It’s surprising that after its triumphant 12 day marathon and renewed interest in its excellent series, the people behind Bart, Homer and Marge Simpsons would so easily relinquish their characters under total control of the “Family Guy” (Fox, 9 p.m.) people for the long-awaited crossover episode. Maybe it’s better they wash their hands of it entirely as the lesser, more coarse cartoon takes over.
“The Simpsons” (Fox, 8 p.m.), in its own 26th season premiere has its own event to tout, a death in its very large cast of characters. From all of the promotion (and the episode title “Clown in the Dumps”), one would guess that it’s Krusty, but this show likes to throw you for a loop.
In the live action world, “Masters of Sex” (Showtime, 10 p.m.) ends its second season with the aftermath of their TV appearance on CBS. I found out last week that this well-made, superbly acted show can be easily dropped into for single episodes, as can “Ray Donovan” (Showtime, 9 p.m.), which ends its season tonight as well. (Next week in their place: “Homeland”).
Having already exploited many of the Disney heroines in its first three seasons, “Once Upon of Time” (ABC, 8 p.m.) has a new, very popular one to incorporate from the hit movie “Frozen.” Don’t expect any singing though.
Also back on the network tonight, “Resurrection” (ABC, 9 p.m.), which barely got started last spring, and “Revenge” (ABC, 10 p.m.), which badly needs to reinvent itself in season four.
The second season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox, 8:30 p.m.) appears among the cartoons on Sunday nights now.
A third movie length caper for Miss Marple ends the Christie character reign for now on “Masterpiece Mystery!” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings). It’s followed by the profile “The Mystery of Agatha Christie with David Suchet” (PBS, 10:30 p.m., check local listings).
With Syria taken care of, “Madam Secretary” (CBS, 8 p.m.) now moves to handle a problem in Yemen. Not only is Tea Leoni more effective than John Kerry, she’s better looking.
Alicia tries to hold on to a big client on “The Good Wife” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
The 15th season for “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (CBS, 10 p.m.) starts with a car bomb threat.
“60 Minutes” (CBS, 8 p.m.) had its biggest season opener in years last week. A football lead-in might have helped, even at it bumped starting times for all of the network’s fare; as it may well do tonight.
Sunday Night Football has New Orleans at Dallas (NBC, 8:30 p.m.). Earlier, it’s Carolina at Baltimore (CBS, 1 p.m.), Green Bay at Chicago (Fox, 1 p.m.) and Philadelphia at San Francisco (Fox, 4:25 p.m.).
Van Alden is outed as a former G-man when Luciano visits Capone on “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO, 9 p.m.).
The fourth season of “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown” (CNN, 9 p.m.) starts in Shanghai.
The fifth season finale of “The Great Food Truck Race” (Food Network, 9 p.m.) ends in Key West.
One summer series still going strong is “The Strain” (FX, 10 p.m.), with Eichorst launching an attack on the pawn shop. On another, an unexpected visitor arrives on “Manhattan” (WGN, 10 p.m.).
If it isn’t the finale of “The Lottery” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.), a lot of things happen that would make you think it’s so, including the announcement of the winners of the lottery and the mystery of the infertility crisis solved.
In the TV movie “Runaway” (Lifetime Movie Network, 8 p.m.), a woman who broke free from a drug kingpin is hunted down years later.
For those who have seen “The Cosmopolitans” (Amazon, streaming) and crave for more, here are two previous films of Whit Stillman that have the closest sensibility to it, “Metropolitan” (TCM, 8 p.m.) and “Barcelona” (TCM, 10 p.m.), which both mine a talky, philosophical tone reminiscent of Eric Rohmer, who is conveniently represented later in “Claire’s Knee” (TCM, 2:30 a.m.) and “Suzanne’s Career” (TCM, 4:30 a.m.). In between, something completely different, Eric von Stroheim’s 1925 silent version of “The Merry Widow” (TCM, midnight).
If it’s Sunday, it’s “Meet the Press,” except today, when it’s preempted by the Ryder Cup golf tournament (NBC, 7 a.m.).
The last day of the regular season of baseball has Yankees at Boston (TBS, 1:30 p.m.).
In preseason hockey, it’s Buffalo at Toronto (NHL, 7 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Reps. John Boehner and Keith Ellison, Vice Adm. John Miller. CBS: Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken, Sen. Tim Kaine, former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell, retired Gen. Carter Ham. CNN: Blinken, Sen. Chris Murphy, former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Richard Myers. Fox News: Blinken, Sens. John Barrasso and Angus King.