Another comic book now a cartoon

The comic book-to-screen trend continues, albeit on a smaller scale, with “Iron Man: Armored Adventures” (6 p.m., Nicktoons). The 26-episode series continues the network’s collaboration with Marvel Comics that includes the animated “Wolverine and the X-Men” begun earlier this year.

Adrian Petriw provides the voice of Tony Stark, the 16-year-old genius inventor who creates the armored suit that enables him to save humanity and fight the evil, greedy, corporate villains who killed his father and seized control of the futuristic Stark Enterprises. Tony’s great rival has the enviably evil name of Obadiah Stane (Mackenzie Gray). Our young hero delivers his lines with the clipped dude-speak of Keanu Reeves, circa “Speed.” This “Iron Man” makes the most of the cinematic possibilities of the comic book narrative. It may not cost $150 million to produce, but it gets the job done.

• Disney Channel regulars Jason Dolley (“Cory in the House”), Mitchel Musso (“Hannah Montana” and “Phineas and Ferb”) and Tiffany Thornton (“Sonny With A Chance”) star in the original 2009 movie “Hatching Pete” (7 p.m., Disney), about a shy teen (Dolley) who becomes a popular student only after agreeing to wear the school’s chicken mascot costume.

• Ed Harris narrates “Return to Tarawa” (9 p.m., Military Channel), documenting one veteran’s efforts to preserve the site and the memory of one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific theater of World War II. Now 89, Leon Cooper first visited Tarawa with the U.S. Navy and participated in a bloody amphibious assault on fixed Japanese positions that claimed the lives of more than 1,600 sailors and marines. Cooper is pained to return to the scene of trauma and valor and saddened to see the hallowed shores reduced to a neglected garbage dump.

• Earlier this week on “The Kudlow Report” (6 p.m., CNBC), host Larry Kudlow criticized President Barack Obama for shaking the hand of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. That is his right. But in characterizing their greeting as a “‘Boyz N The Hood’ handshake,” Kudlow revealed more about himself than he did about either head of state.

While other cable and talk radio shouters have expressed their concerns about Obama in bleak and apocalyptic political terms, Kudlow went right for the disrespectful racist shorthand.

Let’s state the obvious. Kudlow is made uncomfortable by the color of our president’s skin.

Perhaps Larry should ask his wealthy pals to build him a time machine so he can return to 1959 or some era when he might feel more at home with his attitudes. Until then, I suggest that CNBC or Kudlow’s sponsors part company with this churlish, pathetic crank.

Tonight’s other highlights

• A spirit haunts the set of a soap opera on “Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m., CBS).

• Christina takes charge on “Prison Break” (7 p.m., Fox).

• A victim makes a desperate move on “Flashpoint” (8 p.m., CBS).

• A two-hour “20/20” (8 p.m., ABC) looks into accusations that a “Black Widow” killer poisoned two consecutive husbands and then tried to lay the blame on her daughter.

• Echo receives a murdered woman’s memories and searches for her killer on “Dollhouse” (8 p.m., Fox).