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Mr. Ratburn was nominated for deletion. The discussion was closed on 30 June 2010 with a consensus to merge. Its contents were merged into List of Arthur characters. The original page is now a redirect to this page. For the contribution history and old versions of the redirected article, please see its history; for its talk page, see here.

What are these characters

It would be helpful in the list if someone would list what these characters are. For instance Arthur is an aardvark (he don't look like one but he is) and Binky is a dog etc. What is Francine, a monkey or a chimp?

Not really, the article is already bad enough in terms of OR. In other words, it's not a good idea to add such information unless it has been explicitly stated by a producer, director, or writer. -- ShadowJester07 ► Talk 13:53, 31 August 2007 (UTC) reply

Please, someone add the animal identities. Without that info, I'd bet that 90% of visitors to this particular page will, like me, go away disappointed. In many cases, there is a clearly correct answer, like Arthur as aardvark and Buster as rabbit. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.156.4.169 ( talk) 14:02, 27 August 2008 (UTC) reply

Agreed; I came to this page now specifically for this information (we're trying to figure out what the heck Muffy and Brain are), and come away disappointed. There is a point where requiring citations for something plainly obvious (like that Buster is a rabbit) defeats Wikipedia's true purpose -- which is to provide information to those seeking it. Ig8887 ( talk) 10:41, 4 September 2008 (UTC) reply

Well, Muffy's family is monkeys (Francine's is Chimps-With the exception of guest star Joshua Redman), and The Powers family are bears from Africa. It is possible that Mrs. Powers is a White African. In-Correct ( talk) 05:12, 19 January 2009 (UTC) reply

Somebody edited my comment???? Anyways, that is true about Joshua Redman. Not everybody in Francine's family is chimps. Also I might have been In-Correct about The Brain. This page says that he is a field mouse, but I read on the PBS Kids website years ago that he is a bear. Although I think that a field mouse is more apparent. But this could be a common misunderstanding, since in one of the Arthur episodes (with numerous television parodies in the episode) has something called "Andy and company", where they are debating the issues that the characters are animals, such as them being anthromorphic while having a pet dog, etc. And then one of the "Arthur" TV series characters (either Muffy or Francine) says that Andy is a mouse and then Arthur himself says "Andy's not a mouse...he's a ...um...something." is an example in the episode of a common misunderstanding of Arthur looking like a mouse but being an Aardvark. In-Correct ( talk) 07:16, 21 September 2010 (UTC) reply

The President in DW Goes To Washington

It's repeated here that The President is supposed to be Bill Clinton (who was in office at the time of the episode) but the voice is unmistakeably Jimmy Carter's own voice: softer whereas Clinton's has a smoker's croak, perceptibly older, and has that indefinable something non-VAs lend when playing themselves. Georgia and Arkansas have different enough accents. I can't find outside proof of this yet so I didn't edit the page to change it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.145.243.176 ( talk) 16:42, 3 September 2007 (UTC) reply

Singing Moose

Nobody discussed the singing moose! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Contemplashin ( talk • contribs) 04:55, 8 September 2007 (UTC) reply

It is Art Garfunkel. The Singing Moose should go on the guest stars section. In-Correct ( talk) 05:04, 19 January 2009 (UTC) reply

Two additional characters

I am the one that added the info regarding the two additional characters at the bottom of the Children section. I claimed that their names were unknown. I have a question to whomever added that their names were "Steve and Jenny, according to some sources." What are these sources? 69.0.24.195 ( talk) 17:34, 6 January 2008 (UTC) reply

Catherine Frensky

Thanks to whoever corrected Catherine's Frensky's first name, because her name is spelled with a "C", not a "K", and I saw it in the closed captioning when I watched the show. -- PJ Pete

Closed Captioning is rarely accurate with the Arthur TV series. They leave most of the words out. In-Correct ( talk) 05:43, 24 December 2010 (UTC) reply

The D.W. Read and Francine Frensky fail to meet WP:N, WP:V, and WP:WAF. The D.W. article does not contain any references, while most of Francine's references are from the show itself. The articles do not seem to offer much real-world information, and only discuss their subjects in an in-universe manner. There a some articles on Google News that address Francine in an encyclopedic matter [1], but not enough to draw enough substantial material. --  StarScream1007   ►Talk  00:02, 28 September 2008 (UTC) reply

In the section on the kids, there are like a dozen extra cast members who do not exist on the show. Who wrote this info and what is this prank? If any of these characters are from the upcoming seasons, that's one thing, but if these characters were added merely for the sake of it, I request that they be edited out. 76.24.145.157 ( talk) 07:17, 28 September 2008 (UTC) reply

