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The Best Episodes of Hey Arnold! Season 1

Every episode of Hey Arnold! Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Hey Arnold! Season 1!

Binge this in 5h 20m•Peaking at 9.4/10

The daily life of Arnold--a fourth-grader with a wild imagination, street smarts and a head shaped like a football.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 11 - Heat
    9.4/10(688 votes)

    S1:E11

    Arnold has a really bad day - the city is suffering from a heatwave, and whatever he does, Arnold just can't seem to get cool.

    Directors:Tuck Tucker, Juli Murphy
    Writer:Jonathan Greenberg

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  2. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 15 - The List
    8.9/10(408 votes)

    S1:E15

    Arnold attempts to do something that no other kid has done before - completing the entire list of a kid's perfect Saturday! But, unfortunately, things don't go quite to plan.

    Directors:Larry Leichliter, Mark O'Hare
    Writer:Joe Ansolabehere

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  3. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 29 - Pigeon Man
    8.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E29

    When Arnold's pigeon gets sick, he takes it to "Pigeon Man", a person surrounded by pigeons who lives in a rooftop.

    Directors:Larry Leichliter, Jamie Mitchell
    Writer:Joe Purdy

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  4. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 6 - Stoop Kid
    8.3/10(345 votes)

    S1:E6

    Arnold's hat lands on the stoop of "Stoop Kid," - a bully who has lived his whole life on his stoop, and is highly protective of it. But, when it's Arnold's fault that Stoop Kid becomes the joke of the city, he must help Stoop Kid face his biggest fear - leaving his stoop for the first time.

    Directors:Juli Murphy, Kelly James
    Writer:Steve Viksten

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  5. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 21 - Arnold's Christmas
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    S1:E21

    While Helga tries to find the perfect gift for Arnold, Arnold tries to find Mr Hyunh's long-lost daughter.

    Director:Jamie Mitchell
    Writer:Steve Viksten

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  6. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 8 - The Old Building
    8.2/10(323 votes)

    S1:E8

    Arnold is asked by his Grandma to help save an old building, and then asked by Ernie to help knock the building down! Who will Arnold decide to go along with? How can he get out of this tricky situation?

    Directors:Kelly James, Jamie Mitchell
    Writers:Steve Viksten, Rachel Lipman

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  7. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 3 - The Little Pink Book
    8.1/10(377 votes)

    S1:E3

    When Helga loses her pink book, full of love poems about Arnold on the bus, it ends up in Arnold's hands. Now Helga must get it back before Arnold figures out who wrote the poems.

    Directors:Don Judge, Bert Ring
    Writer:Craig Bartlett

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  8. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 7 - Helga's Makeover
    8.0/10(285 votes)

    S1:E7

    Helga is annoyed when Rhonda doesn't invite her to her slumber party - everybody assumes that "girly" parties aren't Helga's style. So, Helga is determined to prove her wrong, and gets a makeover.

    Directors:Juli Murphy, Kelly James
    Writer:Rachel Lipman

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  9. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 20 - Arnold as Cupid
    8.0/10(285 votes)

    S1:E20

    Oskar gets kicked out of Suzie's room when they get into an argument, so Arnold tries to get them back together when Oskar moves into Arnold's room.

    Directors:Dan Povenmire, Dale Case
    Writer:Steve Viksten

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  10. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 22 - Benchwarmer
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E22

    Arnold has trouble with the basketball coach and his favored son.

    Directors:Steve Socki, Stark Howell
    Writer:Jonathan Greenberg

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  11. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 25 - Wheezin' Ed
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E25

    Arnold and the gang set out on a quest to find the hidden treasure of the mysterious "Wheezin' Ed" on Elk Island.

    Directors:Dan Povenmire, Juli Murphy
    Writers:Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Rachel Lipman

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  12. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 26 - Arnold the Tutor
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E26

    Arnold is given the assignment to tutor Torvald, the meanest, toughest kid in Arnold's math class, for the big math test on Friday.

    Directors:Larry Leichliter, Sherm Cohen
    Writer:Joe Ansolabehere

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  13. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 38 - Arnold's Valentine
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E38

    On Valentine's Day, Arnold manages to arrange two dates; one with Ruth, the sixth grader he likes, and one with his French penpal Cecile (actually, it's Helga in disguise) – only for the real Cecile to suddenly appear and Arnold to discover what Ruth is really like.

