Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone

Last updated

"Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone"
Arthur episode
Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone screenshot.jpg
Multiple critics praised the reveal of Mr. Ratburn's true fiancé (pictured) as unremarkable. [1] [2] [3]
Episode no.Season 22
Episode 1a
Written byPeter K. Hirsch
Production code2201A [4]
Original air dateMay 13, 2019 (2019-05-13)
Guest appearance
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Pal and the Big Itch"		Next →
"The Feud"
Arthur (season 22)
List of episodes

"Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone" is the first segment [lower-alpha 1] of the first episode of the 22nd season of the animated educational television series Arthur . It was the first episode of Arthur to feature a same-sex wedding, a depiction that resulted in two PBS affiliates in Arkansas and Alabama choosing not to the episode's premiere on May 13, 2019.

Contents

In the segment, Arthur and his friends mistakenly believe their teacher Mr. Ratburn is marrying a woman named Patty (voiced by guest star Jane Lynch) who will make him an even tougher educator, only to later learn that he is marrying a kind chocolatier named Patrick. "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone" received positive critical reviews and a nomination for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming but garnered negative responses from some fundamentalist groups.

Plot

Arthur and his friends learn that their teacher Mr. Ratburn is getting married after he receives a phone call during class from someone named Patty. Later at the diner, Arthur, Francine, Buster, and Muffy speculate about who would want to marry Mr. Ratburn when he and Patty appear. Arthur and his friends overhear Patty, who intends to take charge of the wedding planning efforts, say that she intends to toughen Mr. Ratburn up. Fearing that a tougher Mr. Ratburn will make their lives more difficult, Arthur and friends make a plan to portray Mr. Ratburn as extremely laid-back, the opposite of Patty's personality, so that she will not want to marry him.

Arthur and Buster trick Mr. Ratburn into recording himself reading a book for young children, which they then edit over a manipulated photo of him dressed as a hippie. Francine delivers the video to Patty, who laughs it off to the kids' surprise. Arthur and Francine initiate a plan to connect Mr. Ratburn with the town's librarian, Ms. Turner. They visit a chocolate shop where they meet its owner, Patrick, and discuss their plan. Patrick is unsure that chocolate can make two people fall in love, but he ultimately supports their plan. However, they are unable to trick Mr. Ratburn into visiting the library. When he asks them to return a book of love poems for him instead, they slip a romantic poem purporting to be from Mr. Ratburn to Ms. Turner into the book. When she sees that the note is riddled with typos, she returns it to them, unconvinced.

Having exhausted their other options, Arthur and his friends decide to object to the wedding at the ceremony. They back out at the last minute, but in doing so discover that Patty is actually Mr. Ratburn's older sister, not his betrothed. At that moment, Mr. Ratburn walks down the aisle with his actual fiancé: Patrick the chocolatier.

Production and broadcast

Written by Arthur head writer Peter K. Hirsch, "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone" premiered on May 13, 2019, along with its sister episode, "The Feud". [6] [7] Jane Lynch made a guest appearance in the episode, voicing Mr. Ratburn's sister Patty. [2] The episode marked the first appearance of a gay wedding in an episode of Arthur in the 23 years it had been running as of 2019. [2] However, it was not the first appearance of gay characters in an Arthur property; "Sugartime!", a 2005 episode of the spinoff show Postcards from Buster , featured a girl with two mothers. [2] According to PBS's Maria Vera Whelan, the network "believe[s] it is important to represent the wide array of adults in the lives of children who look to PBS Kids every day." [8]

The episode was not aired in several television markets. PBS affiliate Alabama Public Television opted not to broadcast the episode, showing an Arthur rerun in its place. [9] The network's director of programming, Mike McKenzie, said that the decision was made because some children might watch the episode without their parents, and some children younger than the episode's target demographic might watch the segment. [9] Alabama Public Television had also rejected an episode of Postcards from Buster that depicted a same-sex couple in 2005. [10] Arkansas Educational Television Network similarly did not air the episode on May 13, though they did air the episode several times later that month and in June 2019 on their PBS Kids subchannels in the evening, overnight, and early morning hours. [11] The First United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, announced that they would show the episode in a public screening that attracted RSVPs from over 100 people. [12]

