Arthur cancelled after 26 years, creators announce

28 July 2021, 16:30

Arthur has been cancelled after over two decades on the air. Picture: PBS

By Alice Dear

Arthur, the beloved children's cartoon series, will come to an end next year after a whopping 25 seasons and over 249 episodes.

Arthur has been cancelled after 26 years on TV, it has been announced.

The children's TV series was a firm favourite for people who grew up in the 90s, and remains popular with new generations, however, American broadcaster PBS have decided to pull the plug on the beloved show.

It was Kathy Waugh, who developed the TV series from the book by Marc Brown of the same name, who revealed the heartbreaking news.

Speaking on the podcast Finding DW, Kathy said: "Arthur is no longer in production. We had our wrap party two days ago."

The beloved series have been on TV for 26 years now, making it the longest-running animated TV series in American History. Picture: PBS

She went on to add: "I think they made a mistake, and I think Arthur should back and 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."

The final episodes of the series are believed to air next year.

Creator Kathy Waugh says she thinks cancelling the show is a 'mistake'. Picture: PBS

This marks the end of an era for many people who grew up watching Arthur the aardvark, alongside his friends Buster, Francine, Binky, Muffy and Brain.

Arthur is officially the longest-running animated series in American history, and therefore has remained a favourite throughout generations growing up.

The show first debuted in 1994, and has gone on to produce over 249 episodes and 25 series.

This may not be the end of the character all together, however, as Executive producer Carol Greenwald told IGN: "They are continuing to work together on additional Arthur content, sharing the lessons of Arthur and his friends in new ways.”

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