October 7, 2026
October 7, 1996: Two shows were launched: Hey Arnold! and Arthur. Arnold and Arthur attended P.S. 118 and Lakewood Elementary, respectively. The similarities can go on and on, both on screen and behind the camera. Both shows took place in a city where the main characters interacted with those in their community. Both shows had a child audience but didn’t shy away from adult topics and themes, taught lessons without being too preachy, and had an iconic cast of characters.
Both Mr. Ratburn and Mr. Simmons, by the ends of their show’s runs, were openly gay, with the former having a whole episode dedicated to it. Both shows never talked down to their audiences and provided laughs for the parents and adults who would tune in. Arnold “Football Head” and Arthur “Four Eyes” were the main protagonists who kept a level head and served as the mediator in their groups. Gerald and Buster served as the loyal friends for their respective characters. Rhonda and Muffy were both wealthy, at times stuck-up characters, and both shows had an episode where they had to manage without the money they were used to. Brain and Phoebe were the conventionally smartest kids in their classes, while Harold and Binky were both bullies with sensitive sides to them.
Francine and Helga were both athletic and, at times, aggressive, though Helga’s love interest in Arnold is not matched by Francine’s relationship with Arthur. Arthur had a pet dog, Pal, while Arnold had a pet pig, Abner. Both shows sought out to break a world record, with Arthur creating the world’s largest pizza and Hey Arnold! attempting to make a pizza puff. The latter didn’t end up working out, and both classes did the classic opera Carmen.
Behind the scenes, in Montreal and Los Angeles, they were among the rare animated shows whose characters were voiced by children. Arthur’s and Arnold’s voice actors, when they got too old and their voices deepened too much, were replaced, while other voice actors remained on the shows throughout their duration. Both initially worked as ensemble casts, where some of the voice actors would read aloud and play off each other.
Two former Arthur and Hey Arnold! voice actors would also return to voice a character in the shows. Arthur’s Michael Yarmush voiced Slink and Jay, while Cameron Ansell voiced Raffi. From Hey Arnold!, Lane Toran voiced Wolfgang and Che/River Pirate, while Phillip Van Dyke voiced Ludwig and Sandy. Wolfgang and Ludwig are both bullies who, in the episode “New Bully On The Block,” joined with Spencer Klein to have three former Arnolds in the same episode.
The shows had their differences. Elwood City was more suburban compared to Hillwood’s urban setting. Hey Arnold! was definitely more adult in some of the themes it touched on. Arnold also went more out of his way than Arthur to fix and problem-solve issues for those around him. Arnold lived in a non-traditional family with his grandparents and in a boarding house, while Arthur lived in a more traditional family. The Hey Arnold! class was in fourth grade compared to Arthur’s third grade.
PBS and Nickelodeon launched iconic animated series that were as important to adults as they were to the children who watched them and continue to watch the series today
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