Suddenly, Sundays are the must-see night

For a frantic stretch, Sunday is becoming TV’s must-see night.
That sprawls across four weeks and three networks. It was conference-championship football (Jan. 26, CBS) and the Grammys (Feb. 2, CBS); now come the Super Bowl (Feb. 9, Fox, with the Eagles, shown here, and Chiefs) and the “Saturday Night Live” 50-year reunion (Feb. 16, NBC).
All of that is splendid for people who want big-deal events. It’s way less cheerful for ABC … or fans of “Tracker” and “Equalizer” … or for shows – from “The Simpsons” to “Masterpiece” — that compete with the giants.
In the past, we assumed Sundays were special. In the ‘60s, viewers saw CBS’ Ed Sullivan and NBC’s “Bonanza,” back-to-back; in the new century, they saw ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” In between, this was the night for the biggest movies and for the start of mini-series.
That sagged a bit, with some exceptions. NBC had NFL games; cable had “Yellowstone,” “The Walking Dead” and HBO. In recent yers, “Tracker” and “Equalizer” soared on CBS.
Along the way, however, others have jumped in.
The Grammys (formerly on Wednesdays) moved to Sundays. So did the Oscars (formerly on Mondays). This became the night for the Emmys and the Golden Globes and more, plus occasional big CBS specials . – Adele, Dua Lipa, Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga.
But what happens to the Sunday shows that aren’t big events?
— Two networks, ABC and CW, duck the competition. They simply show old movies on Sundays.
— Cable has also hesitated. AMC continues its witchly dramas; HBO waits until Feb. 16 to start the latest “White Lotus.”
— CBS has simply held off its two hits, pre-empting them or showing reruns. When they return Feb. 16 (against the “SNL” special), it will be the first “Equalizer” in 10 weeks, the first “Tracker” in 11.
— Fox’s cartoons have been battered time – lots of pre-emptions (for football and NASCAR), lots of nights when viewers were distracted. Now “The Simpsons” isn’t expected back until March 30. The new line-up, starting Feb. 16, has the season-openers of “Family Guy” and “Grimsburg” at 8 and 8:30, the almost-opener of “The Great North” at 9 and the return of “Krapopolis” at 9:30.
— And PBS proceeds blithely, perhaps assuming its viewers are unaware of the rest of the world. Even on Super Sunday, it has new episodes.
This happens to be a stretch of light PBS shows that could have broad appeal. “Miss Scarlet” (a Victorian-era mystery at 8 p.m.) closes its season with two of its best episodes … colliding with the Super Bowl and “SNL”
The amiable “All Creatures Great and Small” (9 p.m.) extends one week later than that, but only by showing its Christmas episode in February. At 10 p.m. is “Funny Woman,” a bright trifle set in the early days of British TV.
After regrouping, PBS will be back. A compelling sequel to its “Wolf Hall” mini-series starts March 23. “Miss Austen Regrets” arrives May 4, with Keeley Hawes excellent, as usual, this time as Jane Austen’s sister.
By then, there will be no NFL games and few big-deal specials. Sundays might feel sort of normal again.