Find Out the Story on Rory, the Mother of Kidrock on Disney

Who is Rory, and how did she rise to fame?

“The Rory Story,” a musical special premiering on the Disney Channel, answers both questions, but here is a little advance background: Rory is a mom/singer who invented “kidrock,” a new musical genre. Kidrock combines hip music such as pop, jazz, blues and country with fun lyrics about the importance of family and why kids should eat their peas. And Rory is so good at this, she’s become the Madonna of the grade-school crowd.

As for Rory’s rise to fame, tune into “The Rory Story.” Co-starring the puppet pair the Fabulous Piglets, the show tells a fictionalized but fun version of Rory’s big break into the kid biz.

“The Rory Story,” Tuesday 8-8:50 p.m. the Disney Channel. For 3- to 10-year-olds.

MORE KIDS SHOWS

Not to imply that dads are goofy or anything, but Goofy’s Salute to Father (today 10-11 a.m. the Disney Channel), airing in honor of Father’s Day, follows Goofy’s transition from bachelor to household head. For all ages.

An episode of Showtime’s ongoing family series Orchestra! (Sunday 4-4:30 p.m.; Wednesday 4-4:30 p.m.) shows what conductors do by profiling maestro Sir Georg Solti, who leads an ensemble of outstanding international music students. For ages 6 and up.

In the animated 1963 film The Sword in the Stone (today 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday 10-11:30 a.m. the Disney Channel), a young boy named Wart fulfills his destiny and becomes King Arthur, with a little help from Merlin the Magician. For ages 6 and up.

In another salute to dads, a Father’s Day episode of Looney Tunes (7:30-8 p.m. Nickelodeon) focuses on the father-son bond between Sylvester the Cat and his offspring. Later, Bob Saget hosts The All American TV Dad Test (8-8:30 p.m.), the “top-secret test that potential candidates must pass.” For all ages.

The Second Voyage of the Mimi (Monday and Tuesday 1-1:30 p.m. KCET) is a repeat serial adventure/documentary series about math and science that’s actually (gasp) fun. For 9- to 12-year-olds.

Teacher/writer/artist John Robbins hosts Readit (Wednesday-Friday 1-1:30 p.m. KCET) a new 16-part series that uses animation, pictures and storytelling to help children make the transition from picture books to those with words. For 6- to 8-year-olds.

Friday of this week is no ordinary day: It’s the first day of summer, and to celebrate, tune into The First Day of Summer All Request Day (Friday 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Nickelodeon), where young visitors to Nickelodeon Studios in Florida get to choose their favorite shows--and even introduce them on the air. For 3- to 14-year-olds.

KCET repeats Turning it Around: Urban Teens in Crisis (Friday noon-12:30 p.m.), a documentary about low-income youths who change their lives through government and private programs such as the Job Corps and Mentors Inc. For ages 13 and up.

Is the family an endangered species? An episode of By the Year 2000 (Saturday 3-3:30 p.m. KCET) reports that traditional-family living arrangements are statistically the exception in Southern California. The program explores legal and community battles that have arisen from this change in society. For parents.

Hank Aaron makes an appearance in The Incredible Ida Early (Saturday 5:30-6:30 p.m. HBO), about a housekeeper extraordinaire whose antics cheer up a recently widowed dad and his four kids. For 6- to 14-year-olds.

An original feature-length animated movie The Marvelous Land of Oz (Monday 6:30-8 a.m. HBO) includes new adventures in the Emerald City with Dorothy, Scarecrow and a little boy named Tip. For 3- to 10-year-olds.