Standard procedure
"We left the textbooks behind a long time ago," a character tells a recruit in "Ransom," getting a high-profile debut before moving to its regular Saturday slot next weekend. Actually, the procedural follows the CBS playbook to the letter, as the leader of a crisis negotiation team (Brit Luke Roberts, doing a fine impersonation of George Clooney) coolly handles one crisis after another. The network has a winning formula, but suggestions this is anything more than another version of "CSI" are laughable.
7:30 p.m. Sun., WCCO, Ch. 4
One angry man
"By Sidney Lumet" consists almost entirely of the esteemed director reflecting on his career. It's enough. Interviewed by filmmaker Nancy Buirski in 2008, three years before his death, Lumet covers the gamut, from his stint as a child actor in vaudeville to a defense of Paul Newman's character in "The Verdict," in an intimate documentary that will thrill devotees of gritty American film. A fresh interview with Treat Williams, star of Lumet's "Prince of the City," follows.
7 p.m. Tue., TPT, Ch. 2
Seek and ye shall find
"Man Seeking Woman" enters its third season with gender reversal. In the four episodes available for review, Josh (Jay Baruchel) takes a back seat to his new girlfriend, Lucy (Katie Findlay), who shares her squeeze's ability to transform everyday dilemmas into outlandish nightmares. Findlay is a subtle comic who expertly mines the clever takes on immigration, blacklisting, Sherlock Holmes and more.
9:30 p.m. Wed., FXX
Neal Justin
