There’s no use differentiating Saturday and Sunday in considering the new fall TV lineups: The networks aren’t putting anything new (or interesting) in prime time on Saturday, the night that used to be the week’s showcase a generation or so ago. So everything here is about what’s happening on Sundays, closing our week’s worth of the new fare on the big four networks. But there’s not much new there either, because of a very different reason: the networks are happy with what they’ve been presenting there, already, from cartoons to series to football. Especially football.
NEW SHOWS
“Madame Secretary” (CBS, 8 p.m., started Sept. 21) has a lot going for it, including smart and striking Tea Leoni as a college prof suddenly tapped to become U.S. secretary of state, and the writing of Barbara Hall. But initially at least, it seems bent on solving world drama in 44 minutes or less, making it about as credible as the antics on “Scandal.” It might find some legs enough to be a worthy companion to “The Good Wife,” however.
“Mulaney” (Fox, 9:30 p.m., starts Oct. 5). What was originally my most anticipated series of the fall when it was announced has turned into a kind of disturbing puzzle. The talented writer and comic performer John Mulaney turns absolutely stiff in a sitcom so unblinkingly modeled on “Seinfeld” that they make a joke about it every week. Despite a cast that includes Martin Short, Nasim Pedrad and Seaton Smith, there are just odd moments from Elliott Gould and Zack Pearlman that make you think it’s a parody of somebody trying to do a network comedy.
RETURNING SHOWS
“Bob’s Burgers” (Fox, 7:30 p.m., returns Oct. 5), “Once Upon a Time” (ABC, 8 p.m., returns tonight), “The Simpsons” (Fox, 8 p.m., tonight), “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox, 8:30 p.m., tonight), “Resurrection” (ABC, 9 p.m., tonight), “The Good Wife” (CBS, 9 p.m., returned Sept. 21), “Family Guy” (Fox, 9 p.m., tonight), “Grimm” (NBC, 9 p.m., Oct. 24), “CSI” (CBS, 10 p.m., tonight).