Arthur Creator Responds To Show Being Cancelled

Arthur creator Kathy Waugh responds to her show being canceled. The animated show is the longest-running children’s animated series in American television, with its 25th season due to premiere in winter 2022. The 240-episode series, which began in October 1996 follows the adventures of aardvark Arthur and his animal friends at high school based on a series of books by Marc Brown.

Prior to the recent news that PBS is axing the series, Waugh and the show-runners of Arthur have been known to examine social issues. Most recently, this included a same-sex wedding in a 2019 episode between third-grade teacher Mr. Ratburn and Patrick the chocolatier, which led to boycotts from groups such as Alabama Public Television. Waugh has also worked on a number of other children’s shows, including Big and Small, Curious George, and Molly of Denali.

In an interview for the Finding DW podcast with Jason Szwimer, Waugh revealed that she felt PBS had made a mistake by canceling Arthur. She said that she would love the show to come back following its 25th season, which wrapped two years ago. She also revealed that she didn’t know PBS’s reasons for cancellation, unsure if it was due to viewer ratings or the age of the series. Read her full reaction below:

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, season 25 two years ago.

For those who grew up since the late nineties, Arthur was a staple of childhood television. It was known for its multi-faceted reflection on adolescence and often showed aspects of getting older and puberty that other animated series aimed at kids steered away from, such as sexuality and romance. Waugh’s claim that to her, the show “felt evergreen” was reflected in Arthur‘s scriptwriters’ abilities to change with the times and create a show that often responded to broader changes in the world even as the characters never got any older.

Given the lack of explanation, it’s possible that Waugh will seek to revive Arthur as fans across the world express their nostalgia for the series. Much like the more adult series The Simpsons, Arthur has often been praised for being ahead of its time in its approach to storylines about disabilities and diversity. It seems that Waugh had plenty of plans for the show’s future, but for now, it looks like the 25th season in 2022 will be Arthur‘s last.

Source: Finding DW

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Lillian Crawford
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Lillian Crawford (@lillcrawf) is a writer on all things film, culture and gender. Her musings can be found at Little White Lies, Girls on Tops, Sight & Sound, and BBC Culture.

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