The traffic jam of TV programming on Sunday nights could rival the gridlock approaching the Cape Cod bridges on summer weekends. Even if you exclude reality programming, special events like awards shows, and sports — and what viewer does? — there are dozens of series that air during the primetime hours on Sunday nights throughout the year.

And because it’s the night when most sets are tuned in, many of those shows are the best that the broadcast and cable networks have to offer. That means maxed-out DVRs, overloaded Netflix queues, and generally confounded viewers who want to watch 10 shows in one night, from “Mad Men” to “The Good Wife” to “Downton Abbey” to “Breaking Bad” to “Drop Dead Diva” to promising upcoming shows like “Newsroom.”