Programmers honor and recall veterans in many ways tonight. This marks a trend of sorts, influenced no doubt by the growing number of young men and women who have served in two foreign wars over the last decade. It’s quite easy to turn on the television on any given night and have no indication that hundreds of thousands of our neighbors and our neighbors’ children have been engaged in difficult and dangerous duties in far-off war zones. It’s nice to see them recognized and honored at least one night a year.

”Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m., ABC) host Ty Pennington recalls the series’ most memorable stories involving returning veterans and their families. During the course of the hour, notable performers, including Whoopi Goldberg, George Lopez and Jewel, will discuss issues facing returning soldiers as well as foundations and agencies set up to benefit those who have served.

Those who get the Military Channel can catch the 1962 biopic “PT 109” (7 p.m.) with commentary by Capt. Paul Rinn, a retired Navy commander. This is part of an ongoing series called “An Officer and a Movie.”

Movies recalling wars of the more distant past include “Apocalypse Now Redux” (4:30 p.m., AMC) and “The Patriot” (5 p.m., Bravo). HBO2 will replay the miniseries “The Pacific” (noon to 10 p.m.). TCM will spend all day Friday with war dramas and service comedies, starting with the 1941 Abbott and Costello comedy “Buck Privates” (5 a.m.), featuring the Andrews Sisters singing “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” a song repopularized in the 1970s by Bette Midler.

• Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”) and Matt Prokop (“High School Musical 3: Senior Year”) star in the 2011 feature-length comedy “Geek Charming” (7 p.m., Disney). Hyland plays the posh and popular queen of the spoiled shopping set whose attitude gets readjusted when she becomes the subject of a documentary by a film nerd (Prokop). His views are also altered when he sees more than just a snob on the other side of the camera lens.

Tonight’s other highlights

• An animated version of “Green Lantern” (6 p.m., Cartoon Network) arrives. Not to be confused with “The Green Hornet” (7 p.m., Starz).

• A cancer patient may also be a wanted man on “A Gifted Man” (7 p.m., CBS).

• Carson Kressley hosts the “American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards” (7 p.m., Hallmark).

• The fat hits the flames on “Kitchen Nightmares” (7 p.m., Fox).

• Jo’s back pages on “CSI: NY” (8 p.m., CBS).

• A less than enchanting flash mob on “Grimm” (8 p.m., NBC).

• Of time loops and anomalies on “Fringe” (8 p.m., Fox).

• Jackie goes undercover on “Blue Bloods” (9 p.m., CBS).

• Brooke’s breakdown gets her thrown off “Onion News Network” (9 p.m., IFC).

• Sugar shock alert: A talent from “DC Cupcakes” (9 p.m., TLC) gets married.