Arthur
This report covers the full series run (Seasons 1–25, 1996–2022). Arthur is a warm, hand-drawn PBS Kids classic following 8-year-old aardvark Arthur Read and his friends through the everyday joys and challenges of childhood; it is consistently gentle and values-forward, but across its 25-season run it takes on some genuinely weighty topics including illness, grief, bullying, and family conflict.
A great fit for ages 5 and up; some heavier episodes (cancer, pet death, school fire) are best watched alongside a grown-up for kids on the younger end.
Episodes to know about
Binky is introduced as a bully who intimidates classmates; bullying behavior is depicted before being addressed.
Arthur and D.W.'s sibling arguments are frequent, loud, and sometimes whiny; realistic enough to rile up younger siblings watching.
Dream and fantasy sequences appear throughout the run; one notable example has Brain dreaming he is a bug being chased and nearly killed by a giant fly swatter.