Why you should watch 'Secrets and Lies:' It's 'Empire,' 'Scandal' and 'Law & Order' all in one

Jordana Brewster, formerly of Dallas, is a co-star of Fox reboot Lethal Weapon (good enough, funny) and ABC's Secrets and Lies.

While Lethal Weapon is a pleasant surprise, Secrets and Lies is the class of this showdown. Brewster plays Kate Warner, whose life and death are at the center of this season's 10-episode mystery, being dogged by hard-nosed, no-nonsense -- yeah, all of that -- Detective Andrea Cornell (Juliette Lewis).

The show, which only shares a title with the wonderful 1996 movie starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Brenda Blethyn, is on at 8 p.m. Sundays at ABC.

Brenda Blethyn (left) was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Cynthia in the Mike Leigh... — Brenda Blethyn (left) was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Cynthia in the Mike Leigh film, which co-starred Marianne Jean-Baptiste as an adopted child who traces her roots and finds that Cynthia is her birth mother. It's a wonderful film about race and class and love.(OCTOBER FILMS)

While Brewster provides some home cooking, she's just one of the reasons to catch up on this who-done-it. Here are a few more:

Michael Ealy

Ealy has made quite the reputation on television following star-making turns on The Good Wife, The Following and the short-lived Almost Human, where he played a near-perfect android. He's near perfect here as Eric Warner, who seems to be the prime suspect in his wife Kate Warner's death. You see, he was somehow on the roof when she somehow ended up lying in her own blood (pushed? thrown? fell? Who knows?) on the ground below. His eyes hold secrets, and quite possibly lies. And there's that boom that the detective dropped at the repast after his wife's funeral.

The ties that bind

The familial bond is very close, much like the one between the brothers on Fox hit Empire. When Warner's sister Amanda sees Detective Cornell arrive on the scene, she knows she's thinking that her brother is the killer. So, she intervenes as his lawyer before he says one word. (There's a lesson here for anyone willing to partake.) Pop Warner, played by Terry O'Quinn (Lost), was throwing a high-flying party to celebrate handing off the family firm to Eric when the death occurred. Needless to say, the party fell to earth, too. This tight family unit also includes brother Patrick Warner, his longtime girlfriend (AnnaLynne McCord) and Amanda Warner's husband (long time, no see Edwin Hodge). There is something Patrick (Charlie Barnett) is not telling us. There's something Amanda (Mekia Cox), who was good friends with the deceased, probably needs to.

Some law, not a lot of order

If you like your mystery shrouded in secrecy with plenty of lies, then this show is built for you. The first show this season held a reveal of epic proportions -- until the next reveal. Now in its second season, that's the mystery anthology series' M.O. (I recommend watching the first season that starred Ryan Phillippe as the accused.) And then there are the scariest four words in the English language: "I'm Detective Andrea Cornell." And you should be there for all of it; that includes caustic Cornell and flashback scenes that reveal so much -- and so little. What? I'm just following the show's lead.

SUNDAY

Killing Reagan: Bill O'Reilly's book series about plots to kill public figures yields another movie. 7 p.m. Tim Matheson plays the wounded president and Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) plays his wife, Nancy Reagan. National Geographic

The GMA Dove Awards: North Texans Kirk Franklin wins Gospel Artist of the Year and Tamela Mann performs during the 47th annual edition of the Gospel Music Association's awards show. 7 p.m. TBN

The Simpsons: The animated show celebrates its 600th episode -- 28th seasons! -- in time-tested style, with its annual "Treehouse of Horror." 7 p.m. Fox

The Walking Dead: The Journey So Far: Need to catch up on the last six seasons with the quickness? This has you covered. 8 p.m. AMC

MONDAY

Jane the Virgin: The new season won't leave viewers hanging on that cliff for long. The season premiere picks up right where last season's finale left off with poor Jane's new husband shot and in the hospital. 8 p.m. CW

Supergirl: Our hero faces stranger-powered-by-kryptonite danger. 7 p.m. CW

TUESDAY

This Is Us: This very affecting drama provides plenty of other emotions, too. This time, it's Rebecca and Jake, the Big Three and a community pool. Oh, and you should check out the After Show on YouTube. 8 p.m. NBC

WEDNESDAY

Queen Sugar: Go for the soap. Stay for Aunt Vi (Tina Lifford). 9 p.m. OWN

Chance: Hugh Laurie returns to the small screen with this adaptation of a Ken Nunn novel about a psychiatrist who has an affair with a patient. Nothing good can come of this, especially when people find out. Hulu

The Presidential Debate: Put the children to bed and pick your channel as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump debate in Las Vegas. 8 p.m. ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS

THURSDAY

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again: Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) stars as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in this made-for-TV take on the 1975 musical that's played somewhere on a screen at midnight every weekend. The original doctor, Tim Curry, will narrate the proceedings as afianced Janet (Victoria Justice) and Brad (Ryan McCartan) stumble upon a weird scene at the mad doctor's house. 7 p.m. Fox

(Left to right) Ryan McCartan, Laverne Cox and Victoria Justice in THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE... — (Left to right) Ryan McCartan, Laverne Cox and Victoria Justice in THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW: Let's Do The Time Warp Again(Steve Wilkie / FOX)

Supernatural: Just when you think the Winchester brothers have seen it all ... Twelve seasons in and Rick Springfield is a rocker possessed by Lucifer. If that ain't some ish, I don't know what is. 8 p.m. CW

FRIDAY

"Hamilton's America": Just how did creator Lin-Manuel Miranda get this show on the road? While reading the book on which the play is based, he says he thought, "This is Tupac. This is Biggie. This is a hip-hop show. This is my next show." And now the documentary of the process of how he got from there to here is part of Great Performances. 8 p.m. PBS

SATURDAY

The Walking Dead: The network continues the marathon that's been playing all week leading up to the season premiere on Oct. 23.

A Craftsman's Legacy: Season 2 premieres with host Eric Gorges paying a visit to Nathan Bower, "The Clockmaker." KERA

This week in home entertainment

PBS' Downton Abbey: The Complete Collection and Mr. Selfridge: The Complete Series come out just in time for putting on Christmas lists.

Dame Maggie Smith won yet another Emmy this year for her portrayal of the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey. The show about the lives of the upper-crust Crowley family was an awards-show darling, winning everything from a National Television Award, UK, to a Golden Globe over its run.

Jeremy Piven moves away from his normal shady characters and plays "the showman of shopping" Harry Selfridge, the real-life American who swaggered into London and opened the eponymous department store, rising to heights unseen and falling to the same types of depths. The series follows the brash American swaggering into London and tackles topics such as women's and worker's rights along the way.

Selected titles also out this week: Alice Through the Looking Glass; Barbie and her Sisters in the Puppy Chase; Bates Motel: Season Four; Cafe Society; Constantine: The Complete Series; Doctor Who: The Weeping Angels; God's Not Dead 2; Guilt: Season One; Independence Day Resurgence; The Night Of: The Complete First Season; Our Kind of Traitor; Power Rangers Dino Thunder: The Complete Series; Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete Series; Teen Wolf: Season 5, Part 2; and Wallander: The Complete Collection.