The excesses of Super Bowl XLIX (NBC, 6:30 p.m.) go well beyond the game between New England and Seattle in Glendale, Ariz. The pre game hubbub starts at noon. Idena Menzel sings the National Anthem, John Legend does “America the Beautiful,” Katy Perry does the halftime show with Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott, and the announcers Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya will get tiring quickly. Then there will be a bunch of commercials.
But Bob Costas begins the pre game coverage six hours earlier at noon. Somewhere in there Savannah Guthrie will interview President Obama, who also speaks to the host of “Fareed Zakaria GPS” (CNN, 10 a.m.).
“The Blacklist” (NBC, approximately 10 p.m.) gets the coveted post-game slot, with the first of a two part story for the James Spader vehicle, You’ll have to wait to Thursday to see how it turns out.
The network’s night ends with a special Sunday night edition of “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (approximately 11:30 p.m.) from Arizona features Will Farrell, Kevin Hart and Airana Grande.
Counter programming is rampant. So “Puppy Bowl XI” (Animal Planet, 3 p.m.) featuring its own halftime show with Katty Furry, is preceded by “Kitten Bowl II” (Hallmark, noon, repeating at 3 and 6 p.m.) with Katy Perry singing the theme song as well.
There’s a “Fish Bowl II” (Nat Geo Wild, 6 p.m.), pictured above, which consists of Goldie the goldfish swimming in a fishbowl, thos time with Charlie the clown fish. For unknown reasons, they’ve moved all the action to a working farm.
To add to it all are babies of the “Toddler Bowl” (Discovery Family, noon). If they were sporting about it, they’d combine all four spectacles.
Most network competition is laying down dead in the face of what’s expected to be the year’s biggest audience, with reruns everywhere and back to back ones of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (ABC, 7 and 8 p.m.) and “Shark Tank” (ABC, 9 and 10 p.m.).
Public TV fights back, though, with a new episode of “Downton Abbey” on “Masterpiece Classic” (PBS, 9 p.m.) in which Lady Rose meets a new young gentleman with his own controversial past and Richard E. Grant’s art historian pays a little too much attention to Lady Grantham.
A traffic problem leads Ray to the brink on “Girls” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
An old woman foresees her won death on a new “Grantchester” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings).
Patrick questions his relationship with Kevin on “Looking” (HBO, 10:30 p.m.).
Alex agrees to go to Houston with Tina on “Togetherness” (HBO, 9:30 p.m.) and Brett and Michelle check into a hotel.
Matt finds a possible solution to his money problems on “Episodes” (Showtime, 10:30 p.m.).
Lip visits Amanda in Miami on “Shameless” (HBO, 9 p.m.).
Marty hatches a plan to salvage a disasterous presentation on “House of Lies” (Showtime, 10 p.m.).
Countdown to the next overhyped event: The 31 Days of Oscars begins on Turner Classic Movies and this year they’re doing it chronologically. So after last year’s overview documentary, “And the Oscar Goes To…” (8 p.m.), they present the first Oscar best film winner, “Wings” (10 p.m.) from 1927, the only silent movie to have that designation (until “The Artist” in 2011). It’s followed by two from 1930, “All Quiet on the Western Front” (12″30 a.m.) and “Cimarron” (3 a.m.) and 1929’s “The Broadway Melody” (5:15 a.m.).
There are actual other sports going on today. In men’s college hoops, games include Miami at Florida State (ESPNU, 12:30 p.m.), Michigan at Michigan State (CBS, 1 p.m.), Cincinnati at East Carolina (CBS Sports Network, 1 p.m.), Utah at USC (ESPNU, 2:30 p.m.) and Connecticut at Houston (CBS Sports, 3 p.m.).
In women’s games, it’s Connecticut at Temple (ESPN2, 2 p.m.), Iowa at Maryland (ESPN2, 4 p.m.), South Carolina at Mississippi (ESPNU, 4:30 p.m.).
NHL action has St. Louis at Washington (NBC Sports, 1 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Gov. Scott Walker. CBS: Sens. Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin, former Secretary of State James Baker and former LBJ aide Joseph Califano. NBC: Rep. Paul Ryan, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, executive director of the NFL players association DeMaurice Smith. CNN: Sen. John McCain, former Gov. Mike Huckabee. Fox News: Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Gov. Greg Abbott.