movies/tv Arthur (September 2nd, 1996 - February 21st, 2022)

[Denim&Venöm 20,473]

After over a quarter century, 25 seasons and 259 episodes, the children's graphic novel series turned cartoon that became a staple in the lives of growing kids the world over, has aired its series finale. 

One of the first cartoons that didn't talk down to kids, but to them, Arthur took what Mr. Roger's Neighborhood started and reinvented it for new generations of kids, even laying the ground work for what shows like MLP would become. Arthur didn't make fun of the fears and anxieties little kids have, nor were they blown out of proportion to get a message across, but told kids it's okay to feel this way, but here's why things will be alright.  

It also didn't dance around tough topics. It just found the best way to talk about them. The lunch lady having cancer, dealing with a kid that has autism, Buster's parents getting a divorce, the school catching fire being an allegory for 9/11. This show spoke the hard truth that kids would need to hear one day, and we were all better for hearing it. This, Barney, Wishbone, Mr. Rogers. PBS in the 90s was as much the backbone of my childhood as much as Batman: TAS and Transformers: Beast Wars were. I'm amazed it went on for this long with such a consistent quality. And it ended on such a classy high note too, bringing to mind The Last Problem. Even the OG voice cast made a return. Everybody sounds the same, except for Arthur, whose VA sounds the most grown up fittingly enough. What a classy way to go. 

Personally, I'm fond of the episode where everybody had to do reports on what they did over the rainy weekend. Arthur went to his grandmas and learned a lot from her, (fitting as I watched this episode at my grandmas', sipping on Welch's Juice Boxes #not sponsored) while everybody else said they just stayed home and watched wrestling (fitting as that's now what I do half the time!) I also liked the episode where teacher Mr. Ratburn stayed for a few days at the Read's house and learned that while his teacher is uptight, stuffy and takes his job seriously at school, he's just a normal dude off the clock, showing that hey, teachers are people too, just like us. 

How about you? What are your Arthur memories? You surprised it went on this long? You still got that memory of the song by Bob MArley Jr. in your head? Well you will now!

 

[Misty Shadow 8,200]

I'm not as attached to it as some people, but I definitely enjoyed watching the show and reading the books when I was young. That Jekyll/Hyde song was also the weirdest guilty pleasure. 

[Northern Star 1,024]

Interesting, I thought it was over a long time ago.

We didn't get PBS when I was growing up, so I only watched it a few times at my grandparents and once in school for some reason