Arthur (TV series)

Arthur is an animated children's television series developed by Marc Brown and Kathy Waugh and produced by WGBH Boston for PBS.

Arthur is an animated children's television series developed by Marc Brown and Kathy Waugh and produced by WGBH Boston for PBS. Based on Marc Brown's book series, it follows the adventures of Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark, and his family and friends in the fictional city of Elwood City. The series premiered on October 7, 1996, and concluded on February 21, 2022, after 25 seasons.

Premise

Arthur follows the everyday lives of Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark, and the residents of Elwood City. The series presents school, family, and friendship stories in a child-focused educational format.

Production and broadcast history

The series was developed by Marc Brown and Kathy Waugh and produced by WGBH Boston for PBS. It premiered in 1996 and ended in 2022 after its 25th season was announced as the last. Arthur was a co-production between the United States and Canada, with Montreal-based CINAR involved in the show's development and later Canadian production companies participating in its run.

Episodes and run length

Across its run, Arthur aired 253 half-hour episodes. Sources also describe the series as having 25 seasons and 493 segments in total.

Reception and legacy

Arthur was widely praised for its treatment of real-life issues affecting children and families, such as asthma, dyslexia, cancer, diabetes, and autism. It became one of the best-known and longest-running children's animated series in the United States, holding the record for the longest-running children's animated series until it was surpassed by SpongeBob SquarePants in 2025.