Postcards from Buster

infobox television
show_name = Postcards from Buster


caption = "Postcards from Buster" poster, featuring Buster Baxter
format = Children's television series
runtime = 30 minutes per episode
country = U.S. & Canada
network = PBS
first_aired = October 11, 2004
last_aired = Present
starring = Cameron Ansell
Bruce Dinsmore
Sonja Ball
Daniel Brochu
Ellen David
Marcel Jeannin
Holy G. Frankel
Elizabeth Diaga
Norman Groulx
Melissa Altro
A.J. Henderson
Arthur Holden
Jessica Kardos
Jodie Resther
Jason Szimmer
Alex Hood
creator = Marc Brown
num_episodes = 50|

"Postcards from Buster", also called "Buster's Postcards", is a children's television series, containing both animation and live-action that airs on PBS, and is a spin-off of the "Arthur" cartoon series. The show stars Arthur's best friend, 8-year-old rabbit Buster Baxter. Inspired by a 2003 episode of Arthur entitled "Postcards from Buster", the television series was produced by Cinar (now known as Cookie Jar Entertainment), and first aired on October 11, 2004 on PBS Kids GO!, Also by Marc Brown Studios. In 2007, it was also produced byBrad Grey Television, and Steven Levitan Productions.

Buster's interests include eating anything, reading comic books, and playing video games. Buster's personality is that of a fairly intelligent and curious child. He also believes that extraterrestrials are real. Buster's parents are divorced; in this series, Buster is seen with his father, Bo Baxter.

Arthur Read and many other characters from the PBS Kids and PBS Kids GO! animated television series "Arthur" make cameo appearances in this series, and most episodes have a "Arthur" character playing a minor role.

Marc Brown confirmed that new episodes of the show will be produced before seasons 12 and 13 of "Arthur" begin production.

Overview

"Postcards from Buster" centers on Buster traveling to various places around North America (usually in the US, but also in the Caribbean, Canada, and other places) with his father, who is a pilot for a group of musicians. In each episode, Buster meets several children in the location being visited, who show him aspects of their family lives and local culture. The sequences with Buster are animated, while the portions featuring the children are live action (viewed from the viewpoint of Buster's video camcorder).

After each trip, Buster sends to Arthur a "video postcard" videotape summarizing what he's done and who he's met in each location.

The children and their families that are presented on the series are meant to be multicultural and diverse, and range from a Mormon family in Utah to a mestizo family in Texas. Season 3 will premiere some time in 2008.

Controversial episodes

Controversy erupted for the show in January 2005 when new United States Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings criticized "Postcards from Buster" producers for episode #133, "Sugartime!", which features Buster visiting Hinesburg, Vermont to learn about the production of maple sugar. While there, Buster meets several children who have lesbian parents (Vermont was one of the first states to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples). In the episode, the word "lesbian" or "homosexual" is never uttered, and the episode — like all "Postcards" episodes — has no sexual content. Buster meets the children and comments, "That's a lot of moms!"; one girl mentions her "mom and stepmom," adding that she loves her stepmother very much, and no other comments are made about the couples. PBS vice president of media relations Lea Sloan said at the time, "The fact that there is a family structure that is objectionable to the Department of Education is not at all the focus of the show, nor is it addressed in the show."Associated Press. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6869976/ "Education chief rips PBS for gay character: Network won't distribute episode with animated 'Buster' visiting Vt.,"] MSNBC, January 26, 2005.] Spellings demanded that PBS return all federal funding that had been used in the production of the episode, claiming that "many parents would not want their young children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in this episode."Lisa de Moraes. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40188-2005Jan26.html "PBS's 'Buster' Gets An Education"] (TV column), "Washington Post", January 27, 2005.] PBS decided not to distribute this episode, but some member stations across the country chose to air the episode, including WNET in New York and the show's co-producer, WGBH in Boston (which distributed the episode directly to public television stations after PBS's decision). Some of these stations opted to air this episode in prime-time, with some following the episode with a local discussion on the controversy.

Shortly after the controversy, PBS's CEO announced she would step down when her contract expired in 2006.

Another controversial episode was #125, "The Lowriders," in which Buster visits East Los Angeles, California. This episode is said to show the stereotypical gang lifestyle, with Buster and friends riding lowrider bicycles in neighborhoods with visible graffiti. They also attend a lowrider car show. [ [http://pbskids.org/buster/parentsteachers/episodes3.html Postcards from Buster . Parents & Teachers . Episode Descriptions | PBS Kids GO! ] ]

