The franchise that “Masterpiece” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) might have that’s more valuable than the soon-to-end “Downton Abbey” is its “Sherlock.” But with Benedict Cumberbatch out doing “Hamlet” and no new episode in the series until next year, here’s something close: A series about Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle.
Hence “Arthur & George,” a miniseries starring Martin Clunes as the esteemed writer, who, newly widowed, gets involved in a case where he thinks an Indian solicitor named George (Arsher Ali) has been wrongly jailed. His Watson-like sidekick, played by Charles Edwards, gives added Sherlock creed to what will be a multi-part caper, most certainly welcomed on a weekend otherwise full of reruns pretending to be binge worthy.
The new “Masterpiece” entry is accompanied by the second season premiere for the genteel cooking competition, “The Great British baking Show” (PBS, 7 p.m., check local listings).
The crew tries to deliver the cure on the second season finale of “The Last Ship” (TNT, 9 p.m.).
And the attacks just keep coming on “The Strain” (FX, 10, p.m.).
Not the British crime saga of the same name, “Happy Valley” (A&E, 6 p.m.) is a documentary about the Penn State sex abuse scandal.
Johnson doesn’t think much of Masters’ surrogacy program on “Masters of Sex” (Showtime, 10 p.m.).
Ballroom dancing lessons are in the offing on “Vicious” (PBS, 10:30 p.m.).
A finale is looming Monday on “Bachelor in Paradise” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and the whole virginity thing is still weighing in the balance.
There may be a problem with Bunchy’s wedding on “Ray Donovan” (Showtime, 9 p.m.). And she seemed so nice.
On “Big Brother” (CBS, 8 p.m.), let’s see: both Meg and James are out and a new head of household will nominate two for eviction.
A new season starts for “North Woods Law” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.) alongside “Ice Lake Rebels” (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.). It almost seems like fall, right?
A very unusual Sunday night on HBO, where there’s no original series at all, but a movie everybody’s already seen — “Titanic” (HBO, 8 p.m.). (But with no commercials and guaranteed nudity).
No new episode of “Fear the Walking Dead” (AMC, 8:30 p.m.), but they are replaying the premiere.
Everybody in the pool! An Esther Williams double feature offers “Thrill of a Romance “ (TCM, 8 p.m.) and “Million Dollar Mermaid” (TCM, 10 p.m.).
Then comes the German expressionist classic, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (TCM, midnight), followed by two Japanese echoes, “Kurutta Ippeiji” (TCM, 1:30 a.m.) and “Hakuchi” (TCM, 2:45 a.m.).
Sunday night baseball has Pirates at Cardinals (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
There’s no Sunday Night Football yet, but there is some NASCAR (NBC, 7:30 p.m.) with the Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C.
The U.S. Open (ESPN2, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.) reaches the round of 16.
Sunday Talk
ABC: Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, International Rescue Committee president David Miliband. CBS: Carly Fiorina, Newt Gingrich. NBC: Colin Powell, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. CNN: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sarah Palin. Fox News: Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, Philadelphia police chief Charles Ramsey, Milwaukee police chief Edward Flynn.