Welcome to the Family TV Roundup, a recap of all kid-friendly programming across the television universe. We'll sum up all the news related to children's programming, as well as profile the people and shows that your kids, tweens and teens are talking about.

Dora the Explorer and her menagerie of helpers continue their preschool domination with a new primetime special airing on Monday, March 14. In 'Dora's Ballet Adventure,' the pint-sized explorer is frantic after the ballet shoes she needs for her recital go missing. In their place is a pair of scuba flippers presented by the delivery duck. The rest of the 30-minute episode deals with Dora and Boot's quest to find the missing ballet shoes.

Welcome to the Family TV Roundup, a recap of all kid-friendly programming across the television universe. We'll sum up all the news related to children's programming, as well as profile the people and shows that your kids, tweens and teens are talking about.

Not many folks are very familiar with the name Dwayne McDuffie, but you might know his television work. Especially if you were a regular viewer of shows like 'Justice League Unlimited' and 'Ben 10: Alien Force.' On Tuesday, one day after his birthday, McDuffie died at the age of 49 due to complications from emergency heart surgery.

In this week's column, we take a brief look at McDuffie's impact on animated television.

Welcome to the Family TV Roundup, a recap of all kid-friendly programming across the television universe. We'll sum up all the news related to children's programming, as well as profile the people and shows that your kids, tweens and teens are talking about

It's three times the slime for kid-at-heart Jack Black. After taking a few years off, the actor and musician will return to host Nickelodeon's 2011 Kids Choice Awards, airing Saturday, April 2, at 8PM from the University of Southern California's Galen Center.

I haven't been a "junior" anything in a very long time. But I'm a guy, and guys like cartoons as much as kids do, right? Maybe even more sometimes.

For my second Journal of a Couch Potato, I watched the new "Disney Junior" (formerly "Playhouse Disney") programming block on The Disney Channel, a mix of old and new shows. The changes were made to include more "social values" into the pre-school programming.

It all starts at 4AM ...

Today marks a landmark change in preschool programming at Disney Channel. Playhouse Disney, which was rolled out in 1997, is no more. In its place is a newly-formatted block of programming called Disney Junior.

What's the difference? In addition to some new programming, which we'll detail after the jump, Disney Junior will be shifting their focus from just the preschooler audience to a group of children ranging in ages from 2 to 7.

Or in simpler terms, getting into direct competition with the highly successful Nick Jr. programming schedule on Nickelodeon, which features such stalwarts as 'Dora the Explorer,' 'The Backyardigans' and 'The Fresh Beat Band.'

I have a 19 month-old son named Keane Black who has recently graduated from a boob-obsessed pink blob into a happy-go-lucky toddler. (Little does he know that, if he follows his father's path, he's only a few decades away from regressing back into a boob-obsessed pink blob, except this time with back hair).

The transition has been great for me because it means that my son and I are now actually able to do things together: we play ball, we color, and we watch TV.

Babies are greedy in the sense that my son seems to have no interest in watching PTI (regardless of how many times I explain to him the myriad delights of LeBatard). Thus, when we watch together, we're stuck watching his shows, specifically his all-time favorite, The Backyardigans.

While I've grown to enjoy the show, it's occurred to me there are several ways that it can be made a more effective educational device..

Right about this time of year, most of the true children of the nineties are graduating from four years of Hell and preparing for a lifetime of also Hell, this time sans meal plan and floor meetings. Take a break from job-hunting and crying about student loans, children, and join me in wading in this pool of nostalgia, for your dreams have finally come true. Yes, yes. It looks like Nickelodeon's totally awesome sports challenge show, GUTS, is coming back.