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Difference between revisions of "The Great MacGrady (Season 13 episode)"

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{{EpisodeBan|The Great MacGrady|following the Lance Armstrong doping case}}
{{Youmay|the Season 13 episode|[[The Great MacGrady (Season 24 episode)|the Season 24 episode of the same name]]}}
{{Episode infobox
{{Episode infobox
|ep. name= The Great MacGrady
|ep. name= The Great MacGrady
|image= The Great MacGrady.JPG
|image= The Great MacGrady.JPG
|season= [[Season 13|13]]
|season= [[Season 13|13]]
|airdate=
|prod. code= 1301
|prod. code= 1301
|prev. episode= [[D.W.'s Furry Freak-out]]
|prev. episode= [[D.W.'s Furry Freak-out]]
Line 10: Line 11:
|storyboarders = [[Zhigang Wang]]|number = 1|titlecard = TGM Title Card.JPG|us = October 19, 2009<ref>http://www.ket.org/episode/ARUR%20%20001301</ref>
|storyboarders = [[Zhigang Wang]]|number = 1|titlecard = TGM Title Card.JPG|us = October 19, 2009<ref>http://www.ket.org/episode/ARUR%20%20001301</ref>
|can = May 7, 2010<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120413104003/http://ww3.tvo.org/program/157024/arthur</ref>|uk = March 1, 2010 <ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/formats/animation/schedules/2010/03/01</ref>
|can = May 7, 2010<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120413104003/http://ww3.tvo.org/program/157024/arthur</ref>|uk = March 1, 2010 <ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/formats/animation/schedules/2010/03/01</ref>
}}
}}{{EpisodeHeader||1|13}}
{{EpisodeHeader||1|13}}
==Summary==
==Summary==
When [[Leah MacGrady|Mrs. MacGrady]] is diagnosed with cancer, Arthur and his friends behave differently to the news - Arthur and D.W. rush to her side with heaps of chicken soup and stuffed animals, Muffy tries to pretend that nothing in her life has changed, and Francine is so upset that she can't even bring herself to visit Mrs. MacGrady.
When [[Leah MacGrady|Mrs. MacGrady]] is diagnosed with cancer, [[Arthur Read|Arthur]] and his friends behave differently to the news - Arthur and [[D.W. Read|D.W.]] rush to her side with heaps of chicken soup and stuffed animals, [[Muffy Crosswire|Muffy]] tries to pretend that nothing in her life has changed, and [[Francine Frensky|Francine]] is so upset that she can't even bring herself to visit Mrs. MacGrady.


==Plot==
==Plot==
Everyone loves [[Leah MacGrady|Mrs. MacGrady]], the school's cook for the cafeteria, with her warm friendly ways and her excellent cooking. Until one day, while Buster was keeping record for the school lunch and was making prediction for that day's lunch menu, he and his friends noticed that she did not show up for school, and her nephew, Skip Bitterman is the substitute chef. Skip was completely devoid of any culinary skills; the lunches became so appalling that the students could not even eat them. After about a week without Mrs. MacGrady, [[Nigel Ratburn|Mr. Ratburn]] announces that she won't be returning for a while, because she has cancer.
Everyone loves [[Leah MacGrady|Mrs. MacGrady]], the school's cook for the cafeteria, with her warm friendly ways and her excellent cooking. Until one day, while Buster is keeping record for the school lunch and making predictions for that day's lunch menu in his school lunch almanac, he and his friends observe that she did not come to school, and her nephew, Skip Bitterman is the substitute chef. Skip is completely devoid of any culinary skills; the lunches became so appalling that the students cannot even eat them. After about a week without Mrs. MacGrady, [[Nigel Ratburn|Mr. Ratburn]] reveals the shocking news that she is on leave because she has cancer.


