Arthur - Where is the Show Going?

[Hubert]

I'm going to have to jump in here and say some of my thoughts, since I'm a big fan of Arthur:

Yeah, I agree that the show's episodes aren't that great anymore, in fact, I pretty much quit watching the new episodes. They just don't feel right anymore. They just don't seem to have a strong storyline like they used to. I think I noticed the episodes start getting bad around Season 11 (2007). There are still some episodes I really like since then, but mostly they haven't been that great. I haven't read all 13 pages of this thread, but I'm going to throw my thoughts out there on things that I see have been discussed:

The Mrs. MacGrady cancer episode and the Barnes adopting, those for some reason really don't bug me. Don't know why, I just seem to be OK with them. Mrs. MacGrady was never really a main character so I guess for that reason I'm OK with it. The Barnes adopting: it just seemed to fit OK for me. Most other families adopting I would just hate that they did that, but Binky's family just seems OK.

On the episodes of Pal and Kate (and other pets and babies) talking, early on I liked it. It was an interesting take on the Arthur world. But the post-Season 11 episodes where they talk, are just pointless to me. What especially is bugging me: It seems that the babies are growing up. In one episode, Kate starts to not be able to hear Pal clearly, because she is growing up and starting to not be able to talk to him. Mei-Lin also begins talking to them in one episode. It's just that, if they are growing up, why aren't the older kids? I don't think anyone should be getting older on the show, or you'd be losing a lot from the show. Before, in order to keep the characters the same age, we've seen them getting out of 3rd grade for summer vacation multiple times.

Brain being held back is something I really didn't like. I don't mind too much (depending on the circumstance) when something is added (such as Binky's sister) but I really don't like it when something is now added to a character's history. I think that the histories of most characters have already been established as much as they need to be for the show to function properly, and it doesn't feel right when we all of the sudden find out something about a character's past.

I've been saying about episodes starting in Season 11 started to get bad, but I still want to point out that there has been some great episodes in that time period. It's just that, it used to be every episode out of every season was great, now only a few are.

 

[Drtooth]

Brain being held back is something I really didn't like. I don't mind too much (depending on the circumstance) when something is added (such as Binky's sister) but I really don't like it when something is now added to a character's history. I think that the histories of most characters have already been established as much as they need to be for the show to function properly, and it doesn't feel right when we all of the sudden find out something about a character's past.

The Simpsons pulls that crap all the time. 60 year old Flanders? Principal Skinner is really Armin Tamzarian... something that even his voice actor was disgusted with (This quote is from wikipedia: "That's so wrong. You're taking something that an audience has built eight years or nine years of investment in and just tossed it in the trash can for no good reason, for a story we've done before with other characters. It's so arbitrary and gratuitous, and it's disrespectful to the audience.") I understand the Arthur writing staff needed to address the topic of kids who were emotionally held back, but they really should have created another character for that. That's why I like how they talked about Aspergers with a NEW kid, instead of retconning the affliction on a pre-existing character. Sort of like Binky's peanut allergy (which at least is good for saying that it can suddenly afflict you), or ugly human nosed cat background character Jenna having nocturnal bladder problems. Like I'm supposed to care about Jenna?

Like every show that's been on pretty long, they still are capable of making a very good episode (I LOOOOVED Muffy's Book Club... I'm so glad I cheated and saw it a year in advance), but some episodes just don't have that rewatchability factor. Some actually get dumber and less likable with each viewing.

 

[D'Snowth]

That's why I like how they talked about Aspergers with a NEW kid, instead of retconning the affliction on a pre-existing character.

Yeah, because look at all the minor background characters who ended up becoming semi-regular supporting characters over the years: Fern, George, Jenna, Molly's little brother James, supposedly that gray rabbit with the orange sweater in Mr. Ratburn's class was going to become a supporting character as well...

Still, I believe that randomly giving Mrs. MacGrady cancer, and now Grandpa Dave having Alzheimer's are clear signs they're clearly out of ideas... the second of which is a total cop-out, Grandpa Dave was the least expanded-upon character of the series, and now all of the sudden it's like, "We've neglected him in the writing, I know, lots of old people have Alzheimer's, let's do a story about Grandpa Dave having Alzheimer's!"

