It’s been a while since we’ve fed you a few morsels of kids-TV-oriented news all at once. Enjoy!

Credit: Tiger Aspect Productions, Ltd.

You know how every once in a while, someone writes something that’s so complete, you think, “Yeah. I can’t really add to that.” Well, this Babble review describing and raving about the new PBS show, Martha Speaks, is kind of like that. All I can say is, “Um, ditto.”

Word on the street (or well, Press Release Ave) is that Nickelodeon is collaborating with CreateSpace, part of the Amazon Empire, to make a bunch of Nickelodeon shows available on DVD, some for the first time evuh. The selections we’re most psyched to see: Drake and Josh, Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, Rocko’s Modern Life, and Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. And what’s cool about CreateSpace is that DVDs aren’t manufactured until they’re actually ordered. So you know, they’re not sitting on a big warehouse shelf somewhere, taking up (you guessed it) space. Click on www.amazon.com/nickelodeon for more info.

And finally, Manchester Art Gallery has launched a major exhibition of the works of utterly brilliant illustrator Lauren Child. She’s been churning out best-selling kids’ books for nearly ten years…including the fantastically successful and charming Charlie and Lola. (Yes, that Charlie and Lola. From that Playhouse Disney.) So if you’re heading to the U.K. between now and Sept. 21 (and who knows, maybe you are) make sure you check out the kid-friendly, touching-encouraged, sure-to-be-whimsical “Green Drops and Moonsquirters” exhibit. –Posted by Stephanie Booth.

Talk as much trash as you want about reality TV (it’s mostly warranted), but don’t include The N’s Student Body in the mix. This eight-episode teen reality series, premiering Friday, July 11, at 10:00 pm ET/PT on both The N and Nick at Nite is powerful stuff.

The premise: Two teams of students from rival high schools in Decatur, Illinois compete to lose weight, get mentally and physically healthy, and basically transform their lives. As incentive, the winning team will take home $25,000 to provide new facilities or programs for their school. The student who’s changed the most will pocket the same amount.

Host Laila Ali offers up the right mix of inspiration and tough love, as do the two token fitness trainers, but the kids are the real stars of this show: shy Haylee, who was cut from the varsity volleyball team because she’s too big; insecure Jilashi, the only overweight person in her family; Mike, who gets teased because of his size…We instantly connected with each one of these kids (kudos to the casting director) and even admit to crying along with them at their first weigh-in.

We’re not suggesting your fam give up your own exercise time to tune in. But tune in you must. Set your TiVo or other DVR and cheer these brave kids on.

Check out a clip of Student Body here.

You’ve heard us yammer on about how television programs, when done very, very well, can help kids learn. Obviously, we’re not saying said shows should do your job, or that your offspring won’t learn the same lessons in the real world. We’re just saying that if you set your DVR carefully, your kid will gleam something beyond entertainment.

For instance:
A blogger for The Guardian explains how watching Doctor Who can gracefully teach kiddos about empathy and melancholy.

As reported in the Salt Lake Tribune, new research from Brigham Young suggests that non-animated kids’ shows may help tweens feel more comfy with their weight and body type.

And here’s why it can actually a good thing if your offspring pretends to be a sword-wielding Captain Hook after watching Peter Pan. (The post actually offers up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as an example, but we just can’t go there.)