The success of “Downton Abbey” has allowed “Masterpiece” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) to invest in one of its biggest projects, a six-part adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s “Wolf Hall” and its sequel that brings to TV one of the greatest stage actors, Mark Rylance as a quiet and thoughtful Thomas Cromwell in the era of the Tudors. He’s surrounded by a great cast including in the opening episodes, Jonathan Pryce as a wry and kindly Cardinal Wolsey, Joanne Whalley as Katherine of Aragon and, returning to Sunday night drama, Brody himself, Damian Lewis, slightly bulked up to play King Henry VIII. It even has Jessica Raine, star of “Call the Midwife” (PBS, 7 p.m., check local listings) from earlier this evening.
Though a theatrical “Wolf Hall” is being readied for Broadway, it will be hard to beat this adaptation, full of visual splendor and grand sets, carefully chosen dialog (and just as carefully chosen silences), and cinematography that tries reflects the light and shade of Renaissance masters.
A bigger event tonight, though, may be the return, for its final seven episodes, of “Mad Men” (AMC, 10 p.m.). The masterfully done view of the 1960s ad world through the eyes of a troubled salesman was about a whole lot more, of course, with a dream cast, rich characters and legendary attention to period detail. In all it was much bigger than the episode descriptions would make you think. Here, for example, is tonight’s: “Don tries to track down a friend; Joan struggles to solve a problem with an account; Peggy is set up by an unlikely person.” Here’s a story I wrote for Smithsonian magazine a week or so about about the cast’s recent stop in D.C. to donate props and costumes to the Museum of American History.
If “Mad Men” weren’t on tonight, fans of the ’60s might be tempted to watch the premiere of a documentary about one of the great pop culture figures of that era. A week after destroying Scientololgy in one great documentary, Alex Gibney is back already with the definitive “Sinatra: All or Nothing at All” (HBO, 8 p.m.) recounting the life of Frank Sinatra, and its many ups and downs, through the prism of what was to have been his farewell concert in the early 70s, where the songs were so well chosen to reflect every era of his life. That means, of course, there is more music than usual in the biography, which is narrated from a lot of frank interviews (including one classroom discussion from Yale) and augmented by reminisces from his family and lovers (some of whom may have had their voices taken from the spoken word versions of their autobiographies).
It’s a big broad view of show business and Italian culture and can’t be contained in one night, even it’s two hours. So the two hour second half will show on Monday.
Once it was Sally Draper — or rather, Kiernan Shipka, who plays her — that starred in the first of the series of lurid Lifetime movies based on the weird novels of V.C. Andrews, “Flowers in the Attic.” By now Cathy is all grown up — and married to Chris, her brother. So Cathy is played now by Rachael Carpani. Jason Lewis is Christopher. And yet their mother, who is meddling nearby and has the ability to expose their secret is still played by Heather Graham in the third installment, “If There Be Thorns” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.), premiering tonight.
If “attic” was Lifetime’s most watched movie last year; “Lizzie Borden Took an Ax” was the second. That earns it an eight-episode series. “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.) has long since gone beyond the confines of actual history and just continued on with the addled, ax-happy heroine, played by Christina Ricci. There is a charm to the period horror, and part of it comes from a cast that includes Clea Duvall, Jonathan Banks, and John Heard.
Possibly lost among all the new things on tonight is the premiere of the network drama “American Odyssey” (NBC, 10 p.m.), one of the few broadcast series that emanate from the current war era. Anna Friel plays a special ops American soldier left behind after an operation gone wrong in Mali. She’s officially reported dead, but fights her way past imprisonment to learn of government misdoings and its official coverup – a case that gets the attention of a rebel on Occupy Wall Street and a whistle-blowing businessmen. It’s a geopolitical fable along the lines of those generally tried on cable, but still rather rare as broadcast fare. And for that reason alone, and for Freil’s performance, it deserves a look.
A much easier bet for networks is the Bible bandwagon, and the Moses-bearded Mark Burnett and his wife Roma Downey have been turning them out since “The Bible” was an unexpectedly big hit on TV two years ago. After last week’s “The Dovekeepers,” here comes “A.D. The Bible Continues” (NBC, 9 p.m.) which is not just an opportunistic movie, but a whole series.
