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| Directed by: | Raymie Muzquiz Tuck Tucker Don Judge (animation) Christine Kolosov (animation) |
| Written by: | Craig Bartlett Michelle Lamoreaux Joseph Purdy |
| Release date: | April 1, 2002 |
| Running time: | 24 minutes |
| Rating: | TV-Y |
| Available on: | DVD Apple TV Google Play Amazon Video |
"April Fool's Day" is an special April Fools Day episode of the Nickelodeon animated series Hey Arnold!, produced and aired as the fourteenth episode of its fifth and final season.
Synopsis[]
It's April Fool's Day at P.S. 118 and everyone is playing pranks on one another. Helga, however, primarily targets Arnold, humiliating him for most of the day with a "King Toot" fart machine. After she sets a tray of pudding on his seat, he decides to get back at her with a gift box that glares a bright light, claiming it's a belated birthday present. Unfortunately, he isn't aware that the box temporarily blinds someone. Helga decides to use this to her advantage by acting like she's permanently blind to indirectly force Arnold to be her personal slave. She occasionally messes up by proving that she's not blind, but she manages to cover it up.
After he walks her home, he follows his grandfather's advice and asks her if she'd like to go to the April Fool's Dance held at the school. At the dance, Arnold and Helga dance, but when she went to the girls bathroom, she reveals to Phoebe that she's pretending to be blind only to reveal to Arnold that it's another prank, but Gerald overhears this and tells Arnold. They come up with a plan to finally get back at Helga without hurting her this time. Arnold and Helga dance while Gerald opens up the pool that's in the gym. Right before the King of Fools is announced, Helga reveals she pranked Arnold, But Arnold reveals he found out about her prank and spins Helga right into the pool. Eugene was announced to be the king of fools, but while he was walking he falls into the pool. Helga swam back up and Arnold told her the jokes on her this time cause he knows she’s not blind, Helga told him he wins and ask him to help her up, but she threw him in the pool, causing everyone to jump in as well.
Availability[]
The episode made its home video debut in the Hey Arnold!: Season 5 manufacture-on-demand DVD set, made available exclusively on Amazon.com December 4, 2009. It was later included on Shout! Factory's Hey Arnold!: The Final Season DVD set, released on October 15, 2013, and later repackaged as part of their Hey Arnold!: The Complete Series set in 2014.
Following the show's video rights returning to Paramount in 2018, the episode was again included on Paramount's Hey Arnold!: The Ultimate Collection box set (essentially a re-release of Shout! Factory's Complete Series set, but with the addition of the two Hey Arnold! movies and new bonus features), released on November 20, 2018.
Cast[]
To be ordered
| Voice actor/actress | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Craig Bartlett | Brainy |
| Dan Butler | Mr. Simmons |
| Dan Castellaneta | Arnold's Grandpa Wyatt |
| Blake Ewing | Eugene Horowitz |
| Taylor Gifaldi | Sid |
| Mary Gross | School Nurse Shelley |
| Olivia Hack | Rhonda Lloyd |
| Alex Linz | Arnold Shortman |
| Tress MacNeille | Arnold's Grandma |
| Anndi McAfee | Phoebe Heyerdahl |
| Justin Shenkarow | Harold Berman |
| Francesca Smith | Helga Pataki Sheena |
| Jamil Smith | Gerald Johanssen |
| Christopher Walberg | Stinky Petersen |
| David Wohl | Principal Wartz |
| Adam Wylie | Curly Gammelthorpe |