What's On Tonight (Sunday): Who wants to go to Christmasland?

NOS4A2

Good day and welcome to the end of 39 of the television season! It's a busy, busy night but I gotta give Top Pick to the return of AMC's poorly titled horror-thriller NOS4A2. It's not just a TV show title, it's also a license plate! The show is about working-class artist Victoria McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings) who has the supernatural gift of tracking the immortal Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto), who feeds off the souls of children and then deposits what remains of them into Christmasland, a village of Manx's imagination where it's Christmas every day and unhappiness is against the law. "Who wants to go to Christmasland?" is a common line used in AMC's promotions for the show. The new season begins eight years after the season one ended and yes, Charlie Minx is still alive.

Elsewhere, there is no shortage of new and special programming. Tonight is brimming with premieres. Perry Mason is (sorta?) back on TV, Craig of the Creek is back, the Yellowstone people at back to their boring drama, my fave British historian, Lucy Worsley, explains some Royal history, we return to the lives of people on the South Side of Chicago, TBS makes comedians compete like a sport, and Science goes looking for lost cities of the Amazon. And in specials: ESPN honors a year in sportsballs, John Legend and family celebrate Father's Day, the Recording Academy honors essential workers, Science studies Cleopatra, Discovery revisits Why We Hate, Martha Raddatz interviews with John Bolton, Anderson Cooper interviews Trevor Noah, and Spider-Man battles Symbiotes. [*deep breath*] And that doesn't include any of the previously airing Sunday programming. There's a global pandemic going on? You can't tell by looking at this slate. Incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial, here's what's on television for tonight, Sunday, June 21!

STREAMING & EARLY PRIMETIME

60 Minutes (CBS, 7 p.m.): "The connections between drug companies and the opioid epidemic. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo."

Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network, 6 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. Hoping to win a special prize for his father's birthday, Craig and his friends compete in a tournament on the Other Side of the Creek.

Mechanics of Love 🎥 (UPtv, 7 p.m.): More white people. More falling in love.

THE GUEST LIST:
Hollywood Game Night (NBC, 7 p.m.): Bill Nye, Bobby Moynihan, Amber Riley, Fortune Feimster, Miranda Cosgrove, and Adam Pally

FOR THE RECORD: It's Okay to Not Be Okay (Netflix, 3 a.m.); Snapped (Oxygen, 6 p.m.)

Craig of the Creek (via Giphy)

🕗 EASTERN / 🕖 CENTRAL

The Beat Don't Stop (TV One, 8 p.m.): SPECIAL. An exploration of the history and legacy of Go-go music, its effects on D.C.'s black youth culture, and the music's power and influence.

Bunk'd (Disney Channel, 8 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. When Ava, Destiny and Gwen discover that the Grizzly cabin has a much larger bathroom than theirs, they hatch a diabolical plan to convince the boys to switch cabins.

Cleopatra: Sex, Lies, and Secrets (Science, 8 p.m.): SPECIAL. The latest archaeological research unravels the mystery behind this elusive Egyptian queen whose name is synonymous with seduction, beauty, and scandal.

Hightown (Starz, 8 p.m.): After a body washes ashore during a holiday weekend, a National Marine Fisheries officer is caught up in a web of drama as she tries to solve the case on her own.

John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father's Day (ABC, 8 p.m.): SPECIAL. John Legend hosts this musical and "humorous" celebration of Father's Day with celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Common, Michael Ealy, Jim Gaffigan, Lil Rel Howery, and Stevie Wonder.

Lucy Worsley's Royal Myths & Secrets (PBS, 8 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Historian Lucy Worsley is back! In the first episode of this new docuseries, Elizabeth I's image as a warrior queen, facilitated by myths and secrets about her victory over the Spanish Armada, shaped British national identity for centuries.✔️

United We Sing: A Grammy Tribute to the Unsung Heroes (CBS, 8 p.m.): SPECIAL. Harry Connick Jr. and his daughter, Georgia Connick, take a road trip in an RV to thank and celebrate essential workers who risk their own lives on a daily basis to keep citizens safe. Celebrity guests frequently pop in on their journey.

