Just when things were quieting dow, here comes the latest singing competition. The gimmick behind “Rising Star” (ABC, 10 p.m.) is a kind of app-
driven crowd appreciation that results in instant voting — faces of those voting yes flash on a screen, if enough of them are on there, a 70 percent affirmative rate, a big screen will raise, indicating the singer will advance.
The technology-driven ruse means the show starts late on the East Coast, so those on the West Coast can have a chance to vote in real time in a three hour time difference. More singers have been roped in as judges — Brad Paisley, Ludacris and Ke$ha. Josh Groban, who could probably outsing most contestants, serves as host.
Summer has suddenly turned into dyspeptic sci-fi to bide away the nights. After the success of “Under the Dome,” there are a number of perilous situations, deadly viral strains and end of the world stuff. The latest, “The Last Ship” (TNT, 9 p.m.), is actually not bad looking. Producer Michael Bay guarantees movie-quality effects and explosions in the premise of a virus run amuck so quickly that only a boat in the arctic seeking an antedote is safe and holds the key to survival. Square-jawed Eric Dane stars with Rona Mitra as the scientist, with whom he of course, tussles.
It accompanies the fourth season of the alien invasion story, “Falling Skies” (TNT, 10 p.m.), which has crawled into the cul de sac of chases, ragtag freedom fighters and skittering creatures and Transformer overlords. By now one of the aliens even talks.
Of more interest is the seventh and final season for “True Blood” (HBO, 9 p.m.), which as well done as it has been, seems to be rerunning similar story lines on vampires in society and the battles among them. The season begins after a particularly bloody confrontation of last year, and the future of Sookie in a town that blames her for the whole vampire invasion.
There have been more than three tries at the old Alexandre Dumas’ tale and here’s another one. “The Three Musketeers” (BBC America, 10 p.m.) doesn’t seem bad. Its sword fights remind us of how much we’ll miss “Game of Thrones.”; there seems something international and generic about the plotting and characters, though its photography and setting is better than usual.
The terrific legal thriller “The Escape Artist” concludes on “Masterpiece Mystery” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings). To help you catch up, they show part one at 7 p.m.
“Drop Dead Diva” (Lifetime, 9 p.m.) also ends its season, its sixth. “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.) ends its first season.
On the new series “Frankenfood” (Spike, 10 p.m.), amateur chefs try to get restaurants interested in their concoctions. I hope at lease one of them says “It’s alive!”
“Nurse Jackie” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) reluctantly attends her ex’s wedding.
Not too surprising that ratings tank for “Santa Monica Cop,” the fake show Hank writes for on “Californication” (Showtime, 9:30 p.m.).
Auditions continue on “America’s Got Talent” (NBC, 10 p.m.). America is apparently an endless font of talent.
A crisis threatens the BIOS on “Halt and Catch Fire” (AMC, 10 p.m.). Maybe even a fire.
World Cup games today are Belgium vs. Russia (ABC, noon), South Korea vs. Algeria (ABC, 3 p.m.) and U.S. vs. Portugal (ESPN, 6 p.m.).
Network TV’s dumbest series, and that is saying a lot, returns for its seventh (!) season, “Wipeout” (ABC, 8 p.m.). That’s in place of the United States world cup game. Say what you will about America’s embrace of soccer, but prime time sporting events here include “Wipeout” and “American Ninja Warrior” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
A behind the scenes look at “Naked and Afraid” (Discovery, 10 p.m.) may show where, for example, they hang their clothes first.
They celebrate Groundhog’s Day on “Return to Amish” (TLC, 10 p.m.). It’s a Pennsylvania thing.
Vanessa needs to be saved on a new “Penny Dreadful” (Showtime, 10 p.m.).
Family friendly monster movie classics are the point of tonight’s prime time programming on Turner Classic Movies, with the 1956 “Godzilla, King of the Monsters!” (8 p.m.) and the 1949 “Mighty Joe Young” (10 p.m.). Then, after the silent “The Mark of Zorro” (TCM, midnight), it’s a rare occurrence, all three of Krzystof Kieslowski’s 1990s trilogy, “Blue” (TCM, 2 a.m.), “White” (TCM, 3:45 a.m.) and “Red” (5:30 a.m.). Better tape them for later.
Baseball includes Philadelphia at St. Louis (MLB, 2 p.m.) and Texas at Angels (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
In the WNBA, it’s Tulsa at Chicago (ESPN2, 1 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Dick Cheney, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Reps. Keith Ellison and Adam Kinzinger. CBS: Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Mike Rogers. NBC: Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. Michael McCaul, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Former Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy. CNN: Paul, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Fox News: Rep. Kevin McCarthy.