Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Sunday, March 13. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
The Carmichael Show (NBC, 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.): Normally we hate repeating either ourselves or our fellow What’s On Tonight correspondents by elevating the same show to top pick status twice in the same week. However, we’re making an exception as after a Wednesday special preview The Carmichael Show moves to its regular home on Sunday nights, and this show is good enough that all of you need to be aware of when it’s on the air. It had a more conventional start to the season, but tonight it lives up to its reputation as a sitcom willing to get into serious topics and still joke about them with a discussion of the Bill Cosby controversy. Joshua Alston called it “the most prematurely talked-about episode” of season two, and he’s excited to see the Carmichaels have this conversation and then jump into a conversation about that conversation with his review. (He also said that he needs some more Nekeisha in this episode, so hopefully the show can do him a solid in that regard.)
Also noted
30 For 30 (ESPN, 9 p.m.): If a discussion of Cosby’s crimes isn’t enough harsh truth for you, ESPN has you covered with their latest 30 For 30 documentary. Ten years after the Duke lacrosse rape allegations, director Marina Zenovich takes a look at the wounds caused by the incident and how things have either healed or failed to do so in the intervening decade. Noel Murray is there to offer his own diagnosis.
The Simpsons (Fox, 8 p.m.): Following in her father’s footsteps, Lisa signs up to go to space with a one-way ticket on a Martian expedition. Will she answer the question if there’s life on Mars? Will she ever know if she’s in a best-selling show? Dennis Perkins just hopes the episode isn’t a saddening bore, because he’s written that ten times or more.
Vinyl (HBO, 9 p.m.): We’d like to think that Richie knows what’s best for American Century, but his plan to have dinner with one of the label’s most important artists seems risky. Why? That artist’s name is Hannibal, and there’s a long track record of dinners with Hannibals being as dangerous as they are delicious. If the menu includes any combination of oysters, acorns, and marsala, Dan Caffrey is calling for the check immediately.
The Walking Dead (AMC, 9 p.m.): Zack Handlen said on Twitter last week that tonight’s episode is for “anyone concerned that there’s been a shortage of the word ‘bitch’ on The Walking Dead.” Did the producers pull the wool over our eyes and find a way to bring Aaron Paul back into the AMC fold? Or are the writers just having a little bit too much fun writing for hatefully misogynistic characters? Probably the latter, though that’s a reminder that Paul’s new Hulu show looks pretty interesting.
The Family (ABC, 9 p.m.): We’re giving weekly coverage of this one a shot at The A.V. Club, and have assigned Gwen Ihnat to the case because she’s not busy enough on Sunday nights between juggling fairy tales and troubled adult friendships. Tonight, “An FBI agent joins the investigation.” Is there a Quantico crossover going on that ABC has failed to promote?
The Last Man On Earth (Fox, 9:30 p.m.): Last week saw Matt Miller back on Earth and heading for Tuscon to hunt for survivors (and somehow inexplicably not needing to adjust after three years of living without gravity). Is it possible the entire back half of this season could be him road-tripping across the country, every week finding a new survivor played by a Sons Of Anarchy regular and a new hallucination of a sibling played by a most recent Academy Award nominee? Wait, come back Vikram Murthi! We’ve got a treatment for a Ron Perlman/Eddie Redmayne episode you just have to read!
Billions (Showtime, 10 p.m.): “A tip throws the case into jeopardy.” Just the tip, Joshua Alston? (We’re asking a lot of questions in this installment of What’s On Tonight, aren’t we? See, there we go again.)