After more than two decades on TV, the PBS Kids series Arthur is coming to an end. The show’s developer Kathy Waugh broke the news on the Finding DW podcast with Jason Szwimer, saying the final episode of season 25 wrapped two years ago and will air in the winter of 2022.
“Arthur is no longer in production. We had our wrap party two years ago,” Waugh told Szwimer. “I think [PBS] made a mistake, and I think Arthur should come back and I know I’m not alone in thinking they made a mistake. I don’t know if it was a ratings issue or if it felt like it needed to be retired. To me, it felt evergreen, like it was never going to end but it did end, we finished the last episode, season 25 two years ago.”
How we feel about just now finding out Arthur is ending after PBS sitting on the information for two years:
Arthur is the longest-running kids animated series in history and has been a childhood staple for generations, so hard to believe the series is coming to an end. But the show’s executive producer Carol Greenwald says this isn’t goodbye forever.
“Producer GBH and PBS Kids are continuing to work together on additional Arthur content, sharing the lessons of Arthur and his friends in new ways,” Greenwald said.
Until we see what’s in store for everyone’s favorite aardvark, reruns of the show will continue to be available on PBS Kids. You can stream the PBS Kids channel on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV, as well as at PBSkids.org.