1) “The Forsytes” opener, 9 p.m., PBS. It’s PBS’ third time telling the massive story of wealth, greed and romance in the early 1900s. This time it has all the modern skills to create a visually gorgeous show(as shown here) … plus a modern emphasis on the women. This six-Sunday story is just the first season, but it also works beautifully as a stand-alone mini-series.
2) “Call the Midwife” season-opener and “The Count of Monte Cristo” opener, 8 and 10 p.m., PBS. Surrounding the glitter of “The Forsytes” are two dark hours. “Midwife” focuses on good-hearted people, but this opener (and much of the season) throws them into ordeals. “Monte Cristo” is a brooding tale of cruelty and revenge; the opener sticks to cruelty.
3) “American Idol” rerun, 8-10 p.m., ABC. This was supposed to be the start of a fresh edition of “Bachelorette,” centering on Taylor Frankie Paul, the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star. Now ABC has pulled that; at 10 p.m., however, it airs the opener og “Love Overboard,” which then moves to Hulu.
4) “The Faithful: Women of the Bible” opener, 8-10 p.m., Fox. For three Sundays, this will tell Biblical tales from women’s perspectives. That starts with Sarah (Minnie Driver), meeting bad men and the good Abraham. It has perilous journeys, a menacing pharaoh and history’s first surrogacy contract. But it also tends to drabness, visually and emotionally.
5) MORE: The college basketball tournament continues on TNT (6 and 8:30 p.m. ET), TBS (7 and 9:30) and TruTV (7:30). CBS has the daytime games at noon, 2:30 and 5, but then has its Sunday shows: “60 Minutes,” “Marshals” and Tracker are set for 7, 8 and 9 p.m. … or later, if the games run long.
— Mike Hughes, TV America