Vice (Showtime, 8 p.m.): SEASON FINALE. How the COVID-19 pandemic is being used in Cambodia as a cover for political repression by one of the world's longest-serving leaders... New York City's so-called "last responders" battle against a pandemic to maintain dignity for the dead.

THE TOPIC & GUEST LIST:
Behind Closed Doors (Reelz): Top Gun
Rock Legends (AXS TV, 8:30 p.m.,): New wave

FOR THE RECORD: 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? (TLC); Disney Fam Jam (Disney Channel, 8:23 p.m.); Mystic Britain (Smithsonian Channel); Naked & Afraid XL (Discovery Channel); Renovation Island (HGTV); The Top Ten Revealed (AXS TV); World's Deadliest Weather (The Weather Channel)

🕘 EASTERN / 🕗 CENTRAL

The 2020 ESPYs (ESPN, 9 p.m.): SPECIAL. This year the ceremony is virtually hosted by Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Russell Wilson. Goals! Homeruns! Touchdowns! Yay, sportsballs!

The Chi (Showtime, 9 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. In the season three opener, a wedding alters Kevin and Kiesha's lives. Meanwhile, Emmett juggles his business and his growing family, and Jake's estranged brother Trig lands back in town on a mission.

Collector's Call (MeTV, 9:30 p.m.): Brian Smolik collects everything Pac-Man, including a Pac-Man bike and Pac-Man sleds.

Good Witch (Hallmark Channel, 9 p.m.): Hosting a chocolate festival at Grey House, Cassie welcomes Kenny the Chocolate King to Middleton.

Grantchester (PBS, 9 p.m.): Will and Leonard witness a deadly hit-and-run in Grantchester. Geordie traces the car to a pair of decidedly dysfunctional brothers, whose house lies far off the beaten path.

Perry Mason (HBO, 9 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. On the heels of an unsavory investigation involving a famous comedian, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr Matthew Rhys) is thawed from a deep underground locker is hired to solve a perplexing case involving the brutal kidnapping of 1-year-old Charlie Dodson. The cast includes Tatiana Maslany and John Lithgow. I'm sure this will be better than The New Perry Mason, but like Nancy Drew last fall, this reimagining looks like it will be Perry Mason in name only. Then again, the soap opera that became The Edge of Night was originally going revolve around Perry Mason, so maybe this is a remake of that untapped concept.✔️

The Room Where It Happened (ABC News Special) (ABC, 9 p.m.): SPECIAL. Martha Raddatz speaks with John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, about his new book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.

Snowpiercer (TNT, 9 p.m.): Hiding out with help from his allies, Layton lays track for revolution. An engineering emergency threatens every soul on Snowpiercer.

Spider-Man: Maximum Venom (Disney XD, 9 p.m.): In this third episode/special of the season, Symbiotes from space send an advanced hunting party to Earth to take out all of the superheroes. Spider-Man must team up with Marc Spector and Max Modell to save the planet.

Why We Hate: The Reckoning (Discovery Channel, 9 p.m.): SPECIAL. This two-hour special event features the beyond excellent Why We Hate documentary series and a roundtable conversation about the documentary and the ongoing events surrounding George Floyd's death.

World War II: Race to Victory (History, 9 p.m.): An exploration of the tensions at the heart of the Allied war effort, as the dominant powers weigh the moral ambiguity and actions of their alliance.

Yellowstone (Paramount Network, 9 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. Yellowstone is back! [*yawn*] In the wake of the Beck Brothers, John reshuffles the political decks. Beth finds a trespasser on the ranch and learns that he may have big ambitions for the surrounding land. I believe this show is only quasi-appealing if you, like, have a crush on one of the performers.

