24 Shows to Save Your Summer

Old enough to let the rain fall

Rainy days may not phase your tween or teen too much, since they may relish the opportunity to plop on the couch for a break. But if you don't want them to rot away all summer, get them to watch something good:

The Cosby Show
WB, 9am, weekdays
Oh no! Theo got a D on his poli-sci test and Denise has a new boyfriend! Don't worry ‑- Dr. and Mrs. Huxtable will handle it all with grace, humor and a dose of James Brown here and there. If only the rest of us clueless parents could channel those two. It'd save us all a lot of hand-wringing and hair-pulling.

Gilmore Girls
Family Channel, 11am, weekdays
What would Lorelai and Rory do on a rainy summer day? Eat junk food and watch old movies, so its suitably weird enough for your kids to munch away and watch them wiling away their time. The Gilmores are the antithesis of the Cosby family, but they're also more true to life. Lightning-fast dialogue, biting sarcasm and plenty of caffeine keep these two eccentrics on the cutting edge of reality. They're like the people next door, only... more interesting.

next : Summertime ABCs