Whole Series
- Like Doug Funnie, Mr. Simmons wears a green sweater vest over a white t-shirt and brown slacks.
- Baby Arnold wears a light blue shirt and diaper like Tommy Pickles, at least when he was a baby.
- The way Helga shouts “AAARRRRNNOOOOOOOOOOOOLD!” may refer to Dave Seville’s “AAAALLLLLVVVIIIIIIIIIIIINNN!” ultimatum.
- 'Dino Land' spoofs any kind of amusement parks such as Disney Theme Parks and Six Flags, also, the entrance is similar to the entrance Jurassic Park 1.
- Like the example above, ‘Wanky Land’ is an amusement park that spoofs Wackyland and Disneyland.
- Fictional singer Dino Spumoni is similar to Frank Sinatra.
- Oskar Kokoshka shares a similar name to an Austrian expressionistic artist.
- The kid who Helga keeps hitting each time he shows up each time the tsundere monologues about her unrequited love for Arnold is known as “Brainy.”
- Brainy’s hair is similar to Bart Simpson.
- The Abdicator appears to be based on Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- The Hillwood Arcade has a drawing of Doomguy on its storefront.
Unsorted
- One episode features Grandpa reading a tabloid article about a "two foot baby born with a three foot beard" accompanied by an illustration that resembles an Elbonian child.
- Helga's lunch box has a design on it that looks like the Charlie's Angels silhouette.
- Some episodes have Big Bob watching The Wheel complete with the trademark sound effect.
"Arnold" Pilot
- Harold says Thing’s catchphrase “It’s clobberin’ time!”
- Harold wears a red striped shirt and a crown strongly resembled the one that Jughead always wore.
Downtown As Fruits
Eugene's Bike
The Little Pink Book
Field Trip
- Grandma Pookie and Arnold freeing a mistreated turtle from captivity is Jesse wanting to free an orca whale named Willy.
- Episode plot is also like the plot of TaleSpin episode “All’s Whale That End’s Whale.”
Arnold's Hat
Stoop Kid
- Stoop Kid reads The Little Engine That Could, even quoting the line “I think I can... I think I can...”
Helga's Makeover
- Harold’s “The horror! The horror!” line comes from Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now.
- Seeing Phoebe laughing at a joke about her:
The Old Building
- The wrecking balls are named Big Bertha, Black Thunder, T. Minnie Martoonis, Judgement Day* and The Terminator.
6th Grade Girls
The Baseball
- Next to Arnold’s “THIS IS NOT MONEY” jar is a “Donna Smith’s Spelling Book,” the name being the show’s production manager.
- Grandma Pookie is seen wearing a shirt with a logo circled with the “Black Sox” surrounding a picture of a black sock, a reference to the Boston Red Sox.
- It may also be a reference to the infamous "Black Sox Scandal," in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox baseball team were accused of intentionally losing games in the 1919 World Series in exchange for money.
Heat
- The entire plot is an homage to DoTheRightThing
Snow
- This episode makes a Billy Joel reference.
Operation Ruthless
The Vacant Lot
The List
Haunted Train
- The engineer’s ghost sitting on the front of the train at the end is like Baron Samedi being perched on the front of the speeding train despite James Bond kicking him into a coffin full of snakes.
- The engine itself resembles Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700.
- It's probably more similar to Milwaukee Road 261 seeing how the front end with the cowcatcher is slung forward more than SP&S 700. Considering how many Northern type steam locomotives resemble it, it could just be a combination of the two (and possibly Santa Fe 3751)
- The engine's tender reads "Great Northern" which was a real railroad that operated across the American Northwest including Washington where the show takes place.
- Helga's "I do believe in mad engineers! I do believe in haunted trains! I do, I do!" line is more than likely a nod to the "I do believe in spooks!" line from The Wizard of Oz.
Mugged
- Arnold is referred to as “Bruce.”
- To a mirror:Arnold: Hey! You talkin’ to me? You . . . talkin' to me?
- Arnold tries taking a fly from Grandma Pookie’s hand.
Roughin' It
Door #16
Arnold as Cupid
Benchwarmer
Cool Jerk
- Frankie G. looks like Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli.
- Frankie G. high fives a man in his apartment wearing a combat jacket and Mohawk similar to Travis Bickle.
- The water tower at the end reads “LOWTWATER,” named after Steve Lowtwait, a layout designer on the show.
- Frankie G. takes Arnold to a motorcycle movie called The Wild One.
- Outside the theater, there’s graffiti reading "James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause". Also a graffiti saying "The Irons" near a similar looking image of Iron Maiden’s Eddie the Head from their debut album.
- Frankie G. wears a Star Trek pin.
- When Harold gets his nose punched, it becomes red. When he asks if it looks swollen, Helga simply replies, "You're fine, Rudolph!"
Das Subway
- 'Das Subway' derives from German film Das Boot.
- Episode plot is similar to an episode of The Odd Couple.
- After Gerald points out the train has stopped:Helga: No kidding, Einstein.
- Next to the pay phone is a sign for the 'Tucker Railroad,' “Tucker” being the surname of one of the story’s directors Tuck Tucker.
- The song everyone sings at the end is a parody of "We Are the World".
Wheezin' Ed
- 'Marumba Rights' refers to Miranda Rights.
- The whole episode plot parodies The Goonies.
- Upon finding a jelly bean:Harold: Praise Thor, the thunder god!
- Harold rolls like a boulder after Sid, Helga, Arnold, Rhonda, Brainy and Phoebe as they run out of the rumbling cave.
- Elk Island is likely based on Skagit Island◊ to the north from Seattle that’s seen from the company Snee-Oosh that makes Hey Arnold!.
