After more than two decades on the air, PBS Kids has announced that “Caillou” will be no more.
The animated series, which was produced in Canada and premiered in 2000, centered on its inquisitive, eternal 4-year-old namesake and his family.
And although children can't seem to get enough of the little bald guy, many parents will tell you he’s the bane of their existence. Just ask Michigan mom Kate McKenzie, who created a Change.org petition seven years ago, begging for the show to be removed from the air.
“Caillou is a whiny, bratty child, and his show holds no educational value. Children who watch this program tend to copy Caillou’s behavior. Whining, demanding, throwing himself on the floor kicking and screaming…” McKenzie wrote at the time. “How is this teaching our children good values and communication skills?”
In 2017, “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver took issue with “Caillou," describing it as a boring show “about a bald Canadian child who lives a life devoid of any incident.” Meanwhile, popular parenting blogger Bunmi Laditan once shared a tutorial called "How to Block Caillou on Netflix."
So it should come as no surprise that several people are celebrating the cartoon’s cancellation.
“Caillou being canceled just before my baby is born is the good omen I needed,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Added another, “We did it ya’ll! After so many, too many years… Caillou has been cancelled.”
Still, many children will be disappointed when they learn "Caillou" won't be coming back, which is why PBS shared a link to an article titled, “When your Child’s Favorite Media Goes Away.”
“We’re saying farewell to Caillou,” reads a post on the PBS Kids Facebook page. “But remember, when we say goodbye to something, it’s just means we get to say hello to something new!”