Hey Arnold! is exactly that. A cartoon about an ordinary boy name Arnold with an ordinary life that believes in extraordinary things. The main character Arnold is the dreamer type, who believes in doing good, listening to his heart, and then making the impossible possible. Besides the wonderful leading character and superb messages that this cartoon gives, the show is chock-ful of colorful and amusing characters, such as Arnold's whimsically eccentric grandparents-especially his grandmother, the uber clutzy Eugene, a spiteful villain that is hilariously the ice cream man, and Helga, the hateful girl in Arnold's life that is secretly passionately in love with him-one of the most entertaining, amusing, and heartfelt characters in the entire show. This show, while it probably won't win awards for best animation, even though it is charmingly original, has wonderful slapstick comedy, clever humor, good messages, but most of all-has heart. There is more to this cartoon then just 2-dimensional characters on a TV screen-there is a story-a message-in every episode-for anyone of any age. Truly a wonderfully extraordinary cartoon. Without of Doubt-10 stars out of 10
66 Reviews
Good show
Catherine_Grace_Zeh16 July 2006
I used to watch this show when I was growing up. When I think about it, I remember it very well. If you ask me, it was a good show. Two things I especially remember very well are the opening sequence and theme song. In addition to that, everyone was ideally cast. Also, the writing was very strong. The performances were top-grade, too. I hope some network brings it back so I can see every episode. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever, even though I'm not sure if I've seen every episode. Now, in conclusion, if some network ever brings it back, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good.
An example of Nick in it's Golden Years
Tronman7315 February 2009
Before there was "The Mighty B", "All Grown Up!", "Spongebob", or "Rocket Power" there was a little show called Hey Arnold. It wasn't about some kid trying to conquer the world, and always failing. It wasn't about a looney, squeaky-voiced character with a very low I.Q. It was about a boy living in a city. He was human. He was realistic. And he made a dang-good cartoon.
It was simplistic, charming, witty, and innocent. It captured a sweet, touching feeling with morals and emotions and crap that was awesome. The music was jazzy, the city was like a real city and it was one of my favorite shows growing up. It captured the golden age of Nicktoons, before they turned crappy and unoriginal with shows like SpongeBob. I wish I saw it coming. I wish I had savored this cartoon more than I did. But that's passed, and thats why I'm on here and not watching T.V.
It was simplistic, charming, witty, and innocent. It captured a sweet, touching feeling with morals and emotions and crap that was awesome. The music was jazzy, the city was like a real city and it was one of my favorite shows growing up. It captured the golden age of Nicktoons, before they turned crappy and unoriginal with shows like SpongeBob. I wish I saw it coming. I wish I had savored this cartoon more than I did. But that's passed, and thats why I'm on here and not watching T.V.
I remember when Arnold was a boy of clay
Ddey6514 November 2005
My first exposure to Arnold was long before the show's key audience was born, let alone heard of him. It was in a small clay-mation film "Arnold Escapes from Church," which was one of many at the 21st Tournee of Animation in at the Huntington Arts Cinema on Long Island. The football-headed kid that we all know and love sits in church with his family while the pastor reads "The Lord's Prayer," and imagines all kinds of weird things happening in the process. At a time when anti-media zealots were frantically trying to censor anything they assume will warp children's collective imaginations, so much so that they virtually eliminate their imaginations, this was one of a few 'toons(other than perhaps MUPPET BABIES) that made it seem acceptable. By the early-to-mid 1990's though, such a mentality seemed all too common-place, and the Arnold Universe was less focused on the world in his head than the world around him.
