Canadian educational children's cartoon Caillou will no longer air on PBS Kids. The network bid farewell to the long-running, controversial cartoon on social media, but -- in typical PBS fashion -- used it as a teaching opportunity for when your child's favorite media goes away.
While many children may be sad to see Caillou go, many parents are rejoicing right now. Despite the educational nature of the award-winning show about an inquisitive four-year-old, many parents have criticized it for its possible negative influence on children.
Some common complaints call out the tantrums that Caillou throws to get his way, many of which go unpunished, as well as the way he speaks to adult figures. Caillou has also been criticized for the "petulant, manipulative, and spoiled" behavior of the titular character and the lack of consequences he faces as a result. People have even called out the "poor parenting" presented by the parental figures on the show. There have been numerous change.org petitions to get the series removed from television.
Given how long the series has been on the air, it's doubtful that this criticism had anything to do with the show's cancellation on PBS Kids. Caillou had aired on PBS Kids since September 2000 and ran on the network until December 2020.
While Caillou did provide some educational material, it's not like PBS is lacking in that category. There are plenty of series on the network that provide fun and education that don't come with the controversial baggage, including Arthur, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Curious George.
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