TV picks: 'Leftovers' finale, 'If You're Not in the Obit,' 'Orange Is the New Black' and more
Damon Lindelof ("Lost") sticks the landing with the finale of his HBO drama; Netflix's women-in-prison drama returns, mid-riot; and Carl Reiner reminds us there's life after 90.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/VNQZAAPOZFDOHH22E4YO2YHLUQ.jpg)
The Leftovers. If you've come this far with Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta's beautiful and mysterious drama about surviving grief, you'll know better than to expect its finale to answer three seasons' worth of questions. I came away, though, feeling as if I'd gotten everything I really needed. 9 p.m. Sunday, HBO.
I'm Dying Up Here. Talk about tough acts to follow: Coming up after the latest installment of David Lynch and Mark Frost's Twin Peaks: The Return this week: the premiere of a 1970s-set dramedy about up-and-coming comedians in Los Angeles. Inspired by a nonfiction book of the same name, and by some of executive producer Jim Carrey's own early-career experiences, the ensemble includes Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) as the owner of a comedy club on the Sunset Strip in an era when an appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show could make a comic's career. 10 p.m. Sunday, Showtime.
Fear the Walking Dead. I'm still not watching, but for those who are, a DVR alert: Third-season premiere runs 2 hours, 10 minutes, and will be followed by an edition of Talking Dead. 9 p.m. Sunday, AMC.
If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast. The title's not the only sound advice in this delightful documentary, in which 95-year-old Carl Reiner tries to figure out the secrets of his still-thriving contemporaries, from friends Mel Brooks, 90, Norman Lear, 94, Dick Van Dyke, 91, and Betty White, 95, to Ida Keeling, who at nearly 101 set a world record at last year's Penn Relays for women 100 and older. 8 p.m. Monday, HBO.
Bill Cosby: An American Scandal. More a warning than a recommendation: Who needs a jury trial when a true-crime network is willing to go straight to sentencing? Creepy re-creations and censorious talking heads — including some whose presence seemed of dubious relevance — made me feel as if I needed a shower by the end of this special, premiering on the day Cosby's trial is scheduled to begin. But, hey, there is a brief screenshot from the Philadelphia Daily News' early coverage of the Andrea Constand case. 9 p.m. Monday, Investigation Discovery.
Daytime Divas. Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) stars as a character who may or may not bring to mind a younger Barbara Walters in this new soap, based on Star Jones' book Satan's Sisters, a behind-the-scenes look at a daytime gabfest that may or may not remind you of The View. 10 p.m. Monday, VH1.
Orange Is the New Black. Fifth season picks up where the fourth left off, with the prison in mid-riot following the heartbreaking death of one of the series' most beloved characters. Everyone responds to the crisis in her own way. June 9, Netflix.
Orphan Black. Fifth and final season of the clone drama begins. Even when the plot seems twisted to the breaking point, it's fun to watch, thanks to the multiple, multilayered performances as the cloned "sisters" that won Tatiana Maslany her Emmy. June 10, BBC America.