SHOWS FOR YOUNGSTERS AND THEIR PARENTS TOO : Cartoon Network stars a hen from outer space; ‘Human Animal’ explores our needs on TLC

Courage, the Cowardly Dog makes his cartoon debut in Chicken From Outer Space (Sunday, 4 p.m. Cartoon Network), part of the channel’s World Premiere Toons. A cowardly dog encounters a beady-eyed chicken from outer space; feathers and fur fly when dog and chicken collide in a battle of wills. For ages 2 and up.

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Wild Discovery (Tuesday, 8 p.m. Discovery) presents Family, an examination of how animal loyalty to family is similar to human behavior. There seems to be as much caring and sharing as fighting and killing. For ages 6 and up.

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Iris, the Happy Professor (Thursday, 6:30 a.m. Learning Channel) focuses on dancing, with a real swinging lesson. Iris and her pals take a look at how many different ways there are to dance. For ages 2 to 6.

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Camping out sounds fun to everyone except Shaina, who’s afraid of monsters, ghosts and goblins. James then admits he’s afraid of spiders. It takes the first darkness for Ron, Natalie and Ranger Mike to help Shaina and James beat the creeps on Gullah Gullah Island’s Gullah Gullah Ghoul Land (Friday, 11:30 a.m. Nickelodeon). For ages 2 to 6.

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The show’s title Desmond Morris’ The Human Animal (Saturday, 7 p.m. Learning Channel) may sound like some kind of anatomy class, but it’s actually a look at our need to express ourselves through various forms of decoration, including fashion and artworks. Humankind, Morris explains, is also driven by a simple curiosity to tour the world. For ages 8 and up.