‘Caillou’ has been cancelled and parents can hardly contain their glee

‘Caillou’ has been cancelled and parents can hardly contain their glee

There’s good news for parents who can’t stand the popular kids’ show “Caillou.” After more than 20 years on the air, PBS Kids has made the decision to pull the plug on the long running cartoon series. Over the years, “Caillou” has gotten a reputation as one of parents’ most hated shows. Now, many of them can hardly contain their glee at finding out the show is getting the axe.

PBS Kids announced their decision to stop airing “Caillou” on January 5. The award-winning series follows the adventures of a curious 4-year-old named Caillou and his family. It’s based on a series of books written by Chouette Publishing in Canada and first aired in 1997. New episodes were in production until 2018, and the show has aired in syndication as a regular part of the PBS Kids schedule ever since.

Over its two decades on the air, “Caillou” became infamous among parents who characterized its lead character as whiny and obnoxious. In 2017, the parenting site Red Tricycle published a list of 10 reasons why people “can’t stand” Caillou, which included his annoying voice, the fact that he asks too many questions and the show’s “shrill” theme song. A humorous op-ed for Canadian news site The National Post even called the program “an aggressively bad show that’s ruining the world’s children.”

While PBS Kids has not announced the exact date when it will stop airing the series, parents are wasting no time cheering the show’s departure. “PBS cancels Caillou after 20 years. 2021 is already a win,” one person writes.

“We can all agree that it took far too long to deplatform him, and it’ll take a generation to undo the damage,” another person jokes. “But at least it’s a first step, and that’s worth celebrating.”

“The world: We need a moment of healing and unity. PBS: *cancels Caillou*.”

Of course, not everyone is happy to see Caillou go. One person says the cancellation signifies that “my childhood is officially over.” Another writes, “Aww, no. My son grew up watching Caillou, and I always sang along with him. He sure will be missed. Love [you] Caillou.”

Whether you love “Caillou” or have been waiting for its disappearance from the airwaves since the moment your child discovered television, there’s no doubt that saying goodbye to a 23-year-old show is a big moment in children’s programming. Hopefully, “Caillou”-loving kids will get invested in one of the many other child-friendly offerings available on TV. As for the haters? Go ahead and savor this small victory in the battle against minor parenting annoyances.


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