7.8/10386 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: Larry Leichliter, Tuck Tucker
Writer: Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere
7.8/10286 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
8.1/10308 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
7.7/10276 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
7.8/10275 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: Larry Leichliter, Tuck Tucker
Writer: Steve Viksten
8.2/10289 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
8.0/10246 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
8.2/10275 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
7.7/10237 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
7.2/10221 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
9.3/10579 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
7.3/10222 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
7.7/10226 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
7.5/10201 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
8.8/10350 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
7.8/10213 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
7.3/10193 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
7.5/10196 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
7.6/10201 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
8.0/10247 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
8.3/103 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
8.0/101 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
7.0/101 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
7.0/101 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
8.0/101 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
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:FamilyAnimationComedyKids
Network:Nickelodeon
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Downtown as Fruits" is the best rated episode of "Hey Arnold!" season 1. It scored 7.8/10 based on 386 votes. Directed by Larry Leichliter, Tuck Tucker and written by Craig Bartlett, Steve Viksten, Joe Ansolabehere, it aired on 10/7/1996. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Eugene's Bike".