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  © Discovery Kids

  Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls

  Discovery Kids, Weekdays, 7pm

  Can't get your kids to clean up their rooms? Put them on TV and let their best friends do it. When the home-improvement concept goes kiddie, boys and girls have 48 hours to create the ultimate bedroom for a neighbor. They decorate to fit their friend's personality ‑- even if that clashes with their own taste. It's a great way to spur your kids' creativity, and maybe even yours.

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  © WB

  Seventh Heaven

  WB, 8pm

  Oh, no! The preacher's son is having premarital sex! But hey, he's mostly grown, and this series about a minister and his wife raising a brood of seven does its best to stay real. It's a complex world, and unfortunately our kids encounter heavy issues like suicide and hate crimes. This show handles these topics sensitively and encourages discussion. It's relevant, informative and charming, all at once.

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  © WB

  Everwood

  WB, 9pm

  Despite the premise of a dad trying to reconnect with his kids after their mom dies, Everwood isn't just another wanna-be tearjerker. Exploring edgy topics like medical marijuana, abortion and STDs through the patients in Dr. Andrew Brown's free clinic, this show is a great vehicle for launching those tough parent-teen talks. Preteen Delia adds spice with a different level of dilemma, but even she's growing up fast.

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  ©Sony Pictures TV

  Wheel of Fortune

  ABC, Weekdays, 7:30pm

  It's amazing how someone turning letters can remain so popular year after year, and yet here it is. Watching Vanna and her letters never goes out of style, and it's fun to see if you can guess the words before your kids do.

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  © CBS

  NCIS

  CBS, 8pm

  "You can't handle the truth!" Oh, yes, we can! And we will, thanks to this series about a team of special agents investigating crimes connected to the Navy and Marines. Created by Donald Bellisario of Magnum, P.I. fame, what's not to like? You've got rich storylines, all-too-human personalities and enough variety to appeal to both teenagers and parents. And let's not forget the fabulous Mark Harmon and David McCallum.

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  ©CBS

  Sabrina, The Teenage Witch

  Noggin, 9pm

  Unlike Buffy, the vampire slayer, sweet Sabrina doesn't live in such a menacing world. She's got plenty of girl-power, mind you, it's just not directed as much at defeating evil as it is at poking gentle fun at the tween life. Melissa Joan Hart, who also starred in Clarissa Explains it All is also trying to get a new generation of fans as the voice of Becky on Recess.

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  © TBS

  Everybody Loves Raymond

  TBS, Weekdays, 7pm and 7:30pm

  Okay, so most of this show's fans are of retirement age, but you'd be surprised by how much your kids like it and get the family humor even though Ray's children aren't the focus. Maybe they secretly use the show to laugh at all the corny things the adults do, inverting the way most family sitcoms work to make adults laugh at the kids.

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  © WB

  Smallville

  WB, 8pm

  As if being a teenager weren't hard enough, what if you also had to leap tall buildings, stop speeding bullets and fight evil foes (who look, oddly, like lawyers and accountants)? That's the conundrum of our hero in this modern-day Superman drama. It brings a whole new generation into the Man of Steel fold, which is good, because kids don't read comic books like they used to.

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  © Discovery

  MythBusters

  Discovery, 9pm

  Nothing is off-limits for the hosts of this show, two ordinary guys whose main goal in life is to separate fact from urban legend. Like how many helium balloons does it actually take to lift a small child off the ground? Or if an elevator falls, can you save yourself by jumping up at the last second? And is it possible to throw a playing card fast enough to inflict bodily harm? Inquiring minds want to know.

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  © NBC

  Joey

  NBC, 8pm

  How you doin'? If you're Matt LeBlanc, you're pretty fine, thank you very much. This Friends spin-off places the lad in L.A., living with his genius nephew while trying to jump-start his acting career and keep his sister in line. Since the show is produced by some of the same folks who made Friends, the writing is clever and touches on grown-up issues without being overbearing. If your kids were into Friends, they'll probably like Joey too.

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  ©NBC

  Will & Grace

  NBC, 8:30pm

  Relationships star in this sharply written series. The four lead actors mesh so well that it's hard to imagine any one of them without the others. Like all long-running shows, however, sometimes the stories veer off course into themes that don't serve the characters well. Overall, though, this is a playful sitcom with a sweet, loving heart. There are gay themes, but only you can decide if they're appropriate for your kids to watch.

