Arthur (TV series)

Arthur is an animated television series for children ages 4 to 8, developed by Kathy Waugh for PBS and produced by WGBH. The show is set in the fictional U.S. city of Elwood City and revolves around the lives of Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark, his friends and family, and their daily interactions with each other.

The television series is based on the Arthur book series written and illustrated by Marc Brown. WGBH Boston along with Montreal-based CINAR (now WildBrain) began production of the animated series in 1994 and aired its first episode on October 7, 1996. During its 25-season run, the show broadcast 253 half-hour episodes.

A pilot for the spin-off series Postcards from Buster aired in December 2003 as a season 8 episode of Arthur. Postcards from Buster aired from October 11, 2004, to November 21, 2008; the series faced several years of hiatus, until a brief revival in February 2012, only to be cancelled after airing two unseen episodes that had been held over from the show's third season.

In June 2018, it was announced that Arthur was renewed for four additional seasons, through its 25th season. It was subsequently announced on July 27, 2021, that the 25th season would be the final season. Arthur concluded its original run on PBS Kids on February 21, 2022. Despite concluding after 25 years, the show will continue to have new content on PBS Kids and on the video app.

The series often deals with important issues families face such as asthma, dyslexia, cancer, diabetes, and autism spectrum disorder. It also encourages reading and relationships with family and friends by explaining that people have different personalities and interests. It was the longest-running children's animated series in the U.S. and is the third longest-running animated series in the U.S., behind South Park and The Simpsons.