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Arthur (TV series)
| This article is about the series. You may be looking for the character. |
Arthur is a book series originally created by Marc Brown since 1976, which later became adapted into a TV Series in 1996 on PBS.
Animated Series
Arthur is an animated series that airs daily on PBS Kids. Aimed at viewers between the ages of four and eight, Arthur's goal is to help foster an interest in reading and writing and to encourage positive social skills. Based on the children's books by Marc Brown, Arthur premiered in 1996 as one of the first ongoing animated programs based on a book series. It is the second-longest animated TV Show, behind The Simpsons.The show chronicles the adventures of Arthur (an eight-year-old aardvark) through engaging, emotional stories that explore issues faced by real kids. It is a comedy that tells these stories from a kid's point of view without moralizing or talking down. Situations on Arthur develop in realistic ways, and don't always turn out as we – or Arthur and his friends – might think.
As of the sixteenth season, PBSKids airings are broadcast in widescreen high-definition where available, though this option had been available in some non-U.S. markets for at least a couple of previous seasons.
In Context to the Storyworld Itself
The characters in Arthur seem to be aware of the fact that they're on TV. For example, in many opening scenes Arthur narrates to the audience.
Characters have referred to members of the cast and crew in Arthur, such as Buster saying, "Roll the tape, Greg!" in Crushed, referring to Greg Bailey, the director of Arthur.
Likewise, music from the series is known by the characters. In Breezy Listening Blues, Arthur hears a slowed down version of Believe in Yourself and says, "I've heard this somewhere." In D.W., Dancing Queen, Binky quotes lines from the same song. When D.W. asks if he made it up, Binky replies, "No, I heard it somewhere. But I can't remember where."
At the end of The Making of Arthur, the series goes so far as to suggest that Matt Damon and Arthur made began the series after Matt saw Arthur's one minute video. This creates a paradox in which the creator's work is creating itself.
Trivia
- Season 1 aired September 2,1996 to June 2,1997, Season 2 aired September 22, 1997 to May 25, 1998, Season 3 aired September 21, 1998 to May 31,1999, Season 4 aired September 6 ,1999 to November 8, 1999,Season 5 aired September 4, 2000 to November 6, 2000. Season 6 aired September 24, 2001 to November 26, 2001 , Season 7 aired October 8 2002 to November 29, 2002 and Season 8 aired September 15, 2003 to December 26, 2003. Season 9 aired December 27, 2004 to April 8, 2005, Season 10 aired May 15 ,2006 to May 26 , 2006, Season 11 aired June 25, 2007 to September 7, 2007 , Season 12 aired October 6, 2008 to April 24, 2009. Season 13 aired October 19 , 2009 to April 9, 2010, Season 14 aired October 11, 2010 to April 28,2011 and Season 15 aired October 10, 2011 to June 15, 2012. Season 16 started airing at October 15, 2012.