I see on this page it says Prunella is a poodle while it says that her sister Rubella is a rat. I didn't want to change it before asking everyone what animals they thought the Deegan sisters were 70.31.225.235 ( talk) 14:06, 19 July 2009 (UTC) samusek2 reply

In general, this article should avoid guessing what animals the characters were based on unless we have a reliable source. Arthur is the only exception, as there are many sources that confirm he is an aardvark. --  StarScream1007   ►Talk  15:22, 19 July 2009 (UTC) reply

I agree, but my guess would be that they are either poodles or chuhuahua's —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.85.177.113 ( talk) 22:24, 14 August 2009 (UTC) reply

This article needs a massive clean-up and some citations. I don't know how people came up with the ethnicity of some of these characters. How do we know Muffy is Korean American or the Brain is African American? I am very tempted to remove all of those if the proper citations are not provided soon. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.129.32.190 ( talk) 07:11, 8 August 2009 (UTC) reply

Where are they mentioned? Like Muffy being Korean - American? 98.14.15.12 ( talk) 04:33, 9 August 2009 (UTC) reply

Totally agree. When is it ever mentioned that she is Asian? 24.42.67.181 ( talk) 06:46, 12 August 2009 (UTC) reply

If she was Korean-American she'd have a Korean-American last name: Crosswire is decidedly an English or other sort of European last name. So are the other characters. The only characters we're certain of their ethnicity are Alan AKA Brain and his family who's black, Francine and her family who's Jewish, and George and his family who's Scandanavian. The Lloigor ( talk) 22:02, 17 August 2009 (UTC) reply

All we know is:

• George is from Scandinavia
• Alan the Brain celebrates Kwanzaa
• Francine celebrates Hanukkah.

We can't infer that Ala is afro-american, unless we are told specifically, as in the case of George's nationality. You'll want to review WP:OR and see why speculation of that nature is not really in-line with Wikipedia. Yngvarr (t) (c) 22:15, 17 August 2009 (UTC) reply

I agree with Yngvarr. Unless a character's nationality or religion is clearly stated, then we should not try to speculate. In general, such information should not be stated on pages like this, unless the details are a recurring element in the series. The only example I can think of is Francine's Jewish background, which has been a plot theme in an episode or two, excluding the Holiday special. Character should generally not offer tedious details about characters, but rather a brief summary on the characters role in the series. ( WP:WAF)--  StarScream1007   ►Talk  22:39, 17 August 2009 (UTC) reply

Are they truly animals anymore,or do they just look like them? 98.14.15.12 ( talk) 04:33, 9 August 2009 (UTC) reply

I've always assumed that they just look like animals. I mean, Arthur has a dog as a pet, yet there are "dog-people" in the show. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.240.96.230 ( talk) 21:46, 11 August 2009 (UTC) reply

They have always been anthropomorphic animals with non-anthropomorphic pets. In-Correct ( talk) 05:47, 24 December 2010 (UTC) reply

They are like werewolves! In Correct ( talk) 09:10, 4 April 2013 (UTC) reply

I do think Alan Powers/the Brain is black. It's been evidenced by the fact that in the Christmas special episode he celebrate Kwaanza. The Lloigor ( talk) 22:15, 17 August 2009 (UTC) reply

Well all of the characters are voiced by actors and actresses of different backgrounds, but they are animals so there wouldn't really be such a thing as race in their world. How did everyone start caring what the character's Ethnicities could be anyway? It was a good question and people are going to wonder, but I never even thought of or cared about that until now and after reading discussion topics on Internet Movie Database. Cdhxx ( talk) 22:18, 25 March 2010 (UTC) reply

Unless there is an actual/official source that confirms Brain's ethnicity, it should be left out. His character states that his family celebrates Kwanzaa - a holiday predominantly celebrated by families of African Americans and people of African descent - but I really do not feel that's enough criteria to meet WP:OR. --  StarScream1007   ►Talk  01:08, 26 March 2010 (UTC) reply

Well, of course he's not African-American, and nor are his parents or relatives. They all sound like they're caucasian if you can hear their voices, and I'm for certain that they have always been voiced by caucasian voiceovers. And just because they celebrate Kwanzaa doesn't mean that they're African-American. It's really an age old myth that the Powerses are African-American, and they really don't sound African-American at all, plus it's easy to note that Mrs. Powers with pale skin and a natural blonde hair color (since Seasons 2 and 3) isn't really African-American at all, and we know that the African race doesn't have natural blonde hair. -- PJ Pete --18:15 August 20, 2010 (UTC)