    Director:Jamie Mitchell
    Writers:Steve Viksten, Rachel Lipman

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  14. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 1 - Downtown as Fruits
    7.8/10(458 votes)

    S1:E1

    Not looking forward to performing in Helga's "The Four Food Groups" musical, Arnold and Gerald decide to take the bus a few stops too many, but end up stuck downtown.

    Directors:Tuck Tucker, Larry Leichliter
    Writers:Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere

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  15. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 2 - Eugene's Bike
    7.8/10(346 votes)

    S1:E2

    When Arnold accidentally ruins Eugene's new bike, he takes Eugene out on a day of fun, thinking that "every geek deserves his day".

    Directors:Juli Murphy, Kelly James
    Writers:Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere

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  16. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 5 - Arnold's Hat
    7.8/10(322 votes)

    S1:E5

    An obsessed Helga steals Arnold's hat to complete her shrine to Arnold, which is hidden in the back of her closet. But, she notices how miserable Arnold is without his hat, and decides to give it back to him.

    Directors:Tuck Tucker, Larry Leichliter
    Writer:Steve Viksten

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  17. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 13 - Operation Ruthless
    7.8/10(260 votes)

    S1:E13

    At the Annual Cheese Fair, Helga tries her best to keep Arnold well away from Ruth - a girl who Arnold has a crush on.

    Directors:Larry Leichliter, Kelly James
    Writers:Steve Viksten, Rachel Lipman

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  18. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 16 - Haunted Train
    7.8/10(252 votes)

    S1:E16

    When the kids complain of being bored, Grandpa tells the story of the Haunted Train. So, the kids decide to go and see if the train exists for themselves.

    Directors:Tuck Tucker, Juli Murphy
    Writer:Josephine Nericcio

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  19. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 4 - Field Trip
    7.7/10(324 votes)

    S1:E4

    The kids are really looking forward to their field trip to the aquarium - especially when they remember the scary Lock Jaw from their last trip. But, when they get there, they see that Lock Jaw isn't really that scary. Arnold notices how neglected the old turtle looks, and returns later with Grandma to set it free.

    Directors:Steve Socki, Debbie Baber
    Writers:Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere

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  20. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 9 - 6th Grade Girls
    7.7/10(271 votes)

    S1:E9

    Two girls from the sixth grade who are tired of the way that their boyfriends treat them, decide to take Arnold and Gerald to the school dance, but only to make their boyfriends jealous.

    Directors:Dan Povenmire, Dale Case
    Writer:Steve Viksten

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  21. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 19 - Door #16
    7.6/10(233 votes)

    S1:E19

    All of the boarders get very curious to what is inside the very personal Mr. Smith's package.

    Directors:Stark Howell, Dale Case
    Writer:Rachel Lipman

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  22. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 14 - The Vacant Lot
    7.5/10(240 votes)

    S1:E14

    Arnold and friends decide to clear out a vacant lot to play baseball on, but the adults take over it, and use it for their own reasons.

    Directors:Larry Leichliter, Mark O'Hare
    Writer:Josephine Nericcio

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  23. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 18 - Roughin' It
    7.5/10(233 votes)

    S1:E18

    Grandpa, Arnold, and Gerald are all going on an old fashioned camping trip... until Big Bob, Helga, and Phoebe show up with luxurious camping equipment.

    Directors:Alan Smart, Sherm Cohen
    Writer:Jonathan Greenberg

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  24. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 31 - Sally's Comet
    7.5/10(2 votes)

    S1:E31

    Arnold and Gerald must turn off all the lights in the city if they want to see Sally's Comet.

    Directors:Dan Povenmire, Howy Parkins
    Writer:Joe Purdy

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  25. Hey Arnold! Season 1 Episode 12 - Snow
    7.4/10(254 votes)

    S1:E12

    Snow hits the city and Arnold can't wait to get out and have some fun... but wait, there's chores to be done... and when there done Arnold has the time of his life playing Hockey with the "crew."

    Directors:Steve Socki, Bert Ring
    Writers:Craig Bartlett, Rachel Lipman

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Heat" is the best rated episode of "Hey Arnold!" season 1. It scored 9.4/10 based on 688 votes. Directed by Tuck Tucker, Juli Murphy and written by Jonathan Greenberg, it aired on 11/11/1996. This episode is rated 0.5 points higher than the second-best, "The List".