Later that day, [[Francine Frensky|Francine]] and [[Muffy Crosswire|Muffy]] are at the [[Mill Creek Mall]] looking for a birthday present for Muffy's father [[Ed Crosswire]]. While looking at ties, Muffy asks Francine which tie she should get for her dad, but Francine ignores Muffy, and sadly sits in a chair. Muffy asks why Francine is behaving that way. Francine said she doesn't feel like shopping as she is still thinking about Mrs. McGrady having cancer, and informs Muffy that some people don't recover from the illness as her grandfather died from cancer. Francine returns home, after Muffy asked another question about her father's birthday present.
The students all react differently to the news: Muffy does not entirely grasp the situation and stays optimistic while she shops for her father's birthday presents. Francine, who lost her grandfather to cancer, starts acting out in various ways, including intentionally losing a soccer game because it won't make Mrs. MacGrady feel any better. Arthur and D.W. pay Mrs. MacGrady a visit, bringing some homemade chicken soup and learning a bit about the illness from her. They promise to visit her every day with further gifts.


Meanwhile, [[Arthur Read|Arthur]] and [[D.W. Read|D.W.]] make a house visit to Mrs. MacGrady, and bring her some home made chicken soup. She assures a worried D.W. that cancer is not contagious. Arthur and D.W. come by everyday and bring surprises for Mrs. MacGrady.
At Mr. Crosswire's birthday, Muffy laments about Francine being too sad to help her shop for a proper gift. Her father explains that Francine is just upset about Mrs. MacGrady's illness and encourages her to visit Mrs. MacGrady and maybe bring her a care package.


During the soccer game, Francine was not feeling any better and let the opponent win the match, as according to her, winning the game won't help Mrs. MacGrady's cancer go away any faster. Francine later left the soccer field angrily because she was so worried about Mrs. MacGrady and even refused to attend Mr. Crosswire's birthday dinner.
Francine stays home after having a nightmare that Mrs. MacGrady will never return to work. After school she is visited by Binky and Buster, who are planning to bring gifts to Mrs. MacGrady. Francine declines, but before they leave Binky tries to cheer her up by giving her Lance Armstrong's email address, which [[Room to Ride|he got during the Elwood City Bike-A-Thon]]. He tells her about Lance's struggles with cancer and eventual recovery, and encourages her to reach out to him. Francine reluctantly does so, but to her and her friends' surprise he writes back and offers to meet with her when he visits Elwood City the following week. Muffy, who is planning on visiting Mrs. MacGrady, offers to bring Francine along so she can share the news, but Francine again refuses to visit.


On Mr. Crosswire's birthday, while [[Bailey]] gives Mr. Crosswire a DVD, Muffy gives him a card and tie. She tells her father it would have been from Francine as well, but was too sad to help. Mr. Crosswire tells Muffy that Francine is just upset due to Mrs. MacGrady's illness. He also tells her that maybe she should go help Mrs. MacGrady around the house and bring her a care package.
Muffy arrives just as Arthur and D.W. deliver more gifts to Mrs. MacGrady, including more jars of soup and a giant stuffed bear. Muffy compliments Mrs. MacGrady's bandana, only to learn Mrs. MacGrady is wearing it as she has lost her hair from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemotherapy Chemotherapy] treatment. After Arthur and D.W. leave, Muffy takes a moment to talk with Mrs. MacGrady, who assures her that she intends to get better.


Francine had a nightmare that night where she dreamt about Mrs. MacGrady leaving School after she picked up her stuff, saying that she is sick and needed an easier job. After she woke up, she decided to stay home for the day after her parents were worried about her and about her nightmare.
Lance arrives in Elwood City and goes for a bike ride with Francine, and talks to her about how he got through his cancer diagnosis through medicine and the support of his friends. Francine gets the idea to hold a "Pedal For A Cure" bike race to raise money for cancer research. She gets the help of her friends to promote it. Muffy encourages her to tell Mrs. MacGrady about it, but Francine still shows reluctance to see her.


