As you can tell from the ads during your favorite summer series, the back-to-school season is upon us. And in a case of strange bedfellows, so is the new fall television season.

As parents turn toward thoughts of getting kids back into the learning routine, few of us would immediately think about television. Maybe some niche channels or educational programs come to mind, but not many would see their favorite network shows as a gateway to learning. However, the savvy viewer can find hidden educational gems all around the prime-time dial.

And many of them dont even occur during Shark Week!

Even professional educators have seen the potential to teach by means of their favorite shows. William J. Wilson, a sociology professor at Harvard and fan of The Wire, is using the show to teach about urban equality issues. But a show doesnt have to be as gritty as The Wire to help keep your kidsbrains engaged.

Take ABC's "Castle," for example. This fun show makes use of a rare setting in the television landscape -- the world of books and authors. Fortunately, titular writer Rick Castle is more of a wordsmith rock star than a Jessica Fletcher. The series boasts as guests real life novelists James Patterson, Stephen J. Cannell and Michael Connelly.

More importantly, "Castle" regularly discusses the craft of writing -- including finding the "story" in events, character creation, climaxes and twists, and artistic inspiration. Castles novel, "Heat Wave," even made the New York Times best-seller list. A sequel will be out this fall.

Just about anywhere you look, you can find some kind of forensic show blending science (or pseudo-science) into the plot. But if the goal is to get kids fired up for science, you can't do much better than Discovery Channel's "Mythbusters." The mythbusting crew of unashamed science buffs tackles all sorts of applied sciences with child-like gusto. These are people who love science and math, and who love using that knowledge to safely make awesome things in their backyard. Usually awesome things that go "boom" by the final act. And, really, who cant be inspired by a duct-tape sailboat or frozen chicken cannon?

Fox's "Glee" sings and dances its charming way through arts education. Week after week, this cast of young triple threats -- singers, dancers and actors -- deftly argue the point that music and the arts in school are not only valuable but also cool.

Creator Ryan Murphy incorporates a variety of musical sources and genres. So far, audiences have been treated to everything from Neil Diamond to Lady Gaga, with a healthy dose of Broadway in between. And while Mr. Schuesters educational "lessons" might be a little lame, watching Amber Riley sing or Mark Salling play guitar makes a much more lasting impression.

Three summer months without school isnt kind to kidsgeneral study skills. Maybe Fox can also help with that. For six seasons, ABCs Lost dared audiences to pay attention. It wove puzzles into the narrative, hid codes in sets and name-dropped philosophers. And who didnt learn to keep a discerning eye out for the numbers to appear each week? Sadly, we dont have Lost to absorb us this season. However, Fox may have a logical successor in Fringe. With the creation of its alternate universe, viewers can spy out variations dropped into the parallel Earth. The U.S. flag has 48 stars. Washington is replaced by Southern British Columbia. Even the Green Lantern is red. For bonus points, kids can also decipher the glyphs placed at commercial breaks.

These are just a few examples. There are lots more to be found in your television schedule. Get out a map and learn geography with The Amazing Race. Catch up on your pop culture knowledge with the nerds of The Big Bang Theory. Explore career options with Tim Gunn, Gordon Ramsay, David Tutera or Mike Rowe. Or discuss marketing methods and human psychology during the commercials.

Then we can all sit down to watch television this September and still feel as smart as that guy from Harvard.

What about your prime-time faves? What are you and your kids learning from television? Share with the class in the comments section!