Arthur is ending its run on PBS after 25 years

Hey! It’s no longer a wonderful kind of day over at PBS.

Long-running kids show Arthur is no more. The beloved cartoon, based on a series of children’s books by Marc Brown, has run for 25 seasons on PBS, but after its final episodes air this year, it will no longer continue.

What’s more — production on the show wrapped two years ago. Arthur writer Kathy Waugh revealed the sad news on the podcast Finding D.W., a show dedicated to tracking down the seven actors who voiced the role of Arthur’s little sister D.W. 

“Arthur is no longer in a production,” she said. “We had our wrap party two years ago. I think they’ve made a mistake, PBS, and I think Arthur should come back. And I know I’m not alone in thinking they made a mistake.”

“I don’t pay attention that much to things like ratings, so I don’t know if it was a ratings issue or if it just felt like it needed to be retired,” she continued. “To me, it felt like evergreen, like it was never going to end, but it did end.”

Waugh noted that they finished the last episode of their 25th season two years ago, but since then, she’s written and helped with some PSAs about handwashing, etc. that aired. “They used the Arthur characters so they’re still around,” she noted. “As far as I understand, not all of the shows have aired. There’s still a few yet to be aired, but they’ve all been produced.”

In a statement to EW, Carol Greenwald, executive producer of Arthur, confirmed the news and celebrated the show’s legacy. 

“Arthur is the longest-running kids animated series in history and is known for teaching kindness, empathy, and inclusion through many groundbreaking moments to generations of viewers,” the statement reads. “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. 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.”

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