- published: 19 Jul 2015
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Hey Arnold! is an American animated television series created by Craig Bartlett for Nickelodeon. The show centers on a fourth grader named Arnold, who lives with his grandparents in an inner-city boarding house. Episodes center on his experiences navigating big city life while dealing with the problems he and his friends encounter.
Bartlett's idea for the show is based on a minor character named Arnold whom he created while working on Pee-wee's Playhouse. The executives enjoyed the character, and Bartlett completed the cast by drawing inspiration from people he grew up with in Portland, Oregon. He created the pilot episode in his living room in 1994, and official production began in 1995. The animators worked to transform Arnold from clay animation to cel animation, leading to the series' premiere on October 7, 1996. The show finished production in 2001 and aired its final episode on June 8, 2004.
Hey Arnold! received generally positive reviews, with many critics praising its character development, emotional storytelling and mature themes. Over the course of its eight-year run, the series aired 100 episodes. A feature film based on the series, Hey Arnold!: The Movie, was released in 2002. All five seasons have been released on DVD, and reruns currently air on the TeenNick block The Splat.