Mother load

In "The Real O'Neals," Martha Plimpton, who played the clueless card in "Raising Hope," is Eileen O'Neal, a Bible-thumping mother trying to keep it all together amid a pending divorce and her children's admissions of an eating disorder, kleptomania and homosexuality. Needless to say, she doesn't pass her tests of faith with flying colors. The series is based on the writings of sex columnist Dan Savage, but the watered-down dialogue has little in common with his wickedly funny work. Instead, it's just another reminder that network TV has only so many original ideas — and that it's never a bad time to call your mom.

7:30 p.m. KSTP, Ch. 5

Discovering Japan

The diminutive Ellen Page ("Juno") has a tall order in "Gaycation," a new docuseries in which she investigates LGBT issues across the world, starting in Japan. Page seems game for anything, including a visit to a karaoke club in which patrons listen to gay porn, but if she truly wanted to educate herself and viewers, she'd have been better off traveling with a seasoned journalist rather than bestie Ian Daniel.

9 p.m. Viceland (formerly the H2 channel)

Best laid plans

"Mad Men's" Christina Hendricks finds herself between "Hap and Leonard," a new mystery thriller about Southern schemers (James Purefoy and Michael Kenneth Williams) who learn it's never easy to get rich quick, especially if a conniving woman with experience at Sterling Cooper is involved.

9 p.m. Sundance Channel

Plimpton

Neal Justin