Sometimes series are a little too timely. With the brash new British series “Babylon” (Sundance, 10 p.m.), the scenario about city police and their race relation problems following a shooting of a black man that leads to riots, accidentally mirrors recent U.S. uprisings. That makes its harsh satiric tone, born of things like “The Thick of It,” of which a couple of its writers were also involved, seem a little distancing at first.
James Nesbitt, currently playing the desperate father in “The Missing” is the rather more stoic and stone-walling police commissioner at Scotland Yard. He is being advised by a more naive American import on matters of public relations and spin, even amid the many municipal disasters. That kind of tough, fast moving, scatological patter, which blossomed in “The Veep” in the U.S., is applied to the political pressures of police work.
Danny Boyle of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame directed the pilot, but its crude humor (with some of the most vulgar language on cable, if they don’t bleep it) from the team behind “Peep Show” and “that Mitchell and Webb Look.” Its relentless dark humor would be easier to enjoy if it didn’t hit home quite so directly. But definitely worth watching.
Two other funny series return tonight with underwhelming premiere episodes. “Portlandia” (IFC, 10 p.m.) always thrived on its short scenes from a raft of established characters. Tonight’s fifth season premiere blows out an entire episode on how Toni and Candice from the Women and Women First bookstore met. It’s funny how they force a local newspaperman interested only in their hours of operation to hear the story, about how they were high powered businesswomen in the book industry in the 1980s. While it gives a chance for Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein to try on some new wigs and costumes and have a disco dance off, it doesn’t quite ring true to their later characters.
Likewise there have been some better “Archer” (FX, 10 p.m.) than its sixth season premiere, with the title character enlisted from his current jungle debauchery to go to another jungle, where he finds a Japanese soldier who hasn’t heard that World War II is over. Good to have the series — and “Portlandia” — back, however.
Josh Gates, host of the new “Expedition Unknown” (Travel, 9 p.m.) is trolling jungles too, looking to solve mysteries in faraway places, starting with the possible Amelia Earhart crash sites in Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
Another new show “Love Thy Sister” (We, 10 p.m.) follows the ups and downs of three siblings in the Carolinas, two of whom are divorced from prominent basketball players.
Beverly D’Angelo and Colin Hanks guest star on a new “Mom” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) after Sheldon and Leonard go shopping on “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
“Alaska: Battle on the Bay” (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.) is yet another Alaskan-based fishing competition that debuts tonight. What’s notable about it is that it’s one of the first Animal Planet shows where the animals are being captured for consumptions.
Michael Feinstein hosts the night on Turner Classic Movies and chooses “Too Late Blues” (8 p.m.) and a trio of musicals, “Rhapsody in Blue” (10 p.m.), “Cabin in the Sky” (12:30 a.m.) and “Summer Holiday” (2:30 a.m.). Of course, it is also Elvis Presley’s 80th birthday, so earlier in the day they show “Live a Little, Love a Little” (7:15 a.m.), “It Happened at the World’s Fair” (9:15 a.m.), “Viva Las Vegas” (11:15 a.m.), “Girl Happy” (12:45 p.m.), “Kissin’ Cousins” (2:30 p.m.), “Spinout” (4:15 p.m.) and the documentary “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” (6 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Liam Neeson, Matt Leblanc, Jessie Pavelka. The View: Kirstie Alley, Christela Alonzo. The Talk: Maggie Grace, Ellen K, Richard Blais. Ellen DeGeneres: Harry Connick Jr., Eddie Redmayne. Wendy Williams: Taraji P. Henson, Shaun T. Meredith Vieira: Piers Morgan. Queen Latifah: Mario Lopez, Cary Elwes (rerun). The Real: Joy Bryant, Chris Harrison.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Donald Trump, chelsea Peretti, Foxygen. Jimmy Fallon: Lena Dunham, J.K. Simmons, Ghostface Killah with the Revelations, AZ and Kool G Rap. Jimmy Kimmel: Joaquin Phoenix, Larry Wilmore, Frankie Ballard. Seth Meyers: Matt LeBlanc, Patton Oswalt. Craig Ferguson: Ethan Hawke, Monica Potter, Drew Carey. Carson Daly: Franz Ferdinand, Ted Melfi (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Angelina Jolie (rerun). Jon Stewart: Allison Williams. Conan O’Brien: Nicole Kidman, Maggie Grace, Aloe Blacc.