Top 10 Times Arthur Tackled Serious Issues

For a PBS show, "Arthur" tackled a lot of serious issues. For this list, we’ll be looking at times when “Arthur” was much more than a kids’ show, addressing important topics in a way that all ages can understand. Our countdown includes natural disasters, banning books, PTSD, and more! Which serious issue do YOU think "Arthur" tackled the best? Let us know in the comments!

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MsMojo is a leading producer of reference online video content of Top 10 Lists, Origins, Biographies, Commentary and more on Pop Culture, Celebrity, Movies, Music, TV, Film, Video Games, Politics, News, Comics, Superheroes. Your trusted authority on ranking Pop Culture.

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[trinaq]

I really love how they tackled Mrs MacGrady's cancer diagnosis, and the characters struggling to come to terms with it. Being a young child when I first watched the episode, it was a sweet, sensitive look into a serious topic.

[Awesomeautisticgirl]

I have autism, and I love how Arthur depicted the topic of how people with autism see, hear, feel, smell and taste the world in a different way by George connecting with Carl by learning about his condition.

[Shojogurlp]

I'm surprised that the episode, "Grandpa Dave's Memory Album" didn't get an honorable mention. It shows that Arthur's grandfather is in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease and how the family learns to adapt and cope with it.

[DarkEdelgard]

As a person who suffers from PTSD, autistic, and someone who's pets have passed away, this list hits closer to home. As a matter of fact, most of this list hits closer to home. Except for the glasses and embarrassing jobs part. Nonetheless, I'm glad Msmojo made this video.

[andreavalles]

Top 10 isn’t enough, wish it was top 20 due to the fact that this show tackled more different serious topics

[NigerianGyrl]

“Maria Speaks” is a very underrated episode. Stuttering is rarely represented on television and to see it after 23 years made me cry.

[Markimark]

Arthur is one of the few PBS kids shows that actually deals with real kid issues, like parents divorce, 9/11, school disasters, even cancer with McGrady! Not even Sesame Street was able to air that divorce episode with Snuffy’s parents, at least Arthur was able to discuss the possible outcome to kids who have divorced parents!

[monicahoger]

I also think the "In My Africa" did a good job about teaching kids how to tackle learning about new countries and cultures. Yes, DW started off by using horrible stereotypes in that drawing, but I liked how it showed that anyone, regardless of age, can learn about new places in a respectful way, that it's ok to ask for help learning to do it right, and there are fun ways to go about it. I still catch myself humming their song about Africa to this day :)

[baileyostrom]

I NEVER realized that “April 9th” was based off the events of September 11, 2001. But it shows that everybody has a different way of processing and coping with tragic events.

[chellecunningham]

I’m so grateful that there are shows like Arthur that focused on these issues because in today’s society, some people don’t take consideration into other people’s emotions

[pepito]

As a person who has autism

“When Carl Met George “ was a real heartwarming episode

When Carl pointed out how he likes his juice in a box not a bottle

My heart skipped a beat because I’m like that too!

[LucyAnne]

There was also an episode where Arthur's grandfather forgot Arthur's name-- I don't remember much about the episode, but I'm sure it was some kind of allusion to Alzheimers.

[TheeGaoSter]

I'm proud to say I grew up watching Arthur. If you did too, you understand how it has shaped your character and childhood. I'm thankful.

[Zaft_K]

I watched "Arthur" with my children in the early 2000's, and was deeply impressed with the show. They deftly handled serious subjects with compassion and age-appropriate stories and resolutions. This is truly what children's programming - and TV generally - does at its best. Bravo, Arthur!

[emilyhedrick]

As an autistic person, there are many things I love about the autism episode:

Carl has multiple distinctive autistic traits, but is portrayed as being able to function quite well, which debunks the myth that we can't. It's called a spectrum for a reason. There are people who can barely function without constant care or are non-verbal, there are people like me who are the complete opposite, can function in most ways and can talk your ear off, and then there are people like Carl, who are somewhere in between or any combination of those things at varying degrees. Carl talks, but answers primarily to topics that interest him, going on about them for hours, and doesn't seem to do small talk as much as someone like me would. He is able bodied, with good motor function, and his main struggles are possibly some kind of sensory issue that triggers a reaction where he stims, and social interactions, which his mom helps him through in a kind, healthy manner.
He is given an arc, he is able to learn and grow and make a friend. Going off of that, George is a good friend to him, and is more worried about offending Carl than about Carl offending him.
The episode shows him stimming, which is also realistic. I also stim when certain things bother me.
I love Carl's mom. She knows what to do. She's kind, she's attentive, and prepared to help him through anything, also encouraging him to make a friend without implying that he needs to change his personality. I don't really see her as a caretaker, exactly. She guides him interactions and helps him calm down when he's having a vulnerable moment, which is harder when you're a little kid, so it makes sense, though I think she's mainly there with him because she loves her son and wants to spend time with him. Autism Speaks likes to send the harmful and inaccurate message that autistic families are unhappy, but this episode debunks that myth too. The dynamic between Carl and his mom matches the dynamic I have with my parents, and that's a happy thing to see.
Brain's explanation that he learned from his uncle is spot on. (I also have an autistic uncle, so I relate to both of these things) The Brain also chooses to focus on his uncle's experience based on what his uncle told him, without claiming that it's the same for everyone on the spectrum or claiming to know everything about it, taking an approach that is mainly meant to broaden George's perspective, and it really works.

