1) “Fear the Walking Dead” season-opener, 9 p.m., AMC. The fifth season ended 14 months ago, with Morgan wounded and alone. That’s the perfect set-up for a pandemic production, when smaller casts are ewelcome. Tonight, just two people are key to Morgan’s life – a skilled hitman, sent by Virginia, and a stranger (shown here) with an unstated mission. The result is fierce and gory, but thoroughly involving.
2) “Walking Dead: World Beyond,” 10:15 p.m., AMC. Last week’s opener sent four teens on a poorly defined mission: Two sisters, following a vague map, planned to cross 1,100 miles of zombie turf, to find their dad; two guys – one brainy, one hulky – went along. Now two skilled fighters try to retrieve them. Once we overlook the fact that it’s an iffy mission, “Beyond” is a rich look at novices in a brutal world. Tonight also offers a deep look beyond the tough-guy exterior of one of the would-be rescuers.
3) “Clueless” (1995), 9:30 p.m., CBS. This is one of the better ideas for stopgap scheduling: CBS mined the library of its parent company (Paramount) for a Sunday movie night. Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, “Clueless” is a rarity — a smart, fun teen film, sort of like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” which Heckerling also directed. For more smart comedies, Turner Classic Movies has Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau gems – “The Front Page” (1974) at 8 p.m. ET, “The Odd Couple” (1968) at 10.
4) “The Simpsons,” 7 and 8 p.m., Fox. While real humans are slowed by the pandemic, the animated ones boom ahead. After a rerun at 7, “The Simpsons” has its third new episode of the season. The subject is art, with Lisanardo, her brother Bart (as a French impressionist) and their parents (as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo). More good news: Next Sunday is the annual “Treehouse of Horror.”
5) And more. At 8 p.m., Starz launches the second half of the 16-episode “Spanish Princess” mini-series … 16 months after the first half ended. At 9, PBS’ “Masterpiece” has the second of four hours of the “Flesh and Blood” mini-series; it’s a good episode, revealing the deep problems of Vivian’s three children. And CW has a new “Pandora” (which had a lame season-opener last week) at 8 p.m.; then it reruns Wednesday’s “Devils” debut – beautifully crafted, but with no one to root for – at 9.