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| |titlecard = April 9th Title Card.png | | |titlecard = April 9th Title Card.png |
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| {{Cquote|And it was a beautiful day. I remember that too. Just a beautiful, normal day in early spring. So who would have thought that this day would change so many people?|Sue Ellen}}
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| "'''April 9th'''" is the two-part season finale of {{Arthur}}'s [[Arthur (season 7)|seventh season]]. | | "'''April 9th'''" is the two-part season finale of {{Arthur}}'s [[Arthur (season 7)|seventh season]]. |
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| *[[Mrs. Barnes]] | | *[[Mrs. Barnes]] |
| *[[Betsy]] | | *[[Betsy]] |
| *[[D.W. Read]] | | *[[D.W.]] |
| *[[Giraffe (Arthur's Nose)|Giraffe]] | | *[[Giraffe (Arthur's Nose)|Giraffe]] |
| *[[Bird (Arthur's Nose)|Bird]] | | *[[Bird (Arthur's Nose)|Bird]] |
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| ==Trivia== | | ==Trivia== |
| *This is the highest rated ''Arthur'' episode on IMDB with a 9/10 rating. | | *'''Moral:''' Don't overreact for your own benifits. |
| | *This is the first time the fire department plays a major role. |
| | *'''Timeline:''' Almost a month goes by during this episode, meaning several episodes that aired before and after April 9th occurred during this time frame, such as "[[Arthur the Wrecker]]", which could have taken place either right before the fire, or in the weeks after it, as Lakewood Elementary did not appear in that episode. In addition, the events of [[The Great MacGrady|"The Great MacGrady"]] would take place immediately after Lakewood Elementary reopened, as referenced by the calendar shown in that episode. The events of [[For Whom the Bell Tolls|"For Whom the Bell Tolls"]] would also happen at the tail end of the time frame. |
| | *The name of the moving company is [[Tolon's Moving]], a nod to the fact that [[Marc Brown]]'s [[Tolon Brown|son]]'s name and Marc Brown's own middle name is "Tolon." |
| | *Buster and Mr. Morris remain friends following this episode. They talk to each other on the phone in "[[Buster Isn't Buying It]]", and they reunite in the [[Postcards from Buster (episode)|''Postcards from Buster'']] episode "[[Alien Adventure]]". |
| *It is revealed that Mr. Morris is allergic to pollen, dander and peanuts. | | *It is revealed that Mr. Morris is allergic to pollen, dander and peanuts. |
| *This episode shows the second and third times a fire alarm goes off in a school. The first time was in "[[D.W. All Fired Up]]", when D.W.'s preschool had their first fire drill, and in this episode, one goes off in [[Lakewood Elementary School|Lakewood]] and the other goes off in [[Mighty Mountain Elementary School|Mighty Mountain]] (as a false alarm). | | *This episode shows the second and third times a fire alarm goes off in a school. The first time was in "[[D.W. All Fired Up]]", when D.W.'s preschool had their first fire drill, and in this episode, one goes off in [[Lakewood Elementary School|Lakewood]] and the other goes off in [[Mighty Mountain Elementary School|Mighty Mountain]] (as a false alarm). |
| *Despite the title saying April 9th, the episode actually aired on November 29, 2002 in the U.S. and February 5, 2003 in Canada. | | *Despite the title saying April 9th, the episode actually aired on November 29, 2002 in the U.S. and February 5, 2003 in Canada. |
| **While it's mostly uncertain, it is strongly implied that the episode's name is a reference to the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States which occurred about 1 year prior to the episode's airing, as many commonly refer to the tragic real-life event as "September 11th" or simply "9/11". Hijacked airplanes were deliberately flown into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon near Washington DC. A fourth plane, probably intended for the Capitol Building or the White House, crashed in rural Pennsylvania following a revolt against the hijackers by the passengers. These attacks killed thousands of people, injured tens of thousands more, traumatized an entire country, and would profoundly and negatively alter the course of human history for years to come.
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| *In 2015, the episode was made available freely on the official ''Arthur'' website as part of the resilience section of a feature titled [[Arthur family health]]. The episode can be watched [https://pbskids.org/arthur/health/resilience/episode.html here] It is also available on the PBS KIDS Video app and website. | | *In 2015, the episode was made available freely on the official ''Arthur'' website as part of the resilience section of a feature titled [[Arthur family health]]. The episode can be watched [https://pbskids.org/arthur/health/resilience/episode.html here] It is also available on the PBS KIDS Video app and website. |
| *Curiously enough, ''Sesame Street'', another long-running PBS show, had an episode titled ''Fire at Hooper's Store'' which shares almost the exact same plot as ''April 9th'', since both episodes were made to reflect on the 9/11 attacks by centering on a fire going on and the characters' reactions and trauma towards these incidents. However, unlike the aforementioned episode, ''April 9th'' takes place at a fire that is going on at a school, while ''Fire at Hooper's Store''takes place at a fire in a bakery known as Hooper's Store. Ironically, both ''Fire at Hooper's Store'' and ''April 9th'' aired in the year 2002. | | ===Cultural references=== |
| *This is the first time the fire department plays a major role.