Reception

Gwen Aviles wrote on NBCNews.com that "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone" "received overwhelmingly glowing reviews", with some dissenting opinions. [12] Multiple critics praised how the episode treated the reveal that Mr. Ratburn was marrying a man as unremarkable; Helen Armitage in Screen Rant described the segment as groundbreaking for "how without fanfare and matter-of-factly Mr. Ratburn's sexuality is revealed", [2] and Vox 's Allegra Frank wrote that the segment "refreshingly avoids presenting it [the wedding] as 'different' or 'non-traditional,' and simply shows that it is worthy of celebration, just like any happy marriage." [1]

The Protestant fundamentalist organization One Million Moms, meanwhile, initiated a petition that garnered at least 13,000 signatures calling for the episode to be removed from TV schedules for what the organization described as the promotion of same-sex marriage. [13] [14] The segment was nominated at the 31st GLAAD Media Awards in 2020 for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming, losing to The Bravest Knight and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series . [15]

In The Atlantic , Ashley Fetters and Natalie Escobar described the episode as "a poignant moment in children's TV history" considering that LGBTQ characters appeared infrequently in children's programming, and in particular on public-access television. [3] Reactions to the episode were contrasted to reactions to Postcards from Buster's "Sugartime!" 14 years prior, which PBS ultimately pulled from its schedule due to pressure from the United States Department of Education, one of the show's funders. [3] Jude Dry in IndieWire said that PBS "fumbled the ball on LGBTQ representation in 2005" for its treatment of "Sugartime!" but found Mr. Ratburn's wedding to be "a quiet moment, but a groundbreaking one". [6]

Notes

  1. ↑ Episodes of Arthur typically consist of two 11-minute segments. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Arthur</i> (TV series) Animated series

Arthur is an animated edutainment television series for children ages 4 to 8, developed by Kathy Waugh for PBS, and produced by WGBH. The show is set in the fictional U.S. city of Elwood City, and revolves around the lives of Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark, his friends and family, and their daily interactions with each other.

KCTS-TV is a PBS member television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, owned by Cascade Public Media. Its studios are located at the northeast corner of Seattle Center adjacent to the Space Needle, and its transmitter is located on Capitol Hill in Seattle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Public Television</span> PBS member network serving Alabama, United States

Alabama Public Television (APT) is a state network of PBS member television stations serving the U.S. state of Alabama. It is operated by the Alabama Educational Television Commission (AETC), an agency of the Alabama state government which holds the licenses for all of the PBS member stations licensed in the state. The broadcast signals of the nine stations cover almost all of the state, as well as parts of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. The network produces public affairs, cultural, natural history, and documentary programming; broadcast and online education programs for classroom use and teacher professional development; and electronic field trips serving K-12 students.

<i>Postcards from Buster</i> Television series

Postcards from Buster is a live-action/animated children's television series that originally aired on PBS. It is a spin-off of the Arthur TV series. The show features Buster Baxter an 8-year-old anthropomorphic rabbit and Arthur's best friend. Based on a backdoor pilot episode of Arthur entitled "Postcards from Buster", the television series was created by Cookie Jar Group, WGBH Boston, and Marc Brown Studios.

