In what year did the Arthur TV series first air?

The Arthur television series first aired in 1996.

Its first episode premiered on October 7, 1996, beginning the animated adaptation of Marc Brown's books. The program was produced for PBS by WGBH and Montreal-based CINAR, and it initially aired on PTV, the name used before the PBS Kids branding was introduced in 1999.

Arthur follows Arthur Read, his family, and his friends in the fictional city of Elwood City. The show turned familiar book characters and everyday childhood situations into short educational stories about reading, responsibility, friendship, and problem-solving.

The series ran for 25 seasons and ended on February 21, 2022, nearly 26 years after its premiere. A frequent mix-up is to answer 1995, the year production was officially announced, rather than 1996, the year the finished television series first aired. The 1997 and 1998 options are later years in the show's run.