It’s impossible to fill the hole left by the season’s end of “Mad Men,” but “Halt and Catch Fire” (AMC, 10 p.m.) is a pretty strong entry, depicting the efforts of a tiny knot of ambitious people into turning the personal computer market inside out, by first literally turning an IBM model inside out.
Too many TV shows have been felled by an attempt to incorporate a computer into their story (a case may be made that “Mad Men” was heading that way as well), but here there is an urgency and back-to-basics drive that makes it work. It’s in large part due to Lee Pace, who turns on his charisma to dazzle his lowly Texas employer and a programmer, defeated to daily life, to reignite his dreams of reinventing the hardware. Also recruited, an arcade brat who knows her way around a motherboard. I’m in.
But that makes it two computer-making series competing against on another. The first season finale of “Silicon Valley” (HBO, 10 p.m.) takes place at Tech Crunch Disrupt, the big convention for new apps, where Pied Piper is presented. The rewarding episode also includes what creator Mike Judge promised was “the most complicated dick joke” in TV history, and it is.
The Amish are flourishing on TV, probably because none of them have TV sets and can see how they are being depicted. The life is a little more sympathetically portrayed in the TV movie “Love Finds Yor in Sugarcreek” (UP, 7 p.m.), with Tom Everett Scott as a wanderer who finds his way to Sugarcreek, Ohio, an Amish community known as “The Little Switzerland of Ohio,” wher he finds a beautiful local policewoman (Sarah Lancaster), who was raised by Amish aunts, one of whom, the grandmotherly Kelly McGillis, donned an Amish garb 29 years ago in “Witness.”
It’s likely more realistic than the reality show “Return to Amish” (TLC, 8 p.m.), featuring the people once in “Breaking Amish” (TLC, 7 p.m.) now apparently returning to the fold.
Tonight’s the night Tyrion’s trial is settled by that big gladiator fight on “Game of Thrones” (HBO, 9 p.m.).
Dan, who burned out as campaign manager, returns with a beard on a new “Veep” (HBO, 10:30 p.m.), just in time for the presidential debates.
“Nurse Jackie” (Showtime, 9 p.m.), detoxes at home and dreams of the hospital.
ABC is so bereft of shows, it’s putting on a new, two hour episode of “The Bachelorette” (ABC, 8 p.m.) tonight as well as its regular slot Monday.
A new episode of the now cancelled “Believe” (NBC, 10 p.m.) is the only new scripted show on broadcast TV. Unless you count another cancelled show, “Enlisted” (Fox, 7 p.m.), brought back to get some use out of its remaining episodes.
“Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” (Fox, 9 p.m.) travels to Venus and looks at climate change on Earth.
The 10th season starts for “Food Network Star” (Food, 9 p.m.), which begs the question: Don’t they have enough stars (and who are they?)?
Malcolm hires Van Helsing to work with Dr. Frankenstein on a new “Penny Dreadful” (Showtime, 10 p.m.).
Somebody must have been waiting for a reality series about an all-male revue. Here it is: “Men of the Strip” (E!, 10 p.m.), which follows a troupe led by the least remembered member of 98 Degrees, Jeff Timmons.
Nine Russian hikers went missing in 1959. Discovery’s prognosis: Must have been Bigfoot! Their proof: “Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives” (Discovery, 9 p.m.).
A double feature of Cary Grant films he made for Howard Hawks has “Bringing Up Baby” (TCM, 8 p.m.) and “I Was a Male War Bride” (TCM, 10 p.m.).
An animated Disney double feature has “Mulan” (ABC Family, 6:15 p.m.) followed by “The Little Mermaid” (ABC Family, 8:15 p.m.).
No Sunday night “Walking Dead,” but there is “Zombieland” (TBS, 8 and 10 p.m.).
The Western Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs all comes to this: A Game 7 of Los Angeles at Chicago (NBC Sports, 8 p.m.).
Sunday night baseball has Pittsburgh at Dodgers (ESPN2, 8 p.m.).
The French Open (Tennis Channel, 5 a.m.; NBC, 1 p.m.) reaches its fourth round.
Sunday Talk
ABC: National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Sen. Ted Cruz. CBS: Sens. John McCain, Bernie Sanders, former NSA Director Michael Hayden. NBC: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Reps. Adam Kinzinger, former Rep. Jane Harman, Newt Gingrch, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. CNN: Rice, Rep. Mike Rogers, former National Security Advisor Jim Jones, former Sen. Jim Webb, former U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns. Fox News: Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus, Sen. Claire McCaskill, Rep. Jeff Miller.