"There's Something About Marrying" is the tenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. In the episode, Springfield legalizes same-sex marriage to increase tourism. After becoming a minister, Homer starts to wed people to make money. Meanwhile, Marge's sister Patty comes out as a lesbian and reveals that she is going to marry a woman named Veronica. Marge originally disapproves of this, making Patty frustrated. When Marge accidentally discovers that Veronica is a man cross-dressed as a woman, she decides to keep quiet about it knowing that Patty will be marrying a man. However, at the ceremony, she is so moved by Patty's vow that she is forced to reveal Veronica's secret. After the ceremony is abruptly cancelled, Marge tells Patty that she now accepts her sexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patty and Selma</span> Fictional characters from The Simpsons franchise

Patricia Maleficent "Patty" Bouvier and Selma Bouvier-Terwilliger-Hutz-McClure-Discotheque-Simpson-D'Amico are fictional characters in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. They are identical twins and are voiced by Julie Kavner who also voices their sister Marge. Patty and Selma, both gravel-voiced chain-smokers, work at the Springfield Department of Motor Vehicles. They have a strong dislike for their brother-in-law, Homer Simpson, who likewise loathes them. Selma, the elder by two minutes, longs for male companionship and has had multiple brief, doomed marriages, and has herself offered help in some fashion to Marge and Homer as she envies their loving relationship; she receives occasional compassionate support from Homer who even poses as her husband to help her adopt a child. Patty is an initially closeted lesbian who embraces celibacy until she begins dating women. Kavner voices them as characters who "suck the life out of everything". Patty and Selma debuted on the first Simpsons episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", which aired on December 17, 1989.

WTVS is a PBS member television station in Detroit, Michigan, United States, owned by the Detroit Educational Television Foundation. Its main studios are located at the Riley Broadcast Center and HD Studios on Clover Court in Wixom, with an additional studio at the Maccabees Building in Midtown Detroit. The station's transmitter is located at 8 Mile and Meyers Road in Oak Park. WTVS partners with the Stanley and Judith Frankel Family Foundation in the management of classical and jazz music station WRCJ-FM (90.9).

Arthur Holden is a Canadian actor and writer. Known for his roles such as Mr. Ratburn in Arthur, Baba-Miao in Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat, Mayor Mallard in The Little Twins, and Mr. Larkin in later episodes of What's With Andy?, he has also had roles in film, television and theatre, and has written for stage, film and television. Ars Poetica is a play that Holden wrote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT representation in children's television</span> Aspect of childrens television

LGBT representation in children's television programming is representation of LGBT topics, themes, and people in television programming meant for children. LGBT representation in children's programming was often uncommon to non-existent for much of television's history up to the 2010s, but has significantly increased since then.

Historically, the portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in media have been negative, reflecting the cultural intolerance of LGBT individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in the depictions of LGBT people, issues, and concerns within mainstream media in North America. The LGBT communities have taken an increasingly proactive stand in defining their own culture, with a primary goal of achieving an affirmative visibility in mainstream media. The positive portrayal or increased presence of the LGBT communities in media has served to increase acceptance and support for LGBT communities, establish LGBT communities as a norm, and provide information on the topic.

<i>Arthur</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of the television series Arthur was originally broadcast on PBS in the United States from October 20, 1997, to April 17, 1998, and contains 20 episodes. This season, like seasons 1 and 3, was released on DVD in Europe only; due to the fact that this was actually two production seasons combined into one long season for US airings, the first ten episodes for this season can be found on the "Series 2" DVD and the last ten can be found on "Series 3."

The 14th season of the television series Arthur was originally broadcast on PBS Kids Go! in the United States from October 11, 2010 to April 29, 2011, and contains 10 episodes. Season 14 began screening at Israel in late August 2010 and on ABC2 of Australia on September 27, 2010. It has also screened in United Kingdom on CBBC since November 1, 2010. The second half started on Earth Day 2011 and ended the day before the Royal Wedding the next day.

<i>Daniel Tigers Neighborhood</i> American-Canadian childrens animated musical television series

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is a Flash animated musical television series aimed at pre-school children aged 2-4. It was produced by Fred Rogers Productions, 9 Story Media Group and 9 Story USA. It debuted on September 3, 2012 on PBS Kids, eleven years after the end of production for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and nine years after Fred Rogers' death. The program is based on the Neighborhood of Make-Believe from Mister Rogers, the long-running family-oriented television series created and hosted by Fred Rogers that aired from 1968 to 2001. In 2019, the series was renewed for a fifth season, which premiered on August 17, 2020 with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Won't You Sing Along with Me?, a musical special that deals with the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 20, 2021, the series was renewed for a sixth season, which premiered on September 5, 2022. A one-hour television movie titled Daniel Visits a New Neighborhood aired on June 20, 2022.