You can't always determine a persons race by their sound- just listen to singers like Diana Ross. There isn't really such a thing as "sounding African-American" or "sounding caucasian"; at least, not anymore. Brain's mother doesn't have features that are common for African-Americans, but there is a possibility that Brain could be in a mixed family situation. I have some African-American heritage, but that's all some people see me for just because of my looks when, really, my family is mixed with various degrees of Native-American and European-American heritage which isn't exactly uncommon for people of my ethnicity; I have some relatives who are English-American and some who are mixed. There are plenty of mixed people with caucasian appearences, and I have known some who had light complexions and light hair, so it is indeed a possibility. There are plenty of celebrities who are only seen for caucasion backgrounds, but plenty of them are mixed with various degrees of Asain and Hispanic heritage and of course, it's not until someone has black blood where people have a problem. But it's not really worth an argument since we will never know for sure what the characters are supposed to be, if they are even supposed to have certain backgrounds, unless someone like Marc Brown talks about it.( Cdhxx ( talk) 12:26, 21 August 2010 (UTC)) reply

Well, anyway, I just put in some kind of a reminder for the editors that it tells them not to indentify the race of the Brain or his parents as African-American, otherwise it's misleading. -- PJ Pete 17:25, August 22, 2010 (UTC)

Not anymore. They have established he is from Africa. In Correct ( talk) 09:15, 4 April 2013 (UTC) reply

Someone had put in a template that read {{main|Arthur Read}} below the Arthur blurb in this article. I removed it because a) You only use main if it is a ==Heading== (such is if List of children characters in Arthur had its own article); when you just have list paragraphs, you offset with [[links]] instead; and b) it was in the wrong place anyway.

With regard to the organization, the "main" characters have been organized by importance. Let's start out with the eight main third graders, which are in this order of importance

1. Arthur (duh!)
2. Buster
3. Francine
4. Muffy
5. Brain
6. Binky
7. Sue Ellen
8. Fern

These roughly follow the credits, with the exception of Binky (who appears higher because the actor doubles as Arthur's dad). The only major difference from before is that Sue Ellen leapfrogs Fern...Sue Ellen usually has stronger and more recurring roles than Fern, especially in the earlier seasons. Until a few seasons ago, Fern had no episodes where she was the main character; Sue Ellen had several. Sue Ellen is also ahead of Fern in the credits for the first nine seasons.

With regard to the other characters:

• D.W. is added between Arthur and Buster; she appears in at least as many episodes, both as supporting and protagonist, as Buster does; she is also second in the credits most seasons.
• Prunella is after the eight main third-graders; rather than in the middle of them
• The Tibble Twins are after Prunella, but before Emily; they are longer recurring characters than Emily, who didn't have a strong role until a few seasons in. Even in the later seasons, the Twins appear before Emily in the credits
• George is added as the ninth third-grader because he was a supporting/gag character forever (usually winning talent shows and getting bullied by Binky), and recently he's been the subject of a few episodes of his own
• Jenna is added to balance out male-female among the third graders

The minor kids are organized alphabetically by first name, hence why James and Carl were moved Purplebackpack89 ^{(Notes Taken) (Locker)} 15:55, 2 June 2010 (UTC) reply

Since you`re so persistent... Okay, I`ve got a question. On the characters list, what order of importance are you following by? The current or original? You can`t just pick and choose for each character, and there isn`t really a 'general' option, because that changes every season. Angiex3-2 ( talk) 02:29, 3 June 2010 (UTC) reply

Persistent, eh? I've only made two waves of edits in the past few days, plus some a few weeks ago. Before I started rearranging them, they didn't make any sense at all. What I'm trying to follow is kind of a consensus between all the credits of all the seasons, with the aforementioned exception of Binky (because the actor who plays him plays another character as well). Consider it a BCS of the credits, averaging them all out to rank them based on multiple sources. Picking any one season doesn't give you the full picture of the thirteen seasons...take Emily, for instance, who wasn't very important in the first few seasons; or Sue Ellen, who hasn't gotten as much air time in the last few. Also, what's up with treating me like I'm a vandal? I've made thousands of contributions to this Wikipedia, including restarting the Buster Baxter and Mr. Ratburn articles. Purple backpack89 15:44, 3 June 2010 (UTC) reply

I'm going to suggest that we arrange them alphabetically because it's too subjective to determine where characters (besides Arthur) should fall in. As Purple brought up, the importance and role of characters seems to change every season. To further complicate matters, some episodes tend to focus on random characters, like George, The Tibble Twins, or Fern. The PBS website for Arthur seems to designate Arthur, DW, Pal, Francine, Sue Ellen, Buster, Binky, Fern, George, Brain, Muffy and the Twins as the series' "main characters" as they are (or were) usually the subjects of most episodes.

