The Rhythm and Roots of Arthur

"The Rhythm and Roots of Arthur" is a one-hour TV special that debuted on January 20, 2020 on PBS.

Synopsis
"Pack your bags, buckle your seatbelts, and get ready for an ARTHUR road trip to the family farm! Arthur's Great-Grand Uncle Theo is celebrating his 85th birthday, so the Reads (and Buster) are off to Ohio to join in the festivities. While D.W. and Arthur learn that farm life is a little different than life in Elwood City, Buster worries he may be getting in the way at this family reunion. With the help of Cousin Miles, some llamas, and a little bit of music, they all discover what it truly means to be family."

Major

 * Arthur Read
 * Buster Baxter
 * D.W. Read
 * Thora Read
 * David Read
 * Theodore Read
 * Ryder
 * Miles

Minor

 * Chrissy Read
 * Minnie Read
 * Bitzi Baxter
 * Jane Read
 * Kate Read
 * Cousin Jimmy
 * Lorraine
 * Laurie
 * Older woman
 * Pal
 * Bernice
 * Dora (llama)
 * Henry (rooster)

Cameo

 * Mr. Armstrong
 * Mrs. Armstrong
 * Molly MacDonald
 * Rattles
 * Slink
 * Marc Brown
 * Unnamed Stray Dog
 * Taxi driver

Mentioned

 * Dora Winifred Read
 * Uncle John
 * Bud Compson
 * Timmy and Tommy Tibble
 * Dark Bunny
 * Bionic Bunny
 * Daisy (skink)

Trivia

 * It is revealed that D.W. is named after Theo's sister.
 * Baby Laurie could be named after Marc Brown's wife, Laurie Krasny Brown.
 * The line "Didn't it feel like third grade went on forever?" references the show's time loop and how the characters do not get older.
 * The line "Hey Lorraine, this cousin is on some show called Arthur!" is a reference to Arthur itself.
 * An online game based on the special, titled "Moonlight Mazes," was released on January 8, 2020.
 * According to the credits, this episode was completed in 2019.

Episode connections

 * Buster's asthma from "Buster's Breathless" is mentioned.
 * Theo asks D.W. how she feels about spinach, and she reacts disgusted. D.W. is known to hate spinach from "D.W., the Picky Eater." However, she does like it in Little Bo Peep pot pie.
 * The raccoon finds Buster's bathing cap, originally seen in "D.W. All Wet."
 * Arthur and Buster previously saw a milk snake in Elwood City in "Hide and Snake."
 * There is a picture of young Thora holding Clarissa (from "Clarissa is Cracked") on the wall in the farm house.
 * When D.W. captures the lizard under a bowl, she says, "I hope I didn't hurt him," which is the same thing she says when she tries to find Toady in a tin can in "So Long, Spanky."
 * Fluff McGuffin returns from the special D.W. and the Beastly Birthday. D.W.'s Mary Moo Cow doll and unicorn (Uni) are from previous episodes as well.
 * Buster finding the bottle from Theo's childhood is similar to him finding the bottle of Grape cola in "Buster Baxter & the Letter from the Sea."
 * D.W. still has Rapty from when Bud leaves him behind while moving in "When Duty Calls."

Cultural references

 * During the "I'm Bored" song, signs for Highway 30 West and Highway 224 West are seen. These two routes meet near Van Wert, Ohio, which happens to be relatively close to Cridersville, Ohio. A sign for the Cridersville Fairgrounds is seen outside the medical clinic where Buster seeks treatment for his leg injury.

Errors

 * D.W.'s ear is incorrectly animated above her hat when she greets Minnie.
 * D.W. says that she does not know what a llama is, even though she acknowledges llamas on her birthday card in D.W. and the Beastly Birthday.

Production notes

 * This is the first Arthur production where the series director, Greg Bailey, has helped storyboard an episode or special.

Songs

 * "I'm Bored" (D.W. and David)
 * "I See You" (Miles and Buster)
 * "Home or Here" (Buster and D.W.)
 * "At This Table"