While at home, she met Binky and Buster after school just right in front of her house where she was playing with her pet [[Nemo]]. Both asked her if she would like to visit Mrs. MacGrady's house, while they are also planning on bringing her some vegetables and a rock. Before they left and before Francine chose to visit her, Binky gave her Lance Armstrong's e-mail address, where he got it from Lance at the Bike-A-Thon. He told her about Lance's cancer journey. Binky suggested her to write Lance an e-mail. She refused at first but chose to write to him and wrote him an e-mail message.
Muffy returns to Mrs. MacGrady's house just as her sister [[Martha]] is taking her to the doctor's office. Noticing the state of the house, she offers to clean the dishes while they are gone but has trouble doing so. When Arthur and D.W. arrive with more gifts, they pitch in and clean up the entire house, leaving a note for Mrs. MacGrady when she returns assuring her that they are her "support team."


The next day at school, while the students still have complaints about the food in the cafeteria, Francine received the letter from Lance Armstrong. Her friends were surprised when they heard it. Muffy immediately went shopping after school with Francine to buy her a dress so she would be suitable to meet Lance. Muffy asked Francine if she would like to visit Mrs. MacGrady. Francine refused and was afraid to visit her.
The "Pedal For A Cure" is a huge success, with a massive turnout. At the finish line, Francine is greeted by Mrs. MacGrady and apologizes for not visiting her previously. Mrs. MacGrady assures her she understands, remarking it can be frightening to see someone you care about when they are sick.


Arthur and D.W. arrived at Mrs. MacGrady's house and gave her more jars for soup and even a big furry bear. Muffy soon arrives and joined them. Muffy asks Mrs. MacGrady about a bandanna on Mrs. MacGrady's head. Mrs. MacGrady tells them that it's a scarf, and due to her treatments (likely [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemotherapy Chemotherapy]), she has no hair, and has chosen to keep a special scarf on her head. After Arthur and D.W. left her house, Muffy had a little more conversation with Mrs. MacGrady about her cancer and a bandanna.
After more than a month of Skip Bitterman's terrible foods, Buster and the rest of the students almost start a revolt. Their uprising is thwarted by the return of Mrs. MacGrady, who is not quite cancer-free yet but is healthy enough to return to work. Buster corrects his school lunch almanac with a prediction that the food will be unknown, but will taste great.
 
About a week later, Lance came to Francine's house and soon they went for a bike ride, after she changed into her normal clothes, as she was wearing a dress. While they were taking the rest during biking, he told her the stories about the time when he had cancer.
 
Francine decided to hold a bike race "Pedal for a cure" to raise money for cancer. Some of the other students helped too besides participating in a race, where Prunella is knitting a scarf for Mrs. MacGrady and George is helping out with the gardening. Francine had some help from her friends to spread out the word about the race and a lot of students signed up for it. After school, Muffy asked Francine if Francine would like to visit Mrs. MacGrady. Francine was still afraid to visit her and said that she still have more flyers to pass out.
 
When Muffy arrives at Mrs. MacGrady's house, Mrs. MacGrady introduce Muffy to her sister, [[Martha]], before Mrs. MacGrady and her sister left. While Muffy was still trying to clean dishes, Arthur and D.W. arrived. She later tells them that they may be giving Mrs. MacGrady too many things. D.W. says that they're just trying to help. Muffy tells them that there is a different way they can help. The three clean Mrs. MacGrady's house and dishes. Before they left Mrs. MacGrady's house, they left the note for Mrs. MacGrady, before she comes back home.
 
On the race day, Lance Armstrong and Francine and the other bikers were at the starting line to race. Francine rides her bike really fast, down the race track, to the finish line, where Mrs. MacGrady is waiting for her. Francine apologizes for not coming to see her, and Mrs. MacGrady accepts her apology. She later has Francine wash her hands, and gives her a big hug.
 
More than a month later at school ever since Mrs. MacGrady was still absent, the lunches are still disgusting to the students, even [[Buster Baxter|Buster]] complains. Mrs. MacGrady shows up later , and is presumably not cancer-free, but is healthy enough to work.


