5 Reasons on How Hey Arnold! was an Improvement over Doug

[@bleedingberryjuice]

In addition to other cultures and ethnicity, I also appreciated that Hey Arnold features characters from different financial situations

[@OldSchoolLane]

Berry Tears Agreed. Good example.

[@oooh19]

@@OldSchoolLane in Doug Roger's family was poor and Beebe's was rich. The Dinks were rich too. they had different financial situations as well.

[@skyofthelivingdead]

@@oooh19 It was definitely more prominent in Hey Arnold though. I love how grounded in reality Hey Arnold was. It got more gritty than Doug. I mean, Helga’s mom is a drunk. Craig Bartlett confirmed it. Mr. Simmons was also gay, and even though it was never explicitly said on the show, Craig Bartlett again confirmed he is. Not many would’ve thought about writing a realistic gay character instead of relying on stereotypes like most media at the time, especially for a kid’s cartoon. He was a well-written character who just happened to be gay. TL;DR While Doug was fairly realistic for a kids’ cartoon, Hey Arnold was a grounded show in general that just happened to be animated.

[@prixe12]

@Google Needs TobeBombed There's no such thing as "Forced diversity" Imma let you in on a lil secret people of different backgrounds ...exist

[@ecstasycalculus]

Agreed. Even shows like Arthur and Bluey, which are almost universally renowned for their excellent representation, never feature any characters in significant poverty. Even with Francine's family, who are portrayed as being at a lower socioeconomic stratum, they never struggle to put food on the table and they're never on the verge of homelessness. Which is why the Hey Arnold episode where Rhonda's family goes broke was so important, even though it reverted to the status quo by the end.

[@realar]

Hey Arnold still is one of the best cartoons to have ever hit TV, it painted urban life in the most respectful way possible. And it didn't talk down to kids either. Helga Pataki is one of my favorite characters in cartoon history because of how layered she was.

[@Thudas22]

realar And hilarious!

[@Leonard_Wilson]

Helga was annoying, even more annoying than Beebe Bluff.

[@6th_Duo]

Leonard Wilson she was misunderstood not annoying

[@oooh19]

She was indeed an interesting character

[@mecahhannah]

Couldn't agree more

[@crazycollectibles9713]

The reason I love hey arnold so much is because it relates to my life a lot living in New York

[@esmooth919]

Retro Collector agreed. Because I'm frkm The Bronx, i was able to relate to the show, despite the fact that i was living in the suburbs when this show came out.

[@crazycollectibles9713]

I always love passing building in queens or Brooklyn that look like Arnold's house

[@crazycollectibles9713]

L-Y3T I always love passing building in queens or Brooklyn that remind me of Arnold's house

[@jtszabo1691]

Crazy Collectibles it actually takes place in Washington state. The city is based on Brooklyn, Portland Oregon, and Seattle. There are several subtle hints like the river that runs through the city, grandpa worked on the grand coulee dam, phoebe had a Tacoma poster, etc

[@kennyyfm]

Crazy Collectibles did you see 9/11

[@Hakajin]

The characters are what made Hey Arnold!. They had so much maturity and depth, more than most fourth graders... Yet I could still relate to them. Especially Helga, I really felt for her, especially when it came to her feelings for Arnold; I really sympathized. And she's such a sensitive, self-aware person... You knew exactly who she was, she felt like a real person. The creators must've had a lot of respect for children to write them with such complex and intense emotions. Because kids aren't simpler versions of adults; they're complete people with their own inner lives and emotions. I think one difficulty of childhood is that a lot of people don't take those things seriously. I felt like they didn't, anyway. Having a show that respected me as an audience member like that was a powerful thing.

[@oooh19]

well said! so true

[@PeterParker-ff7ub]

helga is rude.

[@michaelrowe9067]

To Doug's credit, each of the episodes were told through journal entries so it makes sense that everything was skewed through his perspective. This limits the amount of attention given to supporting characters, but the mechanics of the show wouldn't make sense if they showed experiences occurring away from the main character.

[@waters228_91]

I think the reason why people find Doug cliche now is because the show falls into the "Seinfeld Is Unfunny" trope, meaning that once an innovation is outperformed by whatever comes out after it, it's now seen as boring and cliche, and that's probably why Doug doesn't get the same respect as the other Nicktoons. In the show's case, before it premiered, no other cartoon dealt with any normal issues a kid faced in his/her everyday life. Most of the cartoons were either parodies of certain time periods, slapstick humor, action shows, and adventures. Doug was pretty much the first slice-of-life cartoon, in which a normal kid was dealing with normal issues that mirror real life. Sadly, since so many shows that came afterwards imitated the same tropes in Doug, only that they made some improvements, Doug is now seen as bland and cliche by many people nowadays. Obviously, not ALL the people liked the show during its release, but it seems that because other slice-of-life shows that came out afterwards had more improvements compared to Doug's simplicity, Doug is nowadays seen as bland and cliche, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't seen that way during the time of its debut. In addition, Doug, the main protagonist who was meant to be written as an average kid, is now seen as bland and generic, and most people criticize his shyness and somewhat cowardice even though it's quite natural for a preteen kid to behave this. Hell if you ask me, Doug's personality in this show was actually quite realistic. In conclusion, while Hey Arnold was definitely an improvement, I still think Doug deserves the proper respect for opening the doors to a lot of slice-of-life cartoons, because whether folks like the show or not, it had a big influence on those other slice-of-life cartoons, and without it, we wouldn't have a Hey Arnold or any of the other cartoons like it.