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  ©HGTV

  Divine Design and Designer's Challenge

  HGTV, TKpm

  If you think redecorating a room is boring, then watch the kooky Candice Olson tackle home-design dilemmas. The very tall blonde and her clever cast of characters ‑- a carpenter, electrician, painter and design assistant ‑- team up to throw some style into a space. Finish the hour off with Designer's Challenge, where real-life people get to choose from different plans offered by three design experts. Fun and creative!

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  © CBS

  Joan of Arcadia

  CBS, 8pm

  A superb ensemble cast and some of the best writing on TV make this a standout for your kids. Think Touched by an Angel ‑- if the angel had multiple piercings and inspired more questions than answers. What's more, this is a "clean" show about spirituality, growth and acceptance that emphasizes friends and family as the most important things in life. Great for kids of all ages.

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  ©ABC

  Hope & Faith and Less Than Perfect

  ABC, 9pm and 9:30pm

  If there's nothing else going on Friday night, it can't hurt to veg out with these two traditional sitcoms about families and work. Both Kelly Ripa and Sara Rue, stars of the respective shows, offer a refreshing change of pace from the usual sitcom women we've seen for years.

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  ©Family Channel

  Whose Line Is It Anyway?

  Family Channel, 10pm

  Who knew that watching four people make stuff up could be so engaging? This is one of those shows where your spouse will be in the next room shouting, "Whaddaya laughin' at?" as you watch with the kids. You can try to explain, but you won't be able to, because it has to be seen to be properly appreciated. Bonus: There's nothing offensive for the youngsters.

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  ©CBS

  The Amazing Race

  CBS, 8pm

  This cultural odyssey pits two-person teams against each other in a race around the world for $1 million. As reality shows go, this one's got everything: adrenaline, teamwork and a can-do attitude. The globetrotters encounter a gross food oddity or two, but nothing to rival Fear Factor, and there's none of the rampant sexuality of Survivor. Maybe watching with your kids will spur you to plan an adventure of your own.

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  ©TVLAND

  The Andy Griffith Show

  TVLAND, 9pm

  When life gets complicated, your kids can always hang out in Aunt Bee's kitchen or Floyd's Barber Shop for a night. Mayberry still serves up some of the best writing on TV and the best life lessons to learn. The fact that it's relevant decades later says a lot for this long-lived series. And any age group can watch it. How shocking!

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  ©TVLAND

  Leave It to Beaver

  TVLAND, 9:30pm

  Yup, the Beav is still on the air generations later, and still amazing to watch ‑- a breath of fresh air for the kids and a pleasant trip down memory lane for the parents. Sure, Ward and June probably aren't the norm when it comes to parenting these days, but shows about growing up never go out of style.

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  © Fox

  King of the Hill

  Fox, 7pm

  Everyone can identify with a little chunk of the Hill world, whether it's Hank's exasperation, Peggy's authority, Bobby's confusion or one of the neighbors' wackiness. This witty cartoon sitcom is the Everybody Loves Raymond of cartoons, but the show also has a Seinfeld-like ability to merge several storylines in one episode, bringing them all together in a poignant ending.

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  ©Fox

  Malcolm in the Middle

  Fox, 9pm

  "The best thing about childhood is... at some point it stops." Or at least that's Malcolm's philosophy while stuck with his squabbling brothers and parents. Star Frankie Muniz has a unique brand of cynical wit that keeps things interesting, especially when Malcolm suddenly finds himself in a gifted class full of social misfits. This show is harmless and entertaining, and has maintained its balance even as the boys grow up.

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  ©NBC

  American Dreams

  NBC, 8pm

  America is nostalgia crazy, and maybe that's why this show is so popular. Or maybe it's just because American Dreams is a thoughtful, well-written series that provides a good springboard for parent-kid discussion. Set against a backdrop of '60s music, culture clashes and the Vietnam War, national headlines are made personal through the struggles of the Pryor family of Philadelphia. It's all set to an American Bandstand beat (thanks to executive producer Dick Clark), with current performers like Usher and Kelly Clarkson appearing as '60s stars.

Jane Louise Boursaw writes a syndicated column, Reel Life with Jane, about movies and television. For more info, visit her Website www.reellifewithjane.com.