THE TOPIC & GUEST LIST:
An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates (Smithsonian Channel): Sudeley Castle
Live from Daryl's House (AXS TV): Fitz and the Tantrums

FOR THE RECORD: American Monster (Investigation Discovery); Bahamas Life (HGTV); Barnyard Builders (DIY Network); Carnival Eats (Cooking Channel); Married to Medicine Los Angeles (Bravo); North Woods Law (Animal Planet); Paranormal Caught on Camera (Travel Channel); Weird Earth (The Weather Channel); Worst Cooks in America (Food Network, premiere)

🕙 EASTERN / 🕘 CENTRAL

AC360: The Trevor Noah Interview (CNN, 10 p.m.): SPECIAL. In this one-hour special, Anderson Cooper with an interview with The Daily Show host Trevor Noah.

Beecham House (PBS, 10 p.m.): With the arrival of his mother from London and the discovery of his brother Daniel in a camp close by, John finally fulfills his dream of having his family reunited.

Law & Order 📺 (WE, 10 p.m.): McCoy and Carmichael find two patrolmen partially responsible for the killing of a white teenager in Harlem.

Lost Cities of the Amazon (Science, 10 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Experts investigate clues revealing evidence of a long-lost civilization in the Amazon that built giant cities of untold treasures.

⭐ NOS4A2 (AMC / BBC America, 10 p.m.): SEASON PREMIERE. Eight years late, Vic McQueen receives shocking news about Charlie Manx. Maggie, a medium, consults her tiles at great risk. Charlie's loyal follower Bing hunts down the Wraith, but hits a roadblock. I watched four episodes of the first season and then bailed. I didn't figure it would get a second season.

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Showtime, 10 p.m.): Tiago and Lewis are tested in danger. Townsend is forced to turn to a last resort. And spurred on by Elsa, Peter decides to take Tom, Trevor, and Frank to the movies.

Tournament of Laughs (TBS, 10 p.m.): SERIES PREMIERE. Comedy, but a sport. Jason Sudeikis hosts this bracket tournament of comedians fighting to be the funniest. The first round of the tournament kicks off with Jeff Ross, Margaret Cho, and Gilbert Gottfried shooting for big laughs.✔️

THE TOPIC & GUEST LIST:
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (National Geographic): Louisiana
The Johnny Cash Show 📺 (getTV): Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, and Roy Clark (19 Jul 1969)
Match Game 💲 (ABC): Michael Che, Kirstie Alley, Chris D'elia, Sherri Shepherd, Mark Duplass, and Brooklyn Decker

FOR THE RECORD: Beat Bobby Flay (Food Network, 10:30 p.m.); Food Paradise (Cooking Channel); Mexico Life (HGTV); On the Case with Paula Zahn (Investigation Discovery); Smothered (TLC); Top 100 Weather Moments (The Weather Channel)

🕚 EASTERN / 🕙 CENTRAL

Night Gallery 📺 (Comet, 11:30 p.m.): Spend the night in the Night Gallery on Comet. In this episode, an invalid (Joseph Wiseman) seeks revenge on his unfaithful wife (Diane Keaton). Later, a woman (Kim Hunter) is in a hurry to arrange her still-living husband's (Harry Morgan) funeral.

THE GUEST LIST:
The Johnny Cash Show 📺 (getTV, 11 p.m.): Roy Orbison, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Phil Harris (27 Sep 1969)

FOR THE RECORD: Lakefront Bargain Hunt (HGTV)

Nielsen ratings for the night of Perry Mason Returns

LATE-NIGHT TALK & SATIRE

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO, 11 p.m.)
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (Netflix, 3 a.m.)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo, 10 p.m.): Anderson Cooper

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Note: All times are Eastern.
Key Sources: The Futon Critic (outline); Zap2it (descriptions); TV Passport (throwbacks)
⭐: Top pick(s)
📺: Throwback
🎥: Movie
✔️: Video/gif/photo included

Happy watching, everyone!