[@mrspaghetti8147]

waters228 91 Agreed. I didn't even like "hey Arnold!" That much.

[@misterdewott8766]

You're absolutely right. Compared to other slice of life shows nowadays, it seems like a lobotomized High School Drama XDD

[@jonahabenhaim1223]

Mr Spaghetti why? Can you tell me a Reason as to why you didn’t like Hey Arnold that much?

[@kaisarr7632]

I don’t think hey Arnold was much as an “improvement” over Doug but rather both shows parallel each other in a conceptual sense. Doug and hey Arnold have similar premises with very different executions. Doug was about a suburban life kid who faced everyday life with a cynical worldview often being pressured to do things in an act to fit in or not be laughed at by his peers when in most cases dougs issue were merely the result of over thinking things when much was not at stake to began with. Doug essentially has self esteem issues which is a very real topic and the show often depicted it rather realistically. Hey Arnold on the other hand I always considered a ghetto version of Doug in the sense the show has the Brooklyn urban setting about a kid living in a boarding house, with a an optimistic perspective on life. Trying to help and aid others who had very real issues that sometimes couldn’t be resolved in a day or at all like the hardship of real life. Yet Arnold still tried his best to help those in-spite of the degree of the situation, some of this spunk and compassion attributed to his own loneliness from his parents abandoning him molding his tempered life into optimism. Along with a diverse cast of characters with there only insecurities and issues. Both shows depicts very real people that exist there are definitely people like Doug or skeeter who exist with self esteem issues and peer pressure who try to overcome that. And people like Arnold who live in not to cleanly eras with abandonment issues but takes the cynicism of the world (the people) to do something good by aiding other like Arnold constantly did throughout the Show.

[@m56214]

@@mrspaghetti8147 Why it was so good it was Nickelodeon's version of Recess even tho it came first I would watch everyday at 11:30pm on Nicktoons

[@deemorris4747]

I'm 67 years young and Hey Arnold! is my fave Nicktoon and still watch episodes on The Splat. Can't wait for The Jungle Movie!!

[@Hakajin]

Awesome! I grew up with Hey Arnold!, but my parents loved it, too! My dad loved Stoop Kid and the Ghost Train. I remember when the Christmas special first aired... At the part where Helga gives away her boots to help Arnold, I look over, and my mom's crying. Actually, I'm sure I'd have made the same kind of connection with the show even if I'd first seen it as an adult.

[@ssjup81]

Dee Morris When Hey Arnold started, I had just turned 15 (it premiered the day after my birthday). I really enjoyed it and was glad it got a show after seeing the pilot when I saw Harriet the Spy. I've been rewatching the series and had forgotten how good it was. I appreciate it more now as an adult.

[@Hakajin]

That's funny, because I was introduced to Hey Arnold! the same way when I was eight, and I was like, "There's something I'll never watch!" The humor seemed loud and zany, and I was not a fan. Of course, I ended up watching it anyway, and ended up adoring it. Even the remake of the pilot was ok once I saw it with an understanding of who the characters were. I'm also rewatching it... And yeah, I definitely appreciate it more now. I'm picking up on a lot of complexity to the characters that I missed before, and I'm even more emotionally involved. It reminds me that I'm still the same person at heart.

[@ZeinaIan]

That's awesome I felt a little weird for watching and liking the show for the first time at 22 but now I don't feel like I'm too old for it so thanks. :)

[@treyissexy87]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I'm 30 and still love it and consider it one of my all time favorite shows of all time.

[@ToonrificTariq]

Can't say I share your love for Doug, but I do recognize it's importance in the animation world. Hey Arnold, however, it's in my top 3 shows in history. Great analysis video! Surprised this wasn't tackled sooner!

[@eba56]

ToonrificTariq oh hai there

[@IdeaBox-dk5vj]

You know, I think I know how "Hey Arnold!" got greenlit: Nick Executives: Okay, people. We have stupidly lost Doug to The Walt Disney Company, so we need a new slice-of-life Nicktoon and fast! Craig Bartlett: Um, sir? I have this new slice-- Nick Executives: Great! Your cartoon will be a hit with all ages! Now, Mr. Marek, what was your idea about "KaBlam"?

[@radfatdaddy4169]

Ok, but Kablam was the fucking shit man.

