The iconic Arthur Read made his TV debut 30 years ago

The animated series "Arthur" premiered on PBS Kids on Oct. 7, 1996.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/501x376+0+0/resize/501x376!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F70%2Ffa%2Fa9f7161142f1a169a39031021f12%2Fscreenshot-387.png' alt='(From left) Dora Winifred "D.W." Read, Allen "The Brain" Powers, Arthur Read, Muffy Crosswire, Jane Read, and Sue Ellen Armstrong celebrating Arthur and Muffy's birthdays from "Happy Birthday Arthur" in 1996.'/><p>The animated series "Arthur" premiered on PBS Kids on Oct. 7, 1996.</p><p>(Image credit: WGBH Educational Foundation, WildBrain and Marc Brown Studios)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-146052' />