It’s no surprise that Palm Sunday brings with it some Easter stories, but the kind of thing presented tonight on “Passion” (Fox, 8 p.m.) is a little different. It’s an adaptation of the Easter story that’s con temporized, set in New Orleans and presented as a live musical with familiar pop songs.
A similar thing was tried in the Netherlands and became a sensation, so its producers came to America to try the same thing. They enlisted Tyler Perry as narrator, and singers such as Seal, who plays Pontius Pilate, Trisha Yearwood as Mary and Chris Daughtry as Judas. And they’ll be singing not hymns but pop songs like Whitney Houston’s “My Love is Your Love” and Hoobastank’s “The Reason.”
And performed live in the streets of the Big Easy, it will either work or be a very interesting failure.
Rubio’s farewell and Trump’s threat of riots are likely to be part of this week’s episode of “The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth” (Showtime, 8 p.m.).
New Orleans twins play in a brass bands and a 3 year old has ninja moves on a new “Little Big Shots” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
A ninth season starts for “Guy’s Grocery Games” (Food, 8 p.m.).
Brett learns the ups and downs of being an Uber driver on “Togetherness” (HBO, 10:30 p.m.).
Adam’s kidnapper on “The Family” (ABC, 9 p.m.) still need to be found, even if Adam is really back.
“Madam Secretary” (CBS, 8 p.m.) tries to do something normal, like going on a college tour with her daughter.
Adam Richman visits the “All-Star Academy” (Food, 9 p.m.).
Pretty sure that “Naked and Afraid: Uncensored” (Discovery, 9 p.m.) will still be censored.
Sean moves into the Gallagher house on a new “Shameless” (showtime, 9 p.m.).
Danger stalks a supply run on “The Walking Dead” (AMC, 9 p.m.).
Devon retreats to the Chelsea Hotel on a new “Vinyl” (HBO, 9 p.m.).
Maxine and Jerrod have a pregnancy scare on “The Carmichael Show” (NBC, 9 p.m.).
Donnie goes missing on “Billions” (Showtime, 10 p.m.).
Superheroes have no place on “Elementary” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
Hannah goes on a trip with her mom on a new “Girls” (HBO, 10 p.m.) and we again visit Shoshanna in Japan.
Gun violence takes center stage on “The Good Wife” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
Kate doesn’t show to the focus group on “The Real Housewives of Potomac” (Bravo, 9 p.m.) and really can you blame her?
Lavern Cox, Molly Sims, Shear Moore, Brandon Routh, Brooke Burke and Iliza Schlesinger play on a new “Hollywood Game Night” (NBC, 10 p.m.) while Terrell Owens and Carnie Wilson visit the “Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry” (E!, 10 p.m.).
Even commercial-free, the 1959 epic “Ben-Hur” (TCM, 8 p.m.) still takes up nearly four hours. It’s followed by that strange combination of Fatty Arbuckle shorts — starting with “That Little Band of Gold” (TCM, midnight) and Bergman, with his 1973 “Scenes from a Marriage” (TCM, 2 a.m.).
Second round games in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament today include Iowa vs. Villanova (CBS, 12:10 p.m.), Stephen F. Austin vs. Notre Dame (CBS, 2:40 p.m.), VCU vs. Oklahoma (CBS, 5:15 p.m.), Middle Tennessee vs. Syracuse (TNT, 6:10 p.m.), Hawaii vs. Maryland (TBS, 7:10 p.m.), Northern Iowa vs. Texas A&M (truTV, 7:40 p.m.), Wisconsin vs. Xavier (TNT, 8:40 p.m.) and Saint Joseph’s vs. Oregon (TBS, 9:40 p.m.).
In women’s games, it’s West Virginia vs. Ohio State (ESPN2, noon) alternating with Albany vs. Syracuse. Then: DePaul vs. Louisville (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.) alternating with Mississippi State vs. Michigan State. Tonight it’s Kansas State vs. South Carolina (ESPN, 7 p.m.), Auburn vs. Baylor (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), St. Bonaventure vs. Oregon State (ESPN2, 9 p.m.) and Tennessee vs. Arizona State (ESPN, 9 p.m.).
Pro basketball has Sacramento at New York (NBA, 7:30 p.m.)
Hockey includes Washington at Pittsburgh (NBC Sports, 6 p.m.) and Minnesota at Chicago (NBC Sports, 8:30 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Donald Trump, John Kasich, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican committee chair Reince Priebus. CBS: Kasich, Bernie Sanders, Sen. Lindsey Graham. NBC: Kasich, McConnell, Sen. Harry Reid. CNN: Kasich, McConnell Pribus. Fox News: McDonough, Kasich, McConnell.