The Lookback: Arthur 25: Seasons 19 and 20: Mr. Ratburn's Secret Identity/Arthur and the Whole Truth

Arthur PBS 

     We've made it to seasons 19 and 20 as our Arthur turns 25 marathon continues.  Back when we did the 20th year, Season 20 didn't start yet , Season 19 was the last season we did for that run. Eventually, Season 20 did get a post  and thankfully we get to do a partner episode for that one. 

 This is a look at season 19 , episode  9a.  (You can read about season 19 episode 9 b here) 

      The Cold Opening :   It starts with Arthur and Buster leaving a movie and talking how people don;'t notice  how a superhero, Dark Bunny, looks like his non super counter part. (Oldest topic ever) While superhero things happen around them without noticing. If there was a superhero in their city they'd notice, they said.

     The Episode:  First in class his portable telephone rings (his words not ours) and he has to leave the class with a movie while he takes care of something. Arthur and Buster wonder what's going on because it was so out of character for him.  Buster claims Mr. Ratburn is a super hero. (They also reference season 1 where they thought he was a vampire) 

        Mr. Ratburn was talking to Principal Hainey about  Sir. Chester Whimple is coming to town, who is a great opera singer. He's coming to guest star at the community theater.  Buster walks by the teacher's lounge and sees Mr. Ratburn singing and looking like he's flying since it's one of those doors that only has a window that can show shadows. 

  

            Buster imagines a whole super hero scene where Ratburn and he take down aliens. Oh yes, the episode gives away that Ratburn is not a hero early on, and decides to mess with Buster and now Ladonna when they see him carrying a giant rock thinking it's real.  Ladonna imagines that she is in the swamp, and Mr. Ratburn a swamp creature superhero.  Arthur doesn't believe Ratburn is a super hero.  

  

Take me to Park Avenue ! / Copyright WGBH

        While he goes to the man's house, convenience comes into play again when  Mr. Ratburn decides to go outside and leap around in tights and the door getting closed by the wind and locked. (Because that's how these shows have doors work)  He sees an open window to scale back into the house and now Arthur is convinced. Arthur now imagines Mr. Ratburn as Silkworm man. (what?)  Arthur is Larva lad. (what?)  This episode is weird. They start to act weird around the teacher and they found out he's a costume designer.  

 

           It's funny that season 1 episode is mentioned because it's kind of re-tread of that one where kids think Mr. Ratburn is something he's not, this time Arthur tries to doubt and prove differently buts into is as well. It's slightly entertaining to see though, the episode uses convenient moments to as the joke and to make things seem as they aren't.   

More after the jump

The Lookback: Arthur 25: Seasons 17 and 18: Binky's Music Madness/Fountain Abbey

Arthur  PBS

      ,    We head to seasons 17 and 18 now, and wow Arthur is a long running show and many of you were surprised that Arthur has been this long.  We've covered the partner episodes before, which were actually part of our wrap up during 2016. That post covers 3 episodes from seasons 17-19 because 20 hadn't come out yet, so we stuck 3 together, we won't be doing that this time. 

    Now to season 17,epsiode 10a, "Binky's Music Madness" 

             

      The Cold Opening: Arthur explains that Binky can play almost any kind of music you can think of. (Even Freeform Jazz?)  Arthur tries to play a piece of music, Binky comes down and warns everyone not to listen to it, it will get stuck stuck in your head. Arthur hits play and the episode starts. 

       The Episode :   Francine and Muffy are at a music show with a group called Bang on A (sideways) Can Allstars.  Apparently Francine liked their music.  They meet the group and Francine asks if they could come to their school. It's funny to watch Muffy try to cover up from not liking their music. Meanwhile, Arthur seems to have enjoyed the music he heard on Francine's player, the line about how it must feel to be Buster was funny.  Binky listens to the music and apparently it makes him trip into a different mind set.

Woah man/ Copyright WGBH

      Binky wants to reject it but he doesn't know what to do. The music apparently made him hear music in everything. (We also don't question how the kids with ears on top are listening to music on the side of their heads.)  He tries to play his clarinet but the noises mess with him and he decides to go to sleep. 

