When PBS made the announcement earlier this year that it was ending its long-running children’s television series “Arthur,” it pledged to keep the character alive via a podcast. That show has now taken shape, and later this month The Arthur Podcast is set to debut. The podcast is a production of PBS Kids, GBH Kids, and Gen-Z Media, with public media’s PRX onboard to distribute the show.
“We’re thrilled to continue building on our mission of meeting kids where they are by expanding our podcast offerings,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior VP and General Manager of PBS Kids. “We hope that parents who grew up with Arthur can now join their kids in listening to new stories from the characters they love, having fun and learning together,” she said in the announcement.
Season One of The Arthur Podcast will feature eight episodes, launching weekly on Thursdays starting October 20. It leverages a library of content that spans 25 years, retelling iconic episodes from the television series in a new audio format.
"Adapting one of the most beloved kids animated series in the world for audio has been a privilege, not to mention a lot of fun,” said Ben Strouse, CEO of Gen-Z Media. “We hope the podcast version provides kids, as well as those of us who have grown up with the iconic show, an important new way to enjoy these wonderful and relatable stories.”
The Arthur Podcast also comes with the release of a new digital short, “Arthur Makes a Podcast” which is now streaming on PBS Kids, the PBS Kids YouTube channel, and The Arthur YouTube channel, starring the cartoon’s Arthur Read and his sister D.W. as he navigates podcast production.
“It’s been so fun to help Arthur make his new podcast,” said Carol Greenwald, Senior Executive Producer at GBH Kids. “He, D.W., and Buster have done a great job sharing their adventures – and the podcast platform will allow us to reach new audiences as well as reconnect longtime fans to many of our classic stories.”
In addition to podcast apps, the series will also be available for free on the PBS Kids Video app and The Arthur YouTube channel.
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