Voice actors and their characters

* Cameron Ansell - Arthur Read
* Bruce Dinsmore - Mr. David Read (Arthur's Father), Binky Barnes
* Sonja Ball - Mrs. Jane Read (Arthur's Mother)
* Daniel Brochu - Buster Baxter
* Ellen David - Bitzi Baxter
* Marcel Jeannin - Bo Baxter
* Holy G. Frankel - Fern Walters
* Elizabeth Diaga - Mora of Los Viajeros (first season)
* Stephanie Martin - Mora of Los Viajeros (second season)
* Norman Groulx - Carlos of Los Viajeros (first season)
* Glenn Coulson - Carlos of Los Viajeros (second season)
* Melissa Altro - Muffy Crosswire
* A.J. Henderson - Ed Crosswire
* Arthur Holden - Mr. Ratburn
* Jessica Kardos - Sue Ellen Armstrong
* Jodie Resther - Francine Frensky
* Jason Szimmer - Dora Winfred "D.W." Read (first season)
* Robert Naylor - Dora Winfred "D.W." Read (second season)
* Lyle O'Donohoe - Alan "The Brain" Powers (Season 3)
* Dallas Jokic - Arthur Timothy Read (Season 3)

A Spanish dub has aired in the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Episode list

eason 1 (2004-2005)

Pilot: "Postcards from Buster" (New York City, New York) (pilot episode in the Arthur TV series) (2003)
# "Meet Me at the Fair" (Knox, Indiana) (2004)
# "A Sense of Direction" (Chicago, Illinois) (2004)
# "Buster and Beatrice" (San Antonio, Texas) (2004)
# "The Giant Pumpkins" (Mount Hood & Canby, Oregon) (2004)
# "Among the Hmong" (Madison, Wisconsin) (2004)
# "Sleepy in Seattle" (Seattle, Washington) (2004)
# "Up the River" (Mandan & Bismarck, North Dakota) (2004)
# "Rodeo Cowgirl" (Houston, Texas) (2004)
# "Buster's Buffalo Round-Up" (Rapid City, South Dakota) (2004)
# "Moose on the Loose" (Jackson Hole, Wyoming) (2004)
# "Rock 'n' Roll" (Boulder, Colorado) (2004)
# "Hoops and Drums" (Lander, Wyoming) (2004)
# "Swimming in the Desert" (Phoenix, Arizona) (2004)
# "Good Ol' Tyme" (Whitesburg, Kentucky) (2004)
# "Buster's Road Rules" (Tucson, Arizona) (2004)
# "Bayou, By Me" (Slidell & Larose, Louisiana) (2004)
# "Best Friends" (Winchester, Kentucky) (2004)
# "Winter Gold" (Park City, Utah) (2004)
# "Star Search" (Charleston, South Carolina) (2004)
# "We Are Family" (Salt Lake City, Utah) (2004)
# "Buster's League of Champions" (Virginia Beach, Virginia) (2005)
# "A Bridge Back Home" (Brooklyn, New York) (2005)
# "Lost and Found" (Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico) (2005)
# "The Music Mystery" (New Orleans, Louisiana) (2005)
# "The Low Riders" (East Los Angeles, California) (2005)
# "Beats by the Bay" (San Francisco, California) (2005)
# "A City View" (Manhattan, New York) (2005)
# "Home Sweet Home" (Miami, Florida) (2005)
# "Riding the Wave" (Cocoa Beach, Florida) (2005)
# "Buster's Lucky Year" (San Francisco, California)(2005)
# "Spring Break" (Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada) (2005)
# "Buster Gets on Board" (Los Angeles, California) (2005)
# "Sugartime!" (Hinesburg, Vermont) – ("controversial episode; see above")
# "Buster's Sweet Song" (Leiper's Fork, Tennessee) (guest starring Billy Dean) (2005)
# "Family Reunion" (Nashville, Tennessee) (2005)
# "Alien Adventure" (Roswell, New Mexico) (2005)
# "Coming Together" (Seattle, Washington) (2005)
# "Treasure Island" (San Juan, Puerto Rico) (2005)
# "Step By Step" (Hartford, Connecticut) (2005)
# "Buster's Big Goal" (East Boston, Massachusetts) (2005)

eason 2 (2006-2007)

# "Mykala, Pono & Buster's Big Hawaii Show" (The Big Island, Hawaii) (2006)
# "The Mitten of Mackinac Island" (Mackinac Island, Michigan) (2006)
# "Buster's Baseball Merengue" (The Dominican Republic) (2006)
# "The Case of the Coin Purloined" (Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri) (2006)
# "Philadelphia Masala" (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) (2007)
# "A Capital Egg Hunt" (Washington, D.C.) (2007)
# "La Belle Poutine" (Montreal, Québec, Canada) (2007)
# "Your Friend, My Friend" (San Diego, California & Tijuana, Mexico) (2007)
# "This Just In!" (Talladega, Alabama) (2007)
# "Back to the Bayou" (New Orleans & Slidell, Louisiana, & Atlanta, Georgia) (2007)

External links

* [http://www.pbskids.org/buster/ PBS Kids: Official Site]
*
* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/jan-june05/pbs_02-18.html Online NewsHour article covering the "Sugartime!" controversy]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=jhPLHBAO1Kg Youtube video containing controversial clip from the episode Sugartime!]

References