Next, I would suggest merging the Buster and Ratburn articles back into this list. I do not want to make it seem like I am belitting your efforts, but TV characters should only get thier own article if they have enough real-world information (almost entirely outside of the show itself) in their article, such as character design, critical reception, merchandise, ect (please see WP:N and WP:WAF). I've previosly tried looking for legit information by myself before, but have come up empty-handed. -- StarScream107 ( talk) 17:08, 3 June 2010 (UTC) reply

I don`t think the voice credits are a good source to level the character`s importance, because they`re most likely based on how long each actor speaks for each season, not how many times the character appeared on episodes (except for the main 6 children). For example, Emily appeared twice on season 13 but was listed below the Tibbles, even though they were on only one one episode that season. The episodes also tend to focus on random characters as StarScream pointed out, which again distorts the characters` importance on the credits. Maybe we should do what Star suggested, by arranging them alphabetically, but then there would be the issue of which character gets to be categorized in the main section..

And I`m sorry for treating you as a vandal, but you started rearranging everything without an explanation. Angiex3-2 ( talk) 20:28, 3 June 2010 (UTC) reply

The problem with alphabetical is that an important character late in the alphabet would get buried, limiting ease of access. Arthur is fortunate that, for some weird reason, many of the main characters have names earlier in the alphabet. In most other articles I've seen, they are organized by importance rather than alphabetically; but they also get their own sections. In short, oppose alphabetical, and (surprise! surprise!) support the way I had it. There are virtually no episodes that don't focus on one of the "main" characters as listed on the website; in addition, most of those characters are the subjects of multiple episodes over multiple seasons. Basically, the "main characters" right now are what's on the website, plus Emily and Jenna (who can get dropped if you're OK with a gender discrepency). We probably need more sections...Arthur should have his own section, and the rest of his family should have a whole other section. If the articles should be merged (and I believe they shouldn't), that probably should be discussed on their page after they're tagged. Ratburn might not make it (and I believe that was recent Star merged it), but there should be enough out there from Postcards from Buster to keep Buster Purple backpack89

04:18, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

As I have stated before, the article "List of Arthur Characers" has been notoriously edited with irrevelant information and offensive remarks towards ethnicity, class, and gender roles. This is only a request since I don't have the power to demand such a thing, but I think that it should be semi-protected or the actual show's article should be since it is about a mainstream children's program that some people like to target. Cdhxx ( talk) 12:41, 22 June 2010 (UTC) reply

Does anyone know where they found the name of Loretta with the last name of "Duong"? I don't think she had a known last name when she only appeared in Arthur's Cousin Catastrophe, but it may be interesting to note that "Read" is her maiden name because that she's David L. Read's sister. The name "Duong" looks and sounds pretty Chinese, and she and her husband and descendants obviously don't look like or sound Chinese in the series. -- PJ Pete 23:16, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

Write to the producers and asking what her last name is. If she "doesn't have one" then people need to write to the producers suggesting Duong as her last name. They might do it. After all these years hinting that white rabbit's last name is Maria they finally confirmed it. Also they need to bring back arthur's relatives and both librarians. I think Duong is an acceptable last name for Loretta. But until it has been confirmed ... In Correct ( talk) 19:17, 11 December 2014 (UTC) reply

Information added to Wikipedia must come from material previously published in reliable sources. If published sources do not give the character's last name, we should not include it. - SummerPhD ( talk) 01:29, 12 December 2014 (UTC) reply

If Chip Crosswire is 18 years old, he actually belongs in the "Adults" headline, not the "Children" headline. We know that adults are 18 and over while children are under 18. -- PJ Pete 13:35, August 22, 2010 (UTC)

I have noticed that the Buster Baxter article is in desperate need of sources and critical commentary to verify its notability. Wikipedia requires that all articles possess a reasonable amount of 3rd party sources to verify the content of the article and to show that it is in fact a notable subject see WP:N and WP:V. Also the article needs to substantially discuss Buster in a manner beyond his role on Arthur - character design, reception, appearances in other media ( WP:WAF). Until we meet this criteria, I suggest merging the Buster Page back into this article, working on it here. --  StarScream1007   ►Talk  13:12, 23 August 2010 (UTC) reply

Uh, no. He's pretty clearly notable...he's a major character on Arthur and also the protagonist of Postcards from Buster. BTW, I undid your BOLD merge Purple backpack89 18:00, 1 September 2010 (UTC) reply

There's nothing in WP:Notability that says, "a major character on .. and also the protagonist" should automatically get an article on Wikipedia. The Buster article has no encyclopedic material that is not already stated in this list or the Postcards from Buster article. --  StarScream1007   ►Talk  23:45, 1 September 2010 (UTC) reply

It has been a week, and unfortunately, there have not been any updates to the article. I am going to re-direct the page here until someone can make a revision that meets WP:N, WP:V, and WP:WAF. --  StarScream1007   ►Talk  21:31, 12 September 2010 (UTC) reply

