Back to Future

Hard to believe that the first "MTV Video Music Awards" were hosted 32 years ago by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler, two figures who have about as much to do with pop videos as Nelson Mandela. Rihanna, who wasn't even born then, will receive the Vanguard Award with performances from Future, Nick Jonas and Britney Spears.

8 p.m. Sunday, MTV

Tongue lashings

I lost touch with "The Strain" — too much trouble digesting solid food after the weekly carnage — but the third-season premiere does a nice job of bringing us wimps up to date. Turns out that aliens with Gene Simmons-length tongues are determined to take over the Earth, even if it means taking a few million bullets to their skeletal builds. As ridiculous and gruesome as a high-end video game.

9 p.m. Sunday, FX

Having a ball

Preteens won't need a killer chip shot to feel like part of the team on "The Kicks," a new live-action series in which a ragtag team of young girls bond as underdogs in a highly competitive soccer league. The series, based on the books by U.S. team star Alex Morgan, celebrates female empowerment along with the sport, and newcomer Sixx Orange has the chops to be remembered for more than just her name.

Now streaming on Amazon Prime

Corey Stoll in “The Strain.”

Neal Justin