TV highlights
SUNDAY
9 p.m. on HBO
True Detective
An Arkansas community is rocked by the unsolved murder of two schoolchildren as this acclaimed crime drama returns for season three after an extended hiatus. Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight”) stars as police detective Wayne Hays, who remains haunted by the case more than three decades later. The story plays out in three timelines: the 1980 crime and investigation, new developments that arise in 1990, and 2015, as Hays reflects on the mystery.
MONDAY
8 p.m. on LIFE Gretchen Carlson: Breaking the Silence
The first of three documentaries to air as part of former Fox News personality Gretchen Carlson’s deal with A&E Networks, this new two-hour film follows her as she travels across the United States looking for previously undisclosed stories of sexual harassment and abuse, with alleged incidents at such diverse venues as fast-food giant McDonald’s and a rural fire department. In the process, Ms. Carlson also reveals new details of the toll her lawsuit against former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes took on her family.
TUESDAY
9 p.m. on WPXI
This Is Us
The midseason finale promised to deliver some answers fans were jonesing for but wound up raising plenty of new questions, among them more unresolved details about Jack’s brother, Nicky. As the series returns to begin the rest of season three, viewers will be hoping the writers fill in a few more of those blanks, along with examining the toll Randall’s new political career may take on his marriage.
WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. on WTAE
The Goldbergs
Lainey’s departure from town has left Beverly, Barry and Erica down in the dumps, so Murray and Geoff put their heads together to find a way to buoy their spirits. Elsewhere, as Coach Mellor prepares to take a big step in his life, the arrival of his brother, Coach Nick, drives Adam’s fear of gym class into overdrive.
THURSDAY
10 p.m. on TRAV
The Dead Files
The newly enhanced episode “Revealed: Fractured — St. Louis” takes retired cop Steve DiSchiavi and medium Amy Allan to Missouri to lend their assistance to a terrified woman whose home is being turned upside down by violent paranormal activity. While Amy’s occult exploration leads her to a group of demonic children and a towering emaciated entity that can influence the living, Steve’s investigation turns up information on a St. Louis business tycoon whose life was tragic.
FRIDAY
8:30 p.m. on WTAE Speechless
Kenneth inadvertently ruffles Maya’s feathers when he tries to insert himself into her business plans with Melanie. As JJ begins pre-production on his next film, Ray pleads with his brother to cast him opposite Ray’s latest crush, Izzy. Meanwhile, Dylan finds Jimmy’s band surprisingly impressive.
SATURDAY
8 p.m. on LIFE Movie: Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story
Inspired by a true story, this new TV drama stars Christina Ricci as pioneering investigative reporter Nellie Bly, who feigns mental illness to be admitted as a patient at the notorious Women’s Lunatic Asylum, where she hopes to gather research for an expose on the facility. In this fictionalized account of actual events, Nellie’s treatment there leaves her with no recollection of how she came to the asylum or, indeed, even her real identity.