Arthur (cartoon)
Arthur is the eponymous main character of the popular PBS cartoon show based on the Marc Brown books.A member of the aardvark species, Arthur is a third-grader with two younger sisters: precocious four-year-old D.W. and Baby Kate. Arthur's sibling rivalry is often a theme of the show.
Arthur's best buddy is his friend Buster (a rabbit and a big Bionic Bunny fan). His other two best B's are the school brain (Brain, a bear) and the (former?) school bully (Binky, a burly bulldog).
The Arthur series is unusual among children's cartoon shows in having a wide variety of distinct and memorable characters. Grandma Thora is based on Brown's own Grandmother Thora, who encouraged him by saving his childhood drawings in a bottom drawer. The series often contains a few in-jokes for older viewers (such as parents or older siblings), with even Yo-Yo Ma, the noted cellist, appearing on the show.
Each show begins with the catchy Walking Down The Street reggae theme songe and contains two self-contained episodes, separated by a live-action vignette of schoolchildren doing a project -- often related to a cartoon theme.
CINAR Animation produced 191 Arthur cartoons over the period from 1996 to 2001.