NOTE: Okay, so this isn't about a film per se. Let's just loophole it with the fact that I finished the run with Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie. There. Technicality achieved.
It was recently when I discovered that the old Nickelodeon animated series Hey Arnold! is on Hulu. It was my favorite childhood show. Even in my early 30s, this show still conveys what it was like to be a kid during those times. Hey Arnold! premiered in 1996 and it featured the fun daily goings-on of its title character, a 9-year-old 4th grader. At that time, I was 9 and a 4th grader, so it was a perfect blend. Monday and Wednesday nights were for me to tune into Nick and to see the new Hey Arnold! episodes. As a kid from Puerto Rico, that show helped me expand my English vocabulary (I watched with subtitles on) and it motivated many behaviors as I was entering a key age in my development as a boy. I loved it.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been breezing away at all five seasons of the show on Hulu. It’s been a fascinating journey throughout my childhood. It was also important for me to see those episodes as an adult, to maybe understand things better (and I did). What struck me is how the writing is simply fantastic. The dialogues are different than any children’s show up to and since. It wasn’t trying to be silly, despite having silly moments and it wasn’t trying to be saccharine, despite having some emotional moments. In the end, it always found the right balance to create a show full of heart. There is a diverse group of characters, which were well-developed and many stories depicting childhood. It had this quality similar to The Simpsons, in which you saw the same people from the neighborhood in every gathering. That gives it a more authentic, small-town feel.
Earlier this week, I saw Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie for the first time. That was the culmination of the whole run-through of the show and movies. I was in awe of the beautiful quality of the animation (the movie is from 2017) and it was great to see the whole gang back. The movie put the whole show to a nice finish, wrapped in a nice bow tie. Mason Cotton (of Mad Men fame) was a TERRIFIC Arnold.
With all that being said, here are some thoughts about Hey Arnold! I had:
Dan Castellaneta was an MVP. Think about it, this is the voice of HOMER SIMPSON, arguably the most popular cartoon character in the world at the time. I’m sure that getting him to voice Arnold’s Grandpa was a big deal.
Helga Pataki is THE most interesting character. As a kid, you see she is this bully who is secretly in love with Arnold, but the way she is written is so layered and complex. She is deep and a notch above every character. Her story is paramount to the whole series.
Not everything is light. Something that makes this show work is that it tends to have dark tendencies in both things that happen and in certain characters (namely Eugene and Curly).
Grandma Pookie. Anything she did was an automatic laugh from me. Outrageously hilarious. The great Tress MacNeille was absolutely perfect in that role.
Arnold’s room. Is there a kid watching this show back then who DIDN’T dream of having a room like Arnold’s? Even now, as an adult, I STILL wish I could pull off a room like that.
Multiple Arnolds. Arnold was voiced by Toran Caudell, Phillip Van Dyke, Spencer Klein, Alex D. Linz, and Mason Cotton. They all brought their different approaches to Arnold, but credit for keeping the essence of the character.
Featuring other characters. This show did a great job of making many episodes centered around many supporting characters, like Gerald, Harold, Phoebe, Sid, Rhonda, etc.
Arnold’s parents. Every episode that addresses Arnold’s parents, Miles and Stella (including The Jungle Movie), usually ended up in watery eyes around here.
THE LAST NAME. Why didn’t I think of that for Arnold’s last name. It was literally mentioned CONSTANTLY during the complete run of the show. “Shortman”.
Characters I wish we knew more about: Sheena, Park, Joey.
Characters I disliked: Big Bob Pataki (toxic blowhard), Oskar Kokoshka (eternal screw-up and loser), and late seasons Stinky (they shifted him from lovable underachiever to borderline bully).
Favorite guest stars: Ron Perlman (Mickey Kaline), Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Miss Felter), Michael McKean (Johnny Stitches), Andy Dick (Monkeyman), Daniel Stern (Mr. Packenham), Jean Smart (Reba, Phoebe’s mother), Elliot Gould (Rabbi Goldberg), Tim Curry (Leichleiter), and Jennifer Tilly (Lola).
I also want to mention the casting of Dan Butler as Mr. Simmons; of course, me being a big fan of Frasier, it was cool for me to know as an adult that Mr. Simmons was voiced by Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe.
Now finally, here are my 20 favorite Hey Arnold! episodes:
“The List”
“The Baseball”
“Heat”
“Snow”
“Wheezin’ Ed”
“Sally’s Comet”
“24 Hours to Live”
“Arnold’s Christmas”
“Harold’s Kitty”
“Arnold’s Halloween”
“Dangerous Lumber”
“Curly Snaps”
“Cool Party”
“The Flood”
“Crabby Author”
“Back To School”
“Helga On The Couch”
“Phoebe Breaks A Leg”
“Parents’ Day”
“The Journal”
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