   

      The he as a dream of his friends being zombie like wanting him to listen to the music. He tries to play his clarinet then it makes quack sounds.  Then he wakes up and gets the idea to record random sounds; then make his own music with those sounds.  He makes up his own music group name and plays it for his friends.   Apparently, the friends liked it.  Binky reveals that he made it and reveals he took 3 days and nights to make it, and they still like it.  Bang on a Can All stars show up and they like Binky's music.  They decide to add more to his music. It ends with them all playing together. 

     

       The message that music can be anything is really nice, and the episode is pretty fun to enjoy. Also this is a real music group in real life so that was a nice addition as well. 

  More after the Jump

The Lookback: Arthur 25: Seasons 15 and 16: Muffy's Classy Classics Club/So Funny , I forgot to Laugh

Arthur PBS 

          We have headed to Season 15 (and 16) and the last time we did these seasons like this, they were the 2nd to last of the marathon, well not this time. oh my.   You can read that post here   

    This is season 15, episode 8a.  

                   

       The Cold Opening:  Bailey, Muffy's Butler, talks about how he enjoys working for Muffy. (Apparently, he's lost it) He does say it's not easy to work for her,  but it's never dull.

    

     The Episode:  Muffy gets a doll that seems to be a knock-off of American Girl, it comes with books that encourages people to start book clubs and Muffy decides  to start her own book club. She sends a book to Arthur, Francine, Alan (the Brain) , and has Bailey join her too. (She just drafted people into her club like a mad man)  They found the house has library but with mostly fake books. (When you want to look good but not that good)  The library also has a fake fire place. 

     Anyway when it comes up, the book has mixed reviews with the others not liking the book.  Then Muffy finds out book clubs switch books each week, so that means Alan gets to suggest a book.  Muffy decides the best idea is to not read the book. Anyway, the next book club, Muffy can't bluff her way through fake the book.  When Arthur fakes up what happens and they catch her.

This is how you hold a book/ Copyright WGBH

     Muffy gets mad and Francine, Alan, and Arthur decide to quit her book club. (revolt) She tries to get others to join but this is a failure. I also have to laugh at her father being surprised they have library. Muffy admits her books are not very good, since they sold mostly to sale dolls.  

   In the fake library, Muffy finds the book Francine wanted to read and reads it. She seems to enjoy it.  She has a weird dream (an "Arthur" hallmark) and I'm disturbed. The next day, she decides to rejoin the book club and things seem to have gone better. 

           Muffy learns that mass manufactured books that are meant to sell toys exists, and she learned to give other things a chance. Yay!  The library joke was strange but funny. This wasn't a bad episode it got it's message out clearly.

  More after the Jump 

The Lookback: Arthur 25: Seasons 12 and 14 : Matchmaker , Match Breaker/ All the Rage

Arthur PBS 

              Now on to season 12 of  Arthur  and to episode 6b, which is a b-side to the episode we did in 2016 called "The Cherry Tree" 

            The Cold Open:   Arthur has a diary (oooh) and Francine wants to see what he's writing but you know privacy and Francine gets annoyed by this.  Muffy shows up  and does the same thing, but Arthur climbs and tree and they walk away.   Arthur tells us somethings are just private. 

    The Episode:  Muffy's brother , Chip, shows up home from college.  Muffy is very excited  and throws him a welcome home dinner.  Francine's family is also there , because of course, but it seems that Chip and Catherine (Francine's sister) seem to be getting  along.  Fun fact: this is the first episode Chip actually shows up in the series, he's been mentioned before. 

            

                  This gives Francine and Muffy the idea that their siblings should get married so, they can become sisters. (What?)  The show even gives us Laverne and Shirley parody.  Anyway, they decide the logical thing to do is to get these two to be in love with each other. (This is too much work)  They convince their siblings to go to a movie and they nitpick stuff the two siblings do, but they notice that they are seemingly doing well. 

                Later they find out that their siblings are going out to lunch.  While they stalk them , Francine and Muffy start to get into tension with each other and the Laverne and Shirley Parody seems to have gotten angrier too. They decide to help end the relationship between their siblings.  This is not a good plan.  Especially since what they do can be easily traced back to them, which is for the best.  Catherine sees Chip and they talk and figure out that their siblings were doing stuff.  They admit what happened and realize that maybe they shouldn't be sisters anyway.  

