Calling all parents: Today, new episodes of "Sid the Science Kid" begin airing (UNC-TV, 11 am, 2 pm).

If you're new to the show, it's a Jim Henson Company show featuring a vivacious five-year-old and his friends that aims to teach kids about science concepts.

Today's episode is "Slide to the Side." Sid has invented a new dance, The Sid Slide to the Side. It works fine in his socks, but when he puts on his new red sneakers, he can't slide. Thus begins a lesson about friction.

Other lessons this week include a look at elasticity, inertia and force.

The dictionary-loving superhero "WordGirl" returns to PBS for a third season on Monday with two new episodes. Her aim is to teach your kids some useful vocabulary words. This week they learn: prolong, aggravated, extraordinary, and fortunately.

Let's use them in a sentence.

"I'm so aggravated, little Xavier, but fortunately for you, there's an extraordinary cartoon on television today, and if you watch it and leave me alone for an hour, it just may prolong your life."

Kidding. Children are our future (and that sentence is run-on so I'll leave the teaching to WordGirl).

Set your DVRs. At 2 a.m. Friday, UNC-TV begins airing the new season of POV programming, documentaries with a point of view.

This week begins with "Salt" a meditative film that documents the images photographer Murray Fredericks has made to remote Lake Eyre and its salt flats in South Australia.

Click below for video.

Here's a breakdown of the July 4th television specials airing tonight:

-UNC-TV will have "3,2,1 Fireworks" at 7:30pm, a behind-the-scenes look at the July 4th celebration from our nation's capital. At 8pm there's a special 30th Anniversary broadcast of "Capital Fourth: America's Independence Celebration," live from the west lawn of the U.S. Capital. This will include fireworks captured by 18 TV cameras positioned around Washington, D.C. There's also a concert hosted by Jimmy Smits, and featuring performers Reba McEntire, Gladys Knight, Darius Rucker, David Archuleta, John Schneider, Lang Lang with the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. The concert ends with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, featuring the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets and live cannon fire from the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery.

The whole thing will re-broadcast again at 9:30 PM. 

-NBC's celebration, "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular," comes fom New York City with performances from Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, and LeAnn Rimes. That runs from 9pm to 10pm.

-CBS camps out in Boston for the "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular" starting at 10pm. That's hosted by Craig Ferguson and features performances from Toby Keith. and Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the direction of Keith Lockhart.

-ABC ran their July 4th special on Friday. I know...

-News 14 Carolina will show live fireworks from Raleigh and Charlotte starting around 9:10pm.

American Idol: Idol Gives Back (8pm, Fox) - One contestant is eliminated in this 2-hour benefit special raising money for U.S. and global charities such as Children's Health Fund, Save the Children, United Nations Fund, and Feeding America. "Idol" and its fans have raised more than $140 million over the past few years. Performances tonight by Carrie Underwood, Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone, and Annie Lennox. Emceed by Queen Latifah. There's also rumored to be a very $pecial $urprise in store from Bill Gates.

Food Inc (9pm, UNC-TV) - PBS's Point of View (P.O.V.) series debuts season 23 tonight with a special broadcast of the controversial documentary on how the practices of the U.S. food industry impact our health and the environment. Check out our review (Adrienne may be eating food again by now). Stay tuned for a special UNC-TV program airing immediately afterward ("Views on Food Inc") in which parties involved in the food industry in North Carolina comment on points raised in the film. 

Law & Order: SVU (10pm, NBC) -  Speaking of powerful corporate food entities, Olivia goes undercover tonight to investigate the murder of a young woman who had been in the process of exposing questionable practices in the meat-packing industry.

In Plain Sight (10pm,USA) - Steven Weber guest stars in an episode in which Mary and Marshall try to convince an FBI informant to join WITSEC.

The Locator (10pm, WeTV) - In the season finale, Troy Dunn helps a young soldier search for his biological father. 

Can California's ambitious push to cut down on greenhouse gases really succeed? That's the question PBS's Nova series takes on in tonight's feature, "The Big Energy Gamble."

The special looks at the environmental pros and possible economic cons of California's green initiative, which seeks to return the state's carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

Charlie Rose, executive producer and host of the PBS interview show "Charlie Rose," will be giving the commencement address at NC State University next month.

UPDATE: The event is free and open to the public - no tickets required.

Rose is a native of Henderson, North Carolina, and a graduate of Duke. He has hosted "Charlie Rose" since 1991 and is also a correspondent for "60 Minutes" on CBS. Early in his career Rose won a Peabody award for a piece on soon-to-be president Jimmy Carter, and later won an Emmy for a televised interview with Charles Manson.

Attention all British soap opera enthusiasts: UNC-TV is pairing with the North Carolina EastEnders Fan Club (yes, there is such a thing) to host an "EastEnders" marathon and Twitter party on Sunday night.

The Festival 2010 EastEnders marathon begins at 9pm on UNC-TV, and participants are asked to follow @UNCTV on Twitter and to use the #unctveastenders hashtag in all their Eastender tweets. You can use TweetGrid (or your favorite Twitter app) to “Party” along. While you all watch the episodes on TV, of course. 

Members of the NC EastEnders Fan Club will be live in the UNC-TV studios moderating the Twitter discussions, answering questions, and giving away prizes. The virtual party lasts from 9pm to midnight.

You can contact Jen Jones (jenjones@unctv.org) at UNC-TV for more information. You can also get more information at The NC Eastenders Fan Club Facebook page.

If your kid is a great storyteller (aren't they all?!), check out this PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, a national competition designed to promote reading and literacy in children.

The contest is open for kids in Kindergarten through Grade 3. They submit their own original stories and illustrations to UNC-TV, who selects local winners.

Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates (8pm, UNC-TV) - Henry Louis Gates Jr. uses genealogy tools and DNA testing to unearth the family histories of 12 prominent people, beginning tonight with figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and director Mike Nichols.

Friday Night Lights (9pm, DirecTV 101) - The first run of the current season (starring Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, right) ends tonight. All we'll give away is that it's a Thanksgiving episode and it's good. The NBC run begins on April 30.

Duke at Carolina (9pm, WRAL) - I heard there's a game tonight. Something about a backyard rivalry?

Modern Family (9pm, ABC) - Comedian David Brenner stars as himself when Jay takes Gloria to see a comedy show for Valentine's Day. Also, Mitchell and Cameron try to set Manny up on a date.

Psych (10pm, USA) - Juliet gets Gus to help her locate her old boyfriend, and the search ends up revealing a closely guarded secret. 

Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America (10pm, VH1 Classic) - The fantastic documentary, which premiered last weekend, repeats tonight.