A Wonderful Kind of Show
Why this grown-up kid still loves PBS' Arthur
by R.F
It's intolerably hot where I live, and when I come home from a long day of working and running around, I'm completely bushed. I practically crawl into my apartment on my hands and knees. One or two of my roommates is usually relaxing on the couch, sipping water, typing on their laptop while watching an episode of Say Yes to the Dress. I use the last of my energy reserves to wash up and prepare myself a snack, proceeding to sit down in front of my own laptop. I check social media and emails, peruse one or two of my favorite Web sites, slowly segwaying into the work I must continue to do at my computer desk in the evening. All the while, at least until I have to get into work that involves more deep focus, I have a tab open on my computer for YouTube, where Arthur Read and friends can be heard having adventures.
I enjoy a pretty wide range of 'grown-up' shows, from the witty and quick Gilmore Girls, to the gross and fascinating Oddities, to the hilariously too-true King of the Hill. But there sure is nothing like Arthur! Of all the shows and films that suit both children and their adults, like Disney movies and episodes of Veggie Tales (and the recent phenomenon of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, which has created a strange viewer-creature called the 'Brony'), Arthur calls to my interest the loudest.
Arthur teaches children real-life skills, lessons and applications to a very specific nature. It introduces situations that I've never seen in any other children's show, but that kids deal with in real life: What do I do if I'm afraid of germs? Should I try and talk about what it's like in another country before I've learned about that place? How do I treat a friend with Asperger's Syndrome? What can I do if I want to write my own stories? Why are Amish people so different from me? What is plagiarism? How am I supposed to feel after a traumatic incident, like a fire in my school? Does my friend whose parents are divorced miss his dad on Father's Day?
Arthur first aired in 1996, said PBS' Web site. It was based off the children's book series by author Marc Brown.
"Arthur's goal is to help foster an interest in reading and writing, and to encourage positive social skills," said PBS. "It is a comedy that tells these stories from a kid's point of view without moralizing or talking down. Situations on Arthur develop in realistic ways, and don't always turn out as we -- or Arthur and his friends -- might expect."
Arthur episodes have also been made specially accessible to children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or blind, said PBS.
One aspect of Arthur I always notice but don't know whether to call a mistake or an advantage is Arthur's age inaccuracy. Arthur Read and friends are supposed to be in the third grade; about eight years old. They spend days, however, walking around town to their favorite places unsupervised, coaching pee-wee sports, drafting petitions to save things they love, composing school plays, writing blogs, printing fully developed newspapers, directing videos, reading authors like Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe, and completing extensive amounts of homework. In one episode, Arthur's four-year-old sister, D.W., is angry that she doesn't receive a larger allowance, so she makes a call to her town's mayor to demand a new law where she could get more cash in her pocket. She begins her pitch with: "As a law-abiding citizen..."
Arthur's society is also very simplified and overly-optimistic. Everyone smiles unless they have a distinct reason to be upset. Arthur and friends can go anywhere around town they wish without an adult present, never under any threat. Adults are always trustworthy. Kids are more understanding and mature about some issues than is often realistic. Problems are much more easily resolved than in real life, and in much shorter amounts of time. Small businesses thrive without much commercialization; no Wal-Marts.
Arthur first aired in 1996, said PBS' Web site. It was based off the children's book series by author Marc Brown.
"Arthur's goal is to help foster an interest in reading and writing, and to encourage positive social skills," said PBS. "It is a comedy that tells these stories from a kid's point of view without moralizing or talking down. Situations on Arthur develop in realistic ways, and don't always turn out as we -- or Arthur and his friends -- might expect."
Arthur episodes have also been made specially accessible to children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or blind, said PBS.
One aspect of Arthur I always notice but don't know whether to call a mistake or an advantage is Arthur's age inaccuracy. Arthur Read and friends are supposed to be in the third grade; about eight years old. They spend days, however, walking around town to their favorite places unsupervised, coaching pee-wee sports, drafting petitions to save things they love, composing school plays, writing blogs, printing fully developed newspapers, directing videos, reading authors like Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe, and completing extensive amounts of homework. In one episode, Arthur's four-year-old sister, D.W., is angry that she doesn't receive a larger allowance, so she makes a call to her town's mayor to demand a new law where she could get more cash in her pocket. She begins her pitch with: "As a law-abiding citizen..."
Arthur's society is also very simplified and overly-optimistic. Everyone smiles unless they have a distinct reason to be upset. Arthur and friends can go anywhere around town they wish without an adult present, never under any threat. Adults are always trustworthy. Kids are more understanding and mature about some issues than is often realistic. Problems are much more easily resolved than in real life, and in much shorter amounts of time. Small businesses thrive without much commercialization; no Wal-Marts.