- Elk Island in general, as it supposedly is home to a massive treasure trove, in a cave, that some believe is haunted much like Money Pit on Oak Island in Nova Scotia.
Tutoring Torvald
Gerald Comes Over
- While Arnold is at Gerald’s house eating dinner:Timberly: Hey look! I’m Timberly the Pink Ranger!
- Arnold attempts to tell Gerald that the things he may see may confuse him or horrify him, and that "you've been warned", a parody of the opening prologue to James Whale's Frankenstein (1931).
- Mr. Purdy is named after Hey Arnold! writer Joseph Purdy.
- Oskar claims that he auditioned for Man of La Mancha and sings a snippet of "The Impossible Dream".
Spelling Bee
- Episode’s story is similar to A Boy Named Charlie Brown plot.
Pigeon Man
- The speech Pigeon Man makes at the end of the episode with him and Arnold on top the Brownstone is taken from Tom Joard’s speech.
- Pigeon Man flying away using a huge flock pigeons is almost similar to when James Trotter used a huge flock of seagulls.
- Helga says "What did he say? Koo Koo ka choo?" a reference to The Beatles’ song “‘I am the Walrus’” in which many people thought John Lennon said "Koo Koo ka choo," when in actuality he sang "Goo Goo Gjoob."
- The Pigeon Man is based on the Birdman of Alcatraz, Robert Stroud.
Olga Comes Home
- About to change the "A" to a "B" grade on Olga's Elizabethan Poetry assignment:
- While depressed, Olga listens to a piece of 'Lacrimosa' from Mozart's Requiem in D Minor.
- Helga tells Arnold "catfish are jumpin' and the cotton is high," an almost verbatim line from Porgy and Bess.
- The melting clocks in Helga's dream resemble those of famous painting The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí.
Sally's Comet
- The first place, Hawk Mountain, Arnold, Grandpa Phil and Gerald try to see Sally’s Comet is a real place near Allentown, Pennsylvania.
- 'Sally’s Comet' was aired on January 13, 1997 in commemoration to the Comet Hale-Bopp that passed over Earth in winter 1996 to spring 1997.
- 'Sally’s Comet' sounds like “Halley’s Comet.”
Abner Come Home
- 'Abner Come Home' is based on Lassie Come-Home.
The Sewer King
- Chess champion Boris Spassky is mentioned.
False Alarm
- There’s a Yahoo! Soda machine in the cafeteria.
- Several elements from 12 Angry Men are used:
- Harold, Phoebe, Gerald, Helga, Curly and Arnold have to figure out if Eugene pulled the fire alarm where the titular twelve angry jurors had to find out if the boy being accused of murder was guilty.
- Helga acts like Juror No. 3, who holds fast to his belief that the accused is guilty and often antagonizes Juror No. 8.
- Arnold being the only person to vote not guilty like there only being one man saying “not guilty” against the eleven jurors during the anonymous votes from both medias.
- Just like Juror No. 8 who voted “not guilty,” Arnold slowly gets the others to change their minds.
- A character has tickets to a sporting event, in the movie it’s baseball and here it’s wrestling.
- Arnold stabs a pencil in the table like how Juror No. 8 does this with a knife.
World Records
- One of the record breakers in Arnold’s book is Frannie Caudell, a reference to Helga’s voice actress Francesca Smith and Arnold’s season one voice actor Toran Caudell.
- Helga makes reference to Don Quixote when she says “How many windmills have to knock you on your butt?”
Magic Show
- The spell Arnold uses to make Helga “disappear” consists of "Flanders, Fudd, McBoing-Boing and Whiplash" and the other has "Dastardly, Do-Right, Burns and Rubble."
- When reversing the “spell” that made Helga disappear, Arnold says “Wolf, Abzug, Steinem, Faludi, Helga come back and shake your booty!” the four words being the last names of feminists Naomi Wolf, Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem and Susan Faludi.
- Arnold’s stage name 'The Great Arnoldini' is taken from “The Great Houdini.”
24 Hours to Live
- Whole episode is the remake of the original Hey Arnold! pilot that aired in theatres along with 1996 film Harriet the Spy to which was based on an early comic strip called ARNOLD NARROWLY AVOIDS A THRASHING◊.
- Episode title may be based off 24 Hours.
- Harold shouts Thing’s catchphrase “It’s clobberin’ time!”
Part-Time Friends
- The name of Hillwood stadium shares the same name as another stadium called 'Quigley.'
- Quigley stadium very closely resembles Tiger Stadium, home of the Detroit Tigers.
- Fictional baseball team Hillwood Black Sox is a reference to the Boston Red Sox.
- Hillwood baseball team’s best player is named Mickey Kaline, a mixture of former Yankee great Mickey Mantle and former Tiger great Al Kaline, both of whom are associated with The '50s. Given the Suburbia setting, that wouldn't be unlikely.
Arnold's Christmas
- Department store ‘Kacy’s’ is based on real-life store Macy’s.
- Helga’s parents, “Big” Bob and Miriam sing half the “Jingle Bells” chorus.
- Grandma Pookie plays “Yankee Doodle Boy” by George Cohan on the piano.
- Mr. Bailey may be named after George Bailey.
- Nancy Spumoni is a reference to Nancy Sinatra who is the real life daughter of Frank Sinatra, she is presumably related to Dino Spumoni who is an expy of Sinatra.
- The "Nancy Spumoni Signature Snow Boots" could possibly be referencing Nancy Sinatra's hit song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'."
Helga's Boyfriend
Crush on Teacher
- As Gerald walks away after questioning and teasing Arnold for reading poetry, to which he replies that he likes them:Arnold: Oh soft, what light from yonder window breaks? It is the east . . .