==Characters==
==Characters==
Line 82: Line 72:
*[[Nemo]]
*[[Nemo]]
*[[3rd Grade Female Bear (Number 3)]]
*[[3rd Grade Female Bear (Number 3)]]
===Flashbacks===
===Flashbacks===
*[[Molly MacDonald]]
*[[Molly MacDonald]]
Line 88: Line 77:
===Mentioned===
===Mentioned===
*[[Prunella Deegan]]
*[[Prunella Deegan]]
*[[Chip Crosswire]]
==Controversy==
This episode was pulled from the rerun rotation in the United States following the {{W|Lance Armstrong doping case}}. The last national airing of this episode on PBS was on August 20, 2012, four days before Armstrong was charged.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20180619130604/https://www.ket.org/episode/ARUR%20%20001301/</ref> Local airings remained possible afterward, but only if a local PBS station opted to air ''Arthur'' reruns on an independent rotation as opposed to the national one (which is no longer the case on any known PBS stations as of the 2020s).
Despite its removal from television broadcast, it remains available on most streaming platforms and digital download stores, like Google Play Store, Microsoft Store, YouTube Premium, and iTunes Australia. In late 2021, it was removed from iTunes and Amazon. It is the only episode to be missing from iTunes (from the seasons offered on that service), and is one of only two half-hours in the entire series to not be available on Amazon (the other being "[[It's a No-Brainer]]/[[The Shore Thing]]" from Season 5). One can still stream this episode on Amazon or re-download it from the iTunes store if they purchased the episode before its removal.
Ultimately, the episode was [[The Great MacGrady (Season 24 episode)|revised]], substituting all references to Lance Armstrong with [[Uncle Slam]], an in-universe professional wrestler. The new version was released in 2021 as part of [[Season 24]]. Some TV providers erroneously list airings of the Season 24 version as the Season 13 episode.
The exact reason for these restrictions has never been officially stated. Given the fact that the new revised episode is essentially the same plot as the original (except for the Armstrong references), it can be inferred that the real-world controversy surrounding Armstrong is what led PBS to demote the episode. In addition, "[[Binky vs. Binky]]/[[Operation: D.W.!]]" and "[[Room to Ride]]/[[The Frensky Family Fiasco]]" have also been eliminated from the national broadcast schedule on PBS, due to their references to Armstrong. However, these episodes remain available on iTunes and Amazon as of 2022.


For an unknown reason, starting in May 2022, the episode is now available on the ''Arthur'' website and PBS Kids video app.
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*The A Word from Us Kids interstitial is shown at the end of the episode, instead of between the two parts.
*In the beginning of the intro, a look-alike of Mrs. Powers is seen walking in the hallway.
*When Francine travels to the rainforest, the first arrow on the map is roughly in the area of southern New York state. 8499 km (5281 miles) is a realistic estimate for the journey from New York to the Amazon basin.
*This episode holds the distinction of being the first time that a PBS Kids show has openly addressed the topic of cancer. Other animated children's works have also done so: the Peanuts special Why, Charlie Brown, Why? in 1990, the twelfth episode of the Ojamajo Doremi anime's OVA series Naisho in 2004, and the Doc McStuffins episode Hannah the Brave in 2017.
*D.W. is wearing a surgical mask in this episode. Her brother Arthur wore one in "[[My Dad, the Garbage Man]]," "[[Hic or Treat]]," and "[[Vomitrocious]]" and [[David Read|their father]] wore one in "[[Operation: D.W.!]]". 
*D.W. is wearing a surgical mask in this episode. Her brother Arthur wore one in "[[My Dad, the Garbage Man]]," "[[Hic or Treat]]," and "[[Vomitrocious]]" and [[David Read|their father]] wore one in "[[Operation: D.W.!]]". 
*In the beginning of the intro, a look-alike of [[Mrs. Powers]] is seen walking in the hallway.
*In the beginning of the intro, a look-alike of [[Mrs. Powers]] is seen walking in the hallway.
*This was Lance Armstrong's second appearance on ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]''.
*This was Lance Armstrong's second appearance on ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]''.
*The episode was inspired by [[Leah Ryan]], after she became diagnosed with cancer and it was later dedicated to her.
*The episode was inspired by [[Leah Ryan]], after she became diagnosed with cancer, and it was later dedicated to her. This is also the final episode written by her.
 