Why do all these things look so similar? Well they’re all shot in the same place for one thing — Morocco subbing for the Middle East, with a swarthy international (and interchangeable) cast of middling skills with the occasional familiar face. Jesus here is like a model — Juan Pablo Di Pace who genuflects on everyone. Because it is a series, the pace turns glacial. It takes all of tonight to crucify him; you’ll have to wait until next Sunday to see the Easter coming out. They’re hoping special effects will add drama. But thunder in the crucifixion and resurrection seems like superhero overkill.
It began as what might have been one of the greatest pilots in recent years (I only saw a preview). But then star Phillip Seymour Hoffman died, and it seemed like the dark comedy about aging in the ad industry, “Happyish” (Showtime, 10 p.m.) was scrapped. Then Steve Coogan was hired to take over the lead role and the first episode makes a sneak preview appearance tonight.
Cicely Tyson, Erykah Badu and Jada Pinkett Smith are among the honorees at Black Girls Rock 2015 (BET, 7 p.m.), the event where Michelle Obama made a famous appearance when it was taped last week. Performers include Faith Evans, Ciara, Fantasia, Shiela E., Lalah Hathaway, Cheryl Lynn, Alicia Myers and Jill Scott. Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King host. It’s followed by a post-show at 9:30 p.m.
The new series “100 Miles from Nowhere” (Animal Planet, 10:10 p.m.) is the new name for a show about three buddies who like to be dropped in faraway areas and give themselves four days to find civilization. Then they have a day to figure out what this series has to do with Animal Planet.
Because somebody else already thought to put two naked strangers together in the wild, “The Raft” (National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.) puts two strangers out on a raft. They have clothes, but once the sails get unusable, anything can happen.
Fiona reunites with Gus on the season five finale of “Shameless” (Showtime, 9 p.m.).
A second season starts for “Salem” (WGN America, 10 p.m.), the series, you’ll recall, that upended actual history by essentially saying witches were real in early Massachusetts and hence witch hunts were justified. At least this time it may be enlivened by the addition of Lucy Lawless as a German witch.
Patton Oswalt guest stars as the fun loving mayor of “Battle Creek” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
All this and an all day onslaught of Easter movies with “Barrabbas” (TCM, 7 a.m.), “Ben-Hur” (9:30 a.m.), “King of Kings” (TCM, 1:30 p.m.), “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (TCM, 4:30 p.m.), “The Ten Commandments” (ABC, 7 p.m.), “Easter Parade” (8 p.m.), “Holiday Inn” (10 p.m.) and the original silent “The King of Kings” (TCM, midnight).
I suppose it’s also a good day to see the talking rabbit comedy “Hop” (ABC Family, 8 p.m.).
“Madame Secretary” (CBS, 8 p.m.) hopes to solve the Greek monetary crisis.
Alicia is asked about leaked emails on “The Good Wife” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
Prince Liam goes on a PR tour on “The Royals” (E!, 10 p.m.).
And there’s this: The baseball season starts, with the Cardinals at Cubs (ESPN2, 8 p.m.).
The women’s Final Four is played with South Carolina vs. Notre Dame (ESPN, 6:30 p.m.) and Maryland vs. Connecticut (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.).
NBA action includes Houston at Oklahoma City (ABC, 1 p.m.), Chicago at Cleveland (ABC, 3:30 p.m.), Golden State at San Antonio (NBA, 7 p.m.) and Clippers at Lakers (NBA, 9:30 p.m.).
Hockey includes Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (NBC, noon), Washington at Detroit (NHL, 5 p.m.) and St. Louis at Chicago (NBC Sports, 7:30 p.m.).
Golf has the final round in the Houston Open (NBC, 3 p.m.). Tennis has the last round in the Miami Open (ESPN, 1 p.m.).
Late Talk
ABC: Gov Jerry Brown, Archbishop Charles Chaput. CBS: Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Sen. Rick Santorum. NBC: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sen. Chris Murphy, Gov. Bobby Jindal, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, Cardinal Timothy Dolan. CNN: Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Fox News: Sen. Bob Corker, Cardinal Donald Wuerl.