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Arthur is a popular animated TV series that has run on PBS Kids for years. It's based on the popular book series by Marc Brown and follows the adventures of an eight-year-old aardvark named Arthur Read. The show has been running for 14 seasons since 1996 and is currently (2011) the longest running children's animated TV show in the United States. Arthur focuses on relationships with friends and family as well as the value of books.
Story
The show centers around its main character Arthur Read. Arthur is eight years old, lives in Elwood City, and is in the third grade at Lakewood Elementary School. He has two younger sisters D.W. (Dora Winifred) who is in preschool and is often a main character on the show, and Kate, who is a baby. His mom, Jane, is an accountant and his Dad, David, is a chef. Arthur also has a dog named Pal.
Over the years Arthur and his friends have gone on a number of adventures and tackled all sorts of issues including getting a new bike, playing sports, how to be a friend, and much more.
Characters
There have been a number of great characters on the show over the years. Many of the characters have been played by several different actors as well.
- Arthur Read- A kind eight-year-old aardvark boy in the third grade.
- D.W. Read- Arthur's preschool sister. She is 4 year's old and can sometimes annoy Arthur and envies that he is older.
- Mom - An accountant named Jane Read.
- Dad - A chef named David Read.
- Kate Read - Arthur's baby sister.
- Pal - Arthur's pet dog.
- Buster Baxter - Buster is Arthur's best friend and is an 8 year old rabbit. He loves to eat! He also likes science fiction, jokes, video games, and watching TV.
- Francine Frensky - Francine is a good friend of Arthurs. She is a monkey and is the best athlete in the school. She can be bold to point of being rude sometimes. Her best friend is Muffy.
- Muffy Crosswire - Muffy is a cream colored monkey and is the richest girl in school. She can be spoiled at times, but is best friends with Francine.
- Prunella - Fern is a 9 year old fourth grader. Being a grade older she often acts like she is better than the third graders. She is a rat.
- Brain - The Brain's real name is Alan Powers, but he gets his nickname as the smartest kid in school. He is a brown bear and is generally polite and nice.
- Sue Ellen Armstrong - Sue Ellen is the new kid in school. She is a tan cat and practices the martial arts.
- Binky - His real name is Shelley Barnes. He got the nickname Binky because he liked his pacifier as a baby. He was a bully in earlier episodes, but has become nicer and a better friend of Arthur's in more recent shows.
- Fern Walters - Fern is a shy classmate of Arthur's. She is a dog who likes mysteries and to read.
- Mr. Ratburn - Arthur and his friend's teacher. He is often looked at as the bad guy since he gives out homework and enforces the rules. His first name is Nigel.
Fun facts about Arthur
- Lance Armstrong has guest starred on the show twice.
- Each Arthur TV show is made up of two 11-minute episodes that generally are separate stories.
- There was a spin-off show about Buster called Postcards from Buster.
- The theme song "Believe in Yourself" was performed by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers.
- Elwood city is often very similar to Boston, Massachusetts where the show is produced.
- The local baseball team is the Elwood City Grebes.
- TV Guide ranked Arthur Read a the 26th greatest cartoon character of all time.
Other kids TV shows to check out:
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