Gerald stops
Arnold: (dreamily) . . . and Miss Felter is the sun.
Gerald: (in disgust) That's it, now I'm pukin'. - On the side of Miss. Felter’s apartment building has a billboard for “Lowtwait Natural Waters,” named for Steve Lowtwait, a layout for the show.
Hall Monitor
- Arnold calls Helga "Helga the Horrible." It's worth noting that Hägar has a wife named Helga.
Harold's Bar Mitzvah
- Helga is seen wearing her dress with the pink sleeves and white collar from what she original wore in the Claymation shorts and it the pilot episode.
Coach Wittenberg
- When Coach Wittenberg makes the team do pushups, they do it with their knees on the ground known as 'girl pushups.'
Four-Eyed Jack
- The books Arnold and Gerald read are ‘The Purdy Boys’ novels.
Tour de Pond
- 'Tour de Pond' spoofs the bike race Tour de France.
- Even the showdown between Rex and Arnold is similar to the showdown between Greg Lemond and Laurent Fignon in the 1989 event.
Teachers' Strike
Arnold's Valentine
- According to Arnold, Cecile lives on a farm in the Loire Valley.
- To Helga, before both depart ways:Arnold: We'll always have Chez Paris.
- Arnold keeps one of masquerading Helga’s shoes just like in Cinderella.
Runaway Float
Partners
- "Nuttin' Without You" references Laurel and Hardy, Romeo and Juliet, Sacagawea, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Sherlock Holmes.
The Big Scoop
- Helga’s ‘The Pataki Press’ paper is a parody of United Kingdom tabloid The Sun.
Harold's Kitty
- Arnold’s phone number is given as 555-123 . . . and yes, it’s missing a digit.
Arnold Saves Sid
- The restaurant is called ‘Mr. Chickens House Of Pancakes And Halibut’ which is a take on the restaurant chain Roscoe's Chicken And Waffles.
- Sid feeling he should act as Arnold’s slave as a way to thank him after the latter rescued the former from a falling board, thus driving Arnold crazy is like Clumsy Smurf doing Handy’s bidding thus driving him crazy after the latter saved the former from Gargamel.
Hookey
- Oskar Kokoshka mentions character Buddy Love.
- When Arnold and Gerald are in House of Costumes, Gerald comments about being a "free man in Paris, unfettered and alive," stating he heard it on one of his parent’ old albums, referring to Joni Mitchell’s 1974 Court and Spark album and the “Free Man in Paris” written by her.
Save the Tree
New Teacher
- Lieutenant Major Goose’s strict, military attitude is that of Sergeant Hartman.
- Walter Charles Walter is a parody of William Carlos Williams.
- The fictional poet Walter Charles Walter’s poem ‘They Were Delicious’ Mr. Simmons reads in class parodies actual poem This is Just to Say.
- On Mr. Simmon’s house, there’s a sign reading “Don’t worry, be happy,” not only is it a name of a Bobby McFerrin song but it’s one of Michelle Tanner’s catchphrases.
- When the students question Lieutenant Major Goose why certain things are so, Curly says “Why do fools fall in love?” which is a title of a song by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.
- Gerald’s poem is similar to Allen Ginsberg’s Howl (1955) poem.
Ransom
- Timberly’s doll ‘Wally’ appears to be crude parody of Barney the Dinosaur.
Ms. Perfect
- Lila Sawyer has the personality of Becky Thatcher as well as sharing the last name as Tom Sawyer.
Monkey Business
- After getting home from the park and reads a comic book and laughs:
- 'Monkeynucleosis' a parody of “mononucleosis,” better known as “mono,” that’s an abnormally high proportion of monocytes in the blood.
- Composer Jim Lang stated that the music for Helga's nightmare was meant to be styled after that of The Elephant Man.
- Grandpa Phil owns an autographed photo of Austro-American starlet Hedy Lamarr.
- Much like how Arnold and Gerald try to catch the titular prehistoric fish is like how Homer Simpson goes after a giant catfish.
- Gerald drops this line after seeing Big Caesar:Gerald: We're gonna need a bigger swan.
- When Arnold and Gerald come back to the docks:Helga: Why if it isn’t the Skipper and Gilligan.
The High Life
Best Friends
Longest Monday
- 'Longest Monday' derives from Cornelius Ryan’s The Longest Day.
Eugene's Pet
Mud Bowl
Gerald Moves Out
- Gerald is seen kicking a parody CocaCola can before he sees his dad and decides to come home.
Freeze Frame
- Arnold’s computer is made by Purdy Electronics, Joseph Purdy being the writer of this episode.
- 'Freeze Frame' shares the same name as a song by J. Geils Band.
Phoebe Cheats
- The trophy for the poetry contest is a statue of Emily Dickinson.
- Episode plot is very similar to when Blair Warner cheats on a poetry assignment by copying a poem by Emily Dickinson, and it ends up finishing in third place in a New York statewide poetry competition.
- The sign in Phoebe’s room reads “CARPE UNUM,” which means “Seize One” in Latin.
Helga's Love Potion
Gerald's Secret
- A store called ‘Baby Town’ that sells various baby products is based on actual store Babies Я Us.
Steely Phil
- Robbie Fisher and Boris Slasky are parodies of chess champions Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.
- During the training scene, Grandpa runs up a flight of stairs and celebrates at the top towards the city just like Rocky Balboa.
- The nickname "Steely Phil" is possibly a reference to the band Steely Dan.
Quantity Time
- Fictional musical ‘RATS’ Helga and her father see is a parody of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS.
