PBS finally made the seemingly long-awaited decision to cancel one of its most popular and infamous television shows, “Caillou.” Although the reactions to the announcement varied, the positive views of many parents prevailed over any negative feelings. Many parents feel a strong hatred towards the show, saying that it is a terrible influence on children.
On January 5, the PBS KIDS Twitter account posted a tweet reading, “We’re saying farewell to @cailloudhx…” “Caillou” aired its first episode on Sept. 15, 1997. Now, a little over twenty-three years later, the show has been canceled and will no longer air on television. The “Caillou” tab on the PBS Kids website, pbskids.org, is also no longer available.
Overall, “Caillou” consists of five seasons, the final one having aired on Oct. 3, 2010. Mostly parents voiced issues with the show during its run. “Caillou” was meant to expose preschoolers to real-life scenarios and teach them valuable life skills. However, many parents over the years have expressed their disagreement with this reasoning, arguing that Caillou, a young four-year-old Canadian child portrayed in the show, is a whiny, bratty character, not one that they want their children to be viewing.
The cancellation of “Caillou” has sparked some parents to push for other children’s shows to be canceled, such as “SpongeBob SquarePants,” deeming it “annoying.” Many Twitter users are rejoicing, expressing their optimism through several tweets. People are also connecting the cancellation of “Caillou” to 2021 being a good year and a sign that it will be better than 2020. One user wrote “2021 says: I hear you and see you! Rough days are still ahead but at least you won’t have to endure COVID and “Caillou.”” Many other users spread this quote to express their excitement: “He finally got grounded.” Caillou is notorious for his bad manners and unruly attitude. Another user in support of the cancellation wrote, “That bald headed little terror can no longer brainwash kids into being worse.”
However, there are some people who are reminiscent of “Caillou” because it was a part of their childhood. Another Twitter user posted, in response to the original PBS KIDS tweet, “RIP to my childhood,” expressing their unhappiness over the cancellation. Some argue that “Caillou” is just a good show in general; one user said, “I’ll never understand the “Caillou” haters. It’s a lovely show, with relevant stories, and I’m grateful for the legacy it leaves.”