Uh, no. No consensus for that. Make it when you get some consensus, or even better, in the time you've spent complaining to me that I haven't fixed it, you could fix it yourself!! Purple backpack89 00:17, 13 September 2010 (UTC) reply

For the record, Buster Baxter has been nominated for deletion. --  StarScream1007   ►Talk  19:32, 26 December 2010 (UTC) reply

I tried moving this page with the franchise named Arthur in italics, but it didn't work. How do you like use italics in an article title? -- PJ Pete 23:20 December 2, 2010 (UTC)

Mr. Ratburn real name is NIGEL , he is called Nigel by his ex-teacher in the episode 'The return of the King' please check. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.85.102.87 ( talk) 20:48, 25 October 2012 (UTC) reply

Mrs. Frensky is more than a homemaker, according to the episode "Francine Frensky, Olympic Rider". The episode does not mention what her occupation(s) are, but Oliver said to Francine "Those lessons are during the day when your mother and I are both at work." In-Correct ( talk) 05:40, 24 December 2010 (UTC) reply

I am editing the information about Mrs. Crosswire's employment, which has been written as speculation. And I doubt she helps out at Crosswire Motors. She is most likely a Silent Partner, but that is also speculation. In-Correct ( talk) 02:09, 25 December 2010 (UTC) reply

    I found

Susy Sipple: Arthur's next-door neighbor from Season 1 to 6, who enjoys grilling fish late at night and comes from a place where making faces on a bike means bring the biker a cabbage. He moves out of the neighborhood in Season 6, and the Molinas move in to his home. He was only seen twice in the entire series, and has not been seen since

"Susy" is not uncommon as a nick (instead of the more frequent "Suzy") for Susan, as shown by about half of the first page of the en:WP search. But it would be remarkable as the nick of a male with the surname "Sipple".
    Could it be that father and daughter's entries were collapsed into one? If not, some comment about the unusual name is probably merited.
-- Jerzy• t 02:32, 18 January 2011 (UTC) reply
He was never shown to have a daughter, but I`ll just change it to Mr. Sipple. Angiex3-2 ( talk) 06:48, 18 January 2011 (UTC) reply

I've noticed in the earlier episodes his fur is more cream coloured, but in newer episodes it's white. It doesn't mention this in the article. Melonwater ( talk) 22:31, 24 February 2011 (UTC) reply

It`s not mentioned because it`s not important. Angiex3-2 ( talk) 22:44, 24 February 2011 (UTC) reply

It's not mentioned because it's not true. In Correct ( talk) 09:09, 4 April 2013 (UTC) reply

It seems like some of the "recurring characters" are actually one-time characters. Perhaps they should be moved? Also, Cora is listed in both spots! - Dunc0029 ( talk) 21:31, 19 December 2011 (UTC) reply

Why is D.W sounded like a boy. She used to be sounded like girl, she might be voiced by Tara Strong or Noah Cyrus. When she grows a woman, she can be voiced by a man like Seth Green, Elijah Wood or a woman Anna Hathaway and Leslie Mann. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.219.21.214 ( talk) 11:29, 16 April 2012 (UTC) reply

This is for discussing changes in the article, NOT your own personal opinions or predictions. This is NOT a forum. This is a Talk Page. Talk Pages are ONLY for changes in articles, not about the characters or places or things. -- FrancineFan3883 ( talk) 18:51, 15 May 2012 (UTC) reply

What are you talking about?! Dora Winifred Read was ALWAYS voiced by male child actors. In future scenes (when she "grows a woman") such as the piano concert in D.W.'s Name Game, she is still voiced by the same male child actors that portray her at her usual age of 4. In-Correct ( talk) 11:19, 11 January 2013 (UTC) reply

Exactly, where are all of the editors getting information about the ages of the adults? None of the adults' ages have ever been confirmed in the series, except for Mrs. Pariso, whose age was given to be 75 according to Postcards from Buster. According to the episode "Arthur's Treasure Hunt", Muffy's parents were implied to be in their early 40s, but their ages still have never been confirmed. And for eight-year-old Buster's parents (although divorced) being in their late 20s......they look more like they would be in their early 30s as parents in kids' shows wouldn't get married and start having kids until they're 23/24 years old, but again their ages are not confirmed. Those are just OPINIONS about the adutls' ages, they're not officially confirmed. Again, the only adult whose age had been confirmed is Mrs. Pariso. Don't add in the ages of the adults from that series, unless it's official. Wikis are NOT the places for opinions. -- FrancineFan3883 ( talk) 06:55, 9 May 2012 (UTC) I presume Jane Read is about 40, since in "The Return of the Snowball", David says "Happy birthday old timer" then kisses her. Since 40 is popularly considered "over the hill", I think she's about 40. Of course it's not something we can know for sure, but there it is. 23:45, 10 May 2013 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.69.121.132 ( talk) reply