The 19th season of the television series Arthur contains 10 episodes. These episodes were broadcast in early 2015 on CBBC in the UK, and aired on PBS Kids in the US from June 2, 2015 to May 26, 2016. This season was produced along with season 18 in 2013, and is the last season to be animated by 9 Story Media Group with Adobe Flash, starting next season, Oasis Animation takes over, flash-animating it with Toon Boom Harmony. This is also the last season where William Healy voices Arthur, Andrew Dayton voices D.W., and Jacob Ewaniuk and Jake Sim voices the Tibble Twins.

<i>Arthur</i> (season 22) Season of television series

The 22nd season of Arthur started airing on PBS Kids in the United States from May 13, 2019 to May 16, 2019. Jane Lynch guest starred on the episode "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone." Roman Lutterotti replaced Jacob Ursomarzo as Arthur, Ethan Pugiotto replaced Christian Distefano as D.W., and Evan Blaylock replaced Max Friedman Cole as Brain.

The 23rd season of Arthur started airing on PBS Kids in the United States on October 14, 2019. R.L. Stine guest starred on the episode "Fright Night" as Buster's Uncle Bob. This is the only season not to include Mr. Ratburn as part of the main cast. This season is the shortest season of the show tied with, containing 3 episodes with 5 segments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Network and LGBT representation</span>

Cartoon Network, an American TV channel which launched in 1992, and Adult Swim, its adult-oriented nighttime programming block which launched in 2001, has regularly featured lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters in its programming.

References

  1. 1 2 Frank, Allegra (May 14, 2019). "Kids' TV rarely shows same-sex marriage. PBS's Arthur just did — and it was, wonderfully, no big deal". Vox . Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Armitage, Helen (September 13, 2021). "Arthur: Why 'Mr Ratburn And The Special Someone' Was So Groundbreaking". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Fetters, Ashley; Escobar, Natalie (May 14, 2019). "How a Gay Character on Arthur Reflects Changing Norms in the U.S." The Atlantic . Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Mr. Ratburn And The Special Someone/The Feud - Arthur − All Broadcast Times". New Hampshire PBS. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Peter Hirsch and Susan Kim" (PDF). On Writing. Vol. 32. Writers Guild of America, East. June 2010. pp. 14–23 [15]. OCLC   51883406. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Dry, Jude (May 13, 2019). "'Arthur' Gives Mr. Ratburn The Gay Wedding to a Chocolatier We All Deserve". IndieWire . Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone; The Feud". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  8. ↑ Garcia, Sandra E. (May 14, 2019). "'Arthur' Opens Season With a Same-Sex Wedding and a Cake". The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Crain, Abbey (May 20, 2019). "Alabama Public Television refuses to air Arthur episode with gay wedding". Al.com . Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  10. ↑ Romano, Nick (May 21, 2019). "Alabama Public Television refuses to air Arthur episode with same-sex wedding". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Arkansas public TV didn't air 'Arthur' episode with gay marriage". KATV. May 21, 2019. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  12. 1 2 Aviles, Gwen (June 4, 2019). "Alabama church will screen 'Arthur' episode with same-sex wedding". NBCNews.com . Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  13. ↑ Gilchrist, Tracy E. (May 15, 2019). "Arthur's Cartoon Rat's Gay Wedding Outrages One Million Moms, Sebastian Gorka". The Advocate . Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  14. ↑ Gilmour, David (May 15, 2019). "Former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka says 'Arthur' gay wedding is proof of 'culture war'". The Daily Dot . Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  15. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (July 30, 2020). "GLAAD Media Awards: Schitt's Creek, Pose, Maddow Among TV Winners". TVLine . Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.