Nickelodeon Sends a Three-Hour Valentine to its Young Viewers

As Valentine’s Day arrives, Nickelodeon says you’re never too young to turn to thoughts of love. For proof, here’s the second season-opener of “Clarissa Explains it All,” the show that sees life through the eyes of a teen-age girl who endures the typical traumas of that age. Friday’s “romance-filled” episode kicks off “Valentine’s Day in the O-Zone,” a block of love-themed episodes of such programs as “Welcome Freshman,” “Hey Dude” and “The Adventures of Pete and Pete.”

“Clarissa Explains it All,” 5-5:30 p.m.; “Valentine’s Day in the O-Zone,” 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, Nickelodeon. For all ages.

MORE KIDS’ SHOWS

In conjunction with Black History Month, the public affairs series Signs of the Time (Sunday 11:30 a.m.-noon KTTV) profiles Los Angeles’ NAACP-sponsored Freedom School, where youths are taught African-American history and culture. For ages 13 and up.

The ubiquitous Will Smith shows up in a guest appearance on HBO Family Playhouse: The Perfect Date (Sunday 3:30-4:30 p.m. and Tuesday 4-4:45 p.m. HBO), about a high-school basketball player who suddenly gets it all--popularity, a dream date--but risks losing his best friend. For 11- to 17-year-olds.

What are pottos, pangolins and chevrotain? They’re real, but extremely rare animals that live in West Africa, along with monkeys, bats and lizards. Peek at them on Nature (Sunday 8-9 p.m. KCET). For all ages.

Based on the Newberry Medal-winning classic, “Caddie Woodlawn,” on Wonderworks (Monday 1-3 p.m. KCET) tells of an 11-year-old frontier girl who attempts to keep the town from ambushing a peace-loving Indian tribe living nearby. For ages 8 and up.

A rebroadcast By the Year 2000 episode tells of some of the obstacles--racism, drugs, lack of role models--young black men face in society. For ages 13 and up.

The special Apple Family Circus (Tuesday 7-7:30 a.m. HBO) offers a glimpse at the world of clowns, acrobats and other circus denizens. For all ages.

Roseanne Arnold, Bill Cosby, Howie Mandel and Burt Reynolds share tales about their high-school years with students of today--and stress the importance of finishing school--in the funny-but-serious special Class Clowns (Tuesday 10-11 p.m. ABC). For ages 12 and up.

Valentine’s Day is in the air on Beverly Hills, 90210 (Thursday 9-10 p.m. Fox), when Kelly and David help salvage the relationship between their parents, while Dylan plans something special for Brenda. For ages 12 and up.

A Valentine episode of “Darkwing Duck” (Friday 4:30-5 p.m. KCAL, XETV, KMIR) is the finale to a similarly-themed day on The Disney Afternoon, beginning with “DuckTales” at 3 p.m. For 4- to 10-year-olds.

Two kids search for the meaning behind their mysterious powers in the 1975 mystery-fantasy Escape to Witch Mountain (Saturday 3-5 p.m. KTLA). For 8-13-year-olds.

A lovable robot develops a mind of its own in the 1986 film Short Circuit (Saturday 6-8 p.m. KTLA). For 6- to 13-year-olds.