**As a nod to Ryan, Mrs. MacGrady's first name is given as "Leah," after she was previously referred to as "Sarah" in Seasons 1–12.
===Episode Connections===
*In the opening scene when the lunch bell rings, the bell sound effect used for Lakewood Elementary School's bells in Seasons 1-7 (a BBC sound effect) gets used, rather than the school bell sound effects from Hollywood Edge's "Premiere Edition" sound effects library used since Season 10 (which is used in the same scene in the Season 24 remake of this episode).
* There was a couple flashbacks from [[Arthur - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll]].
===Production notes===
 
*By U.S. airing order, this episode swapped with No Acting, Please/Prunella and the Disappointing Ending. Because of this, most sites list The Great MacGrady as the fifth episode of Season 13.
*In the end of the U.S. version of this episode, it mourns the death of Leah Ryan before moving to "Special Apperance by Lance Armstrong" However, this is removed in the international markets and only contains Lance Armstrong's guest apperance.
*In Francine's dream, Mrs. MacGrady was going to walk into light at the end of the hallway.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20140212063924/http://elwoodcitycentral.createaforum.com/arthur-characters/arthur-character-model/msg872/</ref> This was decided to be "too much" for kids, so a green wall was placed over the light effects.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20140212062055/http://elwoodcitycentral.createaforum.com/arthur-characters/arthur-character-model/msg895/#msg895</ref>
*In an activity booklet from [[WGBH]] and LiveSTRONG, the story from this episode is included. In this adaptation, Lance Armstrong is omitted and the story is revised with [[Harry Mills]] as a cancer survivor.<ref>http://www.scholastic.com/livestrong/pdfs/WGBH_LiveSTRONG_Arthur_booklet_ENG-Final.pdf</ref>
*According to the [[Leah Ryan]] page she died from cancer in June 12 2008 meaning this episode was produced in June 12 2008.
===Errors===
===Errors===
*In the soccer game, Francine was goalie, although she is the star forward of the team.
*In the soccer game, Francine plays goalie, although she is the star forward of the team.
*When D.W. is shoving the supposedly stuffed polar bear toy, Chilly Billy, through the doorway and drops him on the floor, he winces and closes his eyes as though he were alive.
*When D.W. is shoving the supposedly stuffed polar bear toy, Chilly Billy, through the doorway and drops him on the floor, he winces and closes his eyes as though he were alive.
*For a brief moment near the beginning of the second half of the episode, [[Marina]] is seen at a lunch table in the background. This is the second time that she appears due to an error, the other time also being in Season 13 in [[MacFrensky]].
*For a brief moment near the beginning of the second half of the episode, [[Marina]] is seen at a lunch table in the background. This is the second time that she appears due to an error, the other time also being in Season 13 in [[MacFrensky]].
 
===Cultural references===
===Production notes===
*Bailey gives Mr. Crosswire ''{{W|Endgame_(play)|Endgame}}'' by [[Samuel Beckett]]. It is an absurdist play set in a postapocalyptic world.
*Funeral Obituary reveals that Leah Ryan was diagnosed with leukemia & was a smoker.
*Mrs. MacGrady calling the kids spartakids refers to {{W|Spartacus}}, who led a slave revolt in the first century B.C.
*In Francine's dream, Mrs. MacGrady was going to walk into light at the end of the hallway.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20140212063924/http://elwoodcitycentral.createaforum.com/arthur-characters/arthur-character-model/msg872/</ref> This was decided to be "too much" for kids, so a green wall was placed over the light effects.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20140212062055/http://elwoodcitycentral.createaforum.com/arthur-characters/arthur-character-model/msg895/#msg895</ref>
===Episode connections===
*Reruns of this episode are rare following the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong_doping_case Lance Armstrong doping case].
*There are a couple flashbacks from "[[Arthur - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll]]."