Arnold is street-wise, rational, and good-natured to a fault. He lives in a boarding house owned by his grandparents, which CLAIMS that kids aren't allowed, but makes an exception for him and one other. He's got perhaps the coolest bedroom any kid could possibly have. Not even three-dimensional FedEx from the remake of "Cheaper by the Dozen" has a room as cool as Arnold's, even though that was a cool bedroom as well. Arnold's rural neighborhood is surrounded by eccentric kids and adults. And who are the people in his neighborhood, to paraphrase the late Fred Rogers? Well, the kids consist of Gerald, Helga, Stinky, Eugene, Lila, Rhonda, Harold, Sid, Phoebe, and others. The adults consist of his grandparents(Phil and Pookie), Mr, Hyunh, Oskar, his wife Susie, Ernie Potts, and a host of other eccentrics. One can not say anything about "Hey Arnold!" without focusing on Helga Pataki, who has the kind of relationship with him you might expect from nine-year-old girls and boys. Helga, of course publicly insults and torments him, but privately agonizes over her desire for him, and frequently beats herself up over how she treats him. And who can blame her for her guilt? He's the kind of kid who knows you don't have to be a superhero to do good. In "Stoop Kid," he teaches a bullying brat not to be afraid to leave the stoop of his apartment. In "Pigeon Man," he befriends a neighborhood recluse who's treated like a freaky urban legend, because he'd rather spend time with homing pigeons. In "Runaway Float" he stops the title from crashing into City Hall, and taking his friends with it. In "Grandpa's Sister," he mends a long standing grudge that began over the death of a beloved family pet. In "Crabby Author," he visits a favorite children's author who's now a reclusive, bitter old woman, and inspires her to return to the career that made her famous. He even makes an impact on Helga Pataki, sometimes intentionally.
One thing's for sure, Craig Bartlett really knows how to celebrate the holidays, whatever those holiday may be. In the unforgettable "Arnold's Christmas," Arnold struggles to reunite Mr. Hyunh with his South Vietnamese daughter who he hasn't seen since the Fall of Saigon. In "Arnold's Halloween," we see Arnold and Gerald repeat their own adaptation of Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds," only in their case they WANT to cause a panic! In "Veteran's Day," we find how Arnold's Grandfather contributed to the allied victory in the Battle of the Bulge by giving the Nazis bad experimental lunch-meat, and Gerald's Dad was a reluctant Vietnam Vet who was assigned to desk duty and saved the life of a wounded G.I. with his paperwork(literally!) after a major NVA attack.
In truth, Bartlett does not write children's television. He writes adult television with kids as his central characters, that are not excessively violent or sexually suggestive. An outstanding 'toon if there ever was one on Nickelodeon, which will be difficult to replace.
Arnold is street-wise, rational, and good-natured to a fault. He lives in a boarding house owned by his grandparents, which CLAIMS that kids aren't allowed, but makes an exception for him and one other. He's got perhaps the coolest bedroom any kid could possibly have. Not even three-dimensional FedEx from the remake of "Cheaper by the Dozen" has a room as cool as Arnold's, even though that was a cool bedroom as well. Arnold's rural neighborhood is surrounded by eccentric kids and adults. And who are the people in his neighborhood, to paraphrase the late Fred Rogers? Well, the kids consist of Gerald, Helga, Stinky, Eugene, Lila, Rhonda, Harold, Sid, Phoebe, and others. The adults consist of his grandparents(Phil and Pookie), Mr, Hyunh, Oskar, his wife Susie, Ernie Potts, and a host of other eccentrics. One can not say anything about "Hey Arnold!" without focusing on Helga Pataki, who has the kind of relationship with him you might expect from nine-year-old girls and boys. Helga, of course publicly insults and torments him, but privately agonizes over her desire for him, and frequently beats herself up over how she treats him. And who can blame her for her guilt? He's the kind of kid who knows you don't have to be a superhero to do good. In "Stoop Kid," he teaches a bullying brat not to be afraid to leave the stoop of his apartment. In "Pigeon Man," he befriends a neighborhood recluse who's treated like a freaky urban legend, because he'd rather spend time with homing pigeons. In "Runaway Float" he stops the title from crashing into City Hall, and taking his friends with it. In "Grandpa's Sister," he mends a long standing grudge that began over the death of a beloved family pet. In "Crabby Author," he visits a favorite children's author who's now a reclusive, bitter old woman, and inspires her to return to the career that made her famous. He even makes an impact on Helga Pataki, sometimes intentionally.
