Last week, PBS announced the cancellation of one of the television network’s longest-running children’s shows. After 20 years on PBS, “Caillou” will be going off the air.
“Caillou” premiered in 2000 and ran for five seasons until 2010, when it went into syndication. The network made the announcement on Jan. 5 and shared it across its social media platforms.
“We’re saying farewell to @caillouhx, but remember, when we say goodbye to something…it just means we get to say hello to something new,” PBS tweeted, along with tips for parents on how to help their kids cope with the cancellation of a favorite show.
…It just means we get to say hello to something new!
Here are tips for what to do when your child's favorite media goes away: https://t.co/FM8bLI2gbS pic.twitter.com/n0PokaNIbb— PBS KIDS (@PBSKIDS) January 5, 2021
But the biggest problem many parents may have with this news is hiding their joy over the cancellation from their sad children.
The response on social media might not have been what PBS executives were expecting. Many parents celebrated the fact that the bratty bald-headed 4-year-old boy would no longer be on their TV screens.
Twitter user @_SingleBabyMama welcomed the cancellation but wondered if it was a bit overdue.
Parents are rejoicing that Caillou has been cancelled but for some of us it’s too little too late, the damage has already been done.
— SingleBabyMama (@_SingleBabyMama) January 6, 2021
The show, which features a 4-year-old boy named Caillou and his family, hasn’t exactly been a favorite of many parents. More than 10,000 Reddit users belong to a community dedicated solely to talking about their hatred of “Caillou,” and many of them rejoiced at the news:
One mom went as far as starting a petition to have the show removed because of the main character’s frequent temper tantrums and whining.
“Anyone who has seen the show knows that Caillou is a whiny, bratty child, and his show holds no educational value,” according to parent Kate McKenzie in her 2013 Change.org petition to PBS. “Children who watch this program tend to copy Caillou’s behavior. Whining, demanding, throwing himself on the floor kicking and screaming… His parents give him everything he wants. How is this teaching our children good values and communication skills? It’s not. Please PBS, remove Caillou from your programming.”
On Twitter, @ozzyunc posted that Caillou’s departure is a good start to 2021.
PBS cancels Caillou after 20 years. 2021 is already a win.
— Ozzy (@ozzyunc) January 7, 2021
@TheAudreyC said Caillou’s cancellation ranked in the top three of her genie wishes for 2021, along with the return of the nostalgic ice cream cake from her youth, which is now back.
First Caillou is canceled and now this? I’m about to win the lotto because these are two of my three genie wishes. pic.twitter.com/7l9pJE4m2M
— TheAC (@TheAudreyC) January 9, 2021
Maybe she can send off Caillou with a slice of Viennetta.
Other adults’ disdain for the PBS preschooler went a little deeper. One Twitter user, @AutumnWhisky, cited the program as a good reason not to have kids at all.
Children's television programming is one of the single best untold forms of birth control.
Exhibit A: Caillou.
— ð¥ð¬ð²âWintry breezes and Whiskey Kissesâð²ð¬ð¥ (@AutumnWhisky) January 11, 2021
Yikes.
@dantema09238370 included a classic example of Caillou’s bad behavior when posting her reaction to the news.
How classic Caillou would react to being kicked off-air ð pic.twitter.com/Q6WRZhlEc0
— Chxmp (@dantema09238370) January 11, 2021
Do your kids watch “Caillou”?
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
