| Arthur | |
|---|---|
Arthur title card |
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| Format | Children's animated series |
| Created by | Marc Brown |
| Developed by | Ken Scarborough Kathy Waugh |
| Directed by | Greg Bailey |
| Opening theme | "Believe in Yourself" by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers |
| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 15 (16 in Production)[1] |
| No. of episodes | 180 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Marc Brown Carol Greenwald Micheline Charest (Seasons 1–4) Peter Moss Pierre Valette Toper Taylor Lesley Taylor |
| Producer(s) | Ronald Weinrerg (Seasons 1–4) Cassandra Schafhausen Lesley Taylor Greg Bailey Jacqui Deegan Diane Dallaire Tolon Brown |
| Running time | 24–26 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Cinar (seasons 1–8) Cookie Jar Entertainment (seasons 9–present) WGBH-TV |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | PBS Kids |
| Picture format | SDTV (480i), HDTV (1080p) (seasons 12–present) |
| Audio format | Dolby Surround |
| Original run | September 2, 1996 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Postcards from Buster |
| External links | |
| Official Website on PBSkids.org | |
Arthur is an American/Canadian animated educational television series for children, created by Cookie Jar Group (formerly known as Cinar) and WGBH for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The show is set in the fictional American city of Elwood City, and revolves around the lives of 8-year-old Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark,[2] his friends and family, and their daily interactions with each other. There is a strong emphasis on the educational value of books and libraries as well as relationships with friends and family members. The series is often noted for dealing with social and health-related issues that affect young children, such as the death of a pet,[3] dyslexia,[4] and more recently cancer,[5] Asperger syndrome[6] and Alzheimer's disease.[7]
The television series is based on the Arthur book series, which are written and illustrated by Marc Brown. WGBH Boston along with Cinar (now Cookie Jar Group) began production of the animated series in 1994, and aired its first episode on September 2, 1996. Since its debut, the show has broadcast 360 full and mini-episodes in 180 30-minute long episodes, and will be airing a 15th season from October 2011. Seasons 16 and 17 are currently being produced. With 180 episodes, Arthur is one of the longest-running TV shows on PBS Kids; however, Sesame Street beats out Arthur for one of the longest-running series in history.
A pilot for the spin-off series Postcards from Buster aired on December 2003 as a season 8 episode of Arthur. Postcards from Buster aired from October 11, 2004 to November 21, 2008 and is currently on hiatus.
Arthur became one of the highest-rated shows on PBS Kids for several years since its debut, averaging almost 10 million viewers weekly in the U.S. It is aired in a total of 83 countries; PBS in the United States, Radio-Canada, Knowledge and TVOKids in Canada, ABC1/ABC2 and Nickelodeon in Australia, and BBC One/CBBC in the UK. It is the longest-running children's animated series in the U.S., and the second longest-running animated series in the U.S., behind The Simpsons.[8]
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Arthur Read, the series's titular character, is an anthropomorphic eight-year-old brown aardvark who lives in the fictional town of Elwood City. He is a third-grade student at Lakewood Elementary School. Arthur's family includes two home-working parents, his father David (a chef) and his mother Jane (an accountant), his two younger sisters, Dora Winifred (D.W.), who is in preschool, and Kate, who is still an infant, and his dog Pal. Arthur also has several friends who come from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and he also occasionally meets with members of his extended family as well.
In the TV series, Elwood City is portrayed as a largely suburban area which bears a strong resemblance to the Boston area; the TV series is partially produced by WGBH. Furthermore, Elwood City's professional baseball team, the "Elwood City Grebes", appears to be a fictional representation of the Boston Red Sox. The episode "The Curse of the Grebes" in Season 10 clearly references baseball lore such as Curse of the Bambino. The same episode also refers indirectly to the rivalry between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees, as the Grebes have a fierce rivalry with the Crown City Kings during the World Championship, the show's version of the World Series. In another episode, the Elwood City Airport is shown to have a name that represents Boston's Logan International Airport. Crown City, as featured in other episodes, is apparently a fictional representation of New York City. In one episode, it is inferred that an ice hockey team wearing the WGBH logo and the Boston Bruins' team colors on their uniforms are Elwood City's professional (possibly NHL) hockey team.
