Entertainment

Morgan Freeman returns to narrate the second season of “History’s Greatest Escapes With Morgan Freeman” (9 p.m., History, TV-14).

Set on a giant train navigating a ruined world and frozen hellscape, “Snowpiercer” (9 p.m. Sunday, AMC, TV-MA) enters its fourth season. The 1,000-car mega-train carries enough of surviving humanity to encompass class distinctions, political intrigues and revolts. I call it the Metaphor Express.

Apple TV+ streams “Lady in the Lake,” an ambitious seven-part period mystery. Based on a 2019 novel by Laura Lippman, the story is set in mid-1960s Baltimore and unfolds in overlapping tales of two murders that take place in two societies that uneasily share the same city.

Fans of the old-fashioned sword-and-sandal epic are in luck. Blending the dangerous chariot racing of “Ben-Hur” and the bloody arena spectacle and imperial politics of “Gladiator,” “Those About to Die” begins streaming on Peacock. Far from celebrating the glories of ancient Rome, “Die” dwells rather obsessively in the dimly lit gambling halls, locker rooms and stables of a city and a society besotted with vulgar, violent spectacle. The parallels between the Rome of 2000 years ago and our own distracted society are evident and intentional.

Kids and teens

A staple of summer distraction programming for much of this century, “Big Brother” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) returns for a 26th season with a two-night premiere event.

With the possible exception of fireflies (or is that lightning bugs?), nothing says summer quite like the MLB All-Star Game (8 p.m., Fox).

Write about entertainment long enough and confusing themes emerge. Is adolescence a nightmare to be endured and transcended? Or a permanent state? Just watching the past week’s new and returning series may leave one bewildered.

Had enough junk food? After a week of, well, Shark Week, a cheeky tabloid take on nature documentaries, it’s time for the real thing. A return to “Planet Earth,” if you will.

It doesn’t take a genius (or a critic) to assume that a 10-episode sci-fi series named “Me” is going to be self-absorbed. Did I mention that it’s about a 12-year-old? Who learns he has superpowers?