Arthur: age rating and what parents of kids 4–7 should know

• –Official rating above age 7
  PBS: TV-Y; MPA: G (Arthur's Missing Pal)
• –Violence in rating descriptors
  No descriptors in TV-Y
• –Scary content in rating descriptors
  No descriptors in TV-Y
• –Bad language in rating descriptors
  No descriptors in TV-Y
• –Sexual content, drugs, or alcohol in rating descriptors
  No descriptors in TV-Y
• –Rated 12 or higher in the UK or Germany
  BBFC: U (Arthur's Missing Pal)

Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count. Rating reasons marked mild, very mild, or brief don't count.

Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?

Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.

What is Arthur?

Short answer: A PBS Kids cartoon about Arthur Read, an aardvark, his family and friends in Elwood City, based on Marc Brown's books.

WGBH Boston produced it, and it premiered on PBS on October 7, 1996, according to Wikipedia. PBS says it won a Peabody Award, a BAFTA and seven Daytime Emmys. Its last new episodes aired on February 21, 2022, after 25 seasons, and reruns stay on PBS Kids, per ABC News stations.

Arthur age rating: what's in it

Short answer: TV-Y on PBS, and Common Sense Media says 5+.

• US: TV-Y on PBS video pages; Apple's US store lists most seasons TV-Y and one TV-G.
• Movie: Arthur's Missing Pal (2006), MPA G, BBFC U.
• Common Sense Media: 5+.

Common Sense Media lists no violence, language, sex or drinking. It says the social lessons are more complex than in most cartoons, and that the characters can act selfish or bossy at times. Its parent reviews mention sarcasm and name-calling among characters.

Which Arthur is this?

Short answer: The PBS cartoon, not the films with the same name.

The MPA rated the 2011 live-action comedy Arthur PG-13, for alcohol use throughout, sexual content, language and some drug references, and Arthur the King (2024) PG-13 for some strong language. Arthur Christmas (2011), an animated film unrelated to the show, is PG.

The habit kids may copy: name-calling

Arthur, D.W. and their friends sometimes tease or call each other names before they sort things out.

Try tonight: the kind words swap

Ask your child to name a word that hurts and a word that helps. Then practice: "Instead of 'baby,' I can say 'Let me help you.'" Take turns finding one helping sentence each. In our program, this is the lesson "Stepping In": we're here to help each other.

What is Arthur rated?

The PBS Kids series is rated TV-Y. Its movie Arthur's Missing Pal is rated G.

What age is Arthur for?

Common Sense Media lists it for ages 5 and up and says kids 5 and over will understand the stories best.

When did Arthur end?

Its final new episodes aired on February 21, 2022, ending the 25th season. Reruns are still on PBS Kids.

Is the movie Arthur (2011) for kids?

That's a different, live-action film. The MPA rated it PG-13 for alcohol use, sexual content, language and drug references.

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