As I already have a post ready for Sunday, I find it fitting to throw up a news update today. So here we go:

First up, in site news, we have really been jumping into social media. We now have a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a Google + account. Feel free, to like, follow, add, +1, or whatever us if you'd like.

Also related to social media, the Arthur Facebook page is trying to get 1 million likes. It would be great if they could reach this goal before the start of season 16, and we are all in to help them out! So while you are in the social media vicinity, pleas consider liking their page if you haven't already.

I think it is pretty important to use this post as an opportunity to discuss season 16, so here is a rundown of when each new episode will be airing:

"Based on a True Story" - October 15
"Flippity Francine"/"Muffy Takes the Wheel" - October 16
"All About D.W."/"Blockheads" - October 17
"Get Smart"/"Baby Steps" - October 18
"Night of the Tibble"/"Read and Flumberghast" - October 19

Finally, at the end of tomorrow's post, I'd like to showcase (if possible) some fan excitement in regards to the new season. If you would like to participate, you can comment on this post, message me on the forum, or contact us through our social media outlets giving us any sort of statement of your excitement about the new season.

 
We looked at the first five season premieres of Arthur in Part 1, and now we continue with Part 2 in preparation for the Arthur series.
Season 6: Sue Ellen Gets Her Goose Cooked/The Best of the Nest
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 8, 8

Ability to Attract New Fans: 6, 7

This whole half hour block seems to not be the best for introducing the show to new fans, as the episodes focus more on the video game Virtual Goose, a subject that is rarely touched in the Arthur series all that much. On the contrary, both episodes are also a great introduction to the characters, and combine themselves with terrific humor, especially "The Best of the Nest." This humor is the same thing that old fans also experience, along with brilliant story lines based on a video game that will leave them wanting more.

Season 7: Cast Away/The Great Sock Mystery
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 8, 6

Ability to Attract New Fans: 8, 4

"Cast Away" serves as both a wonderful storyline to let existing fans relive the Arthur series once more, and a great introduction to the Read family. "The Great Sock Mystery," on the other hand, tends to not sit well with either genre of fans. Talking animals and babies don't come off as very appealing to an inexperienced fan, and even the fans who are at least somewhat used to this may still be turned off by the continued use of this world of the series.

Season 8: Dear Adil/Bitzi's Breakup
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 8, 7

Ability to Attract New Fans: 7, 5

"Dear Adil" introduces Adil, Arthur's pen pal to the series, which has mixed results depending on perspective. It's a nice way to start off a season for established Arthur watchers, but for newbies, they are still learning about the existing characters, so in that sense, it makes sense to not shove new characters in their faces right away.

As for "Bitzi's Breakup," this episode also follows the same line as the season 3 premiere, where the episode is part of an already ongoing story. This can, in some ways, be good for the viewers that already knew Harry, yet at the same time can be more on the confusing time for non-established watcher. The lessons in this episode, however, do stand strong, something that does make this episode stand out.

Season 9: Castles in the Sky/Tipping the Scales
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 9, 9

Ability to Attract New Fans: 9, 9

This half hour grouping works exceptionally as a premiere. The guest star and fun of "Castles in the Sky," along with some sentimental value mixed in that we can all relate to. For "Tipping the Scales," this is a brilliantly done episode, perfected by a strict music teacher, and overall, is both touching, humorous, and top-notch.

Season 10: Happy Anniversary
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 8

Ability to Attract New Fans: 7

"Happy Anniversary" is a great premiere episode which not only pushed the idea that Arthur has been around on television for ten years, but also that Arthur continues to be able to pull off good episodes. The fun, trip is a nice way to take a break from the usual scenery, yet still have plenty of Elwood City all at the same time. It  seems to appeal to both old and new fans, being that it is a great introduction of the Read family, among other characters.

Season 11: Swept Away/Germophobia
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 8, 8

Ability to Attract New Fans: 8, 8

Both "Swept Away" and "Germophobia" prove to have great stories for all levels of fans. Both also do a great job of introducing a wide variety of characters and relationships to less versed watchers, and overall still maintain the trademark Arthur quality.

Click here to discuss this article on the Elwood City Central Forum.

 
Season premieres of a show have a tough void to fill. The first episode of a season, in many cases, is when an existing fan often decides whether or not the series is still worth their time. Many soon-to-be fans tune in for the first episode of a new season. So due to the upcoming premiere of the new Arthur season, it is crucial that we talk about season premieres in preparation, so we can get a better understanding of what this season premiere needs to do.