To tell the truth in the series, this third grade teacher who is a commonly seen minor character in the series, her name is "Miss Sweetwater", NOT "Mrs. Sweetwater". The only episode she was referred to as a "Mrs." was in the episode "Arthur and the Real Mr. Ratburn", despite the fact that the books and all other episodes refer to her as a "Miss", whereas calling her a "Mrs." is a canonical mistake. The only married third grade teacher in the series is Mrs. Fink. So, in this article, stop referring to Miss Sweetwater as a "Mrs.", when in fact she's a "Miss". -- FrancineFan3883 ( talk) 04:52, 6 July 2012 (UTC) reply

Do not change the existing categories. They are there to make the edits easier. Examples are "Other Child Characters", "Arthur's Family". And also the remaining adult characters divided by "A through M" and then "N through Z". Which I might even divide them by four.

Keep the voice actors and voice actresses in this article.

Keep the character summaries for ALL characters simple. Extended character guides are for the Arthur wiki at Wikia.

and finally, Arthur Timothy Read is not a bear. He is not a mouse. He is not a capybara. He is not a yellow-spotted lizard. He is not Klingon. He is not a blob of purple protoplasm. He is an aardvark. This is well established and easily cited. In-Correct ( talk) 11:29, 11 January 2013 (UTC) reply

Earlier, I noticed that it says Prunella is a rat when the character's design suggests that she's a poodle. I recently sent a message to Mark Brown via Facebook questioning the matter, to which he replied that she is in fact, a poodle. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=465823863509923&id=385632154862428&comment_id=2860089&offset=0&total_comments=1&notif_t=feed_comment I request that the page be edited to reflect this, thanks. Fluffles McPurplefairy ( talk) 02:07, 21 July 2013 (UTC) reply

Can facebook be used as a source? I hope not! In Correct ( talk) 19:09, 11 December 2014 (UTC) reply

I don't know if I am just ranting when I type this, but I have seen lots of edits that add unnecessary information. And I don't think that the wording of "They are great friends. They got into a fight but they worked it out and now they are a part of Arthur's gang." belongs in the article at all. This article was tagged with Intricate Detail that only interests a specific audience, and also an In-Universe tag. The character descriptions should quickly identify which character and summaries should contain as few words as possible. The excessive (and often duplicate) wording shouldn't belong in Wikipedia and it shouldn't belong in Wikia either. In Correct ( talk) 19:31, 11 December 2014 (UTC) reply

Hi all, in the last few days, (August 2-4 2015) I've noticed people adding characters then removing them, then adding them, then removing them. What's the deal? Nobody's using sufficient edit summaries IMO. Are they BS characters? Are they legit? Danke, Cyphoidbomb ( talk) 07:28, 4 August 2015 (UTC) reply

What you not iced is that there are some people adding characters and other people removing them. There is no reason to remove them. The characters are valid. In Correct ( talk) 22:42, 4 August 2015 (UTC) reply

In Correct What I haven't noticed? I said explicitly that I've noticed people adding characters then removing them. If you're saying that the characters are valid, that's fine, and that would be the answer to my question. Using clear edit summaries would help other editors unfamiliar with the series to understand the rationale for your changes. Thanks, Cyphoidbomb ( talk) 00:46, 5 August 2015 (UTC) reply

The cry of Baby Kate used in the TV shows is very popular and has been used in many non-Arthur media. Such as Blue's Clues, Robot Chicken, Ed, Edd n Eddy Shrek the Third and many more. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.39.195.226 ( talk) 00:48, 26 March 2016 (UTC) reply

According to an Unproven fact. Just because you think the baby cries from this show is the template for all other baby cries after this — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:989:200:9E94:9C5C:3CD8:47EC:82E2 ( talk) 22:16, 28 April 2016 (UTC) reply

Baby Kate's crying sound effects appears (Except for "Arthur's Baby" and "D.W.'s Baby")

• "D.W. All Wet"
• "Arthur's Pet Business"
• "Arthur Babysits"
• "Arthur's Lost Dog" (Biggest Role)
• "Arthur's Chicken Pox"
• "Arthur's Almost Boring Day"
• "The Half-Baked Sale"
• "Lost!"
• "The Blizzard" (Title Card only)
• "Is There a Doctor in the House?" (Title Card only)
• "Big Brother Binky (Mei Lin only) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:989:200:9E94:3C86:5FD:FFA5:95F2 ( talk) 21:24, 30 April 2016 (UTC) reply