One thing's for sure, Craig Bartlett really knows how to celebrate the holidays, whatever those holiday may be. In the unforgettable "Arnold's Christmas," Arnold struggles to reunite Mr. Hyunh with his South Vietnamese daughter who he hasn't seen since the Fall of Saigon. In "Arnold's Halloween," we see Arnold and Gerald repeat their own adaptation of Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds," only in their case they WANT to cause a panic! In "Veteran's Day," we find how Arnold's Grandfather contributed to the allied victory in the Battle of the Bulge by giving the Nazis bad experimental lunch-meat, and Gerald's Dad was a reluctant Vietnam Vet who was assigned to desk duty and saved the life of a wounded G.I. with his paperwork(literally!) after a major NVA attack.
In truth, Bartlett does not write children's television. He writes adult television with kids as his central characters, that are not excessively violent or sexually suggestive. An outstanding 'toon if there ever was one on Nickelodeon, which will be difficult to replace.
Better appreciated as an adult
MissSimonetta8 August 2020
I loved this show as a kid, but rewatching episodes as an adult, I am struck by how sophisticated the writing is, how nuanced the understanding of a child's psychology and concerns. Arnold is a great protagonist and the characters around him often defy the usual stereotypes common in children's media-- even the bullies are given vulnerabilities. While a lot of the shows I liked as a child I can hardly bother going back to, HEY ARNOLD! proves even better than I remembered.
Still holds up.
McBadPants13 November 2019
I loved this show as a kid but I started watching it again a few weeks ago as a 28-year-old woman and it's so much better than I could have understood back then. Very few cartoons address hardcore, painful issues that some kids are exposed to. Everything from bullying and body issues to addiction and mental health is covered. All while maintaining a positive and uplifting atmosphere. It's one of the best kid's shows I've ever seen and I wish it got more credit. I'll be watching this show with my grandchildren.
Hey Arnold
jboothmillard4 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
When I was young I used to like this Nikelodeon cartoon series regularly. It is basically about a nine-year-old football headed kid named Arnold, and every episode revolved around either him with best friend, tall-headed black Gerald, or his friends, neighbours or family. But his real involvement was having good advice for these other characters. These friends, neighbours and family included Helga who was mean to him, but secretly loved him, Stinky, Harold, Sid, Phoebe, Rhonda, Eugene, Curly, Olga, Grandma and Grampa and many more. Every episode had a moral message for both characters and the audience, and it is quite a breath of fresh air compared to other "life" cartoons, like Arthur for example (which I don't watch). Good!
The coolest 4th grader of all
Angelus216 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Me and every kid I knew loved this show growing up and the rich characters that make it one of the best.
The show revolves around Arnold a 4th grader and his friends, the adventures they have and the problems they come across and eventually overcome. The show was extremely smart and captured the ten year old that watched every day after long hard hours of school.
One thing that still surprises me is the Arnold character, he seems to be so cool and collective, his voice always on the same mellow tone its always been and his awesome bedroom that every kid wanted....That was the main attraction. Arnold.
Looking back the show had some great characters who were of different ethnic race and every character was valuable with a hidden story to tell. I especially loved the tenants that live with Arnold, each with a different quirky side...and most of all Arnolds friends...Gerald,Harold, Sid...the list is endless and most of all Helga Pataki....the bully with the crush.
Personally I loved the following episodes, 'Arnolds Christmas'...very sweet and touching when Mr.Hyunh is reunited with his daughter. There are gems in the show but I don't know the episodes so I'll just give a brief detail....The one with the headless horsemen....The one were they play football against the 5th graders....and pretty much all of 'em...
The writers deserve the credit for creating a great grown up cartoon that lives up to anything currently on TV.....
The show revolves around Arnold a 4th grader and his friends, the adventures they have and the problems they come across and eventually overcome. The show was extremely smart and captured the ten year old that watched every day after long hard hours of school.
One thing that still surprises me is the Arnold character, he seems to be so cool and collective, his voice always on the same mellow tone its always been and his awesome bedroom that every kid wanted....That was the main attraction. Arnold.