My family has some weird decorations/ Copyright WGBH

  

                 The Laverne and Shirley parody was funny, the episode was alright. There was some fun charm to this episode and Francine and Muffy wanting to be sisters was sweet.  The episode goes as expected the moral of not  meddling in others affairs.  

          

     More after the jump

The Lookback: Arthur 25: Seasons 10 and 11: D.W Aim's High / Germophobia

Arthur PBS 

    

       We've made it to the tenth season (again!) Season 10 of "Arthur" first aired on PBS in 2006, during the show's 10th anniversary. They had these little Easter eggs in episodes based on the number 10; the season also had 10 episodes but that's not because of an over active 10 theme.

  

   Anyway, I've covered the partner episode to this one before,  now we are looking at  episode 5a the first aired in May 2006.

              The Cold Open:  It starts with Arthur telling us about Albert Einstein and D.W interrupts, but he continues talking about Einstein's  life but then D.W comes in and she wants to know when the show is going to start.

    

        The Episode:  It starts now!  At D.W's preschool and there's something they have to do, to talk about what they want to be when they grow up.   Back at home, Arthur and DW's dad is  watching a show about Space.  D.W gets inspired and wants to be the first to walk on Mars. (Ha Mars)   D.W "Goes to Mars" with her imaginary friend, Nadine until the dog messes up the "space ship".  (woof) 

          She goes to see the Tibble twins and they mention that Martians are on Mars and she shouldn't go, this causes her to not want her dream to be that anymore. Her dad wants to her to see some stars and then look for Mars to show her. Arthur figures out that she heard about Mars from the kids who were watching a movie, thanks to Buster making him watch it. (True friends aren't made to do anything) Glad she believes Arthur, so that's nice. 

   

The space program has gone too  far/ Copyright WGBH

   I'm also confused the dad had the book The War of the Worlds just sitting there ready for the moment to mention about people had worries about Mars. (He saw the plot)   The next day he takes her to the museum to learn about Mars, then gets a Mars model.  Now she's inspired to go to Mars to prove what lives on Mars if anything.   She also teaches her class the truth about Mars. (The truth the CIA wants you ..hey owww help help)   

             

      So the moral is don't listen to movies, good. That and it's better to research and not just accept the first thing you hear for someone because it might not be true.

 More after the jump

The Lookback: Arthur 25: Seasons 7 and 9 : Buster's Amish Mismatch/ It Came from Beyond

Arthur PBS 

   

      Our Arthur 25 years journey continues with some notes about this blog post first. First, you may notice it says seasons 7 and 9 and there's no 8. There you go, ok ok,  since these posts up to certain point are doing the episodes that were paired with episodes we covered in 2016, there was one problem. The episode we came up with for season 8, by the randomizer thing gave us  a half our special "Post Cards from Buster" so that means there's no b or a side episode with it. The best solution was to skip season 8, instead of just taking a random one and cutting  it. We will be doing a season 9 post instead.  

   In speaking of that original season 7 and 8 post you can read that here. 

    We are with Season 7 episode 7b, with this episode from 2002, we're going Amish. (Well not, really, that' d be hard to blog)  

  

           The Cold Opening:  Arthur explains that every time his class takes a field trip he takes something with him. (What?) 

          The Episode: This episode Buster rejects modernity and embraces tradition. So the class is going to an Amish farm. The episode uses Buster's not pay attention to school to explain who the Amish are and what they do.  So the episode has a tour of this Amish farm because PBS wants you to learn too.  Buster apparently falls in love with the Amish world and decides the logical answer to be Amish at home. (What?)  

       

         Buster is going to reject modernity and embrace tradition. The Brain tells him it's hard to live without modern  stuff.  He starts to not ride in cars and not answer phones. His mother doesn't want to live Amish, so he decides to be Amish in his room thanks to his mom.  His mother wonders if he could a little Amish but of course this episode is weird.  

     

I'd watch a farmer in space series/ Copyright WGBH

           Buster continues his fun at school and things go wrong because of course.  Anyway, Mrs. MacGrady tells him  that the Amish don't refuse car rides and eat food from anything, and that they do it together and helps him understand that maybe he shouldn't do this. He goes back to living in the current times,  but does offer the fun of having his friends come together and build a dog house. 

 Not a bad episode, a little odd, but not bad. 

