Friday's TV Highlights: 'Thundercats' on Cartoon Network

Click here to download TV listings for the week of July 24 - 30 in PDF format

TV listings for the week of July 24 - 30 in PDF format (from latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv)

Weekly TV Listings and more can be found at: www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv

This week's TV Movies

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HELLO, KITTY: The 1980s-era animated series “Thundercats” gets an anime-style makeover, at 8 p.m. on Cartoon Network.

SERIES

Monster Fish: A new episode of the nature series follows the migration of salmon on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula (7 and 10 p.m. National Geographic).

Flashpoint: The team investigates a kidnapping in this new episode of the action drama (8 p.m. CBS).

Who Do You Think You Are? “Fargo's” Steve Buscemi explores his family history in this repeat (8 p.m. NBC).

Invitation Only: Jason Aldean: The country music star performs for fans in an intimate setting (10 p.m. CMT).

Heat Seekers: The series seeks the spiciest food that Seattle has to offer in a new episode (10 p.m. Food).

Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings: 1980s chart-topper Richard Marx is featured in this new episode (10 p.m. IFC).

The Three Chocolatiers: Confectioners are up to their elbows in gooey goodness in this new reality series (11 p.m. Food).

Young Broke and Beautiful: Detroit is the latest destination for this quirky travelogue (11 p.m. IFC).

Nigel Lythgoe going a little bit country with new CMT series

Should Carrie Underwood be shaking in her cowboy boots?

Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of "American Idol" and co-creator of "So You Think You Can Dance," is teaming up with Simon! No, not that one. His son Simon! 

The father-son duo are gearing up to launch a new music competition series on CMT in search of the next country star.

In "CMT's Next Superstar," from Legacy Productions and Big Red 2 (owned by Nigel and Simon, respectively), contestants will compete while living together in Nashville.

There will be the requisite celebrity guests each week, performance rounds and music business-related "challenges." And it's all about country -- that means giving pop or Motown hits a country feel.

"This isn't just a singing competition, the contestants will also be judged on their songwriting, radio interviews and music videos," Nigel Lythgoe said in a statement. "We're looking for more than just a singer, we want the complete creative, talented package -- performer, personality and writer. We want the next Country superstar.”

Each week a finalist is to be eliminated, with viewers having the opportunity to take part in a final vote to determine the winner.

The 10-episode series will begin in April.

-- Yvonne Villarreal
twitter.com/villarrealy

Photo: Nigel Lythgoe. Credit: Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times

TCA Press Tour 2011: Betty White and Ed Asner rock the critics

The Winter Television Critics Assn. Press Tour kicked off Wednesday at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena with a very cool blast from the past: Betty White and Ed Asner together again!

Well, not exactly.

The two comics, who worked together in the 1970s on  "Mary Tyler Moore," appeared on two consecutive MTV Networks panels, but their affection was evident.  Besides her dozens (or is it thousands?) of TV appearances in 2010, White is starring on TV Land's hit, "Hot in Cleveland," which is premiering its second season on Jan. 19. Asner is part of the new CMT sitcom "Working Class," about a scrappy single mom (Melissa Peterman) who moves her children to an upscale suburb. Asner plays her cranky neighbor, Hank.

Much of the "Hot in Cleveland" session was spent addressing how much everyone loves Betty White. We know that you, too, love Betty White, and Betty White loves that you love Betty White. But Betty White is feeling a bit bashful about all the attention.  So keep on loving her, but maybe don't tell her so much? She's about to turn 89, and you should listen to your elders.

Responding to a question about why she's so darn lovable, White replied: "Oh, my dear, have I got you fooled."

When a reporter asked cast members Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick,  what it's like to work with the iconic actress, White piped up:  "What is this Betty White business? This is so silly. You've had such an overdose of me lately. But trust me, I think I'm gonna go away for a while."

She elaborated on that when she was asked if she's feeling embarrassed by all of the attention.

"It's hard for me to say no to a job because you spend your career thinking if you say no, they'll never ask you again. But my mother taught me to say no when I was a girl," she said. "I'm trying to cut down. I really am, but when you love what you do so much and this lady [executive producer Suzanne Martin] gives us such fun things to do, it's a privilege."