There are also firm references to Brown's hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. Most notably, the local shopping mall in the TV series is called "Mill Creek Mall", a reference to Millcreek Mall. Brown himself stated that the series is influenced by his upbringing as a child in Erie. There is also an actual Ellwood City, northwest of the Pittsburgh area, although it does not resemble the Elwood City in Arthur.
In 1994, Marc Brown was approached by WGBH and PBS about the possibility of adapting the Arthur books into a television series. Brown was reluctant at first to become a part of a medium for which he had little respect, but soon agreed when he learned that the objective of the television series would be to use the powerful medium of television to promote children to reading books.
Although the program is primarily written and produced by WGBH of Boston, the production of the animation and voice acting are done in Montreal, Toronto, South Korea, and Hong Kong. The animation of the show was done at AKOM Production Company from season 1 to season 11, then at Animation Services (HK) Ltd from season 12 to present. The entire cast of Arthur lives in Montreal or Toronto, where Cookie Jar Entertainment's studios are located. The only segments of the show that are filmed outside Canada are the "A Word from Us Kids" interstitials, filmed at elementary schools or other educational sites in the Boston area. Beginning in Season 11, the "A Word From Us Kids" segment was replaced by a segment called "Postcards from You", where live-action videos sent in by young viewers were spotlighted per episode. The segments are omitted from all airings outside the U.S.
Marc Brown's children, Tolon, Eliza and Tucker, are referenced in the show many times, just as they are in the Arthur book series. For example, the town's moving company is called "Tolon Moving", and everyday items such as cups or pencil sharpeners have the word "Eliza" printed on them. References to Cookie Jar Entertainment and WGBH also appear often on the show. In one episode, Francine and Buster are shown playing a table hockey game in which one team's players wear shirts in the Montreal Canadiens' signature colours with Montreal-based Cinar's logo on them (Cinar was the predecessor to today's Cookie Jar Entertainment) and the other team's players wear shirts in the Boston Bruins' colors with Boston-based WGBH's sting logo on them. Subsequent episodes that involve hockey also depict players wearing these sweater designs. Also, in the episode "The Big Blow-Up" in Season 2, a racecar driver wears a jersey with "Cinar" written on it and a car with "WGBH" written on it. In the episode "Prove It" in Season 4, The Brain introduces D.W. to science while watching a non-animated episode of Nova, a science series also produced by WGBH.
In October 1999,[9] Cinar was investigated for tax fraud. It was revealed that the husband-and-wife chairman Micheline Charest and president Ronald Weinberg invested $122 million (US) into Bahamian bank accounts without the boardmembers' approval. Cinar had also paid American screenwriters for work while continuing to accept Canadian federal grants for content. While the province of Quebec did not file criminal charges, Cinar paid a settlement to Canadian and Quebec tax authorities and Charest and Weinberg were banned from serving in the capacity of directors or officers at any publicly traded Canadian company for five years. During and after the scandal, many of the producers of Arthur left Cinar, including Joe Fallon and Ken Scarborough, the head writers from season 1 to 4.
In season 12, the series began creating and airing episodes in 1080p HD format. In the U.S., the episodes still air in the 4:3 aspect ratio, with the left and right sides cropped out. Season 12 also marks for the switching of animation studios from AKOM to ASHK.
The TV series' reggae-style theme song, "Believe in Yourself", was written by Judy Henderson and Jerry de Villiers Jr. and was performed by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. A remixed techno version of the song has been officially released on the third album and a shortened version has been played during the closing credits for the sixth season. The Backstreet Boys covered the song with the original instrumentals for the ending credits of television special Arthur: It's Only Rock 'n' Roll.
