The Squirrels (episode)

This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the fictional movie.

"The Squirrels"
Season/Series:	10
Number in season:	2A
Original Airdate:	May 16, 2006
Credits
Written by:	Dietrich Smith
Storyboard by:	Jeremy O'Neill
Episodes
Previous "Happy Anniversary"	Next "Fern & Persimmony Glitchet"
Read transcript

"The Squirrels" is the first half of the second episode in the tenth season of Arthur.

Summary

After watching the classic horror movie The Squirrels, Arthur and his friends are scared to step out onto the playground — or just about anywhere else.

Plot

After watching a horror movie called The Squirrels on TV, Arthur and Buster, and everyone, except Binky who hasn't watched it, becomes scared of them. Binky wonders why everyone runs home, and refuse to go outside during recess. One day, Arthur goes to a video store, and rents a baby show about people in squirrel costumes, hoping it will take his fear away from squirrels, which doesn't work. Arthur realizes that he'll have to face his fears, and calls Buster, who comes over. They sit by Arthur's front door, and feed some squirrels acorns. The squirrels charge then charge at them, and Arthur and Buster quickly run into the house, and trip, and the squirrels attack them, but luckily Mrs. Read sees, and chases them off with her broom. When Arthur and Buster stand up, they look and see an injured squirrel on that they had landed on. Mrs. Read, Arthur, and Buster quickly rush to the emergency animal hospital, where the squirrel is treated. The veterinarian explains to Arthur and Buster that squirrels are harmless creatures and they're more afraid of people than they are of them. The next day, Arthur and Buster take the squirrel to Mr. Ratburn's class, and explain what happened to it. Everyone except Binky is scared until Mr. Ratburn explains what squirrels are really like. Later that day, Binky goes inside the same video store Arthur had visited, and sees a VHS copy of The Squirrels, and wonders if it's any good, and rents it. The next day, Arthur, Buster, and Francine let the squirrel go free in the park. Buster mentions that The Birds is on that night, and they all agree to watch it, leaving viewers to think they'll be scared of birds next. Binky walks by, and Francine asks if he wants to play. He says yes, but when a squirrel walks up to him, he screams and runs home.

Trivia

• The horror film they watch, The Squirrels, is based on the 1963 film The Birds, by Alfred Hitchcock. As an added bonus, at the end of the episode, Buster mentions that a movie called "The Birds" will be on that night.
• Mr. Ratburn shows a real picture of a squirrel, not drawn as a cartoon.
• The show about squirrels that Arthur and D.W. watch is a parody of Teletubbies.
• Like all episodes of Season 10, this episode included the number '10' hidden in various places. For a list of them, see ARTHUR Season 10 Scavenger Hunt.

errors

Binky looked at the squirrels and said he wondered if it was any good, acting like he did not know about it even after francine told him.

Home Video

DVD:

• Arthur: Season 10