Please note that ratings at the beginning of each premiere entry are on a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the most, 1 being the least. The first number represents the first episode half, and the second number represents the second episode half.
Season 1: Arthur's Eyes/Francine's Bad Hair Day
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: N/A

Ability to Attract New Fans: 10, 10

"Arthur's Eyes" was a great choice for a series premiere, doing everything necessary. Fans of the original books could instantly love the the idea that the books that they grew up with were coming to life. At the same time, the episode also was a wonderful representation of all the main cast members, rather than specifically focusing on a supporting character.

"Francine's Bad Hair Day" was another great choice for the second half. This episode accomplished multiple tasks. It showed fans that not every episode is going to be focused on Arthur, but sometimes on the diverse population of supporting characters. The episode also showed that not every episode was going to be based on the book, but would still give fans fresh content for them to see.

Season 2: Arthur Meets Mister Rogers/Draw!
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 9, 9

Ability to Attract New Fans: 9, 9

"Arthur Meets Mister Rogers" was the first season premiere to feature a guest star, a terrific idea on the crew's part. It is an effective way to attract new fans, by giving them a person that they already know and love to help new fans in their transition to the series, combined with great humor and writing. The reason, however, that I only gave this a nine was because this episode may have given a misleading image that in order to maintain the series, it had to use an already popular person as a crutch to get through the series successfully.

"Draw!" is not one of my favorite choices for a season premiere, but still serves its purpose quite well. The episode seems to showcase a wide variety of characters, to give new fans a glimpse at the entire cast. It also proves to be a fun and lesson filled story to maintain existing fans' interest.

Season 3: Buster's Back/The Ballad of Buster Baxter
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 8, 8

Ability to Attract New Fans: 4, 5

I'm going to group both "Buster's Back" and "The Ballad of Buster Baxter" together, as they are basically a two-part episode. This episode does a great job in keeping old fans around. They are immediately enticed by the story of Buster finally coming home, and Arthur's reaction to it all. For an new fan, however, this episode isn't too appealing. To start, the episode so heavily focuses on Buster in addition to Arthur that it almost has an identity crisis. We don't get to see Buster's true relationship with his friends as much, so that he almost comes off as a dorky, outcast kid to some viewers not familiar with the series. The extra point for the second half is due to Art Garfunkel, someone that many new fans could possibly relate to.

Season 4: D.W.'s Library Card/Arthur's Big Hit
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 9, 7

Ability to Attract New Fans: 8, 5

There isn't much to say about "D.W.'s Library Card" here. It seems to be pretty well written, complete with humor and heart.

"Arthur's Big Hit," on the other hand, is a very interesting premiere, due to the fact that Arthur ends up hitting D.W. in the episode. This seems to be one of the worst episodes, in fact, for a premiere, as old and new fans may be turned off by the violent element of the episode, thinking that Arthur was either ruined starting in this season, or bad from the start, depending on which perspective. Even though a good lesson shines in this episode, I imagine that many people would overlook that, still appalled by the violent element.

Season 5: Arthur and the Big Riddle/Double Dare
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Ability to Keep Old Fans: 9, 9

Ability to Attract New Fans: 8, 9

"Arthur and the Big Riddle"  was a fairly good start to a new season. It enticed old fans, with an interesting plot that, to some extent, gets away from the normal boundaries of the show to try something new, a game show. The game show format, plus Alex Trebek, was used to bring in new fans, while at the same time, new viewers may find the plot to be a tad far-fetched.

"Double Dare" appears as an even better premiere half. The brilliant plot of skipping school, something that many kids may think about doing, is depicted in a negative way, while adding some humor and heart at the same time, making it a perfect episode for new and old fans alike.

And that is as far as we are going to post today. Tune in soon for part two of this series.

Click here to discuss this article on the Elwood City Central forum.

 
Since we are less than a week away from Season 16, it's time for us on this blog to help you get ready for season 16. First off, I'm going to once again plug our forum: http://elwoodcitycentral.createaforum.com/index.php. This forum is one of the best places to talk about the new season. Just click the register button at the top and create an account and join right in the Arthur fun.

Another site I also want to plug is Arthur Wiki. During the season 16 airdates, we will be tirelessly adding new information on that site about the new season, and you can also read info on existing seasons. Feel free to join the chat to further discuss the season.

In other, more substantial news, a new season 16 promo came out recently:
Now there is a lot to talk about in these promos, which we will be detailing in the coming days, along with another new article or two that we hope to be an extremely fun and interesting read.

Happy Season 16!

Click here to discuss this article on the Elwood City Central forum!

    About Us

    Elwood City Central is a fan created site to unite the enormous Arthur community together. Our features include a blog, largely fueled on fan contributions, and a forum where Arthur fans can get together to talk about the series.

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