‘VINYL’ AND SCORSESE
HBO, Sunday, 9 p.m.
Sometimes I wonder if Martin Scorsese didn’t do any favors for HBO’s “Vinyl’’ by directing the first episode and turning it into a two-hour fever dream. Essentially, that premiere was a Scorsese film in disguise as an episode of TV, crammed with all the creative camera work, vibrant soundtrack, and top-notch production design of Scorsese classics such as “Goodfellas.’’ It was a fantastic piece of work, a tale of the excesses of the early 1970s record business told excessively. But it may have been too filled with giant gestures to promise a bearable ongoing story line. In fact, “Vinyl’’ quiets down some after the premiere, becomes easier to imagine living inside week in and week out. The ratings for “Vinyl’’ have been soft and the buzz has been mixed, with references to it as a pop music “Forrest Gump.’’ But I plan to stick with it for now, despite its flaws. “Vinyl’’ takes the model of “Nashville’’ and “Empire’’ and blows it wide open.
‘DOWNTON’ NOSTALGIA
PBS, Sunday, 9 p.m.
“Downton Abbey’’ comes to a close Sunday after six seasons. Here are a few things I’ll miss about the PBS “Masterpiece’’ series: 1) The servants dressing the Crawleys: It never stopped being a fascinatingly odd sight, one adult helping another adult change clothes. 2) Mrs. Patmore mothering Daisy: Their kitchen bickering is born of love. In my secret dreams, Mrs. P is my life coach. 3) The Dowager Countess burning everyone: Maggie Smith is queen of all zingers. 4) Robert’s love of dogs: The Earl’s affection for his yellow Labradors is touching and fierce. 5) The Violet-Isobel snub-off: These two ladies toss heavy insults like professional horseshoe players. 6) The way Anna says “Mr. Bates’’: She turns the name into a three-syllable word — “Mr. Ba-a-ates.’’ 7) Mr. Carson’s eyebrows: He’s a very orderly gentleman with a pair of extremely unruly worms above his eyes. 8) That house: In an alternative universe, most “Downton’’ fans live at Downton — upstairs, not down.
SHAMELESSLY EXCELLENT
Showtime, 9 p.m.
I want to single out Emma Kenney on Showtime’s “Shameless.’’ Kenney (above) has been wonderful as Debbie, the younger Gallagher sister with the red hair and freckles who is pregnant. Early in the series, Debbie was the stable, knowing one who appeared to be more mature than the adults around her. Now a true teenager, she’s breaking the rules, hoping to have something of her own outside of the mess that is the Gallagher family, something safe and sane. She has become as stubborn and misguided as the rest of her family. Through Debbie, the show is addressing teen pregnancy, just as it has used Ian to look at mental illness.
CAN’T HURRY ‘LOVE’
Netflix
On Netflix’s endearing new romantic comedy “Love,’’ the two leads — Paul Rust and Gillian Jacobs — spend most of the season’s 10 episodes getting together. They meet by the end of the premiere, but their inevitable relationship takes a while to begin. Some viewers have complained about this gradual approach, saying that the show doesn’t get rolling until too late. I disagree. I like many things about “Love,’’ which is produced by Judd Apatow, and that measured pacing is among them. The characters, Gus and Mickey, are extremely different. You can’t rush Harold and Maude, or Beauty and the Beast, or Bogart and Hepburn in “The African Queen,’’ or any attraction between opposites. We need to see them — the characters and the actors — build a believable rapport in “Love’’ one step at a time. MATTHEW GILBERT