Eating Contest
Rhonda's Glasses
- The story is almost similar to the black and white segregation as the "cool kids" discriminated against the "geeks," the "geeks" having to sit at the back of the bus, sit at the geek tables, and get all the bad equipment, just like the blacks did. Not to mention Rhonda refusing to move to the back of the bus because she had glasses like Rosa Parks.
- Becoming fed up with the treatment toward the geeks Rhonda yells “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?,” a verbatim line in the first scene of act three from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice:Shylock: If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
Eugene Goes Bad
- After Eugene tells some little kid who looks up to him that it has to be way past his bedtime:Kid: I have to be in bed by 8:30 right after my favorite show Yo Ernest.
What's Opera, Arnold?
- Besides episode title 'What’s Opera, Arnold?', in Helga’s dream sequence* , she reveals her weapon to be a "golden magic slingshot" to which Gerald mentions that he thought the weapons were supposed to be a "spear and magic helmet" all alludes to What’s Opera, Doc? short.
- When first introduced in Arnold’s dream, Gerald’s singing “Figaro.”
- Twice, Curly says “Thank you very much” like Elvis Presley.
- Mr. Packenham and Harold mentions Pagliacci, Harold even dresses and sings like him..
- The opera Mr. Packenham takes the students to is Carmen.
Arnold's Halloween
- The “alien” costume and makeup worn by Helga, Harold, Curly, Phoebe, Rhonda, Eugene and Sid are vaguely similar to the Talosians.
- Gerald's father is disguised similarly to Fred Flintstone at the party.
- The entire episode is based on the classic The War of the Worlds radio broadcast by Orson Welles and the MercuryTheatre:
- Gerald’s “Aliens are coming to destroy the Earth!” broadcasted line was thought to be true and caused panic in the neighborhood.
- Arnold and the gang fake an alien invasion using a water tower with Christmas lights for the UFO called Well’s Ridge.
- Episode aired fifty nine years and three days to the day of Welles’ 1939 radio broadcast.
- “Big” Bob Pataki’s voice actor not only used his Orson Welles voice for obsessive “UFO Tonight” presenter Douglas Cain but Cain spoofs Charles Foster Kane.
- When perusing the sports section of his newspaper, Big Bob mentions the “Packers,” a reference to the Green Bay Packers
The Aptitude Test
- Helga tells Mr. Simmons that she learned her new country accent from the Clampetts, especially from Jed and Ellie Mae.
- When Stinky asks Harold to read the title of the Ornamental Horticulture magazine, the price can be seen to be $1 in United States currency and $10 in Canadian currency
Oskar Gets a Job
Curly Snaps
- Mr. Simmons has been to Tierra del Fuego.
- When first locking himself in Principal Wartz’ office:
- Sticking his head out the window above the office door.
Pre-Teen Scream
- Ronnie Matthews is a reference to Milli Vanilli.
Stinky Goes Hollywood
- The company that makes the publicity for “Yahoo! Soda” and where Stinky filmed all his commercials is Snee-Oosh Studios, named after the company that created this show, even having the same logo and symbol.
- Stinky starring in commercials and rising to fame is similar to the late American actor, voice artist and comedian Jim Varney, best known for his role as Earnest P. Worrell.
- Yahoo! Soda appears again.
- Yahoo!! is also a multinational internet search site.
- The name Yahoo! could also be a reference to the real life drink: Yoo-hoo. Though Yoo-hoo is chocolate milk instead of a soda.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger expy Abdicator appears again on a poster while Arnold and Stinky walk around the studio.
- The “Just Drink It” slogan is very close to the “Just DO It” slogan for Nike shoes.
- The ‘Revis and Jackie’ bit is a spoof of Regis and Kathie Lee, now known as Live with Regis and Kelly.
- Stinky's make-up lady telling him "Don't call me babe" could be a possible reference to the title character from the movie Barb Wire who uses that same phrase.
Olga Gets Engaged
Crabby Author
- Titular crabby author’s name Agatha Caulfield is a blend of Agatha Christie and Holden Caulfield.
- One of her books is called ‘The Little House by the Dairy.’
- Once more, Elk Island is likely based on Skagit Island◊ and the fact it’s supposedly home of a massive treasure trove, in a cave, that some believe is haunted much like Money Pit on Oak Island in Nova Scotia.
- While cleaning, Grandpa mangles the lyrics to "Oh, You Beautiful Doll".
Rich Kid
Helga Blabs It All
- 'Helga Blabs It All' parodies Clarissa Explains It All.
- Grandma Pookie misreads Helga’s name as “Helen of Troy.”
Harold the Butcher
- 'Harold the Butcher’ is based on Abdullah the Butcher.
Arnold Betrays Iggy
- Iggy watches the “Abdicator,” again a parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Helga and the Nanny
- Helga refers to Inga as "Edelweiss", a reference to the song of the same name by Richard Rodgers.
- Bob calls Inga "Fraulein" a reference to the hit country song by Bobby Helms.
Dangerous Lumber
- Helga refers to Arnold as “Arnold the Assassin” then later calls him “Scud.”
Mr. Hyunh Goes Country
- Country singer Travis Randall is based on Randy Travis, who provides Mr. Hyunh’s singing voice.
- The pictures at the recording studio and ‘The Great Old Opry,’ a takeoff on Grand Ole Opry, include Slim Wicken, Polly Barton and Honk Williams, all spoof of real life people Slim Pickens, Dolly Parton and Hank Williams.
Arnold's Room
Helga vs. Big Patty
Hey Harold!
- 'Hey Harold' is an obvious parody of this series title, Hey Arnold!.
