| This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the book. |
| "1001 Dads" | |
| Season/Series: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Number in season: | 8a |
| Original airdate: |  October 14, 1999[1] January 26, 2000[2] |
| Credits | |
| Written by: | Peter K. Hirsch |
| Storyboard by: | Robert Yap |
| Episodes | |
| Previous "To Beat or Not to Beat" |
Next "Prunella's Prediction" |
| Read transcript |
"1001 Dads" is the first half of the eighth episode in the fourth season of Arthur. It was later adapted into the book Arthur and the 1,001 Dads.
Summary[]
When Buster cheerfully insists that he will miss the Father's Day picnic because he has other plans, Arthur is convinced that he's really sad about his parents' divorce and embarrassed to show up alone. Can Arthur and the gang find Buster a new dad in time for the picnic?[3]
Plot[]
While trying to free a kite from a tree in his backyard, Buster receives a phone call from his father. When Arthur asks him what the call was about, Buster says that it's a surprise.
Later, Arthur, D.W. and Francine are walking Pal when they notice posters for the annual Father's Day Picnic being put up. They worry about how Buster feels about this event, since his father isn't going to be around for it. Arthur notes that Buster didn't show up at last year's Father's Day Picnic, and thinks it's either because Buster would have had no partner for the games, or he simply didn't want people to know his parents were divorced. Buster soon shows up, and Francine invites him to join her family at the picnic, saying that, with her sister unable to attend, they'll be short a kid. Buster, however, turns down her invitation, stating that he has other plans. Arthur and Francine decide to find a father figure for Buster so that he can attend the picnic.
They first run into Pickles the clown, and get him to ask Buster to come to the picnic. Buster refuses, but buys all of the clown's balloons before setting them free. Later, Brain creates a robotic dad for Buster, but that plan backfires, due to Brain forgetting to replace the robot's voice mechanism, making the robot sound like a cat. Buster thinks the robot swallowed a cat; he hits it and one of the buttons pop off and the robot's ears, nose and eye pop loosen. Brain, Arthur and Francine carry it away. Then Arthur and Francine later imply that Mr. Ratburn can be Buster's "father" for the picnic. When Mr. Ratburn asks Buster, however, Buster quickly declines the offer.
Feeling that Buster is really sad and having exhausted all other options, Arthur lets Binky pretend to be Buster's dad, despite him being only a year older than Buster. This plan seems to work well until Buster sees through it, and he angrily storms away from the creek. And Binky tries to go after him, but trips on the fishing rod, causing him to lose his glasses and left shoe and roll straight into the water. Arthur who was seeing everything comes out to help Binky and he angrily tells Arthur he bet Buster doesn't even get him a tie for father's day.
At The Sugar Bowl, Arthur runs into Buster and explains that he's stopped looking for potential dads for Buster, while also stating that he's no longer going himself, since he doesn't want to see Buster not having a good time without his father. Buster assures Arthur that even though his parents aren't together anymore, they're still a family. He still won't tell Arthur about the "plans" he has for the picnic, and Arthur still takes this to mean that Buster isn't coming to the picnic.
Soon, the day of the picnic arrives. While the Tibble twins are bird-watching with Mr. Ratburn, they spot a hot air balloon landing on the ground. Buster's inside of it with his mom, and he explains to Arthur that this is the surprise he had been promising: his dad paid for everyone to have hot air balloon rides for the day. Arthur turns away, and Buster asks what's wrong. Arthur explains he has to clean up, since he has egg on his face (literally, due to a mishap while playing egg toss with his dad).
Characters[]
Major[]
Minor[]
- Nigel Ratburn
- Brain
- Muffy Crosswire
- Prunella Deegan
- George Lundgren
- David Read
- Otto Ratburn (Flashback)
- Timmy and Tommy Tibble
- D.W. Read
- Pickles
- Mr. Haney
Cameo[]
- Unknown Male Adult Rabbit (Number 3)
- Unknown Female Adult Rabbit (Number 4)
- Fern Walters
- Sue Ellen Armstrong
- Maria Pappas
- Unknown Male Rabbit
- Maria lookalike
- Kate Read
- Kyle
- Lisa
- Jane Read
Mentioned[]
Trivia[]
Buster's Food Cabinet
- Morals:
- Not all families are the same. Some parents are together, some are divorced, but they are still family nonetheless.
- Don’t assume that someone is upset over something. Instead of worrying about them and constantly trying to ‘cheer them up’, the best you can do is just listen.
- At the end of the 2000 rerun intro on PBS Kids before this episode, Arthur’s crashing sound changes to a big splash of water. This is the final episode to feature that sound.
- This is the first episode where George is seen at Arthur's house
- Binky said “starve a cold, feed a fever”, when people usually say “starve a fever, feed a cold”. It was probably the glasses that made him read that phrase wrong.
- This is the first appearance of Buster's Food Cabinet. The cabinet would then become a regular sight in Buster's room for the rest of the show.
Episode connections[]
- Pickles's dog allergy was first shown in "Arthur's Lost Dog".
- Brain's robot is built using parts of the robot cat from “Buster Baxter, Cat Saver”.
- Arthur, Muffy, and Binky use D.W.'s Princess Sneeze-and-Wet from "D.W. the Copycat."
Errors[]
- When Buster says his first line, his collar quickly flashes green for a second.
- After Buster runs into the house in the cold open, Arthur appears as if he was not in the garden.
- In Francine’s imagination, when the crowd gathers to hug Buster and his mom, his mouth moves to gasp, but can be heard screaming instead.
- Binky's skin tone lightens significantly for a few seconds during his encounter with Buster along the creek. This lightened tone would later become Binky's standard skin color beginning in Season 6.
- When Binky trips and falls into the creek, his suit looks perfectly fine but in the next shot when he sits up, one of the sleeves is slightly torn.
Gallery[]
Main article: 1001 Dads/Gallery
Home Media[]
DVD[]
References[]