What is your point? Your persistent addition of this content to the article without consensus is disruptive. Who's to say that the sound effect didn't predate the Arthur series? Many animated series use stock sound effect libraries. This is not noteworthy unless you provide reliable published sources that prove what you are saying and indicate the importance of the information. Wikipedia is an academic resource, not a trivia book. Cyphoidbomb ( talk) 22:48, 30 April 2016 (UTC) reply

Also you can hear it on Barney and Friends, Frozen, My Baby's Daddy, Celebrity Deathmatch, South Park, Superjail, Wonder Showzen, Robot Chicken, Super Why, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Cyborg 009, Charmed, Adult Swim Bumper, Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge, The Hangover, The Kingdom, Storm Stories, MLP: FiM, Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, Sofia the First, The Boxtrolls, Shrek the Third, Blue's Clues, A Christmas Story 2, Target Commercial from the 90's such as Baby Blues, America Online Commercial from the 00's, Purell Radio Commercial from 2003, Emergency Room Commercial from 2014 and many more — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:989:200:9E94:3C86:5FD:FFA5:95F2 ( talk) 20:27, 1 May 2016 (UTC) reply

And the point is? It sounds like you're describing a stock sound effect. This is not noteworthy unless reliable published sources have started paying attention to it and analyzing it. The persistent introduction of the trivial content is disruptive. Cyphoidbomb ( talk) 03:43, 8 July 2016 (UTC) reply

With this edit], In Correct reverted -- without explanation -- the removal of numerous unsourced WP:OR comparisons: Character X's teaching style is like character Y's teaching style and similar trivial opinions. None of this is remotely encyclopedic. Please explain. - SummerPhD ^v2.0 06:32, 31 December 2016 (UTC) reply

These are accurate character descriptions, not trivial opinions. Look again and you will see that most of these describe the physical appearance of the character and the basis of the character. Your "Original Research" claim is valid, but this article is filled with Original Research. I have removed many trivial information from this article and I did not have the time yet to add sources for the rest of the information. Also your edit only said "-guesses". It is best if all of these edits be mentioned in Talk Page with the valid reason and be discussed with people who are familiar with Wikipedia and Arthur without being biased fans of either. In Correct ( talk) 07:39, 31 December 2016 (UTC) reply

That the article is filled with original research is the problem. It is not a reason to keep some of the original research. That Timmy and Tommy "are similar to Billy and Bobby" is a vague opinion, it is not verifiable. Ditto "Her teaching methods are notably similar to those of Miss Sweetwater and Mrs. Fink" and the rest of it. This is original research. "Any material lacking a reliable source directly supporting it may be removed and should not be restored without an inline citation to a reliable source."

If you feel anything I remove can be sourced, feel free to restore it with a citation to an independent reliable source. - SummerPhD ^v2.0 17:23, 31 December 2016 (UTC) reply

Feel free to help me add sources instead of just blanking out Wikipedia. In Correct ( talk) 21:29, 5 January 2017 (UTC) reply

There are two ways Wikipedia can run.

1) Someone finds material in a reliable source, adds it to Wikipedia and cites the source. If they add material that might or might not have come from a reliable source and don't cite a source, it can be removed. This is how we currently do things. We call it verifiability: "...anyone using the encyclopedia can check that the information comes from a reliable source....any material whose verifiability has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, must include an inline citation that directly supports the material. Any material that needs a source but does not have one may be removed."

2) Someone finds material, maybe in a reliable source, maybe in a 12 year old's blog or maybe they just thought it up themselves. They add it to the article, without a source or any indication of where it came from. Anyone who questions the material should conduct intensive research to see if the material is in a reliable source. If you have checked every place you can think of, consulted researchers at a minimum of three Ivy League reference desks and hired an experienced private investigator for not less than 100 working hours, bring the issue to the talk page to see if anyone else can find reliable sources confirming that Timmy and Tommy "are similar to Billy and Bobby". I would humbly suggest that this is not reasonable. - SummerPhD ^v2.0 03:46, 6 January 2017 (UTC) reply

Actually your "humble suggestion" is your own very petty opinion and has nothing to do with original research. In Correct ( talk) 05:12, 6 January 2017 (UTC) reply

In my petty opinion, original research and opinions do not belong in this article. I will be removing them unless and until there is a consensus that -- or some reason -- Wikipedia's core policies do not apply here. If you would like to research any of them and manage to locate an independent reliable source that confirms Timmy and Tommy "are similar to Billy and Bobby", feel free to restore the claim with a citation. - SummerPhD ^v2.0 05:22, 6 January 2017 (UTC) reply

These core policies need to consider that this is a TV series. "Is Similar To" and "Are Similar To" are valid character descriptions in an article listing fictional characters. In Correct ( talk) 05:25, 6 January 2017 (UTC) reply

These core policies are core policies. Yes, the sky is blue, that is a factual statement. "X is similar to Y" is an opinion. Further it is trivial. Should we say this show is similar to The Berenstain Bears and the Homework Hassle (they are both about anthropomorphic animals going to school)? No, though your interpretation of the non-policy WP:BLUE might allow that.

