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HBO has three premieres on Sunday, and here are the quick takes:
The second-season of "True Detective" (10 p.m., HBO) is hugely disappointing.
The premiere of "Ballers" (11 p.m., HBO) is pretty good. And Dwayne Johnson is really good in it.
And the premiere of "The Brink" (11:30 p.m., HBO) is another disappointment.
Over on Amazon Prime, "Catastrophe" begins streaming today. It's six episodes of a very funny British sitcom about and American (Rob Delaney) who has a one-night stand with an Irish schoolteacher (Sharon Horgan), and she get pregnant.
And if you're looking for something weird, how about Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig starring in "A Deadly Adoption," a made-for-TV "dramatic thriller" (Saturday. 6. 8 and 10 p.m., Lifetime) about a couple and the evil pregnant woman whose baby they're hoping to adopt.
Friday on TV ...
"The Briefcase" (7 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): In this episode, it's a religious couple and a couple who need money for sex reassignment surgery.
"Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (7 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): Jeff Davis is the guest.
"Great Performances at the Met" (8 p.m., PBS/Ch. 7): Renée Fleming stars in a production of "The Merry Widow."
"The Messengers" (8 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): The team head to California in search of a pair of brothers.
"HitRecord" (8 p.m., Pivot): Superhero sidekicks struggle to establish their own identities; musicians choose partners; and second children reflect on what it's like to be number two.
"Defiance" (9 p.m., Syfy): Amanda negotiates with the Omec, a new alien race, for the future of Defiance.
"Killjoys" (10 p.m., Syfy): Warrants are served by a fun-loving, hard-living trio of interplanetary bounty hunters in this new series.
"Dark Matter" (11 p.m., Syfy): The crew come to terms with revelations about their respective pasts.
Saturday on TV ...
Golf (noon, Fox/Ch. 13): Third round at the U.S. Open
Women's World Cup soccer: Germany vs. Sweden (2 p.m., Fox Sports 1); China vs. Cameroon (5:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
"Hannibal" (9 p.m., Ch. 30): Will gains a potential ally in his continuing hunt for Hannibal when he makes his way to Hannibal's childhood home in Lithuania.
"Orphan Black" (10 p.m., BBC America): Castor and Topside force Sarah to make uneasy alliances
"Power" (10 pm., Starz): Ghost takes Angela to Miami; Tommy and Kanan bond.
"Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" (11 p.m., BBC America): Jonathan Strange goes to London to take an apprenticeship with Mr. Norrell.
Sunday on TV ...
Women's World Cup soccer: Brazil vs. Australia (11 a.m., Fox Sports 1); France vs. Korea (2 p.m., Fox Sports 1;Canada vs. Switzerland (5:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Golf (noon, Fox/Ch. 13): Final round at the U.S. Open
"Celebrity Family Feud" (7 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Daytime host Steve Harvey also hosts this prime-time version. In this episode, Anthony Anderson and his family vs. Toni Braxton and his family; and Monica Potter and her family vs. Curtis Stone and his family.
"The Last Ship" (7 and 8 p.m., TNT): Season 2 opens with a pair of episodes. In the first, Chandler and his crew join forces with an underground resistance unit.
Peabody Awards (7 p.m., Pivot): Winners include "Inside Amy Schumer," "The Americans" and "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver."
"Ann Frank's Holocaust" (7 and 10 p.m., National Geographic Channel): Ann's tale is told through eyewitness accounts, restored film and pictures, and interviews with her childhood friends.
"Battlebots" (8 pm., ABC/Ch. 4): This show about robots fighting used to air on cable. Now it's a summer show on ABC. Really.
"A.D.: The Bible Continues" (8 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Emperor Caligula's statue arrives at the temple, causing an uproar. (Season finale)
"Poldark" (8 p.m., PBS/Ch. 7): In the premiere of this remake, a British soldier returns home from the American War of Independence to find his father is dead, his home is in ruins and his fiancee is about to marry his cousin.
MLS (8 p.m., Fox Sports 1): Sporting Kansas City at Real Salt Lake
"Salem" (8 and 9 p.m., WGN): The final countdown to the consecration begins.
"American Odyssey" (9 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Odelle adapts to a new life while in Algeria; Harrison unearths a clue.
"The Crimson Field" (9 p.m., PBS/Ch. 7): Three young VADs (Voluntary Aid Detachments) are sent to the front in Boulogne during WWI.
"True Detective" (10 p.m., HBO): As Season 2 begins, a corrupt politician is murdered.
"Nurse Jackie" (10 p.m., Showtime): Jackie is forced to perform a procedure on her own when Dr. Prince puts a patient's life at risk.
"Happyish" (10:30 p.m., Showtime): Thom discovers something terrible about Larry.
"Halt and Catch Fire" (11 p.m., AMC): Joe and Gordon reunite; tensions between Cameron and Donna run high.
"Ballers" (11 p.m., HBO): In the premiere, Miami Dolphins legend Spencer Strasmore struggles to adjust to retirement while mentoring his younger friends, including a hot-headed wide receiver whose unruly behavior in a club could jeopardize his career.
"Penny Dreadful" (11 p.m., Showtime): The Creature unleashes his rage.
"The Brink" (11:30 p.m., HBO): In the premiere of this not particularly funny black comedy about a military coup in Pakistan, an unlikely trio try to prevent World War III.