‘Arthur’ Is Ending After 25 Seasons
It's a not-so-wonderful kind of day: After 25 seasons, beloved children's show Arthur is coming to an end.
Original show developer Kathy Waugh announced the news in an episode of the Finding DW podcast with Jason Szwimer.
“Arthur is no longer in production. We had our wrap party two years ago,” Waugh revealed. “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 [for] Season 25 two years ago.”
Executive producer for the show Carol Greenwald 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," Greenwald stated. "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."
Arthur first aired in 1996 and has been broadcast on PBS Kids ever since. It is the longest-running children's animated series in history, as well as an important part of pop culture. (Who could forget the memorable theme song performed by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers?) Over the show's 240 episodes, Arthur earned four Daytime Emmys and a Peabody award.
The show was based on Marc Brown's Arthur Adventure book series and follows a young aardvark named Arthur, alongside his family; the townsfolk of Elwood City; and his schoolmates.
In 2019, the show faced backlash, including a ban from an Alabama television station, after an episode revealed that the students' teacher Mr. Ratburn was gay. The show featured a same-sex wedding.
See fan reactions to the heartbreaking news, below.