The Grandparents' Guide to Children's TV

Which children's TV networks are appropriate for your grandchildren? Our tour of the cable dial will help get you tuned in.

"Grandma, what can we watch on TV?"

Never before has answering this simple question been so complicated. In part, this is because TV viewing has changed so dramatically in recent years. Gone are the days when three generations of the same family could sit down together to absorb the lessons of The Cosby Show or enjoy the shenanigans of the kids on Full House. Today, the four major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) hardly air any family programs at all.

"At some point, Madison Avenue decreed that the ‘important ad demo’ [audience] is age 18 to 49, meaning you don't want to be known as the wimp network that just plays goofy family stuff, but the hip network that pushes the envelope with adult themes and endless sexual double entendre," says David Hinckley, TV critic for the New York Daily News. "They want buzz, not something that Mom and Dad can sit down and enjoy with you."

On the other hand, there actually has never been more children's programming on TV, as new networks dedicated to kids have exploded on the cable dial. These channels feature some of the best (and worst) shows for kids. Some are educational. Some are musical. Some just feature a lot of superhero fighting. But you should know what each offers your grandchildren so that when they ask you what's on, you can steer them to an appropriate channel.

Of course, children should watch TV in moderation. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advises that preschoolers watch no more than two hours of television a day, and that children younger than 2 watch none at all. And young kids should never watch alone. "Attachments [with shows] should be with caring individuals," advises Marist College psychologist Linda Dunlap of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. “Children should never get to the point they must watch a television show or they will end up tantrumming, or they won't go outside and play or read a book.”

Reading a book or playing outside is always preferable to playing inside, but if you should decide to curl up on the couch with the grandchildren and your remote, here’s the Grandparents.com guide to the major children’s networks and what they offer:

PBS Kids

"PBS Kids" refers to public television's block of educational shows. In certain markets, local PBS stations and cable providers carry a separate channel dedicated to PBS Kids programming. Check your local channel guide. (Note: PBS Kids is commercial-free, but not as commercial-free as it once was. Today, corporate sponsors, such as Chuck E. Cheese, run very brief messages between shows trumpeting their support for public broadcasting, while also putting their logos and slogans in front of young viewers.)

Sesame Street, which debuted in 1969 but stays fresh by updating its characters and segments, remains the PBS Kids flagship program and continues to provide a range of lessons for preschoolers. Big Bird, it appears, never gets old. Most other PBS programs target specific age groups with specific lessons: Shows like Caillou and Clifford the Big Red Dog help preschoolers learn how to get along; Super Why, Between the Lions, and Word Girl offer entertaining reading lessons for progressively older children. Curious George, as it happens, focuses on basic science lessons, as the inquisitive monkey tries to figure out how his world works. And the heroes of Cyberchase fight cyberevil using math skills familiar to 8-to-12-year-olds.

And if you're lucky, and keep your eye on the schedule, you can still find an occasional repeat of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Does the late star still connect with kids? You bet.

Nickelodeon

The flagship station, Nickelodeon, airs shows for young children in the morning under its Nick Jr. banner, including the adorable Max and Ruby, the creation of picture-book author Rosemary Wells; the wildly popular Backyardigans and their overactive imaginations; and the light operatic (yes, light operatic) adventures of Wonder Pets! Nickelodeon also broadcasts heavyweight characters Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants, whose silliness appeals to grandchildren of all ages, even though only older kids actually get the jokes.

Be aware, though, that Nickelodeon is not advertising-free. To watch the network's quality early-childhood programming all day without commercial interruption, turn to Noggin, Nickelodeon's sister network, which promotes itself as "preschool on TV." Noggin offers daily doses of Dora, as well as her animal-rescuing cousin Diego, star of Go, Diego, Go!, and Blue's Clues.

Noggin made news earlier this year when it bowed to popular demand and started airing its children's shows 24 hours a day. Previously, it aired old sitcom reruns and shows for teens in the evening.

Tweens and teens still have a place in the Nickelodeon family, though. The flagship channel airs shows for preteens all afternoon, including Drake & Josh, iCarly, and Zoey 101, starring Britney Spears' younger sister, Jamie Lynn, who sparked controversy this spring when she had a child at age 17. In the evening, Nickelodeon turns into Nick at Nite, broadcasting old reruns of family sitcoms like Full House and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

The N, a separate Nickelodeon network dedicated to teens and preteens, offers some of the network's more provocative programming, such as Degrassi, in which high-schoolers face serious questions about sex, drugs, and rock and roll, among other things.

The Disney Channel

If you have tween and teen grandchildren, you already know that the Disney Channel is home to shows like Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, as well as smash TV movies High School Musical and Camp Rock.

Hannah Montana stars pop sensation Miley Cyrus as a girl who is a student by day, and a rock star by night. High School Musical — a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, but without the suicides and with cliques standing in for Veronese families — and its sequel High School Musical 2, are the most-watched programs in Disney Channel history. A second sequel will be released in movie theaters this fall. Camp Rock followed the Disney Channel blueprint, casting young stars plucked from the company's TV shows and record labels, and having them make beautiful music together as they fall chastely in love.

But while tweens reign most of the day on Disney, the network's commercial-free morning is dedicated to younger kids with the "Playhouse Disney" block of shows such as The Wiggles, featuring the singing sandbox megastars from Australia; Little Einsteins, which introduces kids (albeit briefly) to classical music and art; and even a new version of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

The Disney Channel spinoff, Toon Disney, caters to elementary-schoolers with its "Jetix" block of shows heavy on superheroes both domestic and Japanese, including Power Rangers, Spider-Man, and Digimon. Expect a lot of fighting, a lot of commercials, and, especially for boys, a lot of distraction.

Discovery Kids

The Cartoon Network

For grandchildren interested in the past and future of animation, there's Cartoon Network and Boomerang. (Neither is commercial-free.) The former offers state-of-the-art toons like Ben Ten, Dexter's Laboratory, and Pokémon. These shows are faster, louder, and more willing to go for the gross-out laugh than the cartoons your children grew up with, but that's also what many grandchildren today expect from their animated programs. Boomerang, on the other hand, broadcasts a steady diet of classic toons, including Tom & Jerry, Top Cat, The Fintstones, and The Jetsons. There's not much educational value here, either, but the shows are a lot quieter than those in the Cartoon Network's lineup.