Arthur: The Classics

[Mo Frackle]

Well, since there's a thread about the weaker episodes of Arthur, I thought I'd start one about the classic episodes. I just finished watching a few that I haven't seen in years. A few thoughts on them:

"Buster Baxter: Cat Saver" - What can I say? The story is funny enough. Buster just so happens to be in the right place at the right time (with Rocky Trout) when a cat's in a tree. Yet everybody sees him as a big hero. What about those people who rescued injured cats? Anyway, it's interesting that Buster, of all the main characters, is the one who winds up bragging for most of the episode. We usually see this from others like Muffy or Francine. It just goes to show that all of the characters make mistakes, but they're still likable.

I love Buster's off-the-wall story ideas for TV shows/movies based on his 'heroic deeds'. With off-the-wall ideas like having villains such as a strong guy (simply called "Strong Guy"), a ghost doe, and a walking ham. "Kids, hitting and punching people is wrong. But that's no person! It's a giant ham!". The others' reaction to Buster wanting to make the show "edu-tainment", perfect. And that catchy theme song: "Cat saver! Cat saver! Can save anything! A cat, your mother or the universe!"

Binky's reaction to Buster's stories, so like Binky. And of course that running gag about D.W.'s "Crazy Bus" adiction. The finale, in which Buster does actually become a hero (by rescuing Arthur and Francine from a runnaway piano) was clever. And the trailer for his movie ("Rat is Art Spelled Backwards...Almost") was great.

"Arthur Meets Mister Rogers" - One of my favorites. Besides the fact that Mister Rogers is on the show, this episode is a perfect way to get to know the characters. Arthur is like a lot of eight year old kids. He doesn't want to be made fun of for having a "baby show" celebrity at his house, but at the same time doesn't want to hurt anybody's feelings. I love how totally polie Mister Rogers is, and he does make a lot of very good points: "Real friends don't make fun of real friends. And your friends seem like real friends. They all seem to be concerned about you".

Buster really steals the show. He just loves Mister Rogers, and couldn't care less about what his friends think of him. His reaction to bearded Arthur and D.W. ("Hey Mister Rogers, how long have you known Sneezy and Dopey?"), his fanboy questions, his reaction to Mister Rogers' lullaby (he looks like he's in love!), all great.

D.W. gets her share of fun lines. Her reaction to Buster's question about King Friday was great! Probably one of the episode's biggest highlights is the 'walk around the block' scene. Arthur's idea of concealing the fact that he knows Mister Rogers is putting false beards on D.W. and himself. Where they got those beards is anybody's guess. "Garbage? You wanted to show Mister Rogers garbage?".

The subplot involving Brain, Prunella, and Rubella trying to save Arthur from zombies is hilarious. I love the Brain in this episode ("I think Arthur looks quite distinguised with facial hair"). Of course, he would think that Arthur's behavior is homework-related, but being a kid, even he falls for the zombie garbage. I love Rubella, but does anybody else think she might have, you know, mental problems? But seriously, one of my favorite dialogue exchanges is during the scene in which the kids are watching Buster ask Mister Rogers questions about the Neighborhood of Make Believe.
Rubella: Just look at that drooling, idiotic look on that face! They've done something with his brain!
Prunella: I don't know, Rubella. Buster kind of always looks that way.

And am I the only one surprised that the kids didn't get into any trouble. Granted, Mrs. Tibble made a mistake in think that there were burgalers at the Reads' place (poor Jane and David must have been pretty embarassed), but I'm wondering if their parents had anything to say about them being out so late. Then again, these kids do a lot of things most people their age aren't allowed to do.

 

[Mo Frackle]

"Arthur Makes a Movie" - Another good 'character' episode. Francine trying to get Arthur into doing the love scene, Buster's crazy ideas, Muffy's inability to figure out her camera (why she didn't get one of her servants to run the camera is anybody's guess), all great.

 

[D'Snowth]

Well... the thread you're talking about was pretty much a general discussion about the series, but a major aspect of the discussion was about how much the show has declined in the past several years or so...

