PBS Cancels Kids Series ARTHUR After 25 Seasons
PBS has announced the cancellation of the beloved children’s show Arthur after 25 seasons on air. The iconic animated children’s series about a lovable aardvark and his friends and family will see its final season launching in winter 2022. This makes the series the longest-running children’s animated series in the history of American television.
Original show developer Kathy Waugh broke the news in an interview on the Finding DW podcast with voice actor Jason Szwimmer, saying:
“‘Arthur’ is no longer in production. We had our wrap party two years ago. I think [PBS] made a mistake, and I think ‘Arthur’ should come back and I’m 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 [of] Season 25 two years ago.”
Waugh developed the series, which first aired in 1996, from the books by Marc Brown, who created the character in 1976. The series taught kindness, empathy, and inclusion, and though it will be missed, it will continue to be available to future generations on PBS Kids.
via: Variety