And actually, I just now remembered something... Mrs. MacGrady was refered to as "Aunt Leah" in "The Great MacGrady" (when apparently the substitute cook was her nephew), and I guess it was in honor of the production staff member named Leah who apparently died from cancer... but wasn't Mrs. MacGrady's first name Sarah before?

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah, because look at all the minor background characters who ended up becoming semi-regular supporting characters over the years: Fern, George, Jenna, Molly's little brother James, supposedly that gray rabbit with the orange sweater in Mr. Ratburn's class was going to become a supporting character as well...

Well, Fern and George became characters very early on. At least since the first 2 seasons. At least they've become pretty good characters with some pretty good storylines. I like Fern's nasty streak of passive aggressiveness (like the episode where everyone drew nasty cartoons about Francine).

Still, I believe that randomly giving Mrs. MacGrady cancer, and now Grandpa Dave having Alzheimer's are clear signs they're clearly out of ideas... the second of which is a total cop-out, Grandpa Dave was the least expanded-upon character of the series, and now all of the sudden it's like, "We've neglected him in the writing, I know, lots of old people have Alzheimer's, let's do a story about Grandpa Dave having Alzheimer's!"

You see, that stuff I don't mind, nor do I think qualifies as running out of ideas. They are first and foremost an educational series, and what better way to talk to kids who have a loved one with these diseases than to show their favorite characters going through it too. That is their duty, to talk about problems facing kids, George's dyslexia, Carl's Asperger's syndrome... I see nothing wrong with that. And somehow, I think Grampaw Dave's Alzheimer's isn't quite so random... they kinda foreshadowed it in that episode where he keeps falling asleep and only playing checkers. It clearly meant they'd have an episode where he has deteriorating health, and it becomes an issue.

No... the "we're out of ideas" episodes are things like Buster's Secret Admirer... SPOILER in case you haven't seen it. It's his mom giving him notes because it's one of their arbitrary holidays. Or the terrible PLEASE don't make it a spinoff episode "In my Africa" which A) is a crappy remake of the Arthur's Pen Pal episode first of all, B) so incredibly out of place for the show, it sounds like a really BAD imitation of an Animaniacs song without any attempt at humor and C) just completely pointless on every level. There are others... I mean, I like how they addressed kids with iPhones and how it's no longer cool to play outside (Huh... where exactly does this "obesity" stuff come from again? ), but the episode was kinda dull. There are other examples, I just don't want to sift through them. Episodes that don't exactly teach anything, but aren't all that fun to watch either. But there have been some pretty funny ones lately. I like the one where Buster's Dark Bunny Mobile keeps getting out of his locker.

And actually, I just now remembered something... Mrs. MacGrady was refered to as "Aunt Leah" in "The Great MacGrady" (when apparently the substitute cook was her nephew), and I guess it was in honor of the production staff member named Leah who apparently died from cancer... but wasn't Mrs. MacGrady's first name Sarah before?

This isn't new. George's last name was changed from Nordgren to Lungren, and Ratburns first name was once reveled as Emile, but then became Nigel for the rest of the series. Of course, that last one was in one of Arthur's what if fantasies before the actual cartoon began, so it probably doesn't count. I'm just going to chalk it up to continuity, and just forgetting they gave her a name in an episode.

 

[Hubert]

Like every show that's been on pretty long, they still are capable of making a very good episode (I LOOOOVED Muffy's Book Club... I'm so glad I cheated and saw it a year in advance), but some episodes just don't have that rewatchability factor. Some actually get dumber and less likable with each viewing.

I unfortunately have not yet watched Muffy's Book Club, its on the top of my list of episodes I need to catch up on.

And actually, I just now remembered something... Mrs. MacGrady was refered to as "Aunt Leah" in "The Great MacGrady" (when apparently the substitute cook was her nephew), and I guess it was in honor of the production staff member named Leah who apparently died from cancer... but wasn't Mrs. MacGrady's first name Sarah before?

Yes, it was, I caught that the first time, and am very surprised that anyone else did.

