Fans enjoying the nostalgia comedy "Girls5eva" streaming on Peacock might appreciate the appearance of the 1990 comedy "House Party" (8:30 p.m., TV-14) on the VH1 schedule. Few acts seemed more predestined for the "where-are-they-now" circuit than Kid ‘n Play, the brash New York hip-hop duo consisting of Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin. Their signature hairstyles alone guaranteed that!
Like the fictional one-hit wonders in "Girls5eva," their memory has been repeatedly summoned by cameos, visual gags and other pop-cultural referencing. As aging versions of themselves, they’ve appeared in everything from commercials for State Farm Insurance to Radio Shack. Apparently the "Dell Dude" was unavailable.
Dredging up the past is very much the business of MTV, even as it has largely abandoned the music videos that gave Kid ‘n Play their ephemeral success. "The Hills: New Beginnings" (9 p.m., MTV, TV-14) returns for the second season of the revival of the original, which ran six seasons from 2006 to 2010. For a younger crowd, there’s always "Siesta Key" (8 p.m., MTV, TV-14).
MTV is hardly alone. The weight of viewer nostalgia, unoriginality and marketing timidity has congealed to create tonight’s network broadcast schedule, consisting of the second incarnation of "Kids Say the Darndest Things," which is itself a remake of "Art Linkletter’s House Party" (1952-1969), where the "Darndest" segment was created. Then, CBS viewers are just a "SEAL Team" away from the second coming of "S.W.A.T.," created in 1975.
The "new" "Kung Fu" on CW at least casts Asian actors in the principal roles of a series devised by martial arts legend Bruce Lee. He was not happy when network suits cast David Carradine in the original in 1972.
The CW also offers "Nancy Drew," a dark and supernatural take on one of the most durable young adult franchises. "Drew" has been adapted for films and series before, and shared top billing with "The Hardy Boys" back in the day.
Older than television itself, "Nancy Drew" had been adapted for two-reel features in the 1930s. TV pioneers Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz tried to turn it into a series in the mid-1950s, but could not find a sponsor.
Arguably, the most successful TV nostalgia series offer a "new" spin on the old. It’s hard to say just how long "The Goldbergs" will remain stuck in the 1980s, their own private "Wonder Years." First broadcast in 2013, "The Goldbergs" borrowed the name of a seminal television series that aired from 1949 to 1956, adapted from a radio soap opera that debuted in 1929!
Speaking of series set in the 1980s, Netflix has just released a trailer for the fourth season of "Stranger Things." What can we expect when Eleven turns 30?
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Manning’s mom’s health takes a turn for the worse on "Chicago Med" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— A fire strikes a pet food factory on "Chicago Fire" (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Hondo hesitates on "S.W.A.T." (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— An epidemic of home invasion robberies on "Chicago P.D." (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— The gang examines their biases on "A Million Little Things" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— "Human: The World Within" (10 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) examines how we turn food into fuel.
CULT CHOICE
— Proof that nostalgia never stops churning, the 1940 comedy "The Philadelphia Story" (4:15 p.m., TCM, TV-G) provided the name for Spy magazine, a short-lived but influential satirical publication launched in 1986.
SERIES NOTES
Tiffany Haddish and Cedric the Entertainer speak with a pair of identical twins on "Kids Say the Darndest Things" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … "The Masked Singer" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Back in the day on "The Goldbergs" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Nicky acts alone on "Kung Fu" (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … Connor throws a party for his ex on "Home Economics" (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
The team takes on Boko Haram on "SEAL Team" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … Wayne Brady hosts "Game of Talents" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Darlene takes a stand on "The Conners" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … A stranger comes to town on "Nancy Drew" (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … Game night inspires anything but togetherness on "Call Your Mother" (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Lisa Kudrow appears on "Conan" (11 p.m., TBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Dave Chappelle, Nikki Glaser and J.Period and Black Thought and Tiffany Gouche on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Aidy Bryant and Barry Jenkins visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC).