Looking back the show had some great characters who were of different ethnic race and every character was valuable with a hidden story to tell. I especially loved the tenants that live with Arnold, each with a different quirky side...and most of all Arnolds friends...Gerald,Harold, Sid...the list is endless and most of all Helga Pataki....the bully with the crush.
Personally I loved the following episodes, 'Arnolds Christmas'...very sweet and touching when Mr.Hyunh is reunited with his daughter. There are gems in the show but I don't know the episodes so I'll just give a brief detail....The one with the headless horsemen....The one were they play football against the 5th graders....and pretty much all of 'em...
The writers deserve the credit for creating a great grown up cartoon that lives up to anything currently on TV.....
One of the Greatest Nicktoons ever created!!!!
Dragonsonic23 September 2009
"Hey Arnold!" is my second most favorite Nicktoon, next to "The Angry Beavers" and I must say that this was certainly one of the most memorable Nicktoons I have ever seen! "Hey Arnold!" is about a football-headed boy named Arnold who would go through many trials during his life at a boarding house to life in school. What I loved about "Hey Arnold!" was the characters since they were all very interesting to look at. My favorite character would have to be Arnold because he is so calm in many crazy situations that take place on this show and he also provides good advice to his classmates whenever they are in a tight situation. I also love Helga, especially when she teases Arnold and then declares her love for him behind his back. "Hey Arnold!" had an unique way of combining humor and moral lessons for the audience that made this show interesting to watch. "Hey Arnold!" is probably one of the greatest Nicktoons ever created next to "Rocko's Modern Life" and "The Angry Beavers" and I will always treasure its morality and humor for many years.
Best show ever made! I knew it then, and I know it now...
Cakesniffer1312 April 2011
I am a lover of TV. I know my shows- especially my cartoons- for adults and kids. And I'm only seventeen. Pretty impressive, huh? :) This show is so high quality, funny, and unique. It's so realistic, which is something you hardly ever see in today's cartoons for kids. (I mean, now we have commando penguins and talking shirt-wearing dogs? Have we forgotten that real humans are funny too?) Hey Arnold, which I've been watching since I was three years old, has a kind of gritty but dramatic sense to it. It makes you laugh, cry, feel, learn, love, and think. But mostly laugh, which has to be the one thing that saved me from completely going nuts and ending up in Juvy when I was a kid (besides this one annoying, amazing ANONYMOUS boy I knew). Thank Goodness for Hey Arnold, that's all I can say...and I swear this cartoon started a revolution in cartoons, humor-wise. Each and every story is written well, and the animation makes me feel like I'm on the streets of a vintage Seattle or something. And I know what I'm talking about, because I live in the area. Also, a lot of intelligence went into making this show, I believe. Craig Bartlett (the creator) seems like he'd be an interesting person to talk to. The characters are so well-developed that it feels like you know them so much better after each and every episode. I'm so HAPPY to have gotten the chance to have seen it so much as a kid, because it is my all-time favorite show, EVER. It's such a classic American TV show, right up there with The Simpsons, of course. Because of it, I want to work in the television industry. Hey Arnold is EPIC. What more can I say?
Up there with the best of them
DavidPumpkins2 November 2000
"Hey Arnold" is certainly the best thing Nickelodeon have produced in a long time, probably since "The Adventures of Pete and Pete". At the time of writing, I am 16 years of age but I still enjoy "Hey Arnold" just as much as I used to. It hasn't worn at all with age, whereas another once splendid show - "The Simpsons" - is beginning to lose it's edge, despite once being the funniest thing on TV. "Hey Arnold" is still highly amusing and always carries a significant message for everyday life. If I'm feeling down, this extraordinary show always cheers me up. Definitely one for kids and adults alike, I'd recommend this gem of a cartoon to anyone.
I LOved Hey Arnold!!
algebrahater8912 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This show deserves to still be on!!i am soo sick of Nick giving Danny Phantom 10 times a day!!I mean come on!!Bring back Hey Arnold!,now that was a great show that taught one real life lessons with some comedy specially from sid, stinky, harold,grandpa phil and grandma pookie!!!They were hilarious!!My favorite character was Helga!! Could Arnold have been anymore stupid not to see she was totally in love with him!!!I could totally relate to her!!!I love this show.It's such a shame that they no longer air new episodes!!!Wouldn't it be cool to see Arnold and Helga dating!!!I hated Lila!!If they would make Arnold grow older and be in highschool i would looove that!!! Overall this was a great show and i sure love it!!!Nickelodean is going down the drain with this new shows because originality is lacking!!
