A generation weeps as ‘Arthur’ airs final episode

The world’s most famous aardvark is having his last television hurrah, as the beloved Public Broadcasting Service kids show Arthur airs its finale episode Monday.

Back in July, PBS announced the 25th season of the show would be its last, closing a cherished chapter of many people’s childhoods.

For those who grew up with the show, many of whom are now adults, it was a bittersweet bit of news to start their week.

The wholesome show’s message of having “a wonderful kind of day” by getting along with one another, as described in Ziggy Marley’s timeless theme song for the show, was a message one fan urges people to carry forward.

In case you were wondering whether the show, which originally began airing in 1996, still holds up, even in its earliest seasons, one Twitter user who recently binged the entire series claims it absolutely does.

Though Arthur may be leaving our television screens, one fan pointed out that its message of encouraging people to read books will pay dividends, as “having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card!”

For one Twitter user, Buster’s naïveté about the truthfulness of the internet will forever remain iconic.

As a send off to the treasured characters created by author Marc Brown, the final episode airing Monday will include a flash-forward scene revealing them as their grown up versions.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel for Arthur fans, however. Although the TV show is coming to a close, Arthur’s adventures will continue in other mediums rolling out this year and beyond, including on PBS Kids’ website in the form of video shorts and digital games, according to Variety.

With the conclusion of Arthur‘s run on television, the show leaves behind an incredible legacy; countless memes inspired, important topics like dyslexia and bullying tackled in a way that is easy for children to digest, and it holds the record as the longest-running animated kids show in TV history in the U.S., as well as the second-longest running animated series ever, behind The Simpsons.