Arthur (PBS) Trivia
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100 free Arthur (PBS) trivia questions with answers — entertainment quiz, new questions added Oct 2026.
42 free Arthur (PBS) trivia questions with answers. Arthur trivia for everyone who grew up with the aardvark in the round glasses - and for the parents who ended up humming Believe in Yourself. The quiz covers Marc Brown's original 1976 picture book, the 1996 PBS premiere, the 25 seasons and 253 episodes that made it the longest-running children's cartoon in America, and the whole Lakewood Elementary crowd: D.W. and her snowball, Buster's asthma and alien theories, Francine and Muffy, the Brain, Binky's peanut allergy, Sue Ellen, Fern, George and Wally, Mr. Ratburn and his cake habit. There are questions on the guest stars (Mister Rogers, Matt Damon, the Backstreet Boys), the reggae theme by Ziggy Marley, the episode behind the clenched-fist meme, Mr. Ratburn's wedding and the flash-forward finale. Easy questions any viewer will get open the set; the later ones will test someone who can name the principal who moved to Tanzania. Every answer has been checked against a reference page and each question shows its citation.
30 of 100 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01What kind of animal is Arthur Read?
An aardvark
Marc Brown drew him with a long snout in the first books, but the nose shrank steadily over the years.
Q 02In which fictional town is the show set?
Elwood
The suburb bears a strong resemblance to the Boston area, home of producer WGBH.
Q 03Which children's author created Arthur, first as a bedtime story for his son Tolon?
Marc Brown
The names of his children Tolon, Tucker and Eliza are hidden in the books' illustrations.
Q 04The first picture book about Arthur, published in 1976, was named after which feature of his?
His nose
Brown has said he was 'literally rescued by Arthur'; the series grew to more than 100 books.
Q 05On what date did the Arthur TV series premiere on PBS?
7 October 1996
PBS's children's block was then called PTV; the show was announced by WGBH and CINAR in March 1995.
Q 06How many half-hour episodes did Arthur air across its 25 seasons?
253
Each half hour held two self-contained 11-minute stories; the last episode aired on 21 February 2022.
Q 07Which show overtook Arthur in 2024 as America's longest-running children's animated series?
SpongeBob SquarePants
Arthur held the record from its 2022 finale until the sponge caught up.
Q 08Which PBS station developed the series with the books' author after approaching him in January 1993?
WGBH Boston
Brown was reluctant at first because he did not want to give up creative control of his characters.
Q 09Most of Arthur's animation and voice acting was produced in which country?
Canada
Montreal's CINAR co-produced at first; production moved to Toronto in 2004 under Cookie Jar and later to 9 Story and Oasis.
Q 10Who performed the reggae theme song 'Believe in Yourself'?
Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers
Judy Henderson and Jerry de Villiers Jr. wrote it; Chance the Rapper released his own version, 'Wonderful Everyday', in 2014.
Q 11Which song, written and performed by head writer Joe Fallon, was introduced in season two and became a gag?
'Crazy Bus'
D.W. plays it endlessly on the family stereo, to Arthur's despair.
Q 12What grade is Arthur in at Lakewood Elementary School?
Third
He stays eight years old and in Mr. Ratburn's class for the entire 25-year run.
Q 13What do Arthur's parents, David and Jane Read, do for a living?
Chef and accountant
Both work from home, which is why Dad is forever catering parties from the kitchen.
What do D.W.'s initials stand for?
Q 21Sue Ellen Armstrong has lived all over the world because her father does what job?
Diplomat
The cat is the class martial artist.
Q 22Which quiet classmate is a moose with dyslexia who does ventriloquism with a giraffe dummy called Wally?
George Lundgren
Carl Gould, who is on the autism spectrum, becomes George's best friend.
Q 23Which classmate is a poodle who loves poetry and solving mysteries?
Fern Walters
Prunella, also a poodle, is the one into yoga, fortune telling and the paranormal.
In the 2019 episode 'Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone', whom does Arthur's teacher marry?
Dora Winifred
She is four years old and the middle child; baby Kate is the youngest Read.
Q 15What is the name of D.W.'s imaginary friend, a squirrel who acts as her conscience?
Nadine
Emily is D.W.'s real best friend at preschool; Nadine's surname is Flumberghast.
Q 16Which two members of the Read household can talk to each other in certain episodes?
Kate and Pal
The puppy speaks with an English accent in an adult voice, and baby Kate understands animals.
Q 17Arthur's best friend Buster Baxter is which animal, and lives with which chronic condition?
A rabbit with asthma
Buster loves food and aliens; his parents are divorced and his father is a pilot.
Q 18What job does Francine Frensky's father do?
Sanitation engineer
The sporty monkey lives in an apartment and her family is Jewish; her friend Muffy's father owns Crosswire Motors.
Q 19Alan Powers, aka the Brain, comes from an ice-cream-parlour family of what heritage?
Senegalese
The Brain is a bear; the ice-cream shop is a regular hangout for the gang.
Q 20Why is Binky Barnes older than the rest of Mr. Ratburn's class?
He is repeating third grade
The bulldog also has a severe peanut allergy and, secretly, a love of ballet and butterflies.
Patrick
Alabama Public Television declined to air the episode.
Q 25Which episode supplied the still of a clenched fist that became a hugely popular internet meme in 2016?
'Arthur's Big Hit'
The meme took off on Black Twitter in July 2016 and helped the show build a cult following among adults.
Q 26Which beloved TV neighbour paid a surprise visit to the show's town as himself?
Fred Rogers
A Hollywood star appeared in 'The Making of Arthur' and the Backstreet Boys in the hour-long 'It's Only Rock 'N' Roll'.
Q 27Which two celebrities are the only guest stars to appear more than once on Arthur?
Lance Armstrong and Joan Rivers
Armstrong featured in 'The Great MacGrady', the episode about the lunch lady's cancer.
Q 28Which movie star appeared as himself in the episode 'The Making of Arthur'?
Matt Damon
Like Elwood City's producers, Damon is from the Boston area.
Q 29Which two awards has Arthur received, according to its record of honours?
A Peabody Award and four Daytime Emmys
TV Guide ranked Arthur Read 26th on its 2002 list of the 50 greatest cartoon characters.
Q 30Which hip-hop artist released 'Wonderful Everyday', a reworking of the theme song, in 2014?
Chance the Rapper
The show's parodies of South Park, Jeopardy! and other adult fare helped build its older fanbase.