— Among the more rewarding new cable series, "Savage Builds" (10 p.m., Discovery, TV-PG) enters its third week.
Adam Savage of "MythBusters" fame tweaks the concept of his old show just a bit. Instead of testing urban legends and science-fiction fantasies, he’ll set out to use cutting-edge engineering and technology to build and/or perfect devices from comic books or the pages of history. OK, it’s basically "MythBusters" without Savage’s old entourage.
Over the course of the first two episodes, available to stream on Discovery.com, Savage used a 3D printer to create a "real" Iron Man suit and tested a wildly unsuccessful wonder weapon from World War II.
The Iron Man experiment called on a specialty printer that extruded parts made of titanium, or rather a coating of titanium melted onto a surface with the use of powerful lasers. Savage’s inner 13-year-old has a blast with this segment.
He’s also like a kid in a toy store when trying to recalibrate the Panjandrum, a giant wonder weapon devised by the British for the purpose of storming French beaches in an Allied invasion.
Imagine two massive wheels connected by a huge cylinder filled with explosives. And the wheels were propelled by rockets, designed to drive the massive device over enemy barbed wire and minefields and onto an entrenched enemy position, where it would explode.
The problem with the Panjandrum was the near impossibility of getting its dozens of rockets to launch simultaneously. Archive footage shows the device spinning wildly and falling over like an explosion of Roman candles.
More than 75 years after its conception, Savage enlists an engineer from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars probe to put a 21st-century spin on the Panjandrum. Not to give too much away (you can stream this right now), newer technology only confirms some of the device’s old-school problems.
Perhaps the best thing about "Savage Builds" is the host’s enthusiasm for learning, teaching and experimenting. He’s just as goofy and joyous watching something fail as succeed, demonstrating that in science and engineering, it’s just as important to understand why something doesn’t work as why it does.
— Netflix begins streaming the imported Brazilian series "The Chosen One." This medical thriller/fantasy follows three idealistic doctors who travel to a remote village to deliver a vaccine against Zika virus, only to find themselves captive and captivated by a mysterious figure who has been using supernatural means to cure disease.
— Also on Netflix, the documentary series "Exhibit A" following cases where innocent people have been convicted using dubious forensic techniques, such as touch DNA and cadaver dogs.
— On "CMT Crossroads" (10 p.m., TV-PG), a Nashville celebration of the duo Brooks and Dunn, featuring Luke Combs, Brett Young, Midland, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Brandon Lancaster from LANCO.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— A "Whistleblower" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) challenges the Army Corps of Engineers.
— A ride home from a stranger on "Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— "20/20" (9 p.m., ABC) profiles a Texas man who manipulated his children into accompanying him on bank robberies.
— An altercation leaves Danny rattled on "Blue Bloods" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
— A wildly uneven period piece, the 1971 tragicomedy "Some of My Best Friends Are …" (8 p.m., TCM) profiles the closeted clientele of a New York gay bar, evoking an atmosphere that predated the Stonewall uprising that began 50 years ago today. Look for Rue McClanahan, Fannie Flagg and Warhol superstar Candy Darling.
SERIES NOTES
North by Northwest on "American Ninja Warrior" (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) … Embedded cameras follow "First Responders Live" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) … Dean Cain hosts "Masters of Illusion" (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG), followed by a repeat.
A case gets personal on "Hawaii Five-0" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … A pool party theme on "MasterChef" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) … Spectacle galore on "The Big Stage" (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG), followed by a repeat … "Dateline" (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
"The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS) is a repeat … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Selena Gomez, Elaine Welteroth and GoldLink featuring Maleek Berry on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Joel McHale, Betty Gilpin and Santana appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (11:35 p.m., ABC, r).
Kevin Bacon, Cobie Smulders, Jordan Klepper and Jessica Burdeaux visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Zoe Saldana, Jason Clarke and Kenny DeForest appear on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
