PBS children’s show Arthur is officially no more. The longest running animated children’s series ever on television is canceled, with the public broadcaster confirming the final four episodes will be aired next month.
The end comes after Arthur increasingly promoted a series of woke left-wing positions, with the show announcing in spring 2019 that Mr. Ratburn, Arthur’s teacher, was homosexual and premiered an episode with a gay wedding.
Then came the so-called anti-racism ideology that aired in 2020.
As Breitbart News reported, Arthur featured an episode in which Arthur and his friend Buster appeared to discuss the video showing the death of George Floyd.
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In 2005, its spin-off show, Postcards from Buster also featured a lesbian couple in the episode “Sugar Time.” The content was consequently condemned by then-Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, which prompted PBS to pull the episode.
Based on the Arthur Adventure book series written and illustrated by Brown, Arthur premiered in October of 1996.
The series revolves around Arthur, a young aardvark, and the life lessons he learns alongside his family and friends Buster, Francine, Muffy, Binky, and Brain.
“For more than 25 years, Arthur and his friends have kept viewers learning and growing through their true-to-life experiences,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PBS Kids, in a statement, per Variety.
“We can’t wait to debut these episodes and introduce new ‘Arthur’ content that will give fans more ways to engage with their favorite aardvark.”
PBS notes while the show is canceled, Arthur will maintain a presence elsewhere for years to come through other mediums.
A statement from PBS reads: “New content from Arthur will continue rolling out in 2022 and beyond, including a podcast, video shorts that tackle timely and compelling topics and digital games. The 25 seasons of Arthur (250+ episodes) will continue to be available on PBS Kids.”