About Hey Arnold!

Created by Craig Bartlett, Hey Arnold! centers on Arnold, an optimistic, altruistic 4th grader who lives in Hillwood (a fake city based off of areas of Seattle, Portland, and Brooklyn), with his grandparents, Phil and Gertie "Pookie," in a boarding house with other eccentric boarders. The episodes mainly focus on Arnold helping out the adults and kids in his neighborhood with their dilemmas. Many episodes also focus on other characters of the show who seek Arnold's help, showing just how far Arnold will go just to "do the right thing." Hey Arnold! is often praised for its realistic depiction of inner-city life and diversity of socioeconomic classes.

One other major aspect of the show is Arnold's bully and classmate, Helga Pataki, a closet poet confined to her dysfunctional family. On the outside, Helga despises Arnold and the ground he walks on; in reality, she loves him more than anything--or anyone, for that matter. She carries a locket with Arnold's picture inside, often reciting soliloquies to herself about her strong affection for Arnold. Although Helga would rather die than let Arnold know her true feelings, she is shown to occasionally treat him kindly when the plot allows.

Hey Arnold! ran from 1996-2004 on Nickelodeon and has produced 100 episodes and a cinematic movie.