1) “The American Soldier,” 8-10:05 p.m. today, History; also, 12:03 a.m. On Veterans Day, here’s a documentary that spans 250 years. Also, History starts and ends with portraits of Black units in the air (7 a.m.) and in tanks (10:05 p.m. and 2:05 a.m.). In between, it has mini-series viewing World War II (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Vietnam (2-8 p.m.).
2) More Veterans Day. Military films are on Showtime — concluding with Steven Spielberg’s masterful “Saving Private Ryan” (shown here), at 6:05 p.m. — and Turner Classic Movies, concluding at 8 ET with the Goldie Hawn comedy “Private Benjamin.” At 10, PBS profiles a Marine vet who helps grieving families. Other documentaries are on the Smithsonian Channel.
3) “What We Do in the Shadows,” 10 p.m., FX, rerunning at 10:38 and 11:16. In its final season, this keeps getting bigger, broader and funnier. One story tonight has Steve Coogan as the ghost of Laszlo’s scheming father; another involves the logical assumption that Airbnb renters are shapeshifters.
4) “Inspector Ellis” and “Whitstable Pearl,” www.acorn.tv. It’s a mixed day for this streamer. “Whitstable” has a clumsy attempt to get Pearl’s son back in the show. But “Ellis” has another winner; the inspector – now with an admiring aide – works for a police chief who puts up a diplomatic facade.
5) ALSO: Here are two eternal series: “Murdoch Mysteries” (8 p.m. ET, Ovation) is a pleasant Canadian show in its 18th season); it gets a tad silly tonight, with a story about the silent-movie days. “NCIS” (9 p.m., CBS) is in its 22nd year. Tonight, the team works with the CIA, trying to learn what secrets are held by a longtime undercover