‘Horror Story’ returns to ‘1984’
As it has for several recent incarnations, “American Horror Story: 1984” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA) arrives shrouded in mystery and kept far from reviewers. This secrecy hasn’t hurt the franchise, which has grown more lurid as it has progressed.
The “1984” in the title has nothing to do with the Orwell novel, and refers instead to the teen slasher movies so popular during the Reagan years. After “Stranger Things,” I’ve given up counting the number of series hearkening back to that era. That time offers an interesting analog vantage point on our own and delivers nostalgic comfort food for viewers raised on “Goonies,” “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th” and the many films of John Hughes.
Thus far, we’ve seen tiny clips of the series revealing fetching young things at a summer camp and a masked figure with a large knife.
What could go wrong?
› Sometimes it takes years for a late-late-show host to get a prime-time special. In the case of “A Little Late With Lilly Singh: The Primetime Special” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14), it’s taken exactly one day.
The Canadian host has been a famous YouTube star for some time, ranked among that medium’s highest-paid personalities. The success of late-night stars has long been measured in clips and clicks, so the migration of a YouTube star to network seems to be natural, if not overdue.
› “Country Music” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings) recalls the years between 1953 and 1963, when the genre continues to cross boundaries and blend sounds. Sam Phillips launches Sun Records as well as the careers of Elvis Presley and so-called “rockabilly” artists Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, seminal figures present at the creation of rock and roll. At the same time, gospel-inspired Ray Charles records a hit country album, and a gloriously talented Patsy Cline breaks down the barriers between country and pop.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› The Atlanta Braves, who have pretty much sewn up the Eastern Division of this year’s National League pennant race, host the Philadelphia Phillies, still vying for a Wild Card playoff spot, in MLB baseball (7 p.m., ESPN).
› Winners emerge on “America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) and “MasterChef” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
› The voices of Ben Kingsley and Bill Murray animate the 2016 adaptation of “The Jungle Book” (8:30 p.m., Freeform, TV-PG).
› Harvey recovers from a personal setback on “Suits” (9 p.m., USA, TV-14).
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin .tvguy@gmail.com.