[@sabrinabattle1229]

2:00 "Doug throws a window at an abandoned house." LOL I think you wanted to say "Doug throws a ROCK at an abandoned house." XD

[@guyincognito8043]

"Doug Windows the House".

[@alexanderknight1650]

@@guyincognito8043 no she did say dong throws a window at an abandoned house

[@TheAdorkableRJ]

Helga Pataki is not just my favorite character in Hey Arnold, but one of my all time favorite characters PERIOD.

[@manifestgtr]

These two shows are kind of tough to compare when you consider their points of view and their (apparent) intention. Doug focused on a singular character’s point of view and it worked well because that’s how we all go through life. We aren’t there to feel someone else’s emotion and we don’t live their story. If we could, it would make life a lot easier but part of the confusion surrounding daily life is the fact that we’re limited by our own perspective. Doug captured this feeling very well Hey arnold was a little more “adult” in a way. It focused on deeper insecurities and bigger existential issues. The character development definitely reflects that. Another part of what made hey arnold so great was its ability to do “cartoon sitcom” so artfully. My favorite pair of episodes were the heat and snow ones. That half hour is totally different from anything else nickelodeon ever put out.

[@pennysanchez7656]

And then Disney revived Doug after it cancelled...

[@Eastsid3]

Good analysis of both shows but to defend Doug a bit. You mentioned many times about how simple Doug is and that's its strength. Everything we need to know about the side characters are more or less established i.e. - Patti is the crush, Skeeter is the best friend, Roger is the bully. What we learn about them is all we need such as Roger likely being troubled being in a single parent home. In Doug whole episodes dedicated to side characters aren't needed yet the characters have well character. Your point about the music is debateable Arnold has some awesome jazzy tunes and sounds to show mood but Doug has very unique and stylish Bebop And instrumentals which makes the show stand out More to me. Also in Doug each of the characters has 'themes' and little sound bytes show emotion like disappointment or when something good happens. As much as I love Arnold it annoyed me how he was almost always right about everything, came off as preachy and the voice of reason often pissing off people one time or another and they even did an episode on this which was good. Doug was more relatable - learning things the hard way, jealousy, suspicion, talking to his crush, dealing with bullies and more. Arnolds difficulties are solved with help, in a whimsical way and feel like they're designed for you to feel good but doesn't hit hard - Doug in that Ponzi scheme episode and video game episode come to mind. Still good comparisons of the shows.

[@Leonard_Wilson]

Thanks for an unbiased post. I'm tired of people saying Doug sucks without backing up their opinions.

[@theCarbonFreeze]

Agreed 100%. Arnold started off as a more developed character with relatable flaws who acted out (Downtown as Fruits for example) but as the show went on they made him WAY too sage-like and perfect. Its actually really off-putting watching this 9 year old kid giving grown ass adults dating advice or getting them a job for example. I think with Arnold, people just remember the "big episodes" and base their opinion on the series from that, instead of how bland and one dimensional it could often be. Doug's less "flashy" but feels more real and I find it a lot funnier as an adult.

[@muvdafukupouttahere]

Actually, there is one episode of Doug that shows the perspective of someone other than the eponymous preteen. "Doug's Pet Capade" shows the perspective of Porkchop. Hell the dog is the one who has the fantasies in that episode instead of Doug.

[@daisyviluck7932]

I posit that the first kid slice-of-life cartoon was actually "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" from the 70s. But it would be nearly 20 years between the premiere of Fat Albert and the premiere of Doug

[@luvsupreme]

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

[@HuskyDog88]

That’s what I was gonna say. Fat Albert had great life lessons and dealt with some serious topics.

[@stealthskater5674]

Hey Hey Hey Fat Albert is one of my favorite old school shows by the way God bless 😇✝️🇮🇱✝️🛐✝️🙏😇✝️

[@Nothin2seehere-e4z]

Who likes both slice of life and adventures shows? Because I do. Like or reply.

[@misterdewott8766]

There's nothing wrong with Doug. But I think thats the biggest issue. Because while Hey Arnold was willing to tackle the more complex situations most times, while Doug lacks the backbone that Arnold had. Doug feels like if you took a High School drama and lobotomized it. So now it's all just a shell without any objections and aspirations. But that's just my viewpoint

[@JessicaChastainFan]

I love both shows. It ultimately comes down to this: Hey Arnold has better stories, emotion and character development, but Doug is a tad more fun to watch, the parodies are better and the humor is a lot more memorable. "WHAT'LL IT BE ONE PUNCH?!" Doug: Glass of milk. And make it...chocolate.

[@theCarbonFreeze]

Doug represents kids as they are, Arnold is what they ought to be (if they were inhumanely perfect and Jesus-like). Ones an aspirational figure, the others a hell of a lot more fun to watch

[@benwilliard]

I haven't watched Doug in over 15 years but I'm currently rewatching Hey Arnold! I gotta say, I agree with just about everything you said regarding Hey Arnold! so thank you for doing this. It made my night

[@OldSchoolLane]

benwilliard Thank YOU for watching it. Your comment made my night.

