Photo: pbs
The classic children’s showArthurconcluded on Monday.
The series finale came at the conclusion ofthe iconic show’s 25th season, making it the longest-running kids animated series in history in the U.S. The finale was touted onArthur’sTwitter pageTuesday.
Arthur"is known for teaching kindness, empathy and inclusion through many groundbreaking moments to generations of viewers," executive producer Carol Greenwald toldCBS News last year.
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The show premiered in 1996, and follows the adventures of an 8-year-old aardvark named Arthur Read along with his family and friends. It has often made headlines for itsprogressive stridesin children’s television.
The finale episode, titled “Blabbermouth/All Grown Up”, saw Arthur and his friends partaking in a fortune-telling game which gives them a hint of what their futures might hold in 20 years.
The program comes to a close after being renewed for four seasons in 2018.Social media postsfrom PBS this week promise that “Arthur is NOT going away/NEWArthurcontent is coming,” going on to mention “a future podcast and digital shorts”.
Over the course of its 26-year one, the series picked up four Daytime Emmys for outstanding children’s animated program, along with a BAFTA Children’s Award.
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Theannouncement ofArthurending its series runwas made last year.
Screenwriter Kathy Waugh shared the news during a July 2021 interview on theFinding DWpodcast, saying, “Arthuris no longer in production. We had our wrap party two years ago.”
“I think [PBS] made a mistake, and I thinkArthurshould come back and I know I’m not alone in thinking they made a mistake,” she continued at the time. “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.”
In 2019, Browntold PEOPLEthat the hit show succeeded through the years because its producers always found new ways to expand the minds of its viewers.
“When we beganArthur22 years ago, the agenda we began with was to make children want to read. And it worked!” the author said at the time. “So each year, the writers and the producers sit down to decide what kind of subject matter we want to deal with. After 22 years you think, ‘We’ve done it all!’ Yet, here was another opportunity! It still excites me that we can come up with stories that are going to be interesting and helpful to children.”
source: people.com