| | *This episode is a response to the {{W|September 11 attacks}}. The story was designed to show how people deal with tragedies in different ways. |
| *The pirate in Arthur's dream telling him to not go in the water tank is a reference to the fire chief not allowing Arthur to go in the burning school.
| | *When Buster goes to deliver the flowers to Mr. Morris, there is an announcement over the intercom which calls 'Doctor Davis' and 'Doctor Blair.' The audio was taken from the Queensrÿche song 'I Remember Now' from their 1988 album, 'Operation: Mindcrime.' |
| *In the "[[And Now a Word from Us Kids]]" segment, a third grade class discusses fire safety and put information on the Arthur PBS website, however the link no longer exists. | | *In the "[[And Now a Word from Us Kids]]" segment, a third grade class discusses fire safety and put information on the Arthur PBS website, however the link no longer exists. |
| *Beginning in spring 2024, as part of a partnership with Bridge Multimedia, as well as funding provided by the US Department of Education (US-DOE), this and a few other popular episodes of the ''Arthur'' series were rereleased with the addition of an American Sign Language interpreter on screen, allowing individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to fully immerse themselves in the program. Interpretation was also provided to a variety of other popular ''Arthur'' episodes, the full list can be viewed [[List of Episodes With American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation|here]]. | | ===Episode connections=== |
| *'''Sue Ellen's diary entries:'''
| | *Despite it being referred to as a journal in this episode, Sue Ellen's diary is shown to be exactly the same titular book seen earlier in "[[Sue Ellen's Lost Diary]]." |
| **Boxing and Kicking
| | *Buster remembers having asthma since "[[Buster's Breathless]]." |
| **April 16, 2002- There is nothing better to do than to have fun with [[Fern|a friend]]
| | *This episode is the second time Mr. Morris injures his leg; the other was "[[The Half-Baked Sale]]." |
| **A cake
| | *There are several references to "[[D.W. All Fired Up]]" in this episode — most notably the enforcement of fire safety. |
| **A {{W|Bolivia}} poster
| | *In season 7, a villain named Kodo is a rabbit who tricks Bionic Bunny to save her kitten, this event occurs again in this episode. |
| *'''Foreshadowing:''' When someone pulled the fire alarm they had Binky's sleeves.
| | *This is the second time a sibling in the Read family dreams about a cephalopod eating a member of the Read family. Arthur dreams that his dad is eaten by a squid. D.W. dreams about an octopus eating Arthur in "[[D.W. All Wet (episode)|D.W. All Wet]]." |
| *'''4th Wall Break:''' The name of the moving company is [[Tolon's Moving]], a nod to the fact that [[Marc Brown]]'s [[Tolon Brown|son]]'s name and Marc Brown's own middle name is "Tolon."
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| *'''Moral:''' It's the parents job to worry about her/his kids, not the other way around.
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| *'''Karma:''' Binky made a false alarm, so he got caught.
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| *'''Timeline:'''
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| **Buster remembers having asthma since "[[Buster's Breathless]]."
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| **Almost a month goes by during this episode, meaning several episodes that aired before and after April 9th occurred during this time frame, such as "[[Arthur the Wrecker]]", which could have taken place either right before the fire, or in the weeks after it, as Lakewood Elementary did not appear in that episode. In addition, the events of [[The Great MacGrady|"The Great MacGrady"]] would take place immediately after Lakewood Elementary reopened, as referenced by the calendar shown in that episode. The events of [[For Whom the Bell Tolls|"For Whom the Bell Tolls"]] would also happen at the tail end of the time frame. | |
| **Buster and Mr. Morris remain friends following this episode. They talk to each other on the phone in "[[Buster Isn't Buying It]]", and they reunite in the [[Postcards from Buster (episode)|''Postcards from Buster'']] episode "[[Alien Adventure]]". | |
| *Many characters in this episode show symptoms of {{w|post-traumatic stress disorder}}, or PTSD, following the fire. Arthur, who came close to losing his father in the fire, has a vivid nightmare where his father is in danger and he's powerless to help. Binky, when watching an episode of Bionic Bunny where he encounters [[Hothead|a fire-themed villain]], experiences a panic attack and flees the room. | |
| *According to what David Read heard from the fire chief, sparks from faulty electrical wiring were the likely cause of the fire.
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| ===Errors=== | | ===Errors=== |
| *Right before the title card, Mr. Ratburn's class is walking out of the building, but Francine and Brain are not with them. | | *Right before the title card, Mr. Ratburn's class is walking out of the building, but Francine and Brain are not with them. |
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| *When the kids start walking into Mighty Mountain, Hothead can be see among them. | | *When the kids start walking into Mighty Mountain, Hothead can be see among them. |
| *Hothead's hand is layered on top of Fireball for a split second before her arm is there too. | | *Hothead's hand is layered on top of Fireball for a split second before her arm is there too. |
| ===Production Notes===
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| *Early airings did not have the "Stay tuned" title.{{cite}}
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| * In the "[[And Now a Word from Us Kids]]" segment, a third grade class discusses fire safety and put information on the ''Arthur'' PBS website. This page has since been deleted from the website, but is still referenced on current reruns.