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
===Screenshots===
<gallery position="center" spacing="small">
<gallery position="center" spacing="small">
The Great MacGrady.JPG
The Great MacGrady.JPG
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==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}{{EpisodeNav|13}}
{{Reflist}}
{{EpisodeNav|13}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:Season 13 episodes]]
[[Category:Season 13 episodes]]
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[[Category:Arthur episodes]]
[[Category:Arthur episodes]]
[[Category:Pages with Wikipedia links]]
[[Category:Pages with Wikipedia links]]
[[Category:2008]]

Latest revision as of 06:30, 19 February 2024

Adult Bud.png You're under arrest!

This episode The Great MacGrady is banned from TV because following the Lance Armstrong doping case.

This article is about the Season 13 episode. You may be looking for the Season 24 episode of the same name.
"The Great MacGrady"
The Great MacGrady.JPG
TGM Title Card.JPG
Season/Series: 13
Number in season: 1
Original Airdate: United States October 19, 2009[1]
Canada May 7, 2010[3]
United Kingdom March 1, 2010 [2]
Credits
Written by: Peter K. Hirsch
Leah Ryan
Storyboard by: Zhigang Wang
Episodes
Previous
"D.W.'s Furry Freak-out" 		Next
"The Silent Treatment"
"The Great MacGrady" is the first episode in the thirteenth season of Arthur. It is a two-part episode.

Summary[edit]

When Mrs. MacGrady is diagnosed with cancer, Arthur and his friends behave differently to the news - Arthur and D.W. rush to her side with heaps of chicken soup and stuffed animals, Muffy tries to pretend that nothing in her life has changed, and Francine is so upset that she can't even bring herself to visit Mrs. MacGrady.

Plot[edit]

Everyone loves Mrs. MacGrady, the school's cook for the cafeteria, with her warm friendly ways and her excellent cooking. Until one day, while Buster is keeping record for the school lunch and making predictions for that day's lunch menu in his school lunch almanac, he and his friends observe that she did not come to school, and her nephew, Skip Bitterman is the substitute chef. Skip is completely devoid of any culinary skills; the lunches became so appalling that the students cannot even eat them. After about a week without Mrs. MacGrady, Mr. Ratburn reveals the shocking news that she is on leave because she has cancer.

The students all react differently to the news: Muffy does not entirely grasp the situation and stays optimistic while she shops for her father's birthday presents. Francine, who lost her grandfather to cancer, starts acting out in various ways, including intentionally losing a soccer game because it won't make Mrs. MacGrady feel any better. Arthur and D.W. pay Mrs. MacGrady a visit, bringing some homemade chicken soup and learning a bit about the illness from her. They promise to visit her every day with further gifts.

At Mr. Crosswire's birthday, Muffy laments about Francine being too sad to help her shop for a proper gift. Her father explains that Francine is just upset about Mrs. MacGrady's illness and encourages her to visit Mrs. MacGrady and maybe bring her a care package.

Francine stays home after having a nightmare that Mrs. MacGrady will never return to work. After school she is visited by Binky and Buster, who are planning to bring gifts to Mrs. MacGrady. Francine declines, but before they leave Binky tries to cheer her up by giving her Lance Armstrong's email address, which he got during the Elwood City Bike-A-Thon. He tells her about Lance's struggles with cancer and eventual recovery, and encourages her to reach out to him. Francine reluctantly does so, but to her and her friends' surprise he writes back and offers to meet with her when he visits Elwood City the following week. Muffy, who is planning on visiting Mrs. MacGrady, offers to bring Francine along so she can share the news, but Francine again refuses to visit.

