How The Classic Cartoon “Arthur” Changed TV For Children

pololia - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
pololia - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

As a young woman in my 20s, I feel like I grew up with some of the best children’s television shows. Iconic characters like SpongeBob, Hannah Montana, and Barney were always on my TV and shaped who I was growing up to be. 

One children’s animated series from the late 90s has been getting lots of love recently as young adults reflect on how special it really was – Arthur!

The show surrounding the famous aardvark with glasses and his friends and family has been a beloved PBS classic since 1996.

Although its final episode was played last year, it proudly aired for 25 seasons, making it the longest-running animated kid’s show in U.S. history. 

What sets Arthur apart from other children’s shows is how it still remains relevant today among older generations.

You may have seen clips of the show on TikTok, particularly of Arthur’s sassy little sister, DW, and some of her most hilarious lines containing humor that even 30-year-olds still find funny. 

Most viewers account the show’s great success to its humor. In addition, the series managed to create episodes that could be relatable to both children and adults, something that is becoming clearer to former lovers of the show each day.

Take Arthur’s relationship with his sister, for instance. Some argue that it is one of the most realistic examples of how young siblings interact with each other, as presented in a kid’s series.

Each character has a set of one-liners that have people laughing at any age. Who could forget when Arthur said to DW, “A lonely child is what you’re gonna be when I sell you?” or when DW said to Arthur’s best friend Francine, “Why don’t you go back to your own house and stop bothering us?”

pololia – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

Besides its humor, Arthur was a show with a lot of heart. The series took on a variety of serious and heavy topics, like natural disasters, banned books, internet safety, trauma, and more. The show’s executive producer, Carol Greenwald, credits its success to its ability to teach children about important matters in an accessible way. 

“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,” she wrote in a public statement. 

Although tons of children’s shows have long-lasting impacts, Arthur was certainly one of a kind.

What was your favorite Arthur episode? 

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