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| *This is the last episode in which Andrew Porporino is the executive producer.
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| *This is the last episode where Lesley Taylor and Pierre Valette are producers.
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| *This is the last episode in which Mark Lague is the background design supervisor.
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| *This is the last episode in which Goran Panic is the background designer.
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| *This is the last episode in which Wayne Millett is the background design supervisor.
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| *This is the last episode in which Robert Waldren is the assistant director.
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| *This is the last episode in which Travis Williams is the script coordinator.
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| *This is the last episode in which Luc Gagnon is the layout coordinator.
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| *This is the last episode in which Érik Jenkevice is the production assistant.
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| *This is the last episode in which Julie Pelletier is the post-production supervisor.
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| *This is the last episode in which Marc Léveillé is the sound effects editor.
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| *This is the last episode in which Kelly Kincaid is the dialogue editor.
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| *This is the last episode in which Sylvie Lagimonière is the assistant dialogue editor.
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| *This is the last episode in which Lise Wedlock is the foley artist.
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| *This is the last episode where Stéphane Bergeron and Rob Crang are recording engineers.
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| *This is the last episode in which Katherine Poirier is the assistant engineer.
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| *This is the last episode where Luc Béliveau and Martin Celestino are video editors.
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| *This is the last episode in which Julie Campeau is the video assistant.
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| ===Cultural references===
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| *The episode is simliar to [https://dharmann.fandom.com/wiki/KID_PULLS_Fire_Alarm_To_SKIP_TEST,_He_Lives_To_Regret_It KID PULLS Fire Alarm To SKIP TEST, He Lives To Regret It] from Dhar Mann.
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| ** However, the only difference is that Binky's punishment is to do community service while Mikey is in jail for 1 year (and/or has to trade a $1,000).
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| *Mr. Morris mentions {{w|Zydeco records}}. Zydeco music prominently features accordions.
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| *Mr. Morris also mentions Roswell, the "capital of alien sightings".
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| *Buster plays "Oh My Darling, Clementine".
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| *There is a poster of Simon & Garfunkel in David's childhood bedroom.
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| *This episode is similar to ''The Smurfs'' episode FireFighting Smurfs which is also about Fire Safety.
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| **The episode's plot bears a heavy resemblance to the ''Sesame Street'' episode Fire at Hooper's Store since both episodes deal with a fire going on to reflect on the September 11 attacks prior to their releases. Ironically, both ''Arthur'' and ''Sesame Street'' are long-running PBS kids shows.
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| *This episode is a response to the {{W|September 11 attacks}}. The story was designed to show how people deal with tragedies in different ways.
| |
| *When Buster goes to deliver the flowers to Mr. Morris, there is an announcement over the intercom which calls 'Doctor Davis' and 'Doctor Blair.' The audio was taken from the Queensrÿche song 'I Remember Now' from their 1988 album, 'Operation: Mindcrime.'
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| *Sue Ellen's quote at the top of the page, noting the irony of how something so terrible could happen on such a beautiful day, is possibly a reference to how people recount their experiences on 9/11 - like the April 9th school fire, 9/11 happened, in real life, on a sunny, cloudless day. A common theme in retellings of 9/11 is to draw a contrast between this otherwise pleasant weather, and the horror of the attack itself.
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| ===Episode connections===
| |
| *Despite it being referred to as a journal in this episode, Sue Ellen's diary is shown to be exactly the same titular book seen earlier in "[[Sue Ellen's Lost Diary]]."
| |
| *This episode is the second time Mr. Morris injures his leg; the other was "[[The Half-Baked Sale]]."
| |
| *There are several references to "[[D.W. All Fired Up]]" in this episode — most notably the enforcement of fire safety.
| |
| *In season 7, a villain named Kodo is a rabbit who tricks Bionic Bunny to save her kitten, this event occurs again in this episode.
| |
| *This is the second time a sibling in the Read family dreams about a cephalopod eating a member of the Read family. Arthur dreams that his dad is eaten by a squid. D.W. dreams about an octopus eating Arthur in "[[D.W. All Wet (episode)|D.W. All Wet]]."
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| == Home Video == | | == Home Video == |
| *'''DVD:'''
| | '''DVD:''' |
| **[[Sleepovers, Sports and More|Arthur: Sleepovers, Sports and More]]
| | * [[Sleepovers, Sports and More|Arthur: Sleepovers, Sports and More]] |
| **[[Believe in Yourself!]]
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| ==Gallery== | | ==Gallery== |
| {{Main|April 9th/Gallery}} | | {{Main|April 9th/Gallery}} |
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| | ==External links== |
| | *[http://www.pbs.org/parents/arthur/resources/parentguides/safe.story.html?cat=index.en Read-Aloud Story based on the episode] |
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| ==References== | | ==References== |
