The Lookback: Arthur It's Only Rock 'N Roll

The Flashback  Arthur 20 

    This year the cartoon series, Arthur marks it's 20th  year of being on TV and it's still running it will have a 19th, 20th, and 21st season it's one the longest running American cartoons , after "The Simpsons".   In 2002 they had a special that aired with the Backstreet Boys  (very 2002) , the special ushered in season 7 , some of the PBS stations used it for their pledge drives.

Let's take a look at this special : "It's Only Rock N' Roll" (yes there are some spoilers)

                           

       The special begins with Backstreet Boys music (if they had done this today it would be insert whatever popular group is popular here)  Muffy is enthralled by them and the video screen plays the Authurized version  of the Backstreet Boys doing their hit song "I want it That way"  (yes I want my eggs that way...throw those away and do it right...ow don't to throw things)  Muffy imagines herself chasing after them, her listening to the music disturbs Francine who says she has to stop listening to it.   (Also Francine called it rock , really rock?)  The BackStreet Boys are coming to town soon which makes Muffy excited but Francine doesn't like them because they are sell-outs, she used to but then they became sell-outs. (hmm  I hate when my boy bands become sell-outs ,welp back to my Indie rock)    Muffy says that Francine would sell out if she had a band the went popular. ( Yeah like that sell out Elvis    note: we like Elvis please don't send hate mail) Francine is adamant this would never happen.  They get into fight and Francine leaves.

 "I will never sell out!, never! not even for my face on a mug!"/ copyright WGBH from Arthur Wiki 

what that even mean?/ Arthur Wiki 

        Francine is putting together  a rock band , Arthur and his friends try-out but she gonged them. So she goes to people herself to find some band members like Binky (not Mick Jagger he's busy)  and they get his friend Molly to be the guitarist.  Arthur and Buster  decide to start their own band after being rejected by Francine. Francine's main rule  is they don't sell out and they hate bands that do (snobby band) they don't care about fame or money  (or MTV air time). Fern is added to the band as a singer  since Francine isn't good at singing and playing drums at the same time. (cheap)  The Principal hears that Francine has a band he wants to know if they would like preform for the PTA fundraiser. (Ok then)
                           

Plus it's budget friendly/copyright WGBH 

 
        They apparently become a hit (so, when do they sell out, that's what this what was for shadowed right)  , and they are called "You Stink".  Francine warns her group to be calm and not let any of the good reaction go to their heads.   A Cable Access Channel (why?) wants to interview Francine about her band (at least being on cable access is authentic because local news wouldn't care ...yet) anyway she declares that her group will never sell out. (so when do they sell out?)    She's getting annoyed  by all the fame and they get chased by some little kids through the town.(like the Beatles!)  Muffy picks up Francine in her limo she has a proposition to be the band's cute one, but Francine refuses.  (I'm the cute one of the blog)
                               

 But is she the youngest one in curls? /copyright Paramount 

   Random guy : Hey this is called Arthur ,..where is Arthur?!
    That's a good question oh there he is , him ,buster, and George decide to start their own band called "We Stink" (time for a bath)  Fern is happy (hey where's Arthur?!) about the fame and wants more (might as well face it you're addicted to fame).  Francine's band is on TV which angers her especially when she thinks it's selling out. Francine quits the band  (VH1 behind the music special will be interesting - I wrote this in 2002).  Her Dad suggests she talks to her former band...blah blah oh finally Arthur, his band um isn't doing so well.  But fine, forget Arthur back to You Stink , Mrs.McGrady suggests they need new music (only Phineas and Ferb can be one hit wonders- we wrote this in 2016) and they should talk to Francine. (also where's Perry?)  The band finds out that they need Francine who apparently is the only who can write music and melodies. They hire Muffy to be their manager (why?, how is this going to help them with songs, eh  we need a break)
                                   

   There was a noticeable lack of Arthur so Arthur/ copyright WGBH 

    Muffy gets a song about her singing about being a manager to the Backstreet Boys. (Some PBS stations have left us , I don't blame them) and the BBB's also sung the rest of the song (glad they getting that money's worth for being in this special). It's not a bad song , I guess so there's that. (It's also a good pick up line : Please be the manager of my dreams) Francine and Fern are fighting with each other , until Mrs.McGrady decides to help out  their problems (she's later helped usher a peace agreement between the Dakotas) but Muffy ruins this almost agreement. Muffy wants to make a music video (she better hurry up VH1 is about to give up soon)   which  (how do you think it goes a) Awful  B horrible C stupid  D all of the above E that's too many letters) .   Francine wants to help out Arthur's band (oh hey it's Arthur , for a show called Arthur where the heck is he?)  Muffy really likes Nick Carter (but what about Aaron Carter?!... 2002 girl screams in here )

I guess he was busy... also this helps our late 90's early 2000's  fan quota. 

  We'll be right back after the Jump (give your PBS station some money)


      Muffy then becomes all corporate and tries to shut down  D.W's trading card business but D.W doesn't understand and keeps going. (yay!!!)  When they have a pre-school audience they get tired of that one song.( Like 99.3 fm playing the same song all day )  Meanwhile , Francine is trying to get Arthur's band in shape but this doesn't go well either  and they all quit their own band. (VH1 is confused, no wonder they went to naked dating shows) Muffy is sad that Nick Carter hasn't answered her letter and her father can't help her.  Meanwhile tensions with You Stink are rising and I wonder if they will break up.  (like the  Beatles or CNN)  Muffy continues her goals to meet Nick  Carter , oh she follows him in an elevator and then stops the elevator ( I think she kidnapped him).
                 

This is illegal probably ? /copyright WGBH 

    Francine is at the Backstreet Boys concert (sell out)  and Muffy tortures Nick Carter with something so bad it's unspeakable. (A sales pitch!)  The Backstreet Boys  won't preform without Nick. (that's nice of them)  While the elevator is stuck , Muffy gives her dad the idea to let You Stink preform until they can get him and her out. Francine rejoins the band. (that was nice of her)  One of the Backstreet Boys gives her a tip for handeling the crowd, the other Back Street boys come out and help them out. (That gives them a point for being in this show)  Nick finally is free and able to join and also sings the song.

     You Stink breaks up , Francine talks to the Backstreet Boys and confuses them.  The show ends with the Backstreet boys singing the theme song.

      Our review:   The song from You  Stink was very catchy and not bad at all , It is pretty good that the Backstreet Boys weren't all smathered in the episode  or even really a focus point, except of  Muffy's plot.  For a show called Arthur we do expect more Arthur , some of the later season episodes do this where Arthur is barely in the episode or not there at all.Yes the show has a large cast of characters but for a special  we need a little more Arthur.   The Other songs were fun as well and the Backstreet Boys "I Want it That a way" is an earworm ,so is that manager song. I think the special has a parody sense of band movies but with a happier ending.  There are some Beatles references  , love the parody of VH1's Behind the Music,

                     
                        It is catchy...
      The plot was unexpected , I am glad it wasn't a plot focused on the Backstreet Boys or any of the of the plots being about how to get to the concert or how to get tickers or meeting them for autograph . Yes , Muffy wants to meet Nick , but to make a business deal not be autographed.


That's the special  tune in next time , when we find out that time Arthur quit his own show because it got too commercial.