‘Orphan Black’ Sequel, Vampires on Trial, ‘When Calls the Heart’ Finale, Renaissance Man Stevie Van Zandt, ‘Grantchester’s Exit Strategy

Series Premiere

10/9c

SUNDAY: Send in the clones? They’re already here. In the TV world, they’re called spinoffs. Or in the case of Echoes, a sequel, set four decades after the Emmy-winning original (2013-17). In the 2050s, science has advanced from laboratory cloning to full-scale “printouts” of human beings, albeit with fuzzy memories of their source material. One such creature is the disoriented Lucy (Jessica Jones’ Krysten Ritter), who declares, “I have to find out who I was to protect who I am.” And thus begins a chase thriller in which she crosses paths with the irreverent teenager Jules (Amanda Fix, a spunky standout). Bodyguard’s Keeley Hawes co-stars as the conflicted scientist who created these replicas, for reasons that become clear later in the 10-episode season. (See the full review.)

9/8c

SUNDAY: It’s the greatest, and certainly most devastating, show yet produced at the Théâtre des Vampires in Paris: Trial! Subtitled “The Treacherous and Unnatural Crimes of the Vampires Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) and their fledgling Madeleine (Roxane Duran).” The real shocker in this rigged show trial, with the vengeful Santiago (Ben Daniels) as ringleader, is the appearance of the once-thought-dead vampire Lestat (Sam Reid), whose tortured relationship with Louis is dissected in what Lestat describes as “a story of love, not butchery.” You may think the verdict is preordained, but that doesn’t diminish the power of Season 2’s can’t-miss penultimate episode.

Season Finale

9/8c

SUNDAY: The passions are much less bloody, though no less heartfelt, in this period romantic drama, whose fans are no doubt still swooning from last week’s what-were-they-waiting-for kiss between Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and her devoted Mountie, Nathan (Kevin McGarry). In the Season 11 finale, a wedding celebration for Mai (Amanda Wong) and Mike (Ben Rosenbaum) sets the stage for the core couple to exchange more secrets, while Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) and Lee (Kevan Smith) look toward Hope Valley’s future. Thankfully for all concerned, a 12^th season has already been ordered.

Documentary Premiere

SATURDAY: A colorful documentary portrait of musician, actor and activist Stevie Van Zandt paints him as a “Renaissance man” in the words of The Sopranos creator David Chase, who cast him against type as the invaluable Silvio Dante. Bruce Springsteen calls Little Stevie “my rock ‘n’ roll brother,” reflecting on their rise to fame in the E Street Band, where Van Zandt saw his role as “the Dean Martin in our rock ‘n’ roll Rat Pack.” He left the band for a while in the 1980s to chart his own path, including organizing the cross-genre “Sun City” track to protest apartheid in South Africa, but they’re still making amazing music today. Disciple features commentary from Springsteen and fellow music greats Paul McCartney, Bono, Eddie Vedder, Darlene Love, Joan Jett, Peter Gabriel, Ruben Blades and more.

9/8c

SUNDAY: There won’t be a dry eye in the village of Grantchester—or I’m betting, in the homes of fans of this long-running Masterpiece mystery—when vicar Will Davenport (Tom Brittney) takes his leave in an emotional episode. The first hurdle: how to tell his best friend and partner in crime-solving, Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green). His initial reaction is a terse “Right,” but there’s much more in store as they come to grips with how much they mean to each other.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• Summer Olympic Trials (Saturday, 7/6c, NBC): Network prime-time highlights including diving trials, followed by swimming (8/7c) and track and field (9/8c). Coverage continues Sunday, with diving (7/6c), swimming (8/7c) and track and field (8:30/7:30c).
• The Bad Orphan (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): In a movie seemingly inspired by the Natalia Grace case, Breaking Bad’s Betsy Brandt and Mark Taylor are parents who adopt 8-year-old Gabby (Chloe Coco Chapman), who’s not quite what she seems.
• Two Scoops of Italy (Saturday, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel): Summertime is perfect for a movie about gelato and travel, and in the channel’s final “Passport to Love” romance, filmed on location in Italy, a struggling chef (Hunter King) heads to an ancient Roman village for inspiration, where a gelato pro (Michele Rosiello) shows her the sights and flavors of the local culture.
• CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 (Sunday, 5 pm/ET, Fox): The U.S. Men’s National Team gets its first taste of Copa soccer action in the Group C match vs. Bolivia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Followed at 8 pm/ET by Uruguay vs. Panama.
• Discovering Love (Sunday, 7/6c, UPtv): An archeology prof (Liliana Tandon) finds she digs a treasure hunter (Tim Rogan) while seeking Helen of Troy’s long-lost crown.
• Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story (Sunday, 8/7c, Lifetime): Billy Zane stars in a true-crime docudrama as ex-con and predator Larry Ray, who moves into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College, where he creates a cult among her classmates in a web of emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
• Biography (Sunday, 9/8c, A&E): The series continues its focus on rock stars with profiles of two of the most outrageous who ever took the stage: Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider and (at 10/9c) Alice Cooper.
• The Icons That Built America (Sunday, 10/9c, History Channel): Baseball’s Derek Jeter is executive producer of a docuseries profiling innovative entertainers and entrepreneurs unafraid to take risks, opening with the story of daredevil Evel Knievel.