Alan Ball’s best series to date, “Six Feet Under,”presented the intricacies of a complicated family that also ran a funeral power. He followed that with the extreme vampire drama “True Blood.” With the new “Here and Now” (HBO, 9 p.m.) he’s back to a family story, but this one is far less appealing — and it seems to feature an element of the supernatural that seems out of place.
Its cast is led by Tim Robbins as a philosophy professor who is depressed and having an affair; Holly Hunter is his wife, a psychologist who has engineered her family to adopt most of their children from a variety of backgrounds. They’re all grown now and deeply resent their adoptive parents; one son, from Columbia, is having the weird psychic episode. Like a vampire, it sucks interest from the family drama. And despite some clever lines here and there, it’s a hard group to take.
When Stephen Colbert brings out a cartoon Trump on his late night show, it’s not always funny. But a full series created around it, “Our Cartoon President” (Showtime, 8 p.m.) is better realized, in part because the characterizations (and voices) behind the wide variety of family and staffers are so sharply done. The voice behind the central character isn’t as good as the one on “The President Show,” and the stories can get conventional. The real problem is that it can never touch the absurdities of what is actually happening.
“Homeland” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) is one show that hasn’t lost its intensity or relevance, particularly last season, when it features an army of election-influencing bots. Season seven picks up where that left off, with a new female president whose paranoia is leading her to unlawful arrests and Carrie Mathison seen as a dangerous outsider who may be off her meds. The action takes place in Washington though it’s shot in Richmond — that ain’t the Hayes Adams Hotel in tonight’s first episode.
Primetime Olympics (NBC, 7 p.m.) is four hours long with figure skating, a live slalom competition live, women’s freestyle skiing and snowboarding, and men’s luge. Then there’s speed skating, men’s biathlon and cross country skiing at 3 p.m.; women’s alpine skiing and snowboarding halfpipes at 11:35 p.m.
Other highlights include mixed doubles curling (NBC Sports, 1:30 p.m.), and Canada vs. “Olympic Athletes from Russia” (USA, 7 a.m.) in women’s ice hockey.
Broadcast networks sort of give up in competition to the Winter Games with reruns and second rate celebrity, including two of “Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC, 8 and 9 p.m.) and a new “Celebrity Big Brother” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
Some unauthorized coverage comes on the special “Inside North Korea: Live from the Games” (National Geographic, 9 p.m.).
A new series looks at the Civil Rights movement. “Behind the Movement” (TV One, 7 p.m.) stars Meta Golding as Rosa Parks and Shaun Clay as Martin Luther King.
The latest multipart true crime documentary series concentrates on the kidnapping of a 19-year-old heiress by a little known band of revolutionaries, “The Radical Story of Patty Hearst” (CNN, 9 p.m.).
The “BET Social Awards” (BET, 10 p.m.) looks at the highlights in viral culture, hosted by Michael Blackson
as “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” continues on FX, a documentary looks at the actual string of murders by Andrew Cunanan in “Killing Versace” (Oxygen, 7 p.m.).
“Victoria” travels to the Scottish highlands on “Masterpiece” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
The two Howards are now working together on “Counterpart” (Starz, 8 p.m.).
In the new series “Private Eyes” (ION, 9 p.m.), a Canadian import with Jason Priestly as a hockey scout who teams up with a private investigator to look into sabotage against a player.
Frances finds out about Robert’s new girlfriend on “Divorce” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
Pete discovers the alternative comedy scene with Ali on “Crashing” (HBO, 10:30 p.m.).
A neighborhood party lightens the mood on “The Chi” (Showtime, 10 p.m.).
The made-for-TV “Cooking with Love” (Hallmark, 9 p.m.) is a romance among TV chefs starring Ali Liebert and Brett Dalton.
“North Woods Law: New Hampshire” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.) finds a weed farm in the woods. “Lone Star Law” (Animal Planet, 10 pm.) finds it outside of Dallas.
Cynthia deals with fallout from Porsha’s news on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” (Bravo, 8 p.m.).
Time to make some choices on “To Rome with Love” (Bravo, 9 p.m.).
“Barnwood Builders” (DIY, 9 p.m.) do as much dismantling as they do building.
A new king is crowned on “Queen Elizabeth’s Secret Agents” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings).
Racial issues in sports are discussed on “The Undefeated Presents: Dear Black Athlete” (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
James Gandolfini is the subject of the season nine premiere of “Autopsy: The Last Hours Of…” (Reelz, 8 p.m.).
“Food Paradise” (Travel, 8 and 9 p.m.) goes to family-run restaurants from L.A. to Philly.
They’re trying to survive winter on “Alaska: The Last Frontier” (Discovery, 10 p.m.).
“Tesla’s Death Ray: A Murder Declassified” (Science, 8 p.m.) has nothing to do with the Space X launch.
The 2008 Camaro is celebrated in “Supercar Superbuild” (Smithsonian, 10 p.m.).
Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar looks to best director nominees with “The Asphalt Jungle” (7 a.m.), “Shanghai Express” (9 a.m.), “Wilson” (10:30 a.m.), “National Velvet” (1:15 p.m.), “The Third Man” (3:30 p.m.), “In Cold Blood” (5:30 p.m.), “The Grapes of Wrath” (8 p.m.), “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” (10:30 p.m.), “The Awful Truth” (12:45 a.m.), “Skippy” (2:30 a.m.) and “Two Arabian Knights” (4:15 a.m.).
Basketball includes Cleveland at Boston (ABC, 3:30 p.m.) and Dallas at Houston (NBA, 7 p.m.).
Hockey includes Pittsburgh at St. Louis (NBC, noon) and Rangers at Winnipeg (NHL, 3 p.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Loyola at Lafayette (CBS Sports, noon), Michigan at Wisconsin (CBS, 1 p.m.), Wagner at Fairleigh Dickinson (CBS Sports, 2 p.m.), Cincinnati at SMU (ESPN, 4 p.m.), UCF at Memphis (CBS Sports, 4 p.m.), Illinois State at Valparaiso (ESPNU, 4 p.m.), Duke at Georgia Tech (ESPN, 6 p.m.), Tulane at Houston (ESPNU, 6 p.m.) and Washington State at Oregon (ESPNU, 8 p.m.).
Women’s games include Dayton at George Washington (ESPNU, noon), Michigan at Michigan State (ESPN2, noon), Kentucky at Mississippi State (ESPNU, 2 p.m.), Ohio State at South Florida (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), Seton Hall at Villanova (Fox Sports 2, 2 p.m.) and Florida State at Miami (ESPN2, 4 p.m.).
Final rounds are played in the PGA’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Golf, 1 p.m.; CBS, 3 p.m.).
In tennis, it’s U.S. vs. Netherlands (Tennis, 1 p.m.) in the Fed Cup.
College wrestling includes Ohio State at Michigan (ESPN2, 6 p.m.).
And then there’s curling with a ball: the PBA Tournament of Champions (ESPN, 1 p.m.) in bowling.
Sunday Talk
ABC: White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, Rep. Sen Patrick Maloney. CBS: White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, Sen. Rand Paul, Reps. Mark Meadows and Adam Schiff. NBC: White House legislative affairs director Marc Short, Sen. Jeff Flake. CNN: Conway, former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. Fox News: Mulvaney, Rep. Jim Jordan.