Kanye West, Katy Perry, Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Drake and Justin Timberlake are all scheduled to perform live on the pop takeover known as the MTV Video Music Awards (MTV, 9 p.m.) from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Appearances are scheduled from OneDirection and Taylor Swift (if only so Kanye can interrupt her). A performance by Lady Gaga performance is scheduled to kick off the show.
Timberlake’s old boy band ‘N Sync is rumored to be reuniting for the event. And if that is the most exciting thing that’s to happen, it might be a very dull night indeed. The artist KAWS designed the new moonman statue, though, so there’s that.
Here’s the way to do a reality competition: As a one shot event. That’s the idea of “Family Dance Off” (ABC, 8 p.m.), when households practice and compete against others in a family feud with footwork. “Dancing with the Stars” professional Derek Hough hosts and likely advises contestants. The best thing is that there will be a $10,000 winner at the end of the special.
Funny wigs are the least of the problems when Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones square off as barristers looking for appointment to Queen’s Counsel while they work high stakes cases on a new three part series, “Silk” on “Masterpiece Mystery!” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
Skyler and Walt have to adjust to Hank’s being on to them on “Breaking Bad” (AMC, 9 p.m.), and there’s the whole matter of Jesse’s continuing meltdown.
Deb gets her detective badge back on “Dexter” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) and she doesn’t have to look farther than her family ties to nab a suspect.
Frank and Joe are busy cops on “Low Winter Sun” (AMC, 10 p.m.), covering up more evidence.
It’s not often that a network reruns a broadcast from half a century earlier, but before the regular “Meet the Press” (NBC, 11 a.m.) will be the edition of the program from Aug. 25, 1963 with the Rev. Martin Luther King and NCAAP executive secretary Roy Wilkins on “Meet the Press Special Edition: Remembering the Dream” (NBC, 10 a.m.).
“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (Bravo, 8 p.m.) aren’t vacationing on the shore this summer; they’re off to Arizona.
The coverage of the 9/11 tenth anniversary on “The Newsroom” (HBO, 10 p.m.) clashes with the network’s missteps on chemical weapon use — not in Syria but Pakistan.
First up on “Big Brother” (CBS, 9 p.m.) we learn which of the jurors return to the house to compete anew, as well as who won Head of Household, who nominates the latest candidates for eviction.
It’s mountain lion vs. bighorn sheep on this week’s “America the Wild” (Nat Geo Wild, 10 p.m.).
The newly remarried Tina Turner talks to Ms. Winfrey on “Oprah’s Next Chapter” (OWN, 9 p.m.).
With “The Secret Life of Dogs” (Nat Geo Wild, 9 p.m.), the NSA may at last be going too far.
My friend Eric Deggens guest hosts today’s “Reliable Sources” (CNN, 11 a.m.).
“National Treasure” (ABC Family, 7 p.m.) and its sequel “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” (ABC Family, 9:30 p.m.) play back to back. And in another possible thematic double bill, “Intolerable Cruelty” (TMC, 6:30 p.m.) leads to “Mean Girls” (TMC, 8:20 p.m.).
In his time, he was bigger than George Clooney. Clark Gable is the star on Turner Classic Movies all day with “Dance, Fools, Dance” (6 a.m.), “Laughing Sinners” (7:30 a.m.), “Possessed” (8:45 a.m.), “Chained” (10:15 a.m.), “Cain and Mabel” (11:45 a.m.), “Test Pilot” (1:15 p.m.), “Mutiny on the Bounty” (3:30 p.m.), “Mogambo” (6 p.m.), “It Happened One Night” (8 p.m.), “Too Hot to Handle” (10 p.m.), “Strange Cargo” (midnight), “The Hucksters” (2 a.m.) and “Betrayed” (4 a.m.).
There’s no getting away from it now: Sunday Night Football features Minnesota at San Francisco (NBC, 8 p.m.) in preseason NFL action.
Earlier, there’s a celebrity flag football game in the “Madden NFL 14 Pigskin Pro-Am” (NBC, 7 p.m.).
Sunday night baseball has Red Sox at Dodgers (ESPN, 8 p.m.).
Sunday Talk
ABC: Rep. John Lewis, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young. CBS: Lewis, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, former Secretary of State Colin Powell. NBC: Lewis, Booker, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. CNN: Lewis, Sen. Ted Cruz, former Gov. Howard Dean, former Sen. Jim DeMint. Fox News: Sen. Bob Corker, Rep. Eliot Engel, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, former Sen. Scott Brown.