Comedy-starved viewers in search of the seriously silly should definitely watch "Back" (midnight, IFC, TV-MA), returning for a second season.
David Mitchell and Robert Webb of "Peep Show" and "That Mitchell Webb Look" reunite as rival foster brothers. Stephen (Mitchell) was all set to take over his late father’s country pub when Andrew (Webb) showed up at the funeral, reminding them of the few months he had lived with them way back in 1987. From that moment forward, Andrew sets about gaslighting Stephen and trying to take over his business and his life.
Nothing quite excites the immature mind like a silly, awkward or slightly dirty-sounding word repeated endlessly for comic effect. In this season opener, Andrew, now managing the John Barleycorn pub, is seen buying urinal cakes for the rest room. Pronounced "Your-Eye-nal" cakes with a British accent, this word is repeated ad nauseum.
In addition to allowing Mitchell and Webb to work their ridiculous magic, "Back" sends up all of the cozy, chocolate box villages celebrated on British TV with a certain vicious gusto. After Stephen returns from the rest home to discover his mother has begun sleeping with the local vicar, he and his disturbed sister start eating the communion wafers as breakfast cereal.
There’s also a couple who work at the Barleycorn who speak in American cop-show lingo when they are nervous, which is all of the time. "Copy that!" A fussbudget about language, Stephen practically explodes when his "wellness" counselor comforts him with New Age gibberish about his "journey."
Things get interesting when a pretentious new pub opens down the road. Its name, "P:UB," sends the villagers into a riot of mispronunciations.
In their earlier series, mentioned above, Mitchell and Webb showcased the comedic talent of Olivia Colman, who would go on to "Broadchurch," "The Night Manager," an Oscar-winning turn in "The Favourite," and two seasons playing Queen Elizabeth on "The Crown."
— Humor and distraction are exactly what you’ll need after watching "Extinction: The Facts" (8 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings). Presented by David Attenborough, it presents a grim case for the human future. The planet is facing a mass die-off and in this case, humans themselves have provided the asteroid.
While many associate the notion of extinction with exotic and wild creatures (like the white rhinos seen here), "The Facts" focuses on ways unseen extinctions affect human life. The loss of insects due to pesticides, monoculture and habitat loss is making plants and crops harder to pollinate. The worms and insects that compost soil are vanishing, and with them the birds that depend on them for food. Industrial overfishing is leaving deserts on the ocean floor, and the increasing encroachment of humans on the wild world makes the spread of viruses and pandemics ever more likely.
— A jolly and highly knowledgeable Southern gentleman shares his grandmother’s advice about bringing soiled garments back to life on "The Laundry Guy," streaming on Discovery+.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Familiar symptoms on "Chicago Med" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Copycat fires on "Chicago Fire" (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Hondo has mixed emotions at a parole hearing on "S.W.A.T." (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
— Ruzek’s dad vanishes on "Chicago P.D." (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— "The Con" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14) concludes.
CULT CHOICE
To promote the 2021 blockbuster "Godzilla vs. Kong," streaming today on HBO Max, TCM goes back to the basics: the 1956 shocker "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" (8 p.m., TV-PG) and the 1933 classic "King Kong" (9:30 p.m., TV-PG).
SERIES NOTES
Work as play on "Tough as Nails" (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … "The Masked Singer" (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Sports talk on "The Goldbergs" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Parent-teacher night on "Riverdale" (8 p.m., CW, TV-14) … Counting the votes on the finale of "American Housewife" (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
Seizing a terrorist leader on "SEAL Team" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … "Game of Talents" (9 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Dan broods on "The Conners" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … A bride haunts the town on "Nancy Drew" (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … An uninvited guest on "Call Your Mother" (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Wanda Sykes is booked on "Conan" (11 p.m., TBS, r) … Ringo Starr and Laura Benanti appear on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Jerry Seinfeld, Taylor Kinney and Camilo on "The Tonight Show" (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) … Kenan Thompson, Steven Yeun and Julien Baker visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC, r).