Masterpiece
muhammadali-786596 June 2021
Everyone remembers the Christmas special but other stellar episodes include the episode where Harold and Patty start dating, Romeo and juliet, the war stories, etc. From season 1 to season 5, the show is entertaining, beautifully animated, and heartwarmingly emotional. One of the finest cartoons ever made!
Another classic Nick show from the 90s
rocky59941511 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Hey Arnold came out in 1996 and aired until 2004. This is another Nicktoon i can remember clearly from the production line clearly. Hell this is on the only Nicktoon i still have that didn't get taped over as a raw video. What do i mean by raw? I mean that its the original way Nick aired in back in the 90s and it is my favorite Episode of the Show but i'll get to that episode later into this review. 1996 was a big year for Nick as i said in my Kablam review. This show started in 1996. I didn't start watching it until it was well into second season heck i still the first episode i saw was the end of the second season in 1998. I remember i used to watch it on Saturdays at around 10 AM and on weekdays i think at around 7 PM. I remember such episodes like Das Subway in which a cable for the subway gets snapped and there stuck on the subway. The Season finale for the first season where Harold gives Arnold 24 hours to live and Arnold acts crazy so he won;'t kill him. Or when Grandpa goes back to school finish it. The Halloween episode where Arnold scares the town into thinking the Martians are invaded, or when Arnold gets mugged. How bout the episode where Helga thinks shes dying because she got bit by a monkey and then Arnold went to catch Big Cessar. Those are to name a few a i remember but the one i was saving for was the episode that came after the list episode where Arnold was trying to complete the list on a Saturday...... Haunted Train!!! Now i loved this episode from the first time i saw it because i used to love trains including Thomas The Tank Engine. I saw haunted train for the first time in 1998 on a Saturday morning i just saw one part and walked away because they where at the old station and it didn't look like a good episode so i went back to play on the old PB. A couple of Saturdays later it was on again i saw the episode about which i can still remember to this day OLD ENGINE 25. i always liked the design of the train in the episode. How it came in the station so Erie after hearing the story of when it crashed form Arnold's Grandfather. IT turned out that it wasn't haunted but it turned out that may not be true and it maybe true due to the ending when the train rides up at the end. I still have the episode on Tape i taped on Nick in 1999 in the fall i watched the tape a lot and i put it back in my VCR not to long ago and watched ti again. Now i know that it isn't the complete version of the episode because I am missing the begging where it shows the train at the station letting off steam. Now anyways back to the review I remember the show in its production line a lot back in the late 90s. I never did see the movie thou i still have it on a list of things to see. Properly the show ended in 2002 with Arnold finding out some clues about where his parents might be but there where a couple of left over episodes and they aired in 2003 and the last one aired on June 8th, 2004 the same day the last rugrats episode aired. I Did not see those last new Arnold Episodes and one day i plan on it because unlike the rugrats the show didn't really go bad other than the voice actors switched a lot. Anyways i still remember the characters, Arnold, His friend Gerlad, Stoop Kid, Helga, Her sister Olga, George Pataki, her mom, Pheobe, Rhoada, Ruth The girl who Arnold had a crush on, and thats all i think i can fit to properly end my review. The show aired on Nicktoons TV from 2002-2007 and it never has aired on Nick since 2004. This was really a great kids show. Last year Amazon.com released the first 2 seasons of Hey Arnold and Doug on DVD meaning people could finally relive this show. Its good that amazon is releasing old Nick Shows on DVD. THis means i can finally see the begging of Haunted Train again for the first time in almost 10 years!(on nick 7 years on NIcktoons TV)and the first time i can see episodes i haven't seen since the 90s. Well this is another show that once again proves old nick shows ruled and new nick shows sucks.
