For the record, the three best television shows for children age 2-4 are as follows:
Pocoyo

#1: Pocoyo

Set against a minimalist white background, this crazy show from somewhere in Spain contains just the right amount of stimuli and storyline to completely entrance a young mind without turning it to mush. Pocoyo is a kid with a blue hat who goofs off with a duck and an elephant while a gentle, disembodied narrator explains what’s going on. The episodes are short enough that your offspring won’t completely disengage from reality and will still have their wits when the program is over.

Oswald and friends

#2: Oswald

I think this was a show that was on Nickelodeon and was cancelled a few years ago. It takes place in a fanciful world where an Octopus has a pet wiener dog in the shape of a hot dog, and is friends with a bi-pedal flower named Daisy. The music is soothing and the story usually involves nothing more complicated than “Oswald is hot and wants an ice cream.” Some of them are also quite magical – like the one where Oswald tries to start a cloud collection. As you half-listen while writing your email, you may recognize the voices of Fred Savage from The Wonder Years and Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley (in case you were wondering what those guys were up to.)

Pingu

#3: Pingu

This one is about a claymation Penguin who’s identity straddles the line between Inuit child and Penguin. He deals with a lot of toddler issues like bedtime and potty-training, but he also slides on icebergs and eats live fish. The complete lack of dialogue (except for some penguinese gibberish) is a welcome alternative to the cloying whine of Dora and Elmo and won’t distract you while you update your Facebook status.

It should be noted, that these shows are very rarely watched on an actual television set. They are usually consumed via Netflix or iTunes on an iPad or laptop. Nothing is more heartwarming than seeing your innocent child’s expressionless face bathed in the cool glow of a liquid-crystal display at 5 in the morning.