Whoever else goes home with a Hollywood Foreign Press Association statuette, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are likely to be winners on “The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards” (NBC, 8 p.m.). Their hosting gigs the past two years have been the best part of the three hour love-fest for movies and TV and will likely continue to be for tonight’s event, which they promise will be their last.
The Oscar precursor will give a hint on what may get Academy attention and be a boost for TV nominees. “Fargo” leads TV nominees with five. “Birdman” leads the films. But is it about the work or how the stars work it on the red carpet. Coverage of all that begins mid afternoon with “Countdown to the Red Carpet” (E!, 4 p.m.) with Kelly Osbourne, Brad Goreski and the grating Ross Mathews. Giuilana Rancic anchors the proper “Live from the Red Carpet” (E!, 6 p.m.) with its assortment of manicams and creeping cameras. The network’s own “Golden Globe Red Carpet” (NBC, 7 p.m.) is usually the worst one. This time the “Today” team of Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales take it on. Good thing there’s no news going on in the world so they can cover it.
Seems to me other networks would stand down when the Golden Globes were on, but there is a full slate of new programs premiering tonight on cable and nary a rerun on other broadcast networks.
New tonight is “Togetherness” (HBO, 9:30 p.m.) from the writers Jay and Mark Duplass, who are also familiar as actors (in “Transparent,” “The League”), about ennui seeping into a couple in Los Angeles (Mark Duplass and the great Melanie Lynskey), whose household is enlivened when her sister (a free spirited Amanda Peet) and his schlubby friend (Steve Zissis) also move in. Its narrative is slow-burning, but a lot of the scenes ring true and the characters are ultimately engaging.
It hasn’t honed its satire quite as well as “Girls” (HBO, 9 p.m.), which returns for its fourth season with Hannah preparing to leave for the Iowa’s Writers Workshop and not quite clear what effect it will have on her relationship with Adam. Meanwhile, we get a glimpse of Shoshana’s parents at graduation; Jessa looks like she’ll lose her care taking gig and Marnie’s musical relationship has advanced.
It’s accompanied by the second season start of “Looking” (HBO, 10 p.m.) in which Jonathan Groff’s character is tempted by what would be a complicated relationship.
Over on the other major premium network, which is having a free tune-in weekend, “Episodes” (Showtime, 10:30 p.m.) returns for its fourth season, with its central couple of writers (Tasmin Greig and Stephen Mangan) back in England after their show “Pucks!” was canceled, only to be lured back to the show, where Matt LeBlanc learns he’s lost half his fortune.
“Shameless” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) starts its fifth seasons with the Gallaghers in as much shambles as ever and “House of Lies” (Showtime, 10 p.m.) begins its fourth season, trying to get its business back up, while sharing office space dominated by skateboarding millennials. Kristen Bell plays her role very pregnant.
The NFL divisional playoffs have Dallas at Green Bay (Fox, 1:05 p.m.) in the NFC and Indianapolis at Denver (CBS, 4;45 p.m.) in the AFC.
The controversial “My Husband’s Not Gay” (TLC, 10 p.m.) profiles an odd sort of denial among some Mormon men.
On “Masterpiece Classic” (PBS, 9 p.m.), modernity invades Downton Abbey in the form of a radio and Richard E. Grant makes his debut as an art historian with an eye on a mansion painting — and the lady of the house.
Downton’s Hugh Bonneville also surfaces briefly on the singing, dancing “Galavant” (ABC, 8 and 8:30 p.m.), which didn’t do badly in ratings for last week’s premiere, returns with a pair of episodes.
Homer is hypnotized into thinking he’s a boy again and becomes Bart’s best friend on a new episode of “The Simpsons” (Fox, 8 p.m.) that was actually written by Judd Apatow 15 years ago.
A Bahraini diplomat holds a maid hostage on a new “Madam Secretary” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
A go kart league is joined on a new “Bob’s Burgers” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.).
Frank and Alicia face each other in their political debate on “The Good Wife” (CBS, 10 p.m.) as protests in Chicago threaten to explode into a riot.
The 1941 “Here Comes Mr. Jordan” (TCM, 8 p.m.) is followed by the 1947 musical using some of its characters, “Down to Earth” (TCM, 10 p.m.).
Men’s college hoops include Duke at N.C. State (CBS, 1:30 p.m.), Wichita State at Loyola-Chicago (ESPNU, 5 p.m.), California at UCL (Fox Sports 1, 7:30 p.m.), Florida State at Syracuse (ESPNU, 8 p.m.), Stanford at Southern California (ESPNU, 10 p.m.) and Arizona at Oregon State (Fox Sports 1, 10 p.m.).
Women’s games include Alabama-Birmingham at Florida International (Fox Sports Net, noon), Kentucky at South Carolina (ESPN2, 1 p.m.), LSU at Texas A&M (ESPNU, 1 p.m.), Kansas at Kansas State (Fox Sports Net, 2 p.m.), Maryland at Minnesota (ESPN2, 3 p.m.), Tennessee at Arkansas (ESPNU, 3 p.m.), Fordham at St. Bonaventure (NBC Sports, 4 p.m.) and Georgetown at Villanova (Fox Sports, 5 p.m.).
NHL action includes Minnesota at Chicago (NBC Sports, 8 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Attorney General Eric Holder, Sen. Richard Burr. CBS: Holder, Rep. Michael McCaul, Sen. John Cornyn. NBC: Holder, former State Department special envoy for Guantanamo closure Clifford Sloan, foreign policy expert Danielle Pletka. CNN: Holder, Sens. John McCain, Dianne Feinstein. Fox News: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey.