The “Arthur” episode that saw Mr. Ratburn tying the knot with his male partner did not air in Alabama.
Alabama Public Television reportedly refused to broadcast the well-received Season 22 premiere of the PBS Kids show on May 13. Instead of the new episode about same-sex marriage, the network aired a repeat of an old episode.
The Alabama network has no plans to air the new episode ― titled “Mr. Ratburn & the Special Someone” ― in the future, reports NBC News.
It is still available to watch online, however. Check it out here.
Mike Mckenzie, director of programming at Alabama Public Television, told Al.com that “parents have trusted Alabama Public Television for more than 50 years to provide children’s programs that entertain, educate and inspire.”
He continued:
More importantly – although we strongly encourage parents to watch television with their children and talk about what they have learned afterwards – parents trust that their children can watch APT without their supervision.
We also know that children who are younger than the ‘target’ audience for Arthur also watch the program.
The news sparked anger on Twitter, where many people referenced Alabama’s strict new abortion law that effectively prohibits the procedure, including in cases of rape and incest. It has drawn widespread fury from around the world.