Mother’s Day is a very odd time to air a new “Rosemary’s Baby” (NBC, 9 p.m.).Or maybe it’s the perfect time. The best part about the old tale written by Ira Levin (and made into a famous Roman Polanski movie with Mia Farrow in 1968) is the unsettled feeling of the first time mother — what is this growing inside me?
Tonight’s new two part TV version puts the story in the present time and moves the action to Paris, feeding on the American fear of France. It’s not a terrible version, mostly because Zoe Saldana throws herself into the role and has an engaging, naturalistic role. Also good to see Jason Isaac and the lovely Carole Bouquet as the couple that takes them in (and turns out to be very influential on their lives). It moves at its own pace, though, first the husband (Patrick J. Adams) has to have a turn in fortunes perhaps because of some deal he’s struck. They don’t even get to the rather crowded consummation until the the end of tonight’s half. It concludes on Thursday.
The better alternative for high-end creepiness, though, is “Penny Dreadful” (Showtime, 10 p.m.), which combines a number of classic tales, from Frankenstein to Dorian Grey, into a vampire and demon-fighting group in London who enlist the help of an American sharp-shooter from a traveling Wild West show. It’s got a very solid cast, led by Timothy Dalton Eva Green and Josh Hartnett, and the Victorian England setting is very well done. There is just a faint feeling we’ve been through a lot of this material before. Just not this classily done.
You can watch “Penny Dreadful” even if you’re not a Showtime subscriber, since it’s a free weekend on the channel. Which means you can watch new episodes of “Californication” (Showtime, 9:30 p.m.) and “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) to boot.
There’s lots of competition on Sunday nights, though.
For example, Tyrion goes on trial on “Game of Thrones” (HBO, 9 p.m.). Don gets a visitor on “Mad Men” (AMC, 10 p.m.).
David and Mary Margaret name their son on the two hour, third season finale of “Once Upon a Time” (ABC, 8 p.m.). There is also a season finale for “Revenge” (ABC, 10 p.m.), which is actually coming back in the fall for a new season.
In addition to his fine topical show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO, 11 p.m.), Oliver also lends his voice on a new episode of “The Simpsons” (Fox, 8 p.m.).
The campaign moves to Detroit on “Veep” (HBO, 10:30 p.m.).
“The Amazing Race” (CBS, 8 p.m.) goes to England, which means they don’t have to keep saying “rapido, rapido” to the cabbies.
Gilfoyle’s girlfriend comes to visit and a kid is brought in to write code on “Silicon Valley” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
Tonight you could watch “The Good Sister” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) and “The Good Wife” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
It’s all about mom all day on Turner Classic Movies with “Lady for a Day” (6 a.m.), “The Catered Affair” (7:45 a.m.), “Now, Voyager” (9:30 a.m.), “Gypsy” (11:30 a.m.), “Mildred Pierce” (2 p.m.), “Marty” (4 p.m.), “Imitation of Life” (5:45 p.m.), “I Remember Mama” (8 p.m.) and “The Mating Season” (10:30 p.m.).
There is also “Mommy Dearest” (Sundance, 9 p.m.) and “Mother’s Day Away” (Hallmark, 9 p.m.).
NBA playoff action has Oklahoma City at Clippers (ABC, 3:30 p.m.) and Indiana at Washington (TNT, 8 p.m.). In the Stanley Cup, it’s Pittsburgh at Rangers (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.) and Minnesota at Chicago (CNBC, 9 p.m.).
Baseball tonight has St. Louis at Pittsburgh (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
In golf, the Players Championship (NBC, 2 p.m.) concludes.
Sunday Talk
ABC: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Sen. Marco Rubio. CBS: Rep. Mike Rogers, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. CNN: Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Michele Bachmann. Fox News: Reps. Trey Gowdy and Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Anbassador to Nigeria John Campbell.