[ariellal]

Arthur literally changed my life. I was able to figure out that I had dyslexia from watching it which gave me the ability to show my friends and explain to adults what my world was like, which was so powerful. I went from feeling so behind and confused, to being able to get the help I needed, and eventually studying dyslexia professionally. That wouldn't have happened without George's several episodes on the subject which I was able to show my parents.

[ashleightompkins]

I'm usually pretty hostile towards depictions of ASD because it's so easy to do it wrong and make it horrendous to watch. Arthur avoided that pothole beautifully.

[starcommunicator]

Arthur was so important to our cultural landscape for almost three decades, not including the books. I'm going to miss this wonderful little gem of a show.

[carlossoto]

When Carl met George is the most personal episode for me. My parents told me I was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 4, but even with therapy I was getting throughout elementary school, it was in 7th grade that was the first time I fully heard I have it. Upon watching the episode after I was confused, I learned how those with Asperger's (and Autism in general) react differently to many things in life than those who don't have it. But social interactions are the most affected by it, with said people speaking their own unique way or not generally showing full attention to another. I was thankfully able to make many friends in life despite my disorder, but I've also faced many serious challenges because of it.
They did a great job with exemplifying some individual characteristics: increased sensitivity, lack of understanding certain social phrases, and being amused and entertained by things that others may not feel the same for. It makes the point clear that you might always feel different, but you can certainly fit in with others.

[autumbreeze]

Another serious topic Arthur tackled that I'm surprised didn't even get an honourable mention, is the struggles and mental trauma caused when a family member, like an older sibling, goes missing and the younger sibling has to step up for the even younger siblings.

In D.W. and the Beastly Birthday, Arthur and several of his classmates get sucked into a wormhole on D.W.'s 5th birthday and get sent 4 years into the future.

When Arthur goes home, he mistakes a now 5-years-old Kate as D.W. and learns D.W. goes by Dora now and is now older than him.

After meeting with Dora, soon she starts distancing from Arthur and, while it seems odd at first, there's actually a very valid reason... and it's extremely depressing when you realise it.

When Arthur and his class vanished through the wormhole 4 years ago, D.W. realised she had to be the big sister now, for Kate's sake.

Yes, she was already Kate's big sister by default and took great pride in that, but it was different before.

She was still not the oldest, being the middle sibling. Unbeknownst to D.W., she leaned on Arthur a lot for support subconsciously.

He was 1 constant in her life that, deep down, she knew if anything was wrong, she could turn to Arthur, because he was the older brother and knew more about the world.

When he was sucked into that wormhole, D.W. suddenly found herself as The Older Sister. She couldn't rely on Arthur anymore, Kate would now be relying on HER.

D.W. realised, probably after a few days or weeks of Arthur being gone and told he wouldn't be coming back for 4 whole years, that she needed to grow up fast, for Kate, probably one of the reasons she decided to go by Dora after her 6th birthday.

So, over the years, she did just that. She tried to be the best older sister she could for Kate, but it was heavily weighing on her.

She saw through Arthur's perspective what being the older sibling means, as well as realising how hard she'd made it for him and how unfair she'd been.

Then, the day Arthur and his class returned, still exactly the same as the day they vanished, Dora thought things could return to some version of normal.

As she and Arthur bonded, both sharing their feelings about Ratburn's ridiculous amounts of homework, the struggles of being the oldest sibling and even both being able to enjoy a Bionic Bunny spin-off called Cyborg Cindy, Dora thought it was fine.

It was later that night, however, laying in bed... she realised it wasn't.

While they'd joked about it, her jokingly mocking Arthur for being a shorty... she was OLDER than Arthur. She was a year ahead of him in school now. He WASN'T the Older Brother she could lean on again.

SHE was now ALWAYS going to be The Older Sister.

Things could and would never be like they used to be, because Arthur was now her YOUNGER brother and, even if he hadn't realised it himself yet, the day would come where he, after fully settling into this new life, would start leaning on Dora the same way she had to him all those years ago.

She tried to brush it off the next morning, but, when Arthur slipped up and called her D.W. by accident, it fully cemented itself for Dora.

She was the Older Sister now. She couldn't go back to leaning on her Big Brother anymore... because she no longer HAD a Big Brother. She had a Little Brother.

So, she chose to put off her homework and hang with Vicita for a while, try to get her mind off of things... but it didn't work.

When Arthur confronted her about Lying about doing her homework, she instantly saw the scene in reverse, with herself doing the same thing to Arthur and it all came flooding back.

She kept trying throughout the next few hours to not think about it, but, when Arthur, having gained his moral understanding when hearing Kate upset about no one having time for her and it making him think how often he made D.W. feel that way, came in and apologised to Dora for how he hadn't been the best Big Brother it was both was good and bad for Dora's mindset at the time.

It gave her one small bit of closure, but further cemented in her mind the new dynamics of their brother and sister relationship.

The sad fact was... she didn't know how she felt around Arthur anymore.

She still needed time to come to terms and make peace with the idea her Big Brother would forever be her Little Brother from now on.

If the special had continued on, showing more days in this future, with Arthur and Co settling into their new lives, maybe Dora would've set Arthur down and had it out with him, so all cards were on the table and both siblings had a full understanding of the other's feelings.

But, we didn't get that, sadly.

But, it's really sad when you think about what Dora went through and makes her distancing Arthur so understandable.

The episode unintentionally teaches the emotional stresses older siblings have and the stresses of younger siblings when they have to grow up faster for their own younger siblings and the difficulties they face when their older siblings return to their lives after so long.

The only difference for Dora being she still stayed the older sibling.