Inaccuracies such as these in other television shows make me squirm, but I find that a number of them serve a purpose in Arthur. Though child characters act well beyond their years, we have to keep in mind that the show is meant to set an example. Real children might not be able to walk themselves around town without Mom and Dad, but seeing kids on the show going to the baseball fields and parks to play and making trips to the library to read will encourage real kids to do more than sit at home and watch TV and play video games. Real children don't read classic literature or use words like 'succumb,' but seeing other "kids" on the show do it will expand their knowledge and set an example for them to emulate. It's also what keeps big kids like me coming back years later.
There's a sense of charm and comfort that Arthur projects. The show excels at addressing all kinds of difficult issues with grace. The values it teaches really impress me as well. One of my very favorite episodes is one in which Arthur's teacher, Mr. Ratburn, gets sick, and Arthur and his friends have to be given a substitute teacher for the day. Mr. Ratburn is a tough teacher that expects a lot of his students, giving difficult assignments and large amounts of homework. The class is overjoyed when their substitute is Mr. Ratburn's own sister; a coddling, whimsical lady who treats the students like infants, asking them to recite the ones' times table and to spell words like 'dog' - practically the doppelgaenger of her brother. The students love not having to work hard at first, but soon become bored and miserable with the pointless work. They are eventually insulted that they are being so patronized. When Mr. Ratburn returns the next day, they are exhilarated to receive challenging work once again. I love the moral to this story; that working hard to learn is ultimately a much better way to live than taking the 'easy way.'
Arthur and friends are often visited by cartoon-ized celebrities from the real world. Celebrities will be drawn in an animalized version for the show, and then they will provide the voice-over for their character. Mr. Rogers teaches Arthur about dealing with embarrassment. Matt Damon teaches Arthur that he shouldn't be ashamed of having a simple kind of life. Joshua Redman and Yo-Yo Ma teach Arthur and D.W. that there isn't one 'right' or 'best' kind of music. Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline, teaches character Sue Ellen how to begin her own graphic novel, and that she should have faith in herself to write a good story. Koko Taylor and Taj Mahal teach character George about having confidence in learning a new skill.
Arthur isn't all one big lesson, though. It has its share of comedy, mystery, and suspense (no matter how simplistic). Characters get themselves into all kinds of predicaments, whether it's being locked in the library at night or trying to get a friend to believe in monster-earthworms. Arthur is diverse in content; deep, but somehow clean and simple at the same time. Every episode is a pleasure. My interest waxes and wanes for adult TV shows like Storage Wars and NCIS, but Arthur was there for me as a kid, and is to me, forever.
There's a sense of charm and comfort that Arthur projects. The show excels at addressing all kinds of difficult issues with grace. The values it teaches really impress me as well. One of my very favorite episodes is one in which Arthur's teacher, Mr. Ratburn, gets sick, and Arthur and his friends have to be given a substitute teacher for the day. Mr. Ratburn is a tough teacher that expects a lot of his students, giving difficult assignments and large amounts of homework. The class is overjoyed when their substitute is Mr. Ratburn's own sister; a coddling, whimsical lady who treats the students like infants, asking them to recite the ones' times table and to spell words like 'dog' - practically the doppelgaenger of her brother. The students love not having to work hard at first, but soon become bored and miserable with the pointless work. They are eventually insulted that they are being so patronized. When Mr. Ratburn returns the next day, they are exhilarated to receive challenging work once again. I love the moral to this story; that working hard to learn is ultimately a much better way to live than taking the 'easy way.'
Arthur and friends are often visited by cartoon-ized celebrities from the real world. Celebrities will be drawn in an animalized version for the show, and then they will provide the voice-over for their character. Mr. Rogers teaches Arthur about dealing with embarrassment. Matt Damon teaches Arthur that he shouldn't be ashamed of having a simple kind of life. Joshua Redman and Yo-Yo Ma teach Arthur and D.W. that there isn't one 'right' or 'best' kind of music. Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline, teaches character Sue Ellen how to begin her own graphic novel, and that she should have faith in herself to write a good story. Koko Taylor and Taj Mahal teach character George about having confidence in learning a new skill.
Arthur isn't all one big lesson, though. It has its share of comedy, mystery, and suspense (no matter how simplistic). Characters get themselves into all kinds of predicaments, whether it's being locked in the library at night or trying to get a friend to believe in monster-earthworms. Arthur is diverse in content; deep, but somehow clean and simple at the same time. Every episode is a pleasure. My interest waxes and wanes for adult TV shows like Storage Wars and NCIS, but Arthur was there for me as a kid, and is to me, forever.
One of my favorite episodes:
