'Arthur' will end with a 'flash-forward' to reveal characters as adults

It's more or less criminal that PBS is ending Arthur at all, but at least it is planning to give viewers a satisfying ending.

Arthur's 25th and final season will conclude next month "with four new episodes that culminate in a flash-forward, revealing grown-up versions of the series' beloved characters," per Variety's Zack Sharf.

"The four episodes will air as part of a 25th anniversary Arthur marathon, which will feature more than 250 episodes and movie specials from across the series' run," Sharf continued. "The marathon will air on PBS Kids and livestream on the PBS Kids YouTube channel from Feb. 16-21. The four new episodes will air on PBS stations and stream for free on PBS Kids on Feb. 21, concluding the show’s 25-year run."

Arthur's cancellation was confirmed last July.

"Arthur is the longest-running kids animated series in history and is known for teaching kindness, empathy and inclusion through many groundbreaking moments to generations of viewers," Arthur executive producer Carol Greenwald told Variety. "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."

That came after Kathy Waugh, an original developer and writer, revealed that the show was "no longer in production" and held its wrap party two years prior during this episode of the Finding D.W. podcast.

Additionally relayed by Sharf, PBS is planning on debuting new Arthur content throughout "2022 and beyond, including a podcast, video shorts that tackle timely and compelling topics and digital games," while all 25 seasons of Arthur will remain on PBS Kids for streaming.

Arthur premiered in October 1996.