[@CelestialAsteria]

April Fool's day episode not being special? I don't know about you but I think the tango between Arnold and Helga was quite special XD. It's one of the few times Arnold retaliates against Helga ;3

[@SeaStarTea]

Was just about to comment on this! I think she may have remembered the wrong episode because she used the wrong clips.

[@alejandralomeli7032]

Maria Perez ANDDD its the only episode we got that takes place AFTER the movie besides the journal so yes it is very special

[@ssjup81]

Maria Perez The ep is so-so, but that tango makes up for it. I found Arnold very interesting for it because IMO if this was before the movie, Arnold would've ignored Helga. The flirting he was doing...hm, maybe this ep is special. lol It felt like he was getting all of his aggressiveness and frustrations out with that dance while maybe partially subconsciously flirting with her. They sounded like a couple playfully bantering with each other.

[@MagicalAuroraDream]

Meh for me personally the whole episode was my least favorite of the series, especially the blindness part. For one thing, why would Arnold's grandpa give him a gag like that? If Helga had been permanently blinded, both he and Arnold could have gotten in some major legal trouble; lawsuit, anyone? Also, Helga faking blindness really irked me as a kid even if I could theoretically see her doing that just like she faked amnesia in the one episode where Arnold beamed her with the baseball even after she recovered. Anyway, I was annoyed for a few reasons. First off, how would the nurse not have noticed Helga snatching that cane before she left? Also, why was there a cane in the nurse's office anyway? No nurse in school when I was a kid had walking aids just laying around. Lastly, the cane used was the completely WRONG type!!! I know Helga is 9 and wouldn't know this so I'm a bit irrational here but blind people use white canes, either completly white or with red at the bottom and a black handle. This was especially true back in the 90s before custom-colored ones became available. Anyway, like I said, Helga wouldn't know this. However, the animators selecting to make her use that kind of cane could sort of mislead kids as to the tools blind people use. Sorry for the rant. However, as a child, and blind myself, this episode just rubbed me the wrong way when I saw it. Even then I was irritated because blindness is NOT a joke or something to mess around with!

[@makk3232]

Honestly, very impressive video, well thought out and the use of commentary/footage is excellent.

[@OldSchoolLane]

Thank you so much. Really appreciate your comment. That means a lot to me.

[@makk3232]

Old School Lane no problem just speaking the truth you're very good at what you do

[@agentdarkness4628]

Hey Arnold also shows us that real families are not perfect, sometimes I get sick of seeing family shows that are glossed over and sugar coded. It’s great to see shows like hey Arnold showing us the reality of things. People on those glossed over shows make it look like that is how things are in the real world when they are not.

[@theCarbonFreeze]

I mean, Patty and Roger were in single parent homes and the Sneetches were embarrassed of their dads job. I thought that was realistically flawed too

[@theCarbonFreeze]

I disagree. The older i get the more Doug feels relatable and charmingly understated while Arnold just feels...extra? Like Arnolds still a great show overall but it's a lot more wacky and over the top. I dislike how as the show went on, Arnold became this uber paragon of virtue, gives grown men dating advice, solves EVERYONES problems. It just got too preachy. Doug felt like a real kid, with all the awkwardness and imperfections that entails. I also really love Doug's dream sequences, which gave the show a ton of personality and humor. Rewatching both, I laughed a hell of a lot more at D than A. I feel like everyone also hyper-focuses on Arnold's greatest episodes (Helga on the Couch, Christmas, Pigeon Man) and forgets how many bland and "mid" episodes there really are in its history (like Timberly loves Arnold and Stinkys a vampire, etc.) Anyway, Doug deserves to be remembered on its own terms, not as Arnold's stepping stone.

[@millabasset1710]

I feel the same, Hey Arnold doesn’t feel as realistic as Doug. I’m binging the series and I’m amazed at how well this 30 year old cartoon holds up.

[@casualcallie7195]

2:03 Doug throws a window at an abandoned house. Hehe.

[@strawberrysoulforever8336]

So...Doug was sort of the first "slice of life" cartoon about kids of the 90s, right? I guess shows like Hey Arnold had no choice but to look at the material, say "This was good...how can we improve on this formula?" So it did have an advantage - the prototype kind of cartoon. Although to be fair, I remember Craig Bartlett saying that the original idea for Hey Arnold was sort of a modern-day "Peanuts", and Arnold is meant to be kind of similar to Charlie Brown.

[@IdeaBox-dk5vj]

Only instead of failing to kick the football, the football got lodged inside Arnold's head!

[@brokebassoon]

That's a weird comparison. Charlie Brown was the quintessential ne'er-do-well, while Arnold was a problem solver. Doug seems more like Charlie Brown to me--a completely ordinary autobiographical character, who's somewhat prone to mishaps.

