Cute for cuteness’ sake generally leaves me a little queasy, as if I’d swallowed a Thomas Kinkade painting whole and washed it down with a potpourri chaser. But even I was moved by “Unlikely Animal Friends” (8 p.m., National Geographic), a shameless attempt by a proud network to be nothing short of adorable.

“Unlikely Animal Friends” asks and answers the rather loaded question: “What’s cuter than a baby elephant?” Why, it’s an orphaned baby elephant befriended by a frolicsome sheep! Other “Aw”-inspiring tandems include a baby leopard and a golden retriever. Like a lot of unorthodox pals, they’ve got their “parents” a little worried, particularly as they age and come into their own as hunters and trackers. Will the leopard’s instincts for the kill some day override his “friendship” with the dog?

Proof that some animal lovers take things just a tad too far arrives with the news of a “normal” family who share their home with an orphaned 10-year-old hippopotamus. The sight of her drinking iced tea and walking through the living room seems like something out of science fiction. But her owners have set some boundaries. She’s forced to sleep on the front porch.

For other tales of human irrationality, don’t miss “Confessions: Animal Hoarders” (8 p.m., and 9 p.m., Animal Planet).

• If television teaches us anything, it’s that the whole point of appearing on television is to appear on television again. And again. Produced by Mark Burnett, “Your Own Show” (8 p.m., OWN) showcases 10 contestants out to prove that they deserve their very own series. These outsized personalities have emerged from more than 15,000 people who auditioned.

Nancy O’Dell and Carson Kressley host and guide the contestants through challenges and introduce them to mentors, including Dr. Phil, Suze Orman, Gayle King, Arsenio Hall and others, who have all spent some time in front of the cameras.

As you can gather from this cast of experts, OWN is the Oprah Winfrey Network, which debuted Jan. 1, offering a slate of daytime and prime-time programming reflecting the you-go-girl inspirational philosophy of its namesake. OWN took over the former Discovery Health Network.

Tonight’s other highlights

• Allison finds her brother’s new success hard to fathom on “Medium” (7 p.m., CBS).

• LSU meets Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl (7 p.m., Fox).

• A coed army takes on a force of alien insects in director Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 satire “Starship Troopers” (7 p.m., Encore). In my humble opinion, this is Neil Patrick Harris’ finest hour.

• Is it just me, or has “Miss Congeniality” (7 p.m., WE) become the new “Pretty Woman,” the film cable networks air as often as possible, safe in the knowledge that an astounding number of people will watch it for the 47th time?

• A man in a clown suit opens fire on “CSI:NY” (8 p.m., CBS).

• An encounter with Red John leaves Jane unsure of his future on “The Mentalist” (9 p.m., CBS).

• The prospectors run afoul of state regulations on “Gold Rush: Alaska” (9 p.m., Discovery).