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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!

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

Genres:FamilyAnimationComedy
Network:Nickelodeon

Season 1 Ratings Summary

The best episode of "Hey Arnold!" season 1 is "Downtown as Fruits", rated 7.8/10 from 373 user votes. It was directed by Tuck Tucker, Larry Leichliter and written by Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere. "Downtown as Fruits" aired on 10/7/1996 and is rated 0.0 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Eugene's Bike".

  • Downtown as Fruits
    7.8/10 373 votes

    #1 - Downtown as Fruits

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 10/7/1996

    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.

    Director: Tuck Tucker, Larry Leichliter

    Writer: Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere

  • Eugene's Bike
    7.8/10 277 votes

    #2 - Eugene's Bike

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/7/1996

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

    Director: Kelly James, Juli Murphy

    Writer: Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere

  • The Little Pink Book
    8.1/10 298 votes

    #3 - The Little Pink Book

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/1996

    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.

    Director: Bert Ring, Don Judge

    Writer: Craig Bartlett

  • Field Trip
    7.7/10 268 votes

    #4 - Field Trip

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/1996

    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.

    Director: Steve Socki, Debbie Baber

    Writer: Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere

  • Arnold's Hat
    7.8/10 266 votes

    #5 - Arnold's Hat

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/14/1996

    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.

    Director: Tuck Tucker, Larry Leichliter

    Writer: Steve Viksten

  • Stoop Kid
    8.2/10 278 votes

    #6 - Stoop Kid

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/14/1996

    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.

    Director: Kelly James, Juli Murphy

    Writer: Steve Viksten

  • Helga's Makeover
    8.0/10 238 votes

    #7 - Helga's Makeover

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 10/16/1996

    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.

    Director: Kelly James, Juli Murphy

    Writer: Rachel Lipman

  • The Old Building
    8.2/10 263 votes

    #8 - The Old Building

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 10/16/1996

    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?

    Director: Kelly James, Jamie Mitchell

    Writer: Steve Viksten, Rachel Lipman

  • 6th Grade Girls
    7.7/10 229 votes

    #9 - 6th Grade Girls

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/4/1996

    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.

    Director: Dan Povenmire, Dale Case

    Writer: Steve Viksten

  • The Baseball
    7.2/10 215 votes

    #10 - The Baseball

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/4/1996

    Arnold's favorite baseball player is playing his last game, so he decides to go and see his last game. The only problem is that he winds up with terrible seats.

    Director: Dan Povenmire, Dale Case

    Writer: Joe Ansolabehere

  • Heat
    9.3/10 555 votes

    #11 - Heat

    Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 11/11/1996

    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.

    Director: Tuck Tucker, Juli Murphy

    Writer: Jonathan Greenberg

  • Snow
    7.3/10 216 votes

    #12 - Snow

    Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 11/11/1996

    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."

    Director: Steve Socki, Bert Ring

    Writer: Craig Bartlett, Rachel Lipman

  • Operation Ruthless
    7.7/10 218 votes

    #13 - Operation Ruthless

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 11/18/1996

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

    Director: Kelly James, Larry Leichliter

    Writer: Steve Viksten, Rachel Lipman

  • The Vacant Lot
    7.5/10 194 votes

    #14 - The Vacant Lot

    Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 11/18/1996

    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.

    Director: Larry Leichliter, Mark O'Hare

    Writer: Josephine Nericcio

  • The List
    8.8/10 340 votes

    #15 - The List

    Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 11/25/1996

    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.

    Director: Larry Leichliter, Mark O'Hare

    Writer: Joe Ansolabehere

  • Haunted Train
    7.8/10 206 votes

    #16 - Haunted Train

    Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 11/25/1996

    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.

    Director: Tuck Tucker, Juli Murphy

    Writer: Josephine Nericcio

  • Mugged
    7.3/10 184 votes

    #17 - Mugged

    Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 12/2/1996

    When Arnold gets mugged in the street, Grandma teaches him how to defend himself, but the training and fighting starts to get to his head.

    Director: Tuck Tucker, Jamie Mitchell

    Writer: Craig Bartlett

  • Roughin' It
    7.5/10 187 votes

    #18 - Roughin' It

    Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 12/2/1996

    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.

    Director: Alan Smart, Sherm Cohen

    Writer: Jonathan Greenberg

  • Door #16
    7.7/10 192 votes

    #19 - Door #16

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 12/9/1996

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

    Director: Stark Howell, Dale Case

    Writer: Rachel Lipman

  • Arnold as Cupid
    8.0/10 238 votes

    #20 - Arnold as Cupid

    Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 12/9/1996

    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.

    Director: Dan Povenmire, Dale Case

    Writer: Steve Viksten

  • Arnold's Christmas
    8.3/10 3 votes

    #21 - Arnold's Christmas

    Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 12/14/1996

    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

  • Benchwarmer
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #22 - Benchwarmer

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 12/16/1996

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

    Director: Stark Howell, Steve Socki

    Writer: Jonathan Greenberg

  • Cool Jerk
    7.0/10 1 votes

    #23 - Cool Jerk

    Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 12/16/1996

    An older cool guy befriends Arnold, but Arnold realizes that he is really a shoplifter.

    Director: Larry Leichliter, Robert Porter

    Writer: Joe Ansolabehere

  • Das Subway
    7.0/10 1 votes

    #24 - Das Subway

    Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 12/23/1996

    Arnold and the gang play on a basketball team, but their coach tells them to throw the ball to one person, his son, Tucker.

    Director: Tuck Tucker, Steve Socki

    Writer: Christopher Simmons

  • Wheezin' Ed
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #25 - Wheezin' Ed

    Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 12/23/1996

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

    Director: Dan Povenmire, Juli Murphy

    Writer: Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Rachel Lipman