The original music score was produced by Ray Fabi.
In season 2, the song "Crazy Bus", written and performed by then-head writer Joe Fallon, was introduced. It served as the alternate anthem of the television series. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and jazz composer Joshua Redman covered the song on the ending credits of the season 4 finale episode, My Music Rules. When Joe Fallon left Arthur after season 4, the song was officially retired from the show. The show alluded this fact on the television special Arthur: It's Only Rock 'n' Roll when D.W. says, "Crazy Bus is for babies; I know a million better songs."
Many celebrity guest stars have appeared on the show, each providing the voice for their anthropomorphic animal counterpart, excluding Joan Rivers, who played as Francine's maternal grandmother. Lance Armstrong and Joan Rivers are the only guest stars to make more than one appearance on the series.
Arthur and his sister D.W. are the main characters of the series. The main supporting characters are Buster, Francine, Muffy, the Brain, Mr. Ratburn, and Arthur's parents. Over the years, the roles of each character have changed as more episodes focused on characters besides Arthur or D.W., most notably Buster, Francine, Muffy, and Binky. Minor supporting characters such as Sue Ellen, George, and Fern have also had expanded roles in the series.
Like The Simpsons, characters in the Arthur series do not age in order to remain the status quo, although their universe does in parallel to the real world in terms of social and economic state, progression in technology, and influences of popular culture.
Unlike most animated television series, Arthur exerts a wide range of voice actors. Arthur, D.W., Brain, and the Tibble Twins have each had several different actors throughout the seasons due to the producers employing young males for these parts. The resulting effects of voice changes have been particularly criticized by viewers.
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Each episode of Arthur runs for half an hour. Episodes usually consist of two completely self-contained 11-minute stories. The episodes start off with one of the characters (usually Arthur) speaking towards the audience about a situation within the story followed by the title card. The episodes are separated by a one- to two-minute live-action interstitial called "And Now a Word from Us Kids" (or, in some cases, a permutation of that title more specific to its contents). The live-action segments almost always feature children from elementary schools (generally in the Boston area) presenting subjects they are currently learning about or projects they have been working on in their classes (the subjects covered here relate to the first cartoon segment in the half-hour). This segment is seen exclusively on PBS telecasts of the show, filling space otherwise used for commercials, which are generally forbidden on PBS. There is also a relatively new segment that sometimes appears at the end of the second 11-minute episode called "And Now a Word from Marc Brown" where he shows the viewers how to draw various main characters from the show. In 2007, the show began encouraging viewers to send in "video postcards" (similar to those used in the spin-off show Postcards from Buster), which were shown in the interstitials of episodes until the middle of Season 12. Beginning with Episode 151, the show reverted back "And Now a Word from Us Kids".
In addition to the television series, the Arthur franchise has spawned three hour-long movies, which are often run on PBS during pledge drives. The latest, Arthur's Missing Pal, was produced by Mainframe Entertainment and is the first animated Arthur project to make use of three-dimensional computer-generated imagery. [1]. Arthur's success has also led to the spin-off series, Postcards From Buster. Postcards from Buster premiered on October 11, 2004 with several returning characters.
Arthur has released three music albums. The first album, Arthur and Friends: The First Almost Real Not Live CD, contained songs that were played throughout the TV series and original songs for the album. The second album, Arthur's Perfect Christmas, contained songs that were played during the television movie of the same title. The third album, Arthur's Really Rockin' Music Mix, contained only original songs, including a remix of the theme song which was played on the credits of season 6 as a promotion for the album.
In 1998, both Arthur and D.W. were made into Microsoft ActiMates, sophisticated toy dolls who could interact with children, with each other, with certain computer software and the Arthur website, and also with the Arthur television show and videos.