Perhaps we should point out that Alan, a bear, should be over 200 times the size of Buster, a rabbit. (It is obvious that Alan is a very small bear.) It is similarly obvious that Fern is an extraordinarily intelligent dog. My dog can't even type. These are all at least as important as Timmy and Tommy being similar to Billy and Bobby.

Gosh, we should probably update the list of Friends characters to explain that Joey is similar to Phoebe: they are both unemployed performers in their 20s who somehow manage to afford large, well-furnished apartments near Central Park, eat out frequently and travel often. Leela in Futurama is similar to Superman: they are both the last surviving members of a species from another planet. We can sit here and make up comparisons all day. None of them are as obvious as the color of the sky. All of them are trivial opinions. - SummerPhD ^v2.0 14:24, 6 January 2017 (UTC) reply

Not sure where the best place to indent is, but subjective comparisons absolutely don't belong in articles. It's not our job to analyze, that's what reliable sources are for. "She looks similar to Ms. Tremello." Firstly, why are we describing the physical attributes of characters if we can presumably see them when we watch the series? Then, why are we comparing the characters if people who watch the series can make their own comparisons. That's just ridiculous. "She is multi-talented, similar to Mr. Ratburn." Multi-talented is vague and subjective. "Similar to Mr. Ratburn" is also vague and subjective. In what way are they similar? Demeanor? Physical characteristics? Rubbish. Should all be cut. "Her teaching methods are notably similar to those of Miss Sweetwater and Mrs. Fink." Vague. Meaningless. Subjective. And how exactly do you plan to find references for something vague and meaningless, In Correct? Should we really expect to find a reliable published source that has written extensively on the socratic leanings of Miss Sweetwater and Mrs. Fink? Of course not. The focus of the section should be brief descriptions indicating who the character is generally and what role they play in the narrative, along with real-world information, if available. See WP:TVCAST. Cyphoidbomb ( talk) 16:38, 6 January 2017 (UTC) reply

WP:BLUE Not being a core policy?! This needs to be the de facto policy of Wikipedia! I guess I need to find a source for Wikipedia's own article stating that the background is white. In Correct ( talk) 01:11, 7 January 2017 (UTC) reply

The reason to provide a physical description of the character in words as an alternative to a photograph of the character. The "similar" occupations provides a description of the character. I would say that "Friends" is not a valid comparison because every character on Friends is similar to each other, while Arthur is almost always unique. Rodentia, Sweetwater, and Fink being similar to each other and opposite of Nigel (Arthur Read's homeroom teacher) is half of the setting of Arthur. Numerous episodes are about this. The reason why you think something like that is vague is because you have no comprehension and instead took every word literally. The rest (such as the importance of the level of strictness from the teachers) but I will wait until after rereading WP:TVCAST. In Correct ( talk) 01:11, 7 January 2017 (UTC) reply

Most media outlets and the general public identifies him as gay because there is no evidence of Mr. Ratburn ever being interested in women throughout the series. 151.213.91.254 ( talk) 23:53, 24 May 2019 (UTC) reply

Grandma Thora is David’s mother. I assume that “Read” is her married name. However, in the special episode "The Rhythm and Roots of Arthur," she says she spent her summers as a girl at the family farm in Ohio. That farm is the Read family farm. When Arthur and family visit the farm, Thora knows everyone and seems to be related to them all. How should we understand this? Did she spend time on the Reads’ farm as a girl and then marry one of the Reads (namely, David’s father)? Was she born a Read and married another Read? Was she born a Read and was an unmarried mother (thus passing her surname to David)? Or is this a mistake by the creators, who forgot that Thora is a Read by marriage and would not have been partially raised on the Read family’s farm? Poldy Bloom ( talk) 22:22, 21 January 2020 (UTC) reply

You are over-thinking. This is a Wikipedia article about a show for young children.

As a Wikipedia article, it does not attempt to construct a representation of the universe of the show. Only what is directly stated in the show or directly discussed in reliable sources can be included in the article. Neither the show nor sources discuss this level of detail.

As a show for young children, the show likely doesn't discuss this level of detail because young kids aren't likely to care. That she is his "grandma" is all that matters for the show. - SummerPhD ^v2.0 00:23, 22 January 2020 (UTC) reply