Arthur - Where is the Show Going?

[Drtooth]

They're getting very bad at this. Doesn't even look like her. She has a, well... I don't want to say bigger nose and chin, but they're both the wrong shape. This looks like some generic woman.

 

[backpackmina]

I really hate the new flash animation style, it just really takes away

 

[D'Snowth]

The Flash animation keeps improving with each season - as to be expected - but there's still a slight stiffness and disjointed feeling about it overall. The thing of it is though, I'm not sure if 9 Story is entirely able to adapt to the Arthur style: when you look at some of the new one-shot characters, celebrity caricatures, scenes and layouts, etc., it really doesn't match the shows style, I mean take a look at this screencap from Mr. Morris's upcoming episode:

It looks like he's in another animated series' universe altogether rather than the Arthur universe.

But on the subjcet of new episodes, Arthur's FB finally confirmed new episodes are supposed to air again the first week of June, but for some reason, different sources have only two random episodes of the current season scheduled, then a few from next season scheduled, so unless there's some kind of fluke or discrepency with scheduling, I don't know what's going on (though apparently, some international broadcasts apparently have lumped Season 18 and 19 together in one package, so maybe that's effecting U.S. broadcasts as well)?

In addition to Maria getting her own episode, it appears Season 19 will also bring back Carl again, for an episode with Rattles of all characters. Maybe it's just me, but Rattles kind of seems to be the current Creators Pet, doesn't he? We've had a few episodes lately where we see he's a lot more intelligence and cultured than his Tough Customer image makes him out to be, and apparently his and Carl's episode has to do with classical music, so we'll see how that turns out.

 

[D'Snowth]

We finally have titles for all of Season 19:

#1901 "Brain's Brain / Brain Sees Stars"
#1902 "Sue Ellen Adds it Up / Wish You Were Here"
#1903 "Arthur's Toy Trouble / Spar for the Course"
#1904 "Carried Away / Dueling Detectives"
#1905 "Buster Isn't Buying It / One Ornery Critter"
#1906 "Maria Speaks / Postcards from Binky"
#1907 "Carl's Concerto / Too Much of a Good Thing"
#1908 "Francine's Cleats of Strength / Little Miss Meanie"
#1909 "Mr. Ratburn's Secret Identity / Besties"
#1910 "The Last Day"

There's been all kinds of speculations from people that Season 19 will be the last season . . . looking at the title of the season finale, that may very well be true.

 

[Drtooth]

The Flash animation keeps improving with each season - as to be expected - but there's still a slight stiffness and disjointed feeling about it overall. The thing of it is though, I'm not sure if 9 Story is entirely able to adapt to the Arthur style: when you look at some of the new one-shot characters, celebrity caricatures, scenes and layouts, etc., it really doesn't match the shows style
It looks like he's in another animated series' universe altogether rather than the Arthur universe.

Exactly. Peg + Cat and Wild Kratts, both animated by the same company, but because they're stylized, the animation works perfectly. Just, there's something too clean and yet so stiff about this kind of animation. Earlier flash animated episodes were quite terrible, especially since they didn't scale the outlines. Characters in close up look like they were drawn with a thick Sharpie. Things have gotten a little better. At least the outlines aren't nearly as poorly scaled and thick. They still frustratingly use that terrible Muffy Model where her nostril is all the way down to the bottom of her nose just above her lip instead of just under the eyes like it should be (it gives her a schnozz is what I'm saying).

But I'll say what I've been saying since that season. I'm surprised Crappy Jar didn't turn Arthur into their awful Flash years ago. You know, the exceedingly stiff, almost amateurish, ugly stuff they forced onto Hurray for Huckle and that NOBODY asked for it Doodlebops Roadshow. As stiff and disjointed the animation Arthur has now, it's freaking had drawn Disney feature film compared to Doodlecraps.

There's been all kinds of speculations from people that Season 19 will be the last season . . . looking at the title of the season finale, that may very well be true.

There doesn't seem to be anything supporting this, but there doesn't seem to be anything denying it either. Arthur's Wiki had season 19 up since at least season 16 on their site, but there's no placeholder for a 20th. The show does need to end, and I'm sure that PBS will have it in reruns for years after. I'm hoping this is the last day exactly, mainly because of these 1980's kids' show cliche episodes.

 

[D'Snowth]

There doesn't seem to be anything supporting this, but there doesn't seem to be anything denying it either.

I've been told by both Greg Bailey and a producer for WGBH that their next annual writing meeting is this summer, but as you said, the show currently hasn't been renewed for another season, but it's not yet canceled either, so we'll know something soon.

It seems to me that one season shy of a milestone is an odd place to end it, I'd like to think they'd at least shoot for Season 20 before they call it quits. As much as I too would like to see the show come to a conclusion, I'm hoping that will be prolongs for just a little while long, and I'll explain why soon enough.

 

[D'Snowth]

They'll probably have an "In Memory of Walter Massey" at the end of one of their shows this fall.But I think that's all they'll do.

Yep, but it's actually the Season 19 premiere:

 

[D'Snowth]

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume based on the episode screencaps that are now available that Maria's episode is another one about fear of public speaking: there's a lot of shots with her wearing an expression of absolute shock on her face while covering her mouth, but there's also a lot of screencaps indicating that perhaps she aspires to be a news anchor. Those are just assumptions, though.

It also looks like she and Jenna are really good friends, so sorry Drtooth, looks like Jenna's gonna get a taste of the spotlight again soon as well.

 

[Drtooth]

I don't horribly mind Jenna that much, other than her questionable human noses design. I really did like her "Arthur Affliction" episode, especially the delightfully immature humor. "The bladder has a wee leak. It needs to be fixed with a wee patch." And the one where Francine passive aggressively throws a backhanded party for her was fun too. I just disliked her "and Larry" appearance in that one about Fern's sleepover (where she wasn't Arthur Afflicted yet).

Seriously. The fandom should make the term "Arthur Affliction" a thing. You know, suddenly afflicting a main character with an illness/disability/mental problem where they had no signs of before and/or changes the character dramatically as a result. Seems that when they were talking about those issues, they either afflict a main character or invent a new one.

And yeah, I do not count MacGrady's cancer as one of them as that's kinda how cancer works. Sometimes it just suddenly comes out of nowhere like that. Nor do I think that of Grandpa Dave's Alzheimer's, as it seems like it was hinted that he was deteriorating with age, and that was the next logical step. But certainly Brain's "cryer" status and Binky's Peanut Allergy (no matter how good that one was).

 

[D'Snowth]

Seriously. The fandom should make the term "Arthur Affliction" a thing. You know, suddenly afflicting a main character with an illness/disability/mental problem where they had no signs of before and/or changes the character dramatically as a result. Seems that when they were talking about those issues, they either afflict a main character or invent a new one.

Heh. I moderate a warped and twisted Arthur forum where many of the members are contributors to the Arthur Wiki, I think I'll run this by them, I'm sure they would agree.

Heck, this could even be a trope, but TV Tropes forbids "trope-namer syndrome" now. Seriously though, what other show suddenly afflicts its characters regularly like ARTHUR does?