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The upcoming hour-long “Arthur’s First Day” special finds Arthur and Buster befriending a Sikh boy named Samir on the first day of school.
PBS recently revealed that a new Arthur special will find everyone’s favorite bespectacled aardvark befriending a Sikh boy named Samir.
Set to air this fall, the hour-long “Arthur’s First Day” special was created as part of the show’s 25th season, with executive producer Carol Greenwald telling CNN that the episode was developed before it was announced that the series would be ending.
“In this special, which deals with the uncertainties of the first day of school, we wanted to raise awareness about the challenges a kid might [face] when meeting new classmates, but we don’t make the specifics of the clothing, in this case, the patka [head covering], the focus,” Greenwald said in an email. “We did what we typically do — create a multidimensional character who Buster — and other kids — would be interested in hanging out with.”
Specifically, the “Arthur’s First Day” special will follow besties Arthur and Buster as they get assigned to different classes on their first day of fourth grade and are faced with the challenge of making new friends — including Samir. In addition to wearing a patka head covering, Samir will be depicted wearing a steel bangle that’s known as a kara in the Sikh faith.
Greenwald added, “We also hope that kids who do wear a patka or other cultural dress feel seen and represented on our show.”
The upcoming special is just the latest in a series of children’s media that’s made a point to include Sikh characters in recent years. In fact, Super Satya Saves the Day by Raakhee Mirchandani and Fauja Singh Keeps Going by Simran Jeet Singh are among a handful of recent children’s books that have included Sikh characters. The upcoming Pixar film Turning Red also includes a Sikh character who works as a school security guard and appeared in the film’s first trailer wearing a navy turban.
Based on the books by Kathy Waugh, PBS’ Arthur series debuted in 1996 and currently holds the title as the longest-running animated kids’ series in history. It was announced earlier this year that the show will come to an end following its 25th and final season. Greenwald said at the time, “In the winter of 2022, the 25th and final season of Arthur will debut. Arthur will continue to be available on PBS KIDS for years to come. Producer GBH and PBS KIDS are continuing to work together on additional Arthur content, sharing the lessons of Arthur and his friends in new ways.” The “Arthur’s First Day” special is scheduled to premiere on PBS on Sept. 6.
Written and directed by Domee Shi, Turning Red features the voices of Rosalie Chiang and Sandra Oh. The film is scheduled for release on March 11, 2022.
Source: CNN
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