With a heavy heart, I deliver the sad news that the PBS series Arthur about an 8-year-old aardvark navigating life will end after 25 seasons! Growing up as a kid in the early 2000’s, Arthur will always hold a special place in my heart. Here is recap some of my favorite memories and episodes.
Fun with a library card
I sincerely apologize for now getting this stuck in your head for the foreseeable future. HAVING FUN ISN’T HARD WHEN YOU GOT A LIBRARY CARD! No truer words have ever been sung.
Junk Yard Accident
The memory of when Arthur was at the junk yard pit and cut his knee on a lima bean can has forever been scorched on my brain. The cut on his knee becomes infected and I can’t tell you exactly why that scene rocked me to the core when I was younger but it did. I honestly think it propelled me into the medical field. But let me tell ya, the prevalence of lima bean can cuts are not as high as you may think.
Husky Shop
Arthur also tackled the healthy body image topic. Thanks to gaining a few lbs, Arthur finds himself having to shop at the “husky” store. His only option for clothing was a yellow and green plaid suit due to his size. Knowing that’s not gonna fly with Arthur’s peers, Mr. Ratburn intervenes and saves the day by giving Arthur a pedometer to track his steps. Who knew Arthur was closing his rings before it was cool!
Going down the wrong path
In the episode World’s Greatest Gleeper, Arthur is at a cross roads in his life – a law abiding citizen or a harden criminal dedicated to a life of crime. Yes, a journey down the wrong path can start in third grade. In an effort to fit in, Buster tells the tough kids aka The Tough Customers that Arthur loves to steal and is really good at it. These grammar school hooligans welcome Arthur with open arms and Arthur gets a bad reputation. The Tough Customers – test Arthur and tell him to steal ice cream bars from the cafeteria in order to prove his “sticky fingers” ability. Of course, Arthur gets caught, he comes clean with the truth and the Tough Customers kick him out of the group. Who knows, this whole series could have taken an unexpected turn following Arthur hot wiring cars, a stint in juvenile hall and ending up on an episode of Beyond Scared Straight.
Is cake business sustainable?
The amount of stress I would internalize knowing that Arthur’s dad’s cake business could not be sustainable for a family of four to live. Every episode I was white knuckling it over his dad getting a job making a cake for wealthy narcissist Muffy. I would be in a full sweat hoping the Reeds got a paycheck from baked goods. How did they live like that?
Sibling Rivalry
D.W. And Arthur fights were always epic. One time during the episode Arthur’s Big Hit, Arthur punched D.W. as hard as he could for breaking his toy airplane. And hey, haven’t we all punch a sibling with all our might at one time or another? If you didn’t, you definitely wanted to. This episode was given a rare TV-Y7 rating for cartoon violence! The only other Arthur episodes with the TV-Y7 rating are Arthur’s Underwear and Attack of the Turbo Tibble Twins – remember those jerks?
Memes
Arthur will forever live through iconic memes – Arthur’s fist (from above episode) and D.W wearing sunglasses behind the fence – which is from the episode Arthur Makes Waves – where D.W. and Arthur go to the community pool, only to find that it’s closed for repairs. #bummer
Ahead of the times
Did you know Mr. Ratburn was in fact a gay man and got married in 2019 to his partner Patrick – a handsome chocolatier. P.S. Arthur’s dad made the wedding cake – thank God!
I could go on and on about this PBS’s educational series! I am sad to know young children may grow without knowing the sass and bad assery of D.W or the misunderstood bully Binky Barnes but Arthur will live on in our hearts and on Amazon Prime for your viewing pleasure to rewatch the classics.
And as the great Ziggy Marley said, “hey, hey, what a wonderful time of day!”
History of Arthur
Arthur first aired in 1996 on PBS and is based on a series of children’s books titled “Arthur’s Adventures” by Marc Brown.
It is the longest-running kids animated series in history and is known for teaching kindness, empathy and inclusion through many groundbreaking moments to generations of viewers.
The series has won multiple Daytime Emmys for outstanding children’s animated program, in addition to a Peabody Award.
Let us know which Arthur episode is your favorite!
25 year old bulldog and Aperol spritz enthusiast. My perfect day is a loco brunch turned into dinner at capo and possibly a trip to the basement.
It won’t be the same after.