Cookie Jar Entertainment has stepped aside to allow rival indie producer 9 Story Entertainment to coproduce the 16^th season of Arthur.

9 Story signed a coventure with PBS’ WGBH Boston to mount a new season of the popular kids cartoon series long produced by former animation giant Cinar Corp., which later became Cookie Jar Entertainment.

9 Story will produce 20 half-hours of Arthur for PBS Kids Go! Block, to debut in fall 2012.

For its part, Cookie Jar will continue to distribute the back library for Arthur, up to season 15.

That leaves 9 Story to shop the upcoming 16^th season of the digital animation series internationally.

The Arthur cartoon, based on the Marc Brown book series, portrays an eight-year-old aardvark and his friends and family.

Arthur has aired in 83 countries, making it one of the most successful Canadian-made cartoon series ever.

9 Story earlier worked with WGBH on Postcards from Buster, a spin-off of the Arthur series, and Peep and the Big Wide World.