PBS KIDS show, Arthur, to end after 25 years and fans of the long-standing show are not happy about it.
“Arthur is no longer in production. We had our wrap party two years ago,” Kathy Waugh, who first developed the show for TV, said in an interview on Jason Szwimer’s Finding D.W. podcast.
Waugh continued: “I think [PBS] made a mistake, and I think Arthur should come back, and I know I’m not alone in thinking they made a mistake. I don’t know if it was a ratings issue or if it felt like it needed to be retired. To me, it felt evergreen, like it was never going to end, but it did end; we finished the last episode, season 25 two years ago.”
Executive producer for the popular PBS KIDS show, Carol Greenwald, also confirmed the news in a statement to IGN. “In the winter of 2022, the 25th and final season of Arthur will debut. Arthur will continue to be available on PBS KIDS for years to come,” she said. “Producer GBH and PBS KIDS are continuing to work together on additional Arthur content, sharing the lessons of Arthur and his friends in new ways.”
The popular kids program debuted back in 1996 and is the longest-running kids animated series in the history of American TV. Arthur is based on the Arthur Adventure book series and is set in the fictional Elwood City. The program follows the daily adventures of eight-year-old Arthur Read, his family, and friends. Since its debut, Arthur has won four Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children’s Animated Program, in addition to a BAFTA and a Peabody.
Arthur tackled a number of issues that many families face and could relate to. Some of the issues that the show broached included asthma, dyslexia, cancer, diabetes, and autism spectrum disorder. In 2019, the show featured a same-sex wedding between teacher Mr. Ratburn and Patrick the chocolatier.
Fans can see Arthur for one last season in 2022 on PBS Kids.