[@theCarbonFreeze]

I believe Peanuts was a big inspiration to Doug as well, for the record

[@strawberrysoulforever8336]

@theCarbonFreeze Probably. I have heard that the original idea for this was inspired by Peanuts. Likely Doug had a hand in it too since it was the first slice-of-life Nicktoon, just the idea of cartoons about kids who live just like you. Also, very few of these cartoons took place in a big inner city. That was kind of a novel location for a slice-of-life cartoon back then.

[@myronlim6732]

If Patti Mayonnaise and Helga Pataki were to meet, Helga would scoff at Patti for thinking that she is a tough tomboy just because she participates in sports. And Arnold would scoff at Doug because Doug often frets about his crush on Patti and his beef with Roger Klotz.

[@oooh19]

I like that patti is a tomboy but still not mean or tough. most girls and women are a mix of both girly and tomboy sides. just like many girly girls are smart and kind, not all are weak or dumb or mean.

[@oooh19]

many kids are pushed into sports so participating doesn't mean you are a tomboy

[@Leonard_Wilson]

I like Patti. Helga, on the other hand, is mentally ill and annoying.

[@theCarbonFreeze]

Roger would eat Arnold's lunch

[@repeatbanana998]

I like Doug a lot more

[@theCarbonFreeze]

Me too, honestly. I think Dougs more consistent while Arnold had higher highs but lower lows. Nothing in Arnold is as funny to me as Doug singing about Patty with the hiccups or Roger getting sucker punched by a girl.

[@heidiheidi0]

I dont think you can compare the two shows honestly. They are from two totally different times and working with a completely different set of confines. They are like flavours of ice cream: just because chocolate is good, doesnt mean that you can do without vanilla or strawberry.

[@mechajay3358]

Wow I never though about any of this until you pointed it out. I have to say you made some very valid points. Though I'm defense of Doug. The reason most of the Episodes are around him are because the series is basically about him. The beginning of the show starts off with him writing in his Journal (Diary) so it's telling us episode's story in only his perspective and he's really the narrator. Hey Arnold doesn't have that type of implement. Either was Awesome video.

[@Bluestar-nn2uh]

She already said that.

[@bencox5994]

Love your channel. Makes me feel good listening about old shows

[@beetee4865]

I love both Doug and Hey Arnold. Since i'm from Philly i related to Hey Arnold a bit more, but when we moved to the Carolinas i saw more of Doug's perspective too. Good times. 😊 And for the record, even when i was really young i figured Skeeter and his family were supposed to be black. 😁

[@stephystuff2955]

Great Video! I accept the challenge! I hope to do shows like "hey arnold!" Kids need to be reminded that their not alone on problems, and good advice on how to handle such problems.

[@OldSchoolLane]

Steph C Wish you the best of luck.

[@stephystuff2955]

thanks! you too!

[@shanesollis8819]

Doug hightlights several different classes. I thought the episode where Roger gets bullied and the Roger take of graduation was

[@comicbookartistname1307]

Watching Hey Arnold was kinda like watching the Simpsons, and PBS Arthur was kinda like Doug.

[@Jengirl92]

This is an awesome, informative video that seriously hits the nail on the head. Thank you for making it!

[@OldSchoolLane]

Jengirl92 Thank YOU for watching it.

[@Jengirl92]

You are most welcome!

[@m56214]

@@OldSchoolLane I have been of this for months do think Doug is Charlie Brown version Rugrats is The Simpsons and Ren and Stimpy is Looney Tunes

[@jjc92787]

I was thinking about this recently actually. Doug was a great and well remembered show because of how it presented every day life mixing it with fantasy and multi-colored characters, but Hey Arnold presented a whole world with a mix of humor, emotion, and sentimentality. Arnold living his life trying to help others and do the right thing but with the thought of whether his parents would ever return in the back of his mind, Helga living hers with neglectful parents, a long secret love plus other demons, and all the other great characters. Now that we got Arnold kissing Helga in Jungle Movie, I was thinking it's not that big a deal that Doug and Patty never kissed and became a couple because the story with them wasn't nearly as well written or complex as Arnold and Helga.

[@garynaccarato4606]

The funny part of Doug Rocks the house was the idea of one relatively small rock was able to knock down an entire house.

[@shanesollis8819]

I am blown away with this video. It really puts the topic in perspective. I am a diehard Doug fan. But, this is truly one of a kind. Breaking down the level of depth in Hey Arnold, I see that the only reason Doug is my favorite is because he happens to be the character I care for the most.

[@opposite_hedgehog_753]

I live in New Orleans and I can relate Arnold's setting most

[@guyincognito8043]

I am 100% with you on all of this. Not a Doug fan. I found it really boring. Now, Hey Arnold! is fantastic.

[@shavonejahisgraciousallen4245]

Doug was better 💖 period !!! #90's kid

[@June28July]

2:00 Doug throws a window!? He's awfully strong!

[@Alex-pj8eu]

both are great shows, but Hey Arnold is my all time favorite.. one thing I might add is that Hey Arnold gave alot of perspective into the past as it had old 30's and 40's model cars and music and the grandparents talked about the old days and the depression, and WW2 which was kinda an exaggerated pun of their age, and the show kinda had an old school mafia/ prohibition era feel to it at certain times while at the same time being modern which i think was incredibly insightful by the writers to kinda give insight to the past while entertaining us in a modern setting, really it was educational, funny, and taught family values/ life lessons. incredibly insightful show with character depth and perception! To have all that in a kids show was really something!

[@stonehead209]

He threw a rock..not a window..😅

[@MagicalAuroraDream]

The April Fool's episode always irritated my blind-girl sensibilities as a kid. I was irritated that they were making light of blindness because I felt something like that is not to be joked about or messed with. It also got under my skin that Helga knew what Braille was yet was walking around with the totally wrong type of cane. LOL! I was always sensitive as a kid, I guess. This episode still bugs me, to be honest.

[@oooh19]

whats the right cane?

[@JosieKoizumi]

Wait wait wait, April fools was so good! I loved this video so much and agree 100 percent. But April fools has the iconic scene of Arnold and Helga flirting with each other. Was totally a game changer. To each their own of course! Anyway! Loved this

[@princessmarlena1359]

So the city where Arnold lived was named “Hillwood”? Wow, I didn’t know that!

[@loey12886]

I love both shows. Hey Arnold really teaches you a lot about life, Doug on the other hand is good on culture. I love both plot lines, two of my favorite cartoon relationships are in both shows, and I get a kick out of a lot of certain characters on both shows.

[@najeenixon1834]

Very good analysis and you're right.

[@kelseyspringer7708]

Who's ready for the Bold marathon tomorrow till the Jungle Movie premiers next week

[@Dachusblot]

Let's be real, the main reason anyone likes the April Fool's episode of Hey Arnold is because of that intense tango scene.

[@mr.checkyourself4672]

Yes that's one thing I loved about Hey Arnold cause every character have epidodes dedicated to them despite Arnold being the main character but in episodes that's not about him he's a supporting character to the characters the episode focus on or some episodes Arnold not a supporting character at all or in the episodes.

[@HuskyDog88]

Arthur was like that too.

[@mr.checkyourself4672]

@@HuskyDog88 Don't remember it's been ages.

[@Neku628]

4:49 That's Olga?!

[@agentdarkness4628]

I have no problem with a slice of life cartoons, it shows us that whatever situation you are in you’re not alone. They have morality in them and strong values that teach us life lessons and how to deal with every day situations, so that in our real lives will know how to face whatever situation comes our way.

[@PeterParker-ff7ub]

helga was always abusive with everyone.

[@gablit-gt8kk]

The only problem was that hey arnold didn't air its series finale on time, instead it got leading to fans to cry over the loss of their beloved franchise not getting a conclusion.

[@kaisarr7632]

I don’t think hey Arnold was much as an “improvement” over Doug but rather both shows parallel each other in a conceptual sense. Doug and hey Arnold have similar premises with very different executions. Doug was about a suburban life kid who faced everyday life with a cynical worldview often being pressured to do things in an act to fit in or not be laughed at by his peers when in most cases dougs issue were merely the result of over thinking things when much was not at stake to began with. Doug essentially has self esteem issues which is a very real topic and the show often depicted it rather realistically. Hey Arnold on the other hand I always considered a ghetto version of Doug in the sense the show has the Brooklyn urban setting about a kid living in a boarding house, with a an optimistic perspective on life. Trying to help and aid others who had very real issues that sometimes couldn’t be resolved in a day or at all like the hardship of real life. Yet Arnold still tried his best to help those in-spite of the degree of the situation, some of this spunk and compassion attributed to his own loneliness from his parents abandoning him molding his tempered life into optimism. Along with a diverse cast of characters with there only insecurities and issues. Both shows depicts very real people that exist there are definitely people like Doug or skeeter who exist with self esteem issues and peer pressure who try to overcome that. And people like Arnold who live in not to cleanly eras with abandonment issues but takes the cynicism of the world (the people) to do something good by aiding other like Arnold constantly did throughout the Show.

[@AliciaNyblade]

Fantastic video! I watched both shows growing up and liked them at the time, but now as an adult, I definitely prefer "Hey Arnold!". I can barely remember anything about "Doug"; it seems a bit bland. "Hey Arnold", in contrast, is extremely vivid in my memory. I loved that its characters were so diverse and that their various backgrounds were shown and explored through storytelling that felt completely organic and honest. Nowadays, diversity in shows often seems disingenuous; you can tell it's included because some producers are like, "Diversity is trendy and we want to seem inclusive with as little effort as possible". "Hey Arnold" respected its audience more than that. Also, I love that you brought up the music. In retrospect, Dino Spumoni was my gateway to crooner music and I've since become a huge Frank Sinatra fan, which isn't surprising considering that Spumoni was largely based on him.

[@TheManiacc45]

Doug and Hey Arnold are my 2 favorites. I can’t compare the 2 haha

[@HuskyDog88]

Arthur was like that, too; there were episodes that were dedicated to some of the other characters, not just Arthur and DW all the time.

[@Dominickudo]

See that's why hey Arnold, recess, and pepper are all on my favorite cartoons list because I like slice of life cartoons and I consider them to be the best.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

Do you think you could compare "Daria"and ATBG sometime?

[@jeffreyherrera5069]

16:03 I don't think it's necessarily because of Lila being "too perfect" (because, by that standard, Olga would be just as hated), but rather, because she knowingly kept leading Arnold on and, at best, let him down gently while also hinting that the door is open in the future. Yeah, she's friendly and tries to be soft and kind with everyone, but her stringing Arnold along would always undermine that aspect of her whenever that topic is explored with them. That said, Arnold still should have given up sooner, but Lila does get hate for concrete reasons beyond being "too perfect".

[@icyflann7178]

I loved hey Arnold but I prefer Doug

[@satchels6451]

hey arnold had.... i saw your face and WOWWW

[@jacobsworld7938]

The hey Arnold pilot never aired on TV just uploaded on KZbin absolutely LOST!!!

[@sean.furlong1989]

While I did like Doug I prefer Hey Arnold as I could relate a lot more to the city life.

[@randomkiliinterviews9453]

I just liked Skeeter and Patti a lot. And the calm diary contemplations in the evenings. .. Helga got on my nerves too much. But then I also liked Mr Kokoshka.

[@uniquemeek4532]

One thing I will say about hey Arnold that I didn't like was the fact that towards the end of the series, they made Arnold more of a goody goody. They had an episode about it "deconstructing Arnold". Like in the episode "hookey" earlier in the series he and Gerald played hookey. He would had never done that later in the series. He stopped taking risk and to me, that made the show a little more boring

[@HuskyDog88]

Arthur had an episode from season 5 where his friends cut class as a result of a double dare and got into big trouble.

[@kaisarr7632]

Yeah I noticed that to in the early seasons Arnold literally infiltrated a Aquarium with his grandma to save the turtle “lockjaw” but the later seasons his character was a lot more tame and watered down kind of made him boring compare to everyone else.

[@garynaccarato4606]

If one rock that size was able to knock down an entire house like that I would say that it definitely should have been condemned for sure.

[@Nachtgeist.]

hey arnold was a bit more modern. had more racially diverse characters and realistic, edgy situations in a diverse city. doug was a little more old world small town. i know the characters were multi-colored but i feel like everyone in doug was white. that's the main difference that sticks out to me

[@LikaLaruku]

As a kid, my biggest issue with Doug is that the kids looked & sounded like teenagers & my brain absolutely refused to accept them as 11 year olds, thus they all seemed really immature to me, like Doug's constant daydreaming & Quail Man costume were absolute cringe for the age my brain had assigned them. I did however love all the wild skin colors. That's something I've only ever seen Marvel comics do. Should probably give Doug a 2nd chance as an adult too. I love that the video clips are so low res that Nickelodeon's DMCA bots probably aren't even flagging this. Maybe Angry Joe should try this trick with CBS clips.

[@morbidsearch]

10:07 Is that Monica and Ross' dad?

[@MsLunaWinter]

yes it is

[@andrewmontgomery8428]

I don’t think it’s fair to really say one was better than the other. Doug had its moments and possibly created the groundwork for Hey Arnold

[@bilbobaggins3984]

When you mentioned Lila my brain automatically thought Miraculous ladybug. I liked how kid shows we grew up with demonstrated that you could have a foil character even if they’re not evil. You just didn’t get along with them. Nowadays they’re automatically portrayed as shallow & nasty, with hardly any character growth.

[@mrspaghetti8147]

Also, your soundtrack argument is weak. No offense, but doug's soundtrack is literally original, and freshly-crafted. Hey Arnold, uses mediocre, "Eh"-Type music. Well, that's just my opinion but...I dunno...what do you guys think?

[@jmsmilton84]

I agree! I guess it just depends on people's tastes, but I really dislike jazz and Dean Martin/Frank Sinatra-type performers, so the music to Hey Arnold always annoyed me. The music for Doug was awesome 'cuz it incorporated all sorts of different styles. Alternative/rock, punk, metal, hip hop, country, be bop, swing, scat, all sorts of stuff! Even with all those different styles, it still had its own sound too, which is a really hard thing to do. That takes a lot of talent!

[@mrspaghetti8147]

Al Conner Thanks! I feel the same! Plus, I never even really liked hey Arnold.

[@curtisdavis2157]

#HowHumblySimplistic!

[@Nothin2seehere-e4z]

I like both Doug and Hey Anrold.

