PBS Arthur shows the kids all grown up in finale

The long-running PBS kids animated series Arthur has concluded this week after twenty-five seasons.  In the series finale,  titled All Grown Up, Arthur and his Elwood City friends have become adults with careers. Even with their busy lives, the group still holds their close connection at their favorite hangout, The Sugar Bowl.

Arthur first graced the small screens back in 1996 (Just how old are we?) with its fun, yet educational themes of acceptance, childhood dilemmas, and kindness, the show became a hit for PBS, for both its younger audiences and adults alike.  Creator and Arthur author and illustrator Marc Brown first introduced Arthur in the 1970s with a series of children’s books that was inspired by his childhood and the stories that his grandmother Thora shared.

In an interview with Variety, Brown reflects on the legacy of Arthur as well as being a part of everyone’s childhood and the art behind the aardvark.

In one instance, Arthur and its settings have a Black community influence. But Brown doesn’t see Arthur as a particular race or origin, as he was designed to reflect every child and their lifestyles.  However, that doesn’t mean that race is invisible on the show. The Kwanzaa-the African harvesting holiday- has been intertwined with one of Arthur’s friends, Brian.  And at the peak of the BLM movements in 2020, PBS and Brown released a short titled Arthur on Racism, which taught children the importance of anti-racism and that speaking about acceptance in all and how to stop racism is vital.

But Brown is proud of the way kids approach him and are thrilled to see Arthur as Black because, at the end of the [wonderful] day, that is Arthur’s goal: to include everyone and feel accepting of who they are.

"You know, I myself didn’t really put a race on Arthur. That would be my honest answer. But like I said, I love the fact that I can walk into a school in Harlem and talk to the kids, and they all think he’s Black. And we don’t have to really discuss it. It’s just there. I hear it all the time, and I love it."

Another topic covered in the longest aired children’s series is the LGBTQ alliance.  In the season 22nd premiere, titled “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone”, Arthur and his classmates discover that their third-grade teacher, Mr. Ratburn will be getting married.  They’re invited to the wedding, naturally, and soon find out that his new husband is the owner of the chocolate shop.  Officiating the nuptials was Mr. Ratburn’s sister, whose voice was done by Jane Lynch.

The episode won a Television Critics Choice Award which Brown stated as ‘wonderful.’

These are just samples of some of the groundbreaking storylines that Arthur offered over the years.

Now twenty-five years later and over 400 episodes, we see a whole new side to Arthur and his friends but still hold the same charm that viewers know and love.

Let’s begin with the show’s bespectacled mascot of the same name, Arthur Read.

Arthur is now a graphic novelist and is seen leafing through one of his books.  His road to choosing this profession came from his creator, Marc Brown, who made an appearance as himself in the finale (he’s also the show’s exec producer).  Arthur’s original voice actor, Michael Yarmush (seasons 1-5), returned to commemorate the episode as his adult voice.

Buster Baxter, Arthur’s rabbit friend, is now a teacher at their old elementary school, Lakewood Elementary.

Francine Frensky, the tomboy, is now the CEO of a sneakers company.  And just look at the cool new do she’s rocking!

Muffy Crosswire, the wealthy one, is running for mayor of Elwood City.

D.W., Arthur’s precocious baby sister, is now a policewoman specializing in traffic ordinance.

Binky Barnes, the sometimes schoolyard troublemaker, is now a meteorologist.

And last but not least, George Lundgren, the antlered one, now owns The Sugar Bowl.

Even though the show has ended and many are in tears, Arthur will still be available to watch on the PBS Kids App and Youtube.  And according to Brown, there will be new Arthur content such as podcasts, shorts, and specials with PBS.

Most importantly, Arthur was not just an aardvark, but an individual that can teach us to be better versions of ourselves, with the hopes that it will continue in the future.

The entire finale can be streamed right on Youtube.

What are your Arthur memories?  Are you sad that the show has ended?  Are the careers chosen right for him and his friends?  Let us know in the comments.