A great show to grow up with
cohen33017 May 2006
Hey! Arnold is one of those shows that really makes a kid question his own rebelliousness and compare it to that of Arnold and his adventures. The characters are lovable and remarkable, and the fourth-grade "Arnold" is every 90's baby idol. He was clear-headed, smart, and the girls loved him. The stories are fun and original, the art direction is great, and the voice acting is awesome, if not sometimes hilarious. Growing up with this show on my TV early mornings and late afternoons, along with "The adventures of Pete and Pete," I couldn't have asked for anything better. I can't wait for a collection of this to come out on DVD.
One of the best shows during the 90's.
Carol_CRO26 October 2008
This show was one of the best Nickelodeon shows in the 90's.
One of the great things about this show was it never lost it's original plot line; Helga secretly loving Arnold but treating him like she hates him.
Another thing is all of the characters. They're all very planned and thought out. You have Arnold, the smart guy almost everyone gets along with. His best friend, Gerald, which they are like two peas in a pod. Arnold's Grandpa and Grandma, funny old people who love each other, Helga, the mean girl with a unibrow, Her best friend Phoebe, a little geeky smart girl, Harold, the fat bully they're all friends with, Stinky, a guy who lives in a wooden house and lives like a country person in the city, Chocolate Boy, a boy obsessed with chocolate, and many others such as Monkey Man, etc.
Every episode was great and use the characters in any way possible. We need more shows like this.
One of the great things about this show was it never lost it's original plot line; Helga secretly loving Arnold but treating him like she hates him.
Another thing is all of the characters. They're all very planned and thought out. You have Arnold, the smart guy almost everyone gets along with. His best friend, Gerald, which they are like two peas in a pod. Arnold's Grandpa and Grandma, funny old people who love each other, Helga, the mean girl with a unibrow, Her best friend Phoebe, a little geeky smart girl, Harold, the fat bully they're all friends with, Stinky, a guy who lives in a wooden house and lives like a country person in the city, Chocolate Boy, a boy obsessed with chocolate, and many others such as Monkey Man, etc.
Every episode was great and use the characters in any way possible. We need more shows like this.
"Hey Arnold" TV Series- 10/10. A wonderful kid's cartoon.
movies2u16 January 2004
Hey Arnold! (1996) TV Series
This is one of the best shows on Nickelodeon! All of the characters are great- Arnold, Helga, Stinky, Harold, Sid, Phoebe, Sheena, Grandpa, Grandma, Ernie, Mr. Hyhun, Mr. Simmons, and everybody else! This show is very good and funny. Some of my favorite episodes are when Helga goes on a road trip with her mom, and the episode when everyone thinks there is a ghost of a mad scientist in the basement of the boarding house after finding a pair of bifocals that supposedly belonged to the scientist. This is a great show for anybody, especially kids since they can relate to it. I give it 10/10.
This is one of the best shows on Nickelodeon! All of the characters are great- Arnold, Helga, Stinky, Harold, Sid, Phoebe, Sheena, Grandpa, Grandma, Ernie, Mr. Hyhun, Mr. Simmons, and everybody else! This show is very good and funny. Some of my favorite episodes are when Helga goes on a road trip with her mom, and the episode when everyone thinks there is a ghost of a mad scientist in the basement of the boarding house after finding a pair of bifocals that supposedly belonged to the scientist. This is a great show for anybody, especially kids since they can relate to it. I give it 10/10.
A really good show
TheLittleSongbird8 August 2010
Hey Arnold! is not my absolute favourite of the Nickelodean cartoons, but it is funny, interesting and creative.
The animation is very good, very vibrant and colourful and I love the jazziness of the music. The writing is very strong, I was surprised at how sophisticated it was as it is both funny and touching, while the stories are intriguing. The characters are refreshingly not clichéd, but interesting, especially Arnold and Helga, and the voice acting is top drawer. As for favourite episode, I agree about Arnold's Christmas, that really touched me.
