It’s not every day I get to write about gay cartoon rats here on Collider. It’s also a rarity to talk aboutArthur, the kid’s animated educational series that’s been airing on public broadcasting channels around the world since 1996. And never before have those topics crossed over, but today is that day. On the long-running show’s recent Season 22 premiere, an episode watched by millions of viewers in the U.S. alone, a character who has been with the show since its very beginning came out as gay and was wed to his partner in a same-sex marriage ceremony. Most level-headed people celebratedMr. Ratburn’srelationship with local chocolatier Patrick, but one person in power opted to take a different approach.
AsAL.comreports,Mike Mckenzie, director of programming for Alabama Public Television, decided to preempt the recent premiere of “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone” and air a re-run instead. As of this writing, APT has no plans to air the episode at a later date. Here’s what Mckenzie had to say to AL.com in response:
“Parents have trusted Alabama Public Television for more than 50 years to provide children’s programs that entertain, educate and inspire. More importantly – although we strongly encourage parents to watch television with their children and talk about what they have learned afterwards – parents trust that their children can watch APT without their supervision. We also know that children who are younger than the ‘target’ audience for Arthur also watch the program.”
We’ll unpack that carefully worded statement below. In the meantime, even if you live in Alabama, you can stillwatch the episode on PBSor just click on the player below (Isn’t the internet great?):
Mr. Ratburn & The Special Someone/The Feud
Season 22 Episode 1 | 24m 30s
Mr. Ratburn is getting married! Arthur and the gang can’t believe it. Teachers don’t have lives outside of school…do they? / Arthur and Buster get into an argument over a video game and pretty soon the entire third grade class chooses sides. Will it be Team Arthur versus Team Buster forever?
Mckenzie doesn’t come right out and say that APT didn’t air this episode because it featured a gay character and a same-sex wedding, as well as a bunch of well-adjusted and totally normal cartoon characters taking that reveal in stride, but it’s not the first time this network took that approach. Back in 2005, the station was among those who opted not to air an episode of the spinoff seriesPostcards from Bustertitled"Sugartime! Hinesburg, Vermont"because it saw the title character visiting a friend who had two mothers. As Alabama Public Television’s executive then-directorAllan Pizzatosaid back then:
