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Hey Arnold! poster

Shows that feel likeHey Arnold! (1996–2004)

The daily life of Arnold--a fourth-grader with a wild imagination, street smarts and a head shaped like a football.

If you loved Hey Arnold!, the closest series we have are High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019), Rugrats (1991) and Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004). All three share Hey Arnold!'s witty and playful feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Cardcaptor Sakura (1998).

★ 7.6 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗5 seasons · Nickelodeoncreated by Craig Bartlettwittyplayfulcontemplativewarmcozywistful
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video
Stream it:Paramount+ ↗

If Hey Arnold! hit the spot, these will too

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series poster
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
2019–2023 · 4 seasons · Disney+
★ 7.1family · comedy · dramaDisney+

The same preoccupation in both: nostalgic

The difference: 23 years apart, and the 2010s show

A group of East High students countdown to the opening night of their school’s first-ever production of “High School Musical.” Showmances blossom; friendships are tested while new ones are made; rivalries flare and lives are changed forever as these young people discover the transformative power that only a high school drama club can provide.

Rugrats poster
Rugrats
1991–2004 · 9 seasons · Nickelodeon
★ 7.4family · animation · kidsParamount+

Both keep coming back to the same thing: friendship

The difference: Easier on the stillness than Hey Arnold!

Focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica, and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the babies' imaginations. Adults in the series are almost always unaware of what the children are up to; however, this only provides more room for the babies to explore and discover their surroundings.

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide poster
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
2004–2007 · 3 seasons · Nickelodeon
★ 7.4comedy · kidsParamount+

One thread runs through both: friendship

The difference: Trades the stillness of Hey Arnold! for an angle of its own

The whacky adventures of Ned Bigby and his best pals Moze and Cookie at James K. Polk Middle School, as "every-kid" Ned shatters the fourth wall to share tips and tricks on navigating middle school or junior high hurdles. Ned's not super cool, and he has no superpowers. He is, however, witty, well-groomed, upbeat and self-aware. Moreover, with more than a little help from his two best friends, he's equipped to conquer middle school minefields. From crushing bullies to crushes, from off- the-wall, mean and cool teachers to pop quizzes, elections and detentions, Ned knows that nothing, including the seventh grade, is as bad as it seems, and friendship matters most.

Young Sheldon poster
Young Sheldon
2017–2024 · 7 seasons · CBS
★ 7.8comedy · family · dramaNetflixMax

Both are built on the same subject: nostalgic

The early life of child genius Sheldon Cooper, later seen in The Big Bang Theory.

The Wonder Years poster
The Wonder Years
1988–1993 · 6 seasons · ABC
★ 8.3comedy · drama · familyHulu

The same mix in both: wit, then play

The story of Kevin Arnold facing the trials and tribulations of youth while growing up during the 1960s and 70s. Told through narration from an adult Kevin, Kevin faces the difficulties of maintaining relationships and friendships on his enthralling journey into adulthood.

Cardcaptor Sakura poster
Cardcaptor Sakura
1998–2018 · 4 seasons · NHK BS2
★ 8animation · sci-fi & fantasy · action & adventure

Common ground: elementary school

The difference: Leans harder into sci-fi & fantasy than Hey Arnold! does

Sakura Kinomoto, an elementary school student who discovers that she possesses magical powers after accidentally freeing a set of magical cards from the book they had been sealed in for years. She is then tasked with retrieving those cards in order to avoid an unknown catastrophe from befalling the world.

Full House poster
Full House
1987–1995 · 8 seasons · ABC
★ 6.8comedy · familyHulu

Both land warmth and comfort at once

After the death of his wife, Danny enlists his best friend and his brother-in-law to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle.

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch poster
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996–2003 · 7 seasons · ABC
★ 6.7comedy · family · sci-fi & fantasyHuluParamount+

Witty comedy in both cases

On her sixteenth birthday, Sabrina Spellman discovers she has magical powers. She lives with her 600-year-old aunts Hilda and Zelda as well as talking cat Salem in the fictional town of Westbridge, Massachusetts.

Frasier poster
Frasier
1993–2004 · 11 seasons · NBC
★ 8.2comedy · familyPrime VideoHulu

Family built on play, twice over

After many years spent at the “Cheers” bar, Frasier moves back home to Seattle to work as a radio psychiatrist after his policeman father gets shot in the hip on duty.

Kamisama Kiss poster
Kamisama Kiss
2012–2015 · 2 seasons · TV Tokyo
★ 8.1animation · comedy · sci-fi & fantasyNetflixHulu

Animation with a pulse of wistfulness, in both cases

Nanami was just a normal high school girl down on her luck until a stranger’s lips marked her as the new Land God and turned her world upside down. Now, she’s figuring out the duties of a deity with the help of Tomoe, a reformed fox demon who reluctantly becomes her familiar in a contract sealed with a kiss. The new responsibilities—and boys—are a lot to handle, like the crow demon masquerading as a gorgeous pop idol and the adorable snake spirit who’s chosen the newly minted god to be his bride. As the headstrong Tomoe tries to whip her into shape, Nanami finds that love just might have cute, pointed fox ears. With romance in the air, will the human deity be able to prove herself worthy of her new title?

The Nanny poster
The Nanny
1993–1999 · 6 seasons · CBS
★ 7.2comedy · familyPrime VideoHulu

Warm drama, and it commits to that

That flashy girl from Flushing with the heart of an angel (and the voice of a slighty more nasal angel). The comic misadventures of the sweet and sassy Fran Fine, her sophisticated employer, Broadway producer Mr. Sheffield, his boisterous brood and his wisecracking staff.

The Spectacular Spider-Man poster
The Spectacular Spider-Man
2008–2009 · 2 seasons · Disney XD
★ 8.4action & adventure · animation · kids

Both lean on comfort more than on animation

Having spent the summer engaging common criminals with his new-found powers, not so typical 16-year-old Peter Parker must conceal his secret identity and battle super-villains in the real world as he enters his junior year of high school.

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The best-reviewed series that share Hey Arnold!’s defining feeling.