Arthur to Flash Forward Over 25 Years in the Future for PBS Series Finale
To celebrate 25 years of Arthur, and to bring its original generation of viewers face to face with their own mortality, PBS will conclude the beloved animated series with a flash-forward, which will move the story forward 25 years to catch up with grown-up versions of the series' characters. The series, which longtime Arthur writer Kathy Waugh revealed in July had not been in production for two years, will conclude next month with a four-part arc that will air on PBS stations and stream for free on PBS Kids on February 21.
If you don't want to wait to watch them all at once, you can watch them on live TV, or via livestream on the PBS Kids YouTube channel, from February 16-21.
"For more than 25 years, Arthur and his friends have kept viewers learning and growing through their true-to-life experiences," said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PBS Kids, in a statement (via Variety). "We can't wait to debut these episodes and introduce new 'Arthur' content that will give fans more ways to engage with their favorite aardvark."
PBS is also promising new Arthur content coming throughout 2022 and beyond, including a podcast, PSA-style video shorts, and digital games. The network also promises that all 25 seasons will continue to be available to stream on PBS Kids. 25 years was enough to make Arthur the longest-running animated kids' show on TV.
"It's been a privilege to work with an extraordinary and talented team to bring Arthur to public television audiences for more than two decades," said Carol Greenwald, Senior Executive Producer of GBH Kids, in a statement. "We're excited about Arthur's next chapter – sharing the stories and experiences of Arthur and his Elwood City community to the media platforms where the next generation of kids and families will connect with them for years to come."
Per Variety's report, author Marc Brown, who writes the Arthur Adventure book series, is releasing a new book next week, titled Believe in Yourself: What We Learned From Arthur.
"It's amazing that what began as a simple bedtime story for my son eventually evolved into over a hundred books and a collaboration with GBH and PBS Kids that would last 25 years," Brown said. "Now more than ever the last line of my first book Arthur's Nose rings true – 'There is a lot more to Arthur than his nose.'"