This isn't new. George's last name was changed from Nordgren to Lungren, and Ratburns first name was once reveled as Emile, but then became Nigel for the rest of the series. Of course, that last one was in one of Arthur's what if fantasies before the actual cartoon began, so it probably doesn't count. I'm just going to chalk it up to continuity, and just forgetting they gave her a name in an episode.

Yeah, those are some other name changes they made, I think that the George's last name change may have been because it was kind of odd, Nordgren just didn't seem to sound good when you said it.

While we're on the subject of changes (even though this really isn't a change), Arthur is once shown at a brother-sister race or something, and George is seen racing with a girl moose, implying that he had a sister. However, later on, George has been shown in his house, and there is no sign that he has a sister.

 

[Drtooth]

While we're on the subject of changes (even though this really isn't a change), Arthur is once shown at a brother-sister race or something, and George is seen racing with a girl moose, implying that he had a sister. However, later on, George has been shown in his house, and there is no sign that he has a sister.

The thing that gets me is that in the Crazy Bus episode, Arthur says something about how one of his friends' little brother or sister would tell if they caught him at Crazy Bus live. Now... unless Arthur has a different set of friends he never hangs out with on screen, none of his friends have a little brother or sister (predating when James was introduced as a character, and of course well before Binky got an adopted Chinese sister)... and the ones that actually ARE siblings are the younger one (Francine and, I'll assume she counts as a friend, Prunella). Makes you wonder if any of the other characters that weren't introduced yet have one.

I unfortunately have not yet watched Muffy's Book Club, its on the top of my list of episodes I need to catch up on.

I doubt it's still up on Youtube... but like it was discussed way, way back at the start of this thread (or somewhere in the middle) that internationally, production season 14 aired in its entirety. Production season 14 IS American Broadcast seasons 14 and 15, as twice as many episodes were produced (a shocking 20) but the US still has the lame 5 episodes in the fall, 5 episodes mid-May stuff... so we have to basically wait 2 more months for something that Australia already saw 2 years ago.

But it's a VERY good episode. In fact, the best episodes the past season have been either Muffy or D.W. focused... well, except that piece of garbage Africa episode...

 

[D'Snowth]

That same brother-sister race also showed Fern with that little poodle girl from D.W.'s pre-school class, which would imply she's Fern's little sister, but we clearly see in many other episodes that like George, Fern is actually an only child.

 

[Hubert]

The thing that gets me is that in the Crazy Bus episode, Arthur says something about how one of his friends' little brother or sister would tell if they caught him at Crazy Bus live. Now... unless Arthur has a different set of friends he never hangs out with on screen, none of his friends have a little brother or sister (predating when James was introduced as a character, and of course well before Binky got an adopted Chinese sister)... and the ones that actually ARE siblings are the younger one (Francine and, I'll assume she counts as a friend, Prunella). Makes you wonder if any of the other characters that weren't introduced yet have one.

Possibly he could have been referring to someone in his class who is a background character who has a little brother or sister. Or, as said with the brother/sister race, he could've been talking about George or Fern who originally are seen to have a brother or sister in the race.

But it's a VERY good episode. In fact, the best episodes the past season have been either Muffy or D.W. focused... well, except that piece of garbage Africa episode...

Yeah, I saw the Africa episode, it was kind of odd. It was nice to see a song in the episode, but it still was one of the not good episodes recently.

That same brother-sister race also showed Fern with that little poodle girl from D.W.'s pre-school class, which would imply she's Fern's little sister, but we clearly see in many other episodes that like George, Fern is actually an only child.

Ha, I never noticed that Fern was also in that race.

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah, I saw the Africa episode, it was kind of odd. It was nice to see a song in the episode, but it still was one of the not good episodes recently.

It was a truly terrible episode that I could only swear is a plea for a lame spinoff series with Cheik and D.W.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

I thought everything about it was terrible. I'm not entirely sure what the point of it was than maybe what you say about it trying to get a spinoff.

If the point of the episode really was about not steryotyoing people because of where they are from (and getting wrong information from bad resources), they could have...no...wait, they couldn't have done it any better. The only thing that they could have done better was not make a whole song out of it