- Episode’s a loose retelling of 1953 teleplay Marty, who also served as the inspiration for the character of Mr. Green.
Casa Paradiso
Gerald's Tonsils
- According to Gerald, Arnold has twenty three volumes of ‘The Purdy Boys’ novels.
- Gerald’s operation took place at Drymon Medic Clinic, one of the show’s directors is Derek Drymon.
Phoebe Takes the Fall
- The scene with Helga and Phoebe in the car homages On the Waterfront.
- One of the signs in Mrs. Vitello's shop reads "With ferns like these, who needs anemones?" a pun off the “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” saying that means when someone one thought as a friend treats oneself in an unpleasant way.
The Pig War
- Again, Elk Island is likely based on Skagit Island◊.
- The fact it’s supposedly home of a massive treasure trove, in a cave, that some believe is haunted much like Money Pit on Oak Island in Nova Scotia.
- When Sheena’s Uncle Earl takes Arnold, Grandpa Phil, Harold, Brainy, Phoebe, Helga, Stinky, Rhonda, Sid and Gerald to Elk Island, Phil standing proudly at the bow◊ is very reminiscent of George Washing Crossing the Delaware River◊, Phil even wears an outfit similar to George Washington’s commanding uniform.
- Harold is dressed as Rambo, Sid dresses like Davy Crockett, Stinky wears a Confederate uniform and Rex Smythe-Higgins I, Rex Smyth-Higgins III and the rest of the opposing team all dress in Red Coats garb.
- From Arnold confronts Rex Smythe-Higgins III at the fort, Rex taunts Arnold before he and fellow British re-enactors pelt him to Rex hearing saw noises in the forest parodies the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail between King Arthur and his knights and the French-controlled castle.
- In order to rescue Abner from being eaten by the opposing team, Harold, Arnold, Helga, Gerald, Phoebe, Sid, Stinky, Rhonda and Brainy all hide in a large wooden pig as Phil brings the “gift of truce” inside their fort, even one of the members recognizes the trick and tries to warn the leader, Rex Smythe-Higgins I, but he refuses to listen.
- The fact a makeshift pig is revealed after the noises in the forest stopped is also taken from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the only difference being in the movie, it was a rabbit and the knights were supposed to hide inside in order to penetrate the castle.
- This episode is inspired by real life events taking place in the San Juan Islands in (what is now) Washington State also called "The Pig War" in which the only casualty was indeed a British-owned pig, the shooting of which almost led to an actual war between the US and Britain.
Best Man
Cool Party
- In regards to Stinky, when mocking the “geeks” at her party:Rhonda: Where did he learn English? Green Acres?
Sid's Revenge
Roller Coaster
- Hillwood has a “Statue of Justice” in its harbor where Eugene was once rescued from.
Grandpa's Birthday
- During the montage, Arnold and Grandpa Phil see a movie with a man hanging from a clock tower.
Road Trip
- The mechanic who’s set to fix Miriam’s car is based and sounds like Karl Childers.
Arnold & Lila
Grand Prix
- When Eugene says “Well, some kids would do that Wolfgang. Some kids would just give up and start falling apart, piece by piece. But other kids come home from school and wash up, and go racing in the streets” refers to the “Racing in the Street” song by Bruce Springsteen.
- The race track has a similar shape to Donut Plains 1.
Arnold's Thanksgiving
- Stars and Stripes Forever plays through the first part of the end credits.
Girl Trouble
School Dance
- The credits send out a special thanks to “Ol’ Blue Eyes.”
Helga's Show
The Flood
- After realizing that Mr. Simmons has been gone for some time after going to get the attention of the helicopter, the kids hear him singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic where they find him dangling helplessly from the latter two-three stories up.
- Phil’s rescue raft is called “Titanic.”
- Principal Wartz sings snippets of "La Cucuracha" and "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans".
School Play
- The play the kids do is William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Parents Day
- Grandma (in her karate outfit) calls Grandpa “Anjin-san,” the lead character of James Clavell’s Shogun.
- Arnold’s father Miles uses the phrase “aye-aye-aye!” after falling down the cliff side for the second time is likely a referent to The Gods Must Be Crazy where a character frequently would use that phrase.
- From the sleeping sickness to fictional country where Arnold’s parents set off on a rescue mission and were never heard from refers to One Hundred Years of Solitude, though in the book, it was an island called Macono.
Eugene's Birthday
Stinky's Pumpkin
- The adults in Stinky’s spoofs Grant Wood’s famous American Gothic painting and the Norman Rockwell’s Freedom from Want Thanksgiving painting.
Dinner for Four
Phoebe Skips
- The sixth grade girls watch a movie in which a character is heard saying “I know what you did last summer.”
- As the sixth grade girls watch TV, one asks if Bailey or Charlie is cuter to the others.
Full Moon
- 'Full Moon' refers to . . .
1) a lunar phase of the moon.
2) a play by Reynolds Rice.
3) a 1973 Kris Kristofferson album.
4) a novel by P. G. Wodehouse.
5) the English translation of 1937 film Terang Boelan from the Dutch East Indies.
6) the manga Full Moon.
7) a 1980 Charlie Daniels album.
8) a show with the same name.
9) a 1986 Paul Brady album.
10) a short story by Georgette Heyer.
Student Teacher
- The foggy airport scene near the end where both Helga and Olga say goodbye is similar to the ending of Casablanca.
Big Gino
- Discovering wood shavings upon waking up, Sid finds his wooden pony’s head when looking under his bed covers.
- Big Gino’s attitude is very similar to Vito Corleone, the Mafia Don.
- How he runs things is like an elementary school version of the Mafia.