To get the ActiMates to interact with the TV show or the videos, a hockey-puck-shaped transmitter device called a TV Pack must be purchased separately and connected to the video-out connector of the TV set, while to have the ActiMates to interact with the specialized computer software (developed by Creative Wonders and published by Microsoft) and the website, another hockey-puck-shaped transmitter device called a PC Pack must be purchased separately and be connected to the MIDI/game port connector of the PC.
For the TV show and videos, the TV pack reads coded information from a thin bar-code-like strip along the left edge of the screen and retransmits it to the ActiMates. This strip is typically invisible when viewed on a normal television, but can be seen by other means, such as watching Arthur on a computer screen by using a TV tuner card, or by sending the tuner signal from a VCR to a video monitor that is capable of overscanning, which is possible on many professional-grade video monitors.
Meanwhile, interaction between the specialized software and the website with the ActiMates is a little more complicated. The software makes use of a special programming library called "ToyAPI", which communicated with the ActiMates via the PC Pack. The website, on the other hand, makes use of special script files embedded in each page. These script files are parsed by a special plugin that you'll be prompted to download and install on your first visit to the page. This plugin reads the script and send instructions to the ActiMates, again through the PC Pack.
Due to the difference in functions between the PC Pack and TV Pack, the ActiMates will not interact with the Arthur TV show if the show is being watched on a computer monitor using a tuner card with the PC Pack plugged in. Likewise, it will not interact with a TV that is connected to a computer and has a TV Pack is plugged into the TV.
Microsoft discontinued the ActiMates line shortly before season 5 aired, most possibly due to a lawsuit pertaining to patent infringement[11] and the fact that sales were dropping. It has been noted that post-season 4 episodes of Arthur have not included any ActiMates code. Newer videos and DVD releases of the show does not carry ActiMates code either. The enhancements on the website were removed when the site was redesigned in 2002 and thus the ActiMates would no longer interact with the website. Likewise, re-releases of the ActiMates software by Creative Wonders do not interact with the ActiMates because the library that controls the PC Pack has been replaced with a dummy library file (reports state that the software will resume interaction with the ActiMates if the library file is replaced with the original one).
Selected episodes were distributed in VHS and DVD by Random House. Each tape had two or three episodes dealing with similar subjects. WGBH Home Video has begun releasing Arthur as season sets in Region 1. They released Season 10 on March 25, 2008 and Season 11 has been released on September 2, 2008.[12] Season 10–14 are available to download on iTunes and Amazon.com.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Region | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 30 | Region 2 | April 7, 2008 |
| Season 2 | 20 | Region 2 | November 3, 2008 |
| Season 3 | 15 | Region 2 | March 23, 2009 |
| Season 4 | 10 | Region 2 | August 4, 2009 |
| Season 5 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Season 6 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Season 7 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Season 8 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Season 9 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Season 10 | 10 | Region 1 | March 25, 2008 |
| Season 11 | 10 | Region 1 | September 2, 2008 |
| Season 12 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Season 13 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Season 14 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
| Season 15 | 10 | TBA | TBA |
The series has been acknowledged with the George Foster Peabody Award and four Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children's Animated Program. In 2002, TV Guide ranked Arthur Read No. 26 on its list of the "50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time."[13] The show has also won a BAFTA and was nominated for 17 Daytime Emmys.[14]
The Arthur home page, www.pbskids.org/arthur/ has been ranked among the best websites in various genres: #12 in Arthur, #485 in Kids, #537 in Children, #3,076 in Authors, #23,542 in English, #32,329 in Education, #40,865 in TV, #71,515 in Games.[15]
The website http://pbskids.org/arthur has been given a rating of 5/5 stars at website common sense media, and has been advised for viewers 5 and up. The site described the show as being, "One of the Internet's best offerings for kids." It however advised that "there are links to PBS sponsors...but other than that, there is no commercial marketing to kids." The review added, "The games are actually teaching your kids something...[for example] The Music Box...combines music and learning, so much so that kids won't even realize that they're figuring out space relations, hand-eye coordination, and mousing skills as they jam along to upbeat tunes." [16]
