), South Carolina at Tennessee (ESPNU, 2:30 p.m.) and Vanderbilt at Kentucky (ESPN2, 4 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Ben Affleck. CBS: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. NBC: Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Claire McCaskill, California Gov. Jerry Brown, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. CNN: Sens. Dick Durin and Lindsey Graham, RIck Santorum, former White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton, former U.S. ambassador to Russia John Beyrle. Fox News: Rep. Darrell Issa, Sen. Rob Portman, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, former Sens. Scott Brown and Evan Bayh.