Alabama has consistently hit the headlines in recent days because of its strict new abortion laws. Under the new laws, abortions are effectively illegal, even in cases of rape and incest, and any doctor caught performing a termination will be subject to up to 99 years imprisonment.

Now, the state has once again hit the headlines for a restriction; only this time, it's popular children's TV show Arthur, which recently revealed that one of its characters, Mr. Ratburn, is gay.

This was done in an episode which saw Mr. Ratburn marry in a same-sex wedding - an episode which TV authorities in Alabama chose to ban.

NBC News reports that there are no plans to air "Mr. Ratburn & the Special Someone" in the state.

Director of programming at Alabama Public Television, Mike Mckenzie, said to Al.com that "parents have trusted Alabama Public Television for more than 50 years to provide children’s programs that entertain, educate and inspire."

"More importantly - although we strongly encourage parents to watch television with their children and talk about what they have learned afterwards - parents trust that their children can watch APT without their supervision.

"We also know that children who are younger than the ‘target’ audience for Arthur also watch the program."

The network's decision not to air the episode has been met with widespread criticism on social media:

Thankfully, for anyone who does want to view the episode from Alabama, it's available to watch online.

Alabama has consistently hit the headlines in recent days because of its strict new abortion laws. Under the new laws, abortions are effectively illegal, even in cases of rape and incest, and any doctor caught performing a termination will be subject to up to 99 years imprisonment.

Now, the state has once again hit the headlines for a restriction; only this time, it's popular children's TV show Arthur, which recently revealed that one of its characters, Mr. Ratburn, is gay.

This was done in an episode which saw Mr. Ratburn marry in a same-sex wedding - an episode which TV authorities in Alabama chose to ban.

NBC News reports that there are no plans to air "Mr. Ratburn & the Special Someone" in the state.

Director of programming at Alabama Public Television, Mike Mckenzie, said to Al.com that "parents have trusted Alabama Public Television for more than 50 years to provide children’s programs that entertain, educate and inspire."

"More importantly - although we strongly encourage parents to watch television with their children and talk about what they have learned afterwards - parents trust that their children can watch APT without their supervision.

"We also know that children who are younger than the ‘target’ audience for Arthur also watch the program."

The network's decision not to air the episode has been met with widespread criticism on social media:

Thankfully, for anyone who does want to view the episode from Alabama, it's available to watch online.