A review at MommyPR concluded by saying "My boys were able to preview “The Wheel Deal”, “The Buster Report”, “Falafelosophy” and “The Great Lint Rush”. As soon as my boys were finished with these episodses (sic) they begged to watch them again!"[17]
Dad of Divas' Reviews explained that Executive Producer Jacqui Deegan said of the 14th season "This season, we're hoping to empower our young viewers to go after their goals and dreams. Whether that means becoming a wheelchair basketball champion, or expressing yourself through writing, drawing, and making movies, Arthur and his friends show kids that determination and hard work really pay off...Both Lydia and Neil serve as great role models, and we're excited to have them to reinforce these important lessons for our audiences."[14]
About.com gave the show a rating of 4.5 stars. The series described Arthur's assets, "The Arthur series has won several awards including the George Foster Peabody, and for good reason. Arthur presents issues and situations kids can relate to, and teaches positive behaviors and responses to these issues in a genuine and comical way. The series is fun and engaging to the target age group. Kids will relate to the storylines and characters, and will therefore give thought to the responses the characters demonstrate and outcome of those responses. Because "Arthur" presents real childhood issues, the show contains some imitative behavior such as name calling or bickering, much like children experience in their own lives. Kids might hear words like "sissy" or "stupid" and see Arthur and D.W. argue. Should children mimic some of these phrases or tactics, the show provides a good springboard for parents to talk about the issues with their children and point out the importance of considering others’ feelings." The review continued by citing many ways in which children could extract more from the series, for example by encouraging kids to write stories based on their own families (in much the same way Arthur was first realised) or by Kim Brown, Marc Brown’s sister, teaching kids to draw Arthur while on tour.[18]
Although Arthur is directed primarily toward a child and preteen audience, over the years it has gained a substantial cult following among older viewers.[19] The show regularly incorporates satirical parodies of adult-oriented topics and references to pop culture, including, but not limited to, parodies of South Park, Jeopardy!, The Sopranos, Beavis and Butt-head, the Indiana Jones adventures, the James Bond series of films, The Adventures of Tintin, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, The Jerry Springer Show, Oprah, Law & Order, Charlie Rose, Antiques Roadshow, Mystery!, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, Macbeth, and That '70s Show. Many of the references and topics covered are ones with which the target audience most likely would not be familiar. In the episode Desert Island Dish, Francine holds up a cage containing a swallow and then shows a coconut, saying the bird was carrying the coconut. This is a subtle reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail and could likely only be picked up by older audiences.[10] Another example is the episode "Meet Binky", in which Arthur learns that his favorite band Binky is composed of holograms and that their music is actually recorded by two older, unattractive individuals; a reference to the Milli Vanilli scandal, something which the show's intended audience may be unfamiliar with.
The series is also noted for its self-referential humor. In one episode, Arthur's class is unnerved by an impending appearance in the regular mid-episode interstitial of a popular educational program, "The Magic Tool Box", a play off of the popular children's program The Magic School Bus, which, coincidentally, also aired on PBS. The interstitial is called Let's Talk to Some Kids, a reference to Arthur's own interstitial, And Now a Word from Us Kids, and is presented the same way the And Now a Word from Us Kids is presented—with hand-held "camera work" and children who speak in stilted sentences. Also, there was an episode where the gang wanted to enter a contest sponsored by a cartoon they watched (Andy & Co.) that was very similar to Arthur itself.
The series also features a discernible, complex continuity, which is uncommon in children's cartoons. Although the episodes themselves are not in chronological order (a single episode may have one story that takes place in the winter and another that takes place in the summer), many episodes are rife with references to past events within the series' continuity, in particular D.W.'s missing snowball for which she blames Arthur, and Buster's cat saving incident. These are often intended to amuse long-time viewers.
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