- Big Gino’s attitude is very similar to Vito Corleone, the Mafia Don.
- After Sid avoids Big Gino's calls, the doorframe above him says "Cogit Ergo Sum," a flawed Latin translation of Rene Descartes' famous quote "I think; therefore I am," it should be "Cogito Ergo Sum."
Jamie O. in Love
The Beeper Queen
- The song in the commercial Mariam was shooting is called ‘Beepers Are A Girl’s Best Friend’ parodies the song “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Oskar Can't Read?
- Ernie hands Oskar Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace to prove that Oskar only memorized Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities so that he could win the bet place by Earnie and Mr. Hyunh.
- After giving Chocolate Boy malted milk balls in favor of repeatedly read the first page of A Tale of Two Cities to Oskar until he memorizes it:Chocolate Boy: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
- After giving Chocolate Boy malted milk balls in favor of repeatedly read the first page of A Tale of Two Cities to Oskar until he memorizes it:
Headless Cabbie
- The 'Headless Cabbie' is based on the Headless Horseman.
Friday the 13th
- 'Friday the 13th' can refer to . . .
. . . the Friday the 13th franchise, . . .
. . . the 1980 film that started it all, . . .
. . . a NES licensed game based on the movies, . . .
. . . a horror television series unrelated to the movies . . .
. . . or the date considered unlucky.
Helga's Parrot
- The titular parrot◊ is similar to the Quaker parrot◊.
- Where the parrot is killed by Phoebe’s oversized pet lizard eating him is similar to the classic “Dead Parrot” sketch.
Chocolate Turtles
- During the credits for Arnold and Gerald's favorite TV show Pop Daddy, the executive producer is credited as "Snoop Cat."
- "Pop Daddy" may be a reference to rapper/producer Puff Daddy
Love and Cheese
Weighing Harold
- Where Arnold is in the comic store, one of the issues in the rack says “SpongeBob.”
- Behind Arnold are two comics forming the picture of CatDog.
- The music playing when Harold tries to lose weight is almost identical to the music that plays when Rocky Balboa tries to get fit.
It Girl
- The microphone the reporter, who's holding news cast at the Civic Auditorium, reads "E3."
- Johnny Stitches resembles John Lennon.
Deconstructing Arnold
Grudge Match
Veterans Day
- During the WWII flashback, Phil is seen holding an autographed photo of Austro-American starlet Hedy Lamarr while he’s peeling potatoes.
- Phil delivers 'Cham' to Northern France is a parody of “Spam,” the difference between Cham and Spam being that Spam was made of ham while the Cham was combination of chicken and ham used for military for experimental purposes in 1944.
Back to School
- Right before he gets his diploma, Grandpa Phil says “The sum of the square root of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side” to Wartz, the same thing Homer Simpson said.
- The equation Phil recites is the same equation recited by the Scarecrow when he receives his "brain" from the Wizard.
- Pookie’s “melts in your mouth, not in your hand” comment is the slogan for M&M’s candies.
Egg Story
Weird Cousin
- There’s a movie poster advertising ‘Evil Twin II.’
- On the poster has an undead corpse popping out of a grave, scaring a woman, a refence to any horror movie involving supernatural.
Baby Oskar
- During their fight:Suzie: Oh sure it’s a good day for you! Tomorrow’s a grand day for you because tomorrow is the day you get a job! Tomorrow is the day you pay the bills, tomorrow is the day you grow up and start acting responsible. But tomorrow never comes for you does it Oskar because it’s so conveniently a day away.Oskar: Right, it’s always a day away, just like the song that little orphan girl sings.
- After getting off the phone, Suzie calls Oskar’s name:Oskar: Are you talking to me or that rugrat?
- While stuck in traffic on his way to the hospital with sick Baby Oskar in a taxi, not only does Oskar complain about the Pope coming today but there’s a banner saying “SAY HI TO THE POPE,” who at the time of this episode, would been Pope John Paul II.
Helga Sleepwalks
- Hillwood’s small restaurant 'Sub King' is an amalgamation to Subway and Burger King.
Fighting Families
- Fictional game show 'Fighitng Families' parodies Family Double Dare, Figure It Out and Family Feud.
- Grandma yells "Bring it on, Groucho!," which references the classic game show You Bet Your Life and it's host, Groucho Marx
Monkeyman!
- After Monkeyman changes his clothes and washes his hair, he’s dressed like Willy Wonka.
- Sid’s white Winklepickers are the prized Beatle boots.
Buses, Bikes, and Subways
- Helga wants to go to a wrestling match called WrestleMania.
- 'Buses, Bikes and Subways' spoofs Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
- Chocolate Boy swimming in a vat of chocolate is similar to Augustus Gloop swimming in a chocolate river.
Grandpa's Sister
- Phil’s sister Mitzi looks like her voice actress Phyllis Diller.
- Phil has dishes reading . . .
. . . "1948 – Coney Island,”. . .
. . . "1944 – Miami Beach," . . .
. . . "1936 – Pike's Peak" . . .
. . . and "1932 – Los Angeles. - According to Phil, this episode takes during an 'Indian Summer,' a warm period during the fall months.
Synchronized Swimming
- The movie both a young Coach Wittenberg saw at a drive-in movie theatre and the boys (Arnold, Gerald, Stinky, Sid, Harold and Eugene) re-enact has the line “Wayne! Wayne! Come back Wayne!” though here, 'Wayne' is the horse’s name instead of the cowboy.
Helga's Masquerade
Mr. Green Runs
Helga on the Couch
- Helga's tirade as she shoves through the school hallway includes the line "I'm walkin' here!" She says it in the flashback to her preschool days too.
- Dr. Bliss has an Edward Hopper painting in her office.