All in all, a really good show, very funny and interesting. 9/10 Bethany Cox
The animation is very good, very vibrant and colourful and I love the jazziness of the music. The writing is very strong, I was surprised at how sophisticated it was as it is both funny and touching, while the stories are intriguing. The characters are refreshingly not clichéd, but interesting, especially Arnold and Helga, and the voice acting is top drawer. As for favourite episode, I agree about Arnold's Christmas, that really touched me.
All in all, a really good show, very funny and interesting. 9/10 Bethany Cox
One of the best Nickelodeon shows ever!!!!
stefkate143 November 2009
I loved Hey Arnold! when I was a kid, I think I was about 6 or 7 years old when it came out on TV in Australia, everyday after school I'd always watch it on ABC. Arnold is my most favorite character out of all the other characters in the show, he's a really cool kid with a heart of gold, he's so adorable! I also like Gerald, Helga, Lila and Stinky, Helga always makes me laugh when she always pulls out her locket and talks to it and then Brainy comes up behind her breathes heavily and then Helga knocks him out. Wish the show was back on Nickelodeon, I really miss the show heaps and I really hope there will be a Nickelodeon channel with all the old Nick shows from the 90's on it. So this show deserves 10 stars, best Nickelodeon show ever!
"What did I tell ya, short man?" One of the best animated kids' shows ever made, one that left very sweet memories.
Foreverisacastironmess12326 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I always loved this show, it could be so heartfelt and funny, sometimes both at the same time, and it balanced between the two very easily. It could always make me smile or laugh, watching it nowadays always gets the nice kind of nostalgia going with me. It was deeper than your average animated series and had a sense of humour and wit that could appeal to either kids or adults, and it was never preachy about its morals or talked down to its young target audience. I first ever watched it when I was still in little school and I could instantly relate to Hey Arnold a lot more because it was mostly a show just about kids. Arnold was one such kid living in the big city with his kooky storytelling grandpa and his lively, adventure-loving and slightly nutty grandma, and it all centred on the everyday crazy adventures big and small and crisis that he and his friends very often stumbled into in their everyday lives. Arnold was the type of person that would do almost anything to help out anybody and who tries to see the best in seemingly the worst people and will always try to fix a situation peacefully. In fact in one cynical episode the kids all sat down with Arnold and tried to psycho-analyse why he was so nice all the time. Didn't like that one. My favourite episode is "Snow" Besides Arnold, the other character that you learn the most about and who gets the most development is Helga Pataki, a perpetually scowling tough-talking little girl with a huge chip on her shoulder who's always deliberately annoying and embarrassing Arnold, but who secretly loves and dotes on him a little too much and even once had a scary gross shrine in his image hidden in her closet for a while until her mother threw it out! She may act nasty but on the inside she's really a sweet poetic person and I think that Arnold could tell that sometimes. A lot of the best episodes are the ones that focus on Arnold and Helga forced together and having to learn to get along better, or when Helga is forced to go through heck in order to prevent Arnold discovering her secret. I also love all the episodes that have Helga's overachieving older sister Olga in them. "Helga on the Couch" is a brilliant episode because it explains why Helga became such an angry person and why she obsesses over Arnold so much. I've rarely seen another series that had characters that you could grow so emotionally attached to. I love the look that the show had, especially the backgrounds, which always looked so beautifully bright and rich. The great urban visual style that the show had gave it an authentic atmosphere of being set in a big very New York-like city. The first season is my favourite because it had most of the magical episodes that made me really love the show and take it to heart. Comedy, drama, adventure and a slice of life, it was a show that reflected on our childhoods and that tried to teach us life lessons in little ways, and it was a show that really stuck with you, you could really warm yourself by it. It's timelessly classic and precious to me and I feel richer for having known and loved it back when I was a kid.
Boy with a Conscience!
ShelbyTMItchell1 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
A boy named Arnold in the shape of a football head but with a love for both jazz and doing the right thing. As it shows that his parents either died or disappeared during his being a baby being raised by his loving yet fun-loving and eccentric grandparents.
While he goes to school and is buddy-buddy with friends like Gerald and Helga who he has a "love-hate" relationship. She really is in love with in in secret. As he tries to correct what is wrong. And make it right. While trying to find out where his parents are.