As far as the classics go, really, I like just about any episode from the first four seasons, as well as Seasons Seven and Eight... Season Five is okay, but it's weird watching and Arthur suddenly sounds like Peter Brady with his voice breaking up, and Season Six I first saw when I was battling my first of two bouts of depression, so that season holds rather unpleasant memories for me. But other than that, yeah, give me One, Two, Three, Four, Seven, and Eight over the current seasons any day.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

*poofs in*

Buster and the Daredevils

*poofs out*

 

[sesamemuppetfan]

I used to watch Arthur a lot on PBS when I was younger, but now I only watch it occasionally on YouTube. There are a lot of episodes from the first few seasons that really stick out, and I will list them on this thread (a few of them at a time per post).

One episode that really sticks out was "Arthur's Almost Live Not Real Music Festival". When I was in Preschool, I would always start randomly singing the main chorus' of "Library Card" ('Having fun isn't hard, you've got a library card!') and "Jekyll and Hyde". By the time I was in 5th grade, I often found myself singing parts of "Homework" ('Just a little homework tonight!') and "Leftovers Goulash" (you gotta love Arthur begging for ice cream, and DW complaining that her cookie tastes like fish, while their dad is naming out all of his weird food concoctions).

Another episode that sticks out was "My Music Rules" when the library is searching for a musician to put on a public performance. Pretty much the whole episode was very entertaining.

Now, one of my favorite episodes as a whole (meaning they aired at the same time) was "The Blizzard/The Rat Who Came to Dinner". There are WAY too many favorite parts to list, so for now, I'll just list Mr. Ratburn's role in both of those episodes.

 

[Drtooth]

One episode that really sticks out was "Arthur's Almost Live Not Real Music Festival". When I was in Preschool, I would always start randomly singing the main chorus' of "Library Card" ('Having fun isn't hard, you've got a library card!') and "Jekyll and Hyde". By the time I was in 5th grade, I often found myself singing parts of "Homework" ('Just a little homework tonight!') and "Leftovers Goulash" (you gotta love Arthur begging for ice cream, and DW complaining that her cookie tastes like fish, while their dad is naming out all of his weird food concoctions).

Ah, the "go out and buy our soundtrack of songs that mostly aren't even in the show" episode. I like it and all, but I really think it's disappointing they had those wonderful animated music videos for Jekyll/Hyde and the Library card one, and the rest were Disney Music Television (or Mighty Mouse The New Adventures "We ran out of budget") clip show AMV things... some clips barely matching up.

 

[D'Snowth]

Now, one of my favorite episodes as a whole (meaning they aired at the same time) was "The Blizzard/The Rat Who Came to Dinner". There are WAY too many favorite parts to list, so for now, I'll just list Mr. Ratburn's role in both of those episodes.

Yes, I so totally agree, that's probably my favorite full/whole episode as well, but I think for me, it's not so much because of Mr. Ratburn (though "The Rat Who Came to Dinner" is a really interesting plot, because I think my parents almost did something similar inviting a teacher of mine to stay at our house, but that never happened), I think it's mostly because the whole episode takes place during winter, and there's lots and lots of snow, and considering snow is something we don't get too often down here, the episode almost has a fanciful wonder to it... I haven't seen an actual full-blown blizzard since 2000, when I was only eleven.

 

[Drtooth]

Hey, I love the fact that Mr. Ratburn's a Scooby-Doo fan... of course it's an Ersatz version... but still, Scooby-Doo and Cake. Ratburn's passion.

I swear cake was one of their many aborted running gags in the series. Arthur shoving the whole slice down his mouth in the one with DW lost in the department store must've struck a cord with them.

 

[D'Snowth]

Could it be because, dare I say, they wanted to discourage kids from eating stuff that's bad for them, and get them to eat healthier?! I mean, like you said earlier, didn't Arthur have a funk over Dark Bunny endorsing a sugary soda? And seriously, what's the deal with that? The kids drank can after can after can of "Sarah Soda" throughout the earlier seasons, I think at Muffy's slumber party, Jenna drank upwards of seven cans that night.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

That soda episode definitely seemed like it was made only to make a point about being healthy. I thought the whole thing seemed just really out of character for Arthur. I could see maybe Prunella fighting a soda...but not so much Arthur