TURN ON, TUNE IN OR MISS OUT : Faulkner’s ‘Old Man’ crests on CBS; top dogs on USA; ESPN awards its ESPYs; Mary and Lou in ABC film

Sunday

NBA All-Star Game / 3 p.m. NBC

With an assist from fan balloting, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon will lead their respective conferences at pro basketball’s 47th annual hoopfest. Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, Gary Payton and Scottie Pippen are among other big names who will play at the Gund Arena in Cleveland. As in one of this season’s many “NBA at 50” celebrations, the halftime show will salute the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

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“William Faulkner’s Old Man” / 9 p.m. CBS

Atmospheric and deftly acted, this appealing TV movie tells of two people adrift on the Mississippi, a.k.a. the Old Man. Set in 1927, the “Hallmark Hall of Fame” drama centers on a chain-gang convict (Arliss Howard) ordered to rescue a woman (Jeanne Tripplehorn) stranded during a flood. What he isn’t told is that she’s pregnant, which poses a problem beyond the miserable elements. Two-time Oscar winner Horton Foote (“To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Tender Mercies”) wrote the teleplay based on Faulkner’s original story.

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“Seduction in a Small Town” / 9 p.m. ABC

What would you do if a stranger spread lies about your life? And what if those falsehoods were linked to child abuse? That’s the puzzling situation facing a small-town couple played in this TV movie by Melissa Gilbert and Brian McNamara, whose two children are taken by authorities after stories surface of their alleged mistreatment. Oddly enough, the nasty rumors are traced to a newcomer (Joely Fisher) who is determined to ruin them.

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“Masterpiece Theatre” / 9 p.m. KCET

In past episodes of “Prime Suspect,” the tenacious Jane Tennison (beautifully played by Helen Mirren) has encountered murder and males with hefty egos. This week, in the first half of a four-hour drama titled “Errors of Judgment,” the driven detective is transferred to Manchester, where she and her team take on a drug dealer known as the Street (Steven Mackintosh). As for the aforementioned error, Tennison falls for her superior, who is married.

Monday

“The ESPY Awards” / 5 p.m. ESPN

Athletes may never win an Emmy or Oscar, but they certainly have a shot at an ESPY, which honors excellence in sports. Hosted by comic Jeff Foxworthy, the fifth annual cablecast reveals the Performers of the Year among its 34 categories. Muhammad Ali will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, an honor whose previous winners include the late Jim Valvano and Howard Cosell.

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“Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show” / 8 p.m. (also Tuesday) USA

Ready for some factoids? Here goes. This is the 121st annual show (and consequently the country’s second-oldest continuous sporting event next to the Kentucky Derby), which USA is airing for the 13th straight year. More, you say? Sixty-six dachshunds and 40 poodles are among the top dogs in the two-day event, which ends with the “best in show” award. Joe Garagiola and analyst David Frei, who seldom bark up the wrong tree, return as the announcers.

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“Payback” / 9 p.m. ABC

Viewers may think twice about reporting a crime to the police after watching this TV movie reuniting ‘70s sitcom stars Mary Tyler Moore and Ed Asner. Moore plays Kathryn Stanfill, a hard-working restaurateur whose testimony ruins the career of a vindictive cop (Fredric Lane) with a penchant for violence. The escalating trouble for Stanfill and family begins when an unpopular internal affairs veteran (Asner) persuades her to come forward after witnessing the brutal beating of an unarmed man.

Tuesday

“Secrets of Lost Empires” / 8 p.m. KCET (also Wednesday)

The producers of “Nova” pack their bags for a two-night exploration of ancient civilizations. On Tuesday’s two-hour report, they follow an archeologist and an engineer who attempt to build a structure similar to Stonehenge, that impressive circle of prehistoric monoliths on Salisbury Plain in England. Moving on to Peru, “Empires” examines the mysteries of Incan grass bridges and stone fortresses. Wednesday’s program studies ancient obelisks in Egypt and the Roman Colosseum.