- During the word association, Bliss says “rocket.”:Helga: Locket! Pocket! Davy Crockett!
- Toward the end of their word association.Dr. Bliss: Monday.
Helga: Night Football. (fall out of chair) . . . enough word association.
Dr. Bliss: Good idea.
- Toward the end of their word association.
- During Helga’s flashback to when she was four or five, a fifteen year old Olga is playing on the piano with her parents behind her:Bob: . . . Come on, play us another one Olga.
Olga: I know, how about the Minute Waltz by Monsieur Frédéric Chopin?
Miriam: Oh! I love that one.
Bob: Yeah, you should hear her play Beethoven Miriam. - Before revealing her feelings for Arnold to Dr. Bliss, Helga questions even if under torture her secret will be kept, said torture being “stuck your head in a cage with a starved rabid rat,” the same suffering Winston Smith was subjected to.
Dino Checks Out
- Some of Dino’s ’60s records spoofs other musicians including The Doors depute album The Doors and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.
- The cover of Dino’s ‘Trippin’ With Dino’ album is based off Robert Crumb’s 1968 Keep on Truckin’ comic.
- Among his possessions, Dino owns a copy of I The Jury by Mickey Spilante.
Summer Love
- 'BABEWATCH' is a crude reference Baywatch.
- The Beach Officer’s appearance and voice is based on William Shatner.
Sid the Vampire Slayer
- 'Sid the Vampire Slayer' parodies Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Big Sis
Gerald's Game
- 'Gerald’s Game' shares the same name as Stephen King’s Gerald's Game horror novel.
- Some noises from the arcade games are taken from Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man.
- Lamoreaux’s Bookstore is named after one of the show’s regular writers Michelle Lamoreaux.
- One of the books is title Frog Prince at the bookstore.
Fishing Trip
- Sid wears a Davy Crockett hat all through the episode.
- After Gerald’s father Martin tells Harold there’s no way he could get rabies from the raccoon that bit him because his skin wasn’t broken:Sid: Yes he could! It’s just like that show “When Animals Attack!” It was about—
Phil: Oh knock it off! The boy’s fine! - As pointed out by Sid, former Monkee Davy Jones appears.
- This isn’t the first Nickelodeon show where characters sing Miss Suzie had a Tugboat.
- Where both the boys (Arnold, Sid, Harold, Eugene and Gerald) and their fathers are farting in their tents comes from Blazing Saddles.
Bag of Money
Principal Simmons
- The song ‘I Will Prevail’ Principal Warts sings is a parody of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” song.
- Episode’s plot is very similar to The Simpsons episode “Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baaddaasss song” . . .
. . . goody-two-shoes Ned Flanders replaces Principal Skinner like Mr. Simmons replaces Principal Wartz, . . .
. . . with both original principals gone, the kids cause chaos in the schools, . . .
. . . Arnold and Simmons try to get Wartz back like how Bart tires to get Skinner back, . . .
. . . both Flanders and Simmons say "I intend to put the ‘pal’ back in ‘principal!’" . . .
. . . and both Principal Skinner and Principal Wartz cry when walking by the school.
New Bully on the Block
- The fourth graders face two bullies sharing a name of a composer who fight over Gerald Field, the fifth grade school bully Wolfgang and new bully Ludwig who returns and wants the vacant lot for himself.
- 'New Bully on the Block' parodies New Kids on the Block or NKOTB.
Phoebe Breaks a Leg
Stuck in a Tree
Rhonda Goes Broke
Helga's Locket
- At one point, Phil asks “What the Helen of Troy is that?
Sid and Germs
- In the credits, it says “NO FROGS OR PIGS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS FILM.”
Beaned
- Helga rants about sending Arnold to a galaxy far, far away.
Old Iron Man
Ghost Bride
- How Curly yells “It’s not fair!” sound like Pee-Wee Herman.
- This episode has Scooby-Doo gags all over:
- Helga shutting both south and north gates, as well as shaking the north gates by ropes to make it look like a ghost did it.
- The moment Arnold notices Curly’s red striped socks when the latter was dressed as the Ghost Bride and unmasking him is like Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby finding clues before unmasking the Monster of the Week.
- The reveal of how the gags were pulled off.
Gerald vs. Jamie O
Suspended
- At one point, Principal Wartz says “D’oh!”
Ernie in Love
Arnold Visits Arnie
Chocolate Boy
Harold vs. Patty
- Toward the end, Harold suggests he and Patty go see the new Shy Stallion movie, Shy Stallion being a parody of Sylvester Stallone.
Rich Guy
The Racing Mule
Curly's Girl
- Helga calls Rhonda “Cruella.”
- Rhonda pretending to be Curly’s girlfriend for a week after he removes a stain from her mother’s birthday present is similar to what happened to Ronald Miller and Cindy Mancini.
On the Lam
Family Man
- Pookie calls herself Mary, Queen of Scots.
Phoebe's Little Problem
Grandpa's Packard
- When opening the door:
A Day in the Life of a Classroom
- 'A Day in the Life of a Classroom' parodies “A Day in the Life” song by The Beatles.
Big Bob's Crisis
Married
- Right after President Helga’s inaugural speech during her dream, a character can be seen in the crowd sporting a mo-hawk and a military jacket similar to Travis Bickle.
Timberly Loves Arnold
- Arnold is a fan of Thelonious Monk.
- The park being named 'Tina Park' possibly refers to Tom Park, one of the layout designers.
Eugene, Eugene!
- In regards to Rhonda’s rehearsal:Mr. Leichliter: Frankly my dear, I don’t give a hoot. Next!