Muffy arrives just as Arthur and D.W. deliver more gifts to Mrs. MacGrady, including more jars of soup and a giant stuffed bear. Muffy compliments Mrs. MacGrady's bandana, only to learn Mrs. MacGrady is wearing it as she has lost her hair from the Chemotherapy treatment. After Arthur and D.W. leave, Muffy takes a moment to talk with Mrs. MacGrady, who assures her that she intends to get better.

Lance arrives in Elwood City and goes for a bike ride with Francine, and talks to her about how he got through his cancer diagnosis through medicine and the support of his friends. Francine gets the idea to hold a "Pedal For A Cure" bike race to raise money for cancer research. She gets the help of her friends to promote it. Muffy encourages her to tell Mrs. MacGrady about it, but Francine still shows reluctance to see her.

Muffy returns to Mrs. MacGrady's house just as her sister Martha is taking her to the doctor's office. Noticing the state of the house, she offers to clean the dishes while they are gone but has trouble doing so. When Arthur and D.W. arrive with more gifts, they pitch in and clean up the entire house, leaving a note for Mrs. MacGrady when she returns assuring her that they are her "support team."

The "Pedal For A Cure" is a huge success, with a massive turnout. At the finish line, Francine is greeted by Mrs. MacGrady and apologizes for not visiting her previously. Mrs. MacGrady assures her she understands, remarking it can be frightening to see someone you care about when they are sick.

After more than a month of Skip Bitterman's terrible foods, Buster and the rest of the students almost start a revolt. Their uprising is thwarted by the return of Mrs. MacGrady, who is not quite cancer-free yet but is healthy enough to return to work. Buster corrects his school lunch almanac with a prediction that the food will be unknown, but will taste great.

Characters[edit]

Major[edit]

Minor[edit]

Cameo[edit]

Flashbacks[edit]

Mentioned[edit]

Controversy[edit]

This episode was pulled from the rerun rotation in the United States following the Lance Armstrong doping case. The last national airing of this episode on PBS was on August 20, 2012, four days before Armstrong was charged.[4] Local airings remained possible afterward, but only if a local PBS station opted to air Arthur reruns on an independent rotation as opposed to the national one (which is no longer the case on any known PBS stations as of the 2020s).

Despite its removal from television broadcast, it remains available on most streaming platforms and digital download stores, like Google Play Store, Microsoft Store, YouTube Premium, and iTunes Australia. In late 2021, it was removed from iTunes and Amazon. It is the only episode to be missing from iTunes (from the seasons offered on that service), and is one of only two half-hours in the entire series to not be available on Amazon (the other being "It's a No-Brainer/The Shore Thing" from Season 5). One can still stream this episode on Amazon or re-download it from the iTunes store if they purchased the episode before its removal.

Ultimately, the episode was revised, substituting all references to Lance Armstrong with Uncle Slam, an in-universe professional wrestler. The new version was released in 2021 as part of Season 24. Some TV providers erroneously list airings of the Season 24 version as the Season 13 episode.

The exact reason for these restrictions has never been officially stated. Given the fact that the new revised episode is essentially the same plot as the original (except for the Armstrong references), it can be inferred that the real-world controversy surrounding Armstrong is what led PBS to demote the episode. In addition, "Binky vs. Binky/Operation: D.W.!" and "Room to Ride/The Frensky Family Fiasco" have also been eliminated from the national broadcast schedule on PBS, due to their references to Armstrong. However, these episodes remain available on iTunes and Amazon as of 2022.

For an unknown reason, starting in May 2022, the episode is now available on the Arthur website and PBS Kids video app.

