The Lousy Week

The Lousy Week is the first half of the 5th episode of Arthur's fifth season. Together with "You Are Arthur", it first aired on October 2, 2000. It was written by Peter K. Hirsch and the storyboards were done by Stephanie Gignac and Patricia Atchison.

Premise
When Muffy gets hair lice, she is nervous about how her friends will feel. However, it ends up spreading to everyone at school, forcing the students and staff to be checked everyday and instead of doing homework, are forced to stay up late and have their parents take out nits from their hair. Sue Ellen is Now Cameo.

Plot
Muffy has been itchy on her head, but tells Francine it cannot be lice. Later, she is at the nurse and is sent home because she has lice. There are various scenes of lice looking like military. At a school assembly later, Muffy's hat that she left at school is passed around as the children try it on, so nearly everyone has lice. Binky at first is excited to watch T.V. while his mother picks nits out of his hair, but soon notices that it is not fun at all. Muffy cries and is horrified, saying that "only dirty people get lice". Meanwhile, Buster doesn't have lice because his head is too disgusting. Arthur and his family wear mayo on their heads. Eventually, the lice die.

Trivia
doesn't rhyme with lice.
 * The Salon de Beauté that previously appeared in Francine's Bad Hair Day is briefly seen where Muffy and Francine get their hairs buzzed off to eliminate the lice. However, Flossie did not appear in this episode.
 * Francine and Muffy had their hairs buzzed off for lice elimination, but in all later shorts, they still have their long hairs.
 * Muffy states that she and Francine would look like boy models for having their hairs buzzed very short. However, this isn't true, because buzzed haircuts are fairly common among females, and that long hair is not just for females either.
 * D.W. said that she did not have "mice" as a different word that

Home Video
VHS:
 * Arthur Goes to the Doctor

DVD:
 * Arthur Goes to the Doctor