Sometimes you stick to the basics. Having scored a success with “Yellowstone,” a 21st-century variation on the traditional Western melodrama, Paramount Network turns to the service comedy. Set in a medical unit in Afghanistan, “68 Whiskey” (10 p.m., TV-MA) invites immediate comparisons to “MASH.”
It also reminds us of how much television has changed since that series had its 1972-’83 run. In the opening minutes, a female soldier drops the F-word while engaged in the act that word describes. Like “Yellowstone,” this series expands the boundaries of what you might expect to see and hear on basic cable.
On one level, it explores themes from service comedies dating back to “Mister Roberts” and “Sgt. Bilko,” showcasing the shenanigans of soldiers killing time with black market schemes, arranging betting pools and battling boredom.
“68” shows how much more co-ed the armed forces have become since “MASH.” And emphasizes just how much nothing kills boredom like casual sex and its pursuit. Much of the bedroom talk here is rather clinical and joyless.
You can’t say “68” is lacking in action. In between shenanigans, characters go on helicopter rescue missions and evade the hostilities of the locals. There’s surgical drama, erotic dreams, carpet smuggling and even a pet goat. Despite, or perhaps because of so much frenzied activity, I found my interest lagging. Perhaps I was reminded why “MASH” was a half-hour show.
Produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, “68” is adapted from an Israeli series. It joins a long list of dramas based on series from that country, including “In Treatment,” “Homeland” and “Euphoria.”
— Returning series include the fifth season premiere of “The Magicians” (10 p.m., Syfy, TV-MA).
— Netflix begins streaming the sixth season of “Grace and Frankie,” starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
— CNBC launches the umpteenth real estate porn series “Listing Impossible” (10 p.m.). The first episode features a divorced woman desperate to unload her beach house.
— PBS introduces the extreme travel series “Expedition With Steve Backshall” (10 p.m., TV-PG, check local listings), kicking off with a trip to an unexplored Arabian desert canyon.
— For the night at least, “Riverdale” makes way for the “The CW Dog Honors” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG), celebrating noble canines and featuring celebrities with their pets.
— If you liked “The Irishman” and want to see something very similar, you might check out director Sergio Leone’s 1984 gangster epic “Once Upon a Time in America” (10:15 p.m., TCM). Like that recent Netflix effort, it features Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.
“America” is based on the book “Hoods” by Harry Grey, a history of Jewish gangsters and their rise from New York streets to become “Murder Incorporated.” Like “The Irishman,” there is much to admire here. Some might argue, too much. The director’s cut of “America” runs 250 minutes, making it 41 minutes longer than Scorsese’s effort.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Airport chaos on “Chicago Med” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Pest control on “Chicago Fire” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— The court date nears on “Almost Family” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
— Secrets and lies on “Chicago P.D.” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Dex bonds with a fellow vet on “Stumptown” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
— The emergence of a rival (Mila Kunis) throws a ballerina (Natalie Portman) into a fevered state in the 2010 psychological thriller “Black Swan” (9 p.m., HBOSig).
SERIES NOTES
Gym dandies on “Undercover Boss” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … “Flirty Dancing” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Random explosions on “Criminal Minds” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … Memory lane on “Modern Family” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … A fatal dose links two murders on “Nancy Drew” (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … Boundaries on “Single Parents” (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … A family conflict for Street on “S.W.A.T.” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
LATE NIGHT
Yara Shahidi appears on “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) … Expect Larry David on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) … Andrew Yang and Abby McEnany appear on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Robert Downey Jr., Aidy Bryant and Little Big Town on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Billy Porter, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Caitlyn Smith visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … January Jones, John Cena and Raanan Hershberg appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS).
