TGIF! Here we are again with another Fangirl Friday! This week I’m covering a TV show that I absolutely loved as a kid! I used to watch this show every single day, both before and after school, and a few days ago, I found myself binge watching the first few seasons on YouTube… I’m talking about the children’s show, Arthur!
I’m in my mid 20’s now, well outside of the show’s target demographic, but I still can’t help but love this inquisitive 8 year old aardvark and his friends in the fictional town of Elwood City!
Bespectacled aardvark Arthur Read demonstrates to kids how to deal with such childhood traumas and challenges as homework, teachers and bullies. He also has to contend with his sisters, but loves playing with his friends: tomboy Francine, foodie and best pal Buster, supersmart Brain, rich girl Muffy and geography expert Sue Ellen.
-Synopsis
I’m gonna keep this short, since I’m writing this from my sick bed…But, as a kid since we didn’t always have cable, PBS was my life (along with Kids WB)! I would spend hours in front of the TV watching their entire lineup of kid’s shows, but Arthur was by far my favorite!! So when I saw an episode under the suggested videos section of Youtube, I immediately clicked it… What followed was a weekend long nostalgia fueled binge, I just couldn’t stop!! I made it through five seasons in the blink of an eye and the only reason I stopped was because Youtube didn’t have any more episodes.
Now I will admit that most of my love for the show is due to my childhood nostalgia, but it’s also more than that… I guess the real reason that I still find this show enjoyable as an adult, is because it really has a simple universal message that it delivers in a realistic and relatable way.
While other children’s shows like to beat us over the head with their various moral agenda’s, Arthur takes a different approach. Each episode gives us a peek into the day to day lives of Arthur and his friends, and as the story progresses we are taught some moral lesson or another, but it’s presented in such a way that doesn’t come off as preachy or overly altruistic. You wind up being invested in the characters and the story and not so much in the “lesson”, a problem that plagues other children’s series.
Plus the characters are diverse, coming from various cultural backgrounds, on top of that each character has their own interests and special skills. So it’s easy for children (and adults) to see themselves in at least one of the characters… As a kid, I was more like the sporty and outgoing Francine and even now I’m still a bit like her (perhaps a bit calmer)…
Anyhow, I said I’d keep this short, so….With 21 seasons under it’s belt, Arthur is the second longest running PBS television show and despite a few hiatuses and “cancellations” over the years, it still manages to capture the hearts of both children and adults.
What are some shows you liked as kid that you still like now that your older? Have you seen Arthur? Let me know what you think in the comments section. If you like what you see, like this post or follow Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! As always THANK YOU FOR READING!!