It may be a cartoon. But it was one of those cartoons that seemed to be real. And it was during the days where Nickelodean was great with it's cartoons. And not running the trash that it is these days.
It had no superheroes but it has realism brought on that is rare in cartoons these days.
While he goes to school and is buddy-buddy with friends like Gerald and Helga who he has a "love-hate" relationship. She really is in love with in in secret. As he tries to correct what is wrong. And make it right. While trying to find out where his parents are.
It may be a cartoon. But it was one of those cartoons that seemed to be real. And it was during the days where Nickelodean was great with it's cartoons. And not running the trash that it is these days.
It had no superheroes but it has realism brought on that is rare in cartoons these days.
Hey Arnold is Fantastic!!
michaelbronecki21 July 2020
Possibly the best Nicktoon
plok25313 June 2000
Hey Arnold! was created back in 1996. At first look, I thought it was going to be stupid, but when I watched it, I realized how cool the show really is. It really demonstrates how hard it can be growing up. Everyone seems to look up to Arnold, and are always asking him for help. Even when Arnold didn't do anything, someone always gets him into the middle of an argument. Better yet, Arnold is always able to figure things out in the end. Overall, this show is more realistic than some soap operas and teen shows are, and is very entertaining.
A very unique and creative show
saraaorabi31 January 2019
If you haven't watched it, give it a try ! You won't regret it ! I've lived it as a kid and the episodes have a good meaning and so heartwarming and one thing I like is hrlga usually pretends to hate Arnold but deep down she cares about him and secretly helps him without him knowing. Also the jungle movie wasn't disappointing !
A unique cartoon to teach those spoiled suburban kids a thing or two
Nuz_Reviews26 September 2011
"Move it football head!"
Arnold still kind of reminds me of myself. He's very chill and shy at times, but can be quite overzealous about the littlest things. Plus, he always wore a hat, and so did I (except in school, which was dumb).
Having various attributes that resembled New York City and Seattle, this childhood cartoon revolved around the lives of Arnold (who's last name was never discovered) and Helga Pataki, ironically both Arnold's secret admirer and nemesis. Hey Arnold! was like any other kid's show by trying to be a platform for life lessons; like bullies, love, leadership, and friendships. I thought these lessons were portrayed quite maturely given being a kid's show. However, my favorite aspect was the setting of the show.
Network: Nickelodeon
Original Air Years: 1996-2004
Hey Arnold! was one of the only cartoon shows to depict life in a dense urban environment. Even the show's music director, Jim Lang, used jazz as the primary theme music for Hey Arnold!. Very classy. Arnold utilized all forms of public transportation and most things were walking distance.
I can distinctly remember episodes being revolved around organizing a sporting event. There was an episode where Arnold and all his friends restored an area to play baseball, and another episode that took place in the winter and the Grandpa made ice sports possible. It was just fun to imagine doing all these things as a kid. I hope it inspired most to go outdoors.
8/10 Stars
Arnold still kind of reminds me of myself. He's very chill and shy at times, but can be quite overzealous about the littlest things. Plus, he always wore a hat, and so did I (except in school, which was dumb).
Having various attributes that resembled New York City and Seattle, this childhood cartoon revolved around the lives of Arnold (who's last name was never discovered) and Helga Pataki, ironically both Arnold's secret admirer and nemesis. Hey Arnold! was like any other kid's show by trying to be a platform for life lessons; like bullies, love, leadership, and friendships. I thought these lessons were portrayed quite maturely given being a kid's show. However, my favorite aspect was the setting of the show.
Network: Nickelodeon
Original Air Years: 1996-2004
Hey Arnold! was one of the only cartoon shows to depict life in a dense urban environment. Even the show's music director, Jim Lang, used jazz as the primary theme music for Hey Arnold!. Very classy. Arnold utilized all forms of public transportation and most things were walking distance.
I can distinctly remember episodes being revolved around organizing a sporting event. There was an episode where Arnold and all his friends restored an area to play baseball, and another episode that took place in the winter and the Grandpa made ice sports possible. It was just fun to imagine doing all these things as a kid. I hope it inspired most to go outdoors.
8/10 Stars
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