More after the jump

The Lookback: Arthur 25: Seasons 5 and 6: The Big Dig / The Good Sport

Arthur PBS 

     Now to an episode from the futuristic year of 2000. (Wow)  We start with "The Big Dig", which is partnered with "Just Desserts" which I  covered in 2016.  This is episode 9b of Season 5.

The Cold Open: Arthur talks to us about how cool is grandpa Dave is, he's coming for sometime and Arthur and D.W are excited. 

       The Episode:   Wait, this episode is about a grandpa and called the big dig, oh no! nooo!  Anyway, it seems the kids are not happy that grandpa Dave is there after all because he's been boring and for the  plot to work, he over hears the kids talking to their mom about how boring he's been. (Painful) 

           Grandpa Dave plays checkers but he isn't fun because he sleeps during the game. Which is not as fun as it sounds.  Then a map falls out of grandpa's pocket and the kids are interested. Dave tells them abut their great (many) uncle who was a pirate. (what?) Anyway pirate dude hid his treasure and couldn't find it. It's buried in Elwood City. Dave says he intends in finding the treasure and he hopes to find it when them when he feels better.

This watch does everything but tell time/ Copyright WGBH

        Arthur and D.W dream of what they can do with the treasure, so the plan is to take the map and go and find it for themselves.  Arthur finds it and they go on the search and think the treasure is buried by the tree house. When they dig and figure out there's no treasure. Dave said the story wasn't real then he was going to hide some candy, but things got out of hand.  He feels bad and gives them a real treasure , a gold compass.  He tells them the story of how it saved their great uncle, Matthew. It ends with grandpa telling the story and the kids being entertained. 

   It's a basic episode, not bad, maybe the idea is for delayed anticipation for something, I don't know but it was an alright episode.

 

More after the jump

The Lookback : Arthur 25: Seasons 3 and 4: Buster's Back /Prove it

Arthur PBS 

             For the Arthur 20 I looked at season 3's  Ballad of Buster Baxter, since that's what came up in the random draw. The strange thing is that episode which is Season 3 episode 1b, is connected to this episode season 3, episode 1a.  While that episode focuses on Buster feeling left out after coming back, this one is about Arthur being worried that Buster might not want to be friends anymore. It's a good contrast mixture. 

  

    It is interesting how "Arthur" held continuity where in most of season 2 , Buster is away after the episode "Arthur's Faraway Friend"  and now comes back at the start of season 3. 

       

   The  Cold Opening:  It starts with NASA where Arthur is running mission control while Buster is in a space ship and re-entering Earth.  Then Buster gets out of the space ship and Arthur was happy to see him but people notice he's changed. 

         The Episode: As, I mentioned above, the season 3 premiere has the idea of returning Buster back after committing him to being gone for a while. Arthur finds out that Buster is coming coming home. Arthur goes around the town yelling this message.  The gag that Arthur goes in a swimming pool just to tell  Muffy is funny.  Arthur is excited and sets up everything at home for Buster to get ready to play and have fun with his best friend.

            D.W sets in his mind that Buster has been to fun places around the world ,like Wisconsin, and that might mean the Buster has changed and won't want to do stuff they used to together. Arthur's other friends are also of no help. (Poor Arthur) We also get Arthur's fun imagination.  Then Arthur decides that he would like to learn 2 hours of anything to make sure he can be with "the new buster".  

    

     When Buster doesn't show up at the time he thought he was; Arthur feels that maybe Buster really doesn't want be his friend anymore. It's a sad scene and one can feel how he feels. Many times you might or someone you know you might lose contact with and later see them and there's a strange awkward difference or the worry that tastes have changed and you might not get along anymore. 

Oh great. Arthur and Buster died and won't go to the other side/ Copyright WGBH

  

  Buster shows up, and I like that he interacts with D.W's running gag of mentioning the wrong names for Buster and calls her P.W that's a good touch.  Arthur tries to impress Buster with his knowledge but he finds out that one thing Buster missed was playing checkers with Arthur. He explains that he fell asleep after the ride home and that's why he was late. Buster didn't really change.  

     This is a good episode and a nice return to Buster being back in episodes. Like I said, this episode connects with a the one after it and provides how Buster feels once he gets back. These are good pair of episodes.  Good way to start a new season as well.

 More after the Jump!