[@slinkycubez20]

Hey Arnolds writing and pacing was better than any other nicktoon of that time. I'd say the only show that's aged terribly is rugrats. That show hurts my eyes

[@m56214]

At Rugrats is remembered As Told By Ginger is the one that aged horribly

[@WhoElseButZane]

Strange skin tones vs. Weird head shapes

[@Courier-Six]

@7;49. I may be misremembering this but Doug's helmet just set off a flag in my mind. Didnt that thing have like flashing lights on it in one episode and Doug thought it was cool only to have tons of other kids make fun of it and him to hide it? I remember something like that happening, I swear I cannot be the only one

[@OldSchoolLane]

No, that was an episode of Franklin. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaO4oKhviJx3r8k

[@Courier-Six]

@@OldSchoolLane huh. Been forever since I've seen both. I guess the design must have been similar or something. Funny how memories merge that way from early childhood

[@StrawbearyPanic]

17: 56 Craig by the creek is a newer slice of life show that good. its like a Hey Arnold with a bit of the wackiness of Code name kids next door :3

[@mrspaghetti8147]

Doug is set in a town. Comparing it to the city setting in "hey Arnold!" Is unfair. Doug is set in a town, because creator Jim jinkins grew up in a town.

[@dragonking2248]

Yay!! I'm not the only person who hates Lila! Well, I can't say hates, just really dislike. Anyways, great analysis.

[@janette2691]

i hate lila too, she is too perfect

[@ssjup81]

Dragon King22 Her debut episode was fine. She had her issues, like her father being unemployed and being in poverty practically. Personally, her bubbly personality was probably intended to be her mask, like how Helga bullies to mask her insecurities. After that, though...i didn't care much for Lila because she did come across as perfect. It made her boring and in a way, sometimes brought the worst out in Arnold...like in Weird Cousin. When Arnold confronted Lila about her being with Arnie at the movies and saying that she liked Arnie, Arnold came across as pretty arrogant. "How could you like my cousin? I'm better than him."

[@sammyshehole]

I’m 31 and Hey Arnold is the only childhood cartoon I can still watch and enjoy as an adult. Doug was good and was always one of my favorites but looking at it now, the show was a little strange and weird.

[@ECL28E]

I remember seeing those commercials promoting the Nicktoons in the 90s as "edgy, rebellious, and full of attitude". Ren and Stimpy, yes. Rocko's Modern Life, sure. AAHHH! Real Monsters, absolutely. Doug, not in the slightest. Doug was as bland and milquetoast as cartoon protags got. Ginger Foutley had more edge to her. Charlie Brown was more dangerous. Arthur Fucking Read was more gangster than Doug. "That's ONLY child, DW. A lonely child is what you're going to be when I sell you"

[@derekgardner6601]

That's kind of the point. Doug was supposed to be the average character going through many quirks in his new experiences in his new home. And why does it even matter what character is more "gangster"?

[@mrswilson8503]

"Stinky Peterson " lol

[@LikaLaruku]

You know if you take Lucy & Peppermint Patty from "Charlie Brown & Snoopy" aka "Peanuts" & fuse them together, you get Helga Pataki. Lucy is a bully & she's obsessed with Schroeder. Peppermint Patty has a nerdy best friend & a secret crush on Charlie Brown that she takes forever to admit, & she resents the Little Red Haired Girl that Charlie likes. Then there's Doug vs Charlie Brown; A near-bald unpopular kid with a quirky dog & a crush on the same girl forever.

[@RobertHurleyJr]

Love the first point. Plenty of examples of non Arnold focused episodes.

[@YariAzQuran]

Terrific analysis.

[@ijustgottahotdog]

I really liked how Hey Arnold! was meant to be taken seriously. Unlike Doug which always seemed to be a joke.

[@theCarbonFreeze]

Doug was autobiographical and very personal to Jim Jinkins. Also the Christmas episode and the Mystery-themed episode where Roger sabotages the wheelbarrow race are pretty serious, among others.

[@SprinkleB0mb]

Doug just always bored me. So did hey Arnold. I liked invader Zim and Ren & stimpy

[@mecahhannah]

I miss the weekenders can you cover this show please

[@meimeilei]

4:50 that's how you know Helga will be pretty in the future haha

[@Meshal11YouTube15]

But Guys, I think in the future for Doug is from Walt Disney, but not Nickelodeon, Why?, in February 1996, Walt Disney Company Purchased Jumbo Pictures. 😔

[@OldSchoolLane]

We did a video on Disney's Doug if you're interested in checking it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5vSkIWZhLyieZo

[@PeterParker-ff7ub]

hey arnold was so real and could take problems seriously. it was more interesting.

[@PeterParker-ff7ub]

Animation isnt only for children.

[@Ronnie06spartan]

Another great video. I love Doug, but I agree Hey Arnold did some things better

[@robertisback3069]

Robert on Hey Arnold

[@Endothelia]

Doug was pretty boring in my opinion.

[@bob97529]

im guessing you dont like the slice of life episodes of steven universe

[@theCarbonFreeze]

Doug saving kids dressed as a giant burger is funnier than anything Arnold ever had to offer, imo

[@uniquemeek4532]

#4 was a very good point