Photo: PBS Kids
Arthur‘s creator Marc Brown wasn’t happy to hear that Alabama Public Television pulled his beloved PBS series’ season 22 premiere because it featured a same-sex marriage.
The channel decided to air a re-run of a previous episode rather than the historic episode, which saw Mr. Ratburn — Arthur’s longtime teacher — marry his partner, to the surprise of his students who didn’t know he is gay.
Back in 2005, Alabama Public Television decided to pull an episode ofArthurspinoff seriesPostcards from Busterthat showed a live-action family with lesbian mothers.
“Our feeling is that we basically have a trust with parents about our programming,” Alabama Public Television’s then-executive director Allan Pizzato toldAL.comin 2005. “This program doesn’t fit into that.”
Mckenzie had similar statements aboutArthur‘s season 22 kickoff.
PEOPLE has reached out to Mckenzie for comment.
In a statement to PEOPLE, PBS said the same-sex marriage scene was crucial in accurately reflecting the “diverse communities” of children who watch the show.
“PBS KIDS programs are designed to reflect the diversity of communities across the nation. We believe it is important to represent the wide array of adults in the lives of children who look to PBS KIDS every day,” the network stated.
Arthur.PBS Kids
Meanwhile, Brown tells PEOPLE that he is “very disappointed” Alabama Public Television’s decision.
“I’m really proud of that episode. And I will defend it to anybody who wants to talk about it,” Brown says.
“Why shouldn’t their teacher marry another man? We all know people who are gay, who are trans, and it’s something that is socially acceptable. Why is there this discomfort that it takes a leap into our national media?” he adds. “I don’t want children or people who are different to feel excluded. That’s not the kind of world we want to live in. And we want children to be educated so they can see there’s not just one type of family. Everyone should feel represented. I think we did that withArthur.”
Arthurcreator Marc Brown, in 2015.John Lamparski/WireImage
Much of Brown’s determination comes from the frustration he felt after thePostcards From Busterbacklash in 2005.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings condemned the episode at the time, causing the Department of Education and PBS to withdraw funds for the series. Brown remembers how upset that made the children of the family who were shown.
“I have never forgotten how difficult this was and how badly I felt for those children,” Brown says. “Nothing was wrong with them. And we had another chance withArthurto correct that all these years later.”
Arthurhas been on the air since October 10, 1996. The show is the longest-running children’s animated series in the U.S., and is currently the second-longest running animated series in the U.S., behindThe Simpsons,according toIMDb.
Regardless of Alabama Public Television’s decision, Brown promises to keep pushing to make sureArthurexplores new ways to expand the minds of its viewers.
“My good friendFred Rodgerswas so good at using television to educate kids and entertain them,” Brown notes. “We have a very powerful medium in television, and coupled with animation, it’s probably one of the most seductive forms of entertainment and eduction we can use to reach a child. Why not use it in a positive way?”
“When we beganArthur22 years ago, the agenda we began with was to make children want to read. And it worked!” Brown says. “So each year, the writers and the producers sit down to decide what kind of subject matter we want to deal with. After 22 years you think, ‘We’ve done it all!’ Yet, here was another opportunity! It sill excites me that we can come up with stories that are going to be interesting and helpful to children.”
“I think the majority of television is being misused; it’s not helpful for children,” Brown adds. “We in this country have a real difficult time seeing an investment in our children’s education is probably the most important way we can spend money. It’s their future, it’s our future. And we’re sadly going down a very bleak road with the way we treat education in this country.”
source: people.com