Trivia[edit]

  • The A Word from Us Kids interstitial is shown at the end of the episode, instead of between the two parts.
  • In the beginning of the intro, a look-alike of Mrs. Powers is seen walking in the hallway.
  • When Francine travels to the rainforest, the first arrow on the map is roughly in the area of southern New York state. 8499 km (5281 miles) is a realistic estimate for the journey from New York to the Amazon basin.
  • This episode holds the distinction of being the first time that a PBS Kids show has openly addressed the topic of cancer. Other animated children's works have also done so: the Peanuts special Why, Charlie Brown, Why? in 1990, the twelfth episode of the Ojamajo Doremi anime's OVA series Naisho in 2004, and the Doc McStuffins episode Hannah the Brave in 2017.
  • D.W. is wearing a surgical mask in this episode. Her brother Arthur wore one in "My Dad, the Garbage Man," "Hic or Treat," and "Vomitrocious" and their father wore one in "Operation: D.W.!". 
  • In the beginning of the intro, a look-alike of Mrs. Powers is seen walking in the hallway.
  • This was Lance Armstrong's second appearance on Arthur.
  • The episode was inspired by Leah Ryan, after she became diagnosed with cancer, and it was later dedicated to her. This is also the final episode written by her.
    • As a nod to Ryan, Mrs. MacGrady's first name is given as "Leah," after she was previously referred to as "Sarah" in Seasons 1–12.
  • In the opening scene when the lunch bell rings, the bell sound effect used for Lakewood Elementary School's bells in Seasons 1-7 (a BBC sound effect) gets used, rather than the school bell sound effects from Hollywood Edge's "Premiere Edition" sound effects library used since Season 10 (which is used in the same scene in the Season 24 remake of this episode).

Production notes[edit]

  • By U.S. airing order, this episode swapped with No Acting, Please/Prunella and the Disappointing Ending. Because of this, most sites list The Great MacGrady as the fifth episode of Season 13.
  • In the end of the U.S. version of this episode, it mourns the death of Leah Ryan before moving to "Special Apperance by Lance Armstrong" However, this is removed in the international markets and only contains Lance Armstrong's guest apperance.
  • In Francine's dream, Mrs. MacGrady was going to walk into light at the end of the hallway.[5] This was decided to be "too much" for kids, so a green wall was placed over the light effects.[6]
  • In an activity booklet from WGBH and LiveSTRONG, the story from this episode is included. In this adaptation, Lance Armstrong is omitted and the story is revised with Harry Mills as a cancer survivor.[7]
  • According to the Leah Ryan page she died from cancer in June 12 2008 meaning this episode was produced in June 12 2008.

Errors[edit]

  • In the soccer game, Francine plays goalie, although she is the star forward of the team.
  • When D.W. is shoving the supposedly stuffed polar bear toy, Chilly Billy, through the doorway and drops him on the floor, he winces and closes his eyes as though he were alive.
  • For a brief moment near the beginning of the second half of the episode, Marina is seen at a lunch table in the background. This is the second time that she appears due to an error, the other time also being in Season 13 in MacFrensky.

Cultural references[edit]

  • Bailey gives Mr. Crosswire Endgame by Samuel Beckett. It is an absurdist play set in a postapocalyptic world.
  • Mrs. MacGrady calling the kids spartakids refers to Spartacus, who led a slave revolt in the first century B.C.

Episode connections[edit]

Gallery[edit]

  • The Great MacGrady.JPG
  • Extra feet.png
  • Thegreatmacgrady - maria with a tshirt.jpg
  • Skipbitterman.jpg

  • Marina appears on the right of the picture due to an animation error

References[edit]

  1. ↑ http://www.ket.org/episode/ARUR%20%20001301
  2. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/formats/animation/schedules/2010/03/01
  3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120413104003/http://ww3.tvo.org/program/157024/arthur
  4. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20180619130604/https://www.ket.org/episode/ARUR%20%20001301/
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20140212063924/http://elwoodcitycentral.createaforum.com/arthur-characters/arthur-character-model/msg872/
  6. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20140212062055/http://elwoodcitycentral.createaforum.com/arthur-characters/arthur-character-model/msg895/#msg895
  7. ↑ http://www.scholastic.com/livestrong/pdfs/WGBH_LiveSTRONG_Arthur_booklet_ENG-Final.pdf



Episodes
Season 13
Full list
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