Revisiting the best ‘Arthur’ episodes upon the series’ conclusion

The PBS Kids Series “Arthur” bid farewell to television last week with its 25th and final season, comprising of four episodes. The longest-running children’s television series, “Arthur” has been airing new episodes since 1996.

This show about an aardvark with glasses and his friends raised quite possibly the bulk of millennials and Gen Z-ers. Based on Marc Brown’s “Arthur Adventure” books, the animated education series is full of positive lessons aiming to teach viewers about learning to work with others despite coming from different backgrounds.

“Every day when you’re walking down the street

Everybody that you meet

Has an original point of view.”

The “Arthur” theme song starts out with such simple lyrics, and yet no opening song can take millennials and Gen Z-ers through a time machine quite like it can. From the introductory drumroll that leads straight into a chill reggae beat to Ziggy Marley’s warm and inviting vocals, the theme song will remain locked in the hearts of many for years to come. Am I the only one that did not know Bob Marley’s son was the voice behind this wonderful song, by the way?

The great news is that “Arthur” is not saying goodbye forever, just goodbye to television. Brown himself told Variety that the production team would like to explore the new avenues available today with advanced technology.

“Podcasts, and new games that we can invent; we want to continue doing public service spots on PBS, maybe specials,” Brown said. “The door is open to us to try new things with PBS. It’s fun to solve new puzzles!”

It warms my heart that “Arthur” will still be around to positively impact more generations. With that being said, here are my top five most memorable episodes of “Arthur”:

Season 3, Episode 11: Arthur’s Almost Live Not Real Music Festival

Arthur Wiki – FandomArthur’s Almost Live Not Real Music Festival | Arthur Wiki | Fandom

To this day, I cannot walk into a library without the tune of “Having Fun isn’t Hard (When You’ve Got a Library Card)” creeping into my mind. Whether I’m browsing through the aisles of the history section, or sitting peacefully in a bean bag chair with my laptop, I realize Arthur and his friends were right. Also, did you know February is National Library Lovers Month?

Season 2, Episode 1: Arthur Meets Mister Rogers

Arthur Meets Mister Rogers | Arthur …arthur.fandom.com

The cutest part of this special guest episode was the “A Word From Us Kids” intermission. Fred Rogers asks kids how they think “Arthur” animators were able to turn him into an animated character. Answers included:

Season 4, Episode 5: The Rat Who Came to Dinner

Arthur Wiki – FandomThe Rat Who Came to Dinner | Arthur Wiki | Fandom

Mr. Ratburn’s roof needs to be repaired after it collapses due to the weight of the snow. Arthur’s mother offers him a room to stay while it gets fixed. How would you feel if your third-grade teacher came to stay in your home? Best part: D.W. finds out teachers don’t live in school. “The world seemed so simple before this moment.”

Season 4, Episode 1: Arthur’s Big Hit

IMDbArthur” D.W.’s Library Card/Arthur’s Big Hit (TV Episode 1999) – IMDb

Of course this had to be included. In this episode, Arthur loses his cool and punches his little sister D.W. after she breaks his model plane. This episode bred one of the most viral memes of all time with a simple close-up of Arthur’s fist.

Season 8, Episode 10: Bleep

Arthur Wiki – FandomBleep | Arthur Wiki | Fandom

Children’s shows with bleeped-out swear words can always stir up a good laugh. Yes, “Arthur” even touched the subject of swearing, we get the lesson at the end that it’s bad, kids. The funniest part of this episode is the opening scenes with Arthur explaining bleeps in television shows behind the scenes in “The Altos” (parody show in Arthur universe for “The Sopranos”) Francine cursing out Arthur on the baseball field.