- Mr. Leichliter’s “Nice guys finish last!” line is a title of a Green Day song.
- Leichliter even says one of Snagglepuss’s catchphrase “Exit, stage left!”
- The kids singing “‘Keep Your Sunny Side Up!’” seems lot like “On the Sunny Side of the Street” song.
- In the play, Arnold's character says "Curses! Foiled again!" which references both components of the Dastardly Whiplash trope - Dick Dastardly from Wacky Races and Snidely Whiplash from Dudley Do-Right.
- Sid's audition - STEEEEEELLLLLLAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
April Fool's Day
- Helga says "Yeah, right. And I'm Mary, Queen of Scots".
- Stinky’s turtle is named “Snappy.”
- Ice cream server Wyatt’s appearance and character role is similar to Jeremy Freedman.
- The 'YMMA' is a spoof of the YMCA . . .
1) a worldwide organization short for Young Men’s Christian Association aimed to put Christian put Christian principles into practice by developing a healthy "body, mind and spirit."
2) a 1978 song by the Village People. - At the end, a pool opens in the middle of the gym like in It's a Wonderful Life and Whatever It Takes, though the idea came from Beverly Hills High School Swim Gym.
The Journal
- Again, the sleeping sickness and fictional country refers to One Hundred Years of Solitude, though in the book, it was an island called Macono.
- It’s revealed the name of the fictional country Arnold’s parents went to is 'San Lorenzo,' the name of an insular nation.
- Stella wears a tank top similar to what Lara Croft wears.
- Miles telling Stella not to look at La Corazon is like Indiana Jones saying not to look at the Ark of the Covenant.
- Miles hating spiders is like Indiana Jones hating snakes.
- Miles yelling “Stella!” in almost exact same way as Stanley Kowalski does.
- Pookie confuses Miles and Stella's wedding with the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
- She also confuses Arnold's birth for a lyric from the Allman Brothers song "Ramblin' Man".
Hey Arnold! The Movie (a.k.a. Arnold Saves the Neighborhood)
- The movie’s poster is like Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius with both main protagonist up front and center, friends behind him and the enemy hovering above, hovering above, reaching out to them and being larger than their actual size.
- Grandma Gertie's escape from prison is nearly shot-for-shot a recreation of Andy DuFresne's escape in The Shawshank Redemption, complete with hiding a hole in a wall with a poster and crawling through the sewers.
- In the context of a fight with Nick Vermecilli, Big Bob is splattered with green pickle juice, the juice turning his skin green, Bob tears off his shirt and is wearing torn brown pants, not to mention his eyes become red.
- After Murray the bus driver is knocked out, Helga, Arnold and Gerald are stuck in a runaway bus.
- Helga disguises herself in a trench coat and hat, calling herself 'Deep Voice,' a parody of “Deep Throat” . . .
1) name of an infamous Watergate informant who leaked information about the FBI’s investigation of the scandal to journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.
2) a character in The X-Files.
3) the alias Gray Fox used as Snake's anonymous informant.- Helga’s line “Just call me . . . Deep Voice” is a verbatim of the transmission “Just call me Deep Throat” after Raiden gets a codec.
- The “sneeze” sound effect in the Nickelodeon Studio vignette originates from Nintendo 64 video game GoldenEye.
- Arnold and Gerald putting on their black suits and shades parodies what Agent J and Agent K do.
- Scheck’s henchman Nick Vermicelli orders two Bartlett’s in the restaurant, the name of co-screenwriter and Hey Arnold! creator Craig Bartlett.
- As the police put handcuffs on him and take him away:
- Gerald lowering Arnold down with a rope from the roof in Nick Vermicelli’s room in order to grab the key of the safe deposit box is like Franz Krieger lowers Ethan Hunt down from the ventilation shaft on cable into the CIA computer room.
- Scheck sings the line “. . . You take the high road and I’ll take the low road . . .” from The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond as he drives his car down a street parallel to the one the bus Arnold, Helga and Gerald are riding is on.
- Vermicelli’s workers blow up a freeway to prevent Arnold, Gerald, Helga and an unconscious Murray from getting to the neighborhood is like Police Commissioner Blakelock trying to stop Detective Ben Shockley and Augustina "Gus" Mally from entering Phoenix in order to clear their names.
- The 'tomato incident' is like the Boston Tea Party.
- A store sign has the name “Viksten” on it, referring to co-screenwriter Steve Viksten.
- Undercover Brother, Casablanca, Charlie's Angels, All the President's Men, Once Upon a Time in America, Spawn, Sunshine State, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Avengers, Jayand Silent Bob Strike Back, Totally Spies! and The Blues Brothers are parodied or mentioned.
- Helga owns a Banana laptop computer.
- When Helga gets Phoebe's attention to enlist her help in a plan to secretly assist Arnold, she uses an Arnold-signal.
- After Olga falls in love with Che, they mimic the "flying" sequence from Titanic (1997) on the front of the steamboat.Olga: I'm queen of the world!
- The scene with Eduardo (who is actually La Sombra) navigating his steamboat through a set of dangerous rapids recalls Fitzcarraldo, when the Molly Aida drifts into the Pongo de Mainique (which was done without any models or special effects).
- As with any of the previous episodes featuring San Lorenzo, myriad references to Indiana Jones are peppered throughout the film. These include:
- A bloated, spherical Eugene directly referencing Raiders of the Lost Ark (but leaving the film unnamed) by comparing himself to the giant boulder that nearly crushes Indy when he rolls over La Sombra's henchmen.
- A Rope Bridge sequence over a perilous gorge that is a definite homage to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
- The design of the city of the Green-Eyed People reminds one of Akator as seen in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.