Spelling Bee/Pigeon Man (6 Jan. 1997)

The first episode is "Spelling Bee", It's time to crown the spelling champ of the whole city, and P.S. 118 has two contenders for the $500 prize. In one corner, Arnold. In the other, Helga.... See full summary »

Stars:

Toran Caudell, Caroline Aaron, Craig Bartlett

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Toran Caudell	...	Arnold / Seymour / Contestant (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Caroline Aaron	...	Spelling Bee Moderator (voice)
Craig Bartlett	...	Chester the Pigeon (voice)
Dan Castellaneta	...	Arnold's Grandpa (voice)
Michael Fishman	...	Joey (voice)
Sam Gifaldi	...	Sid (voice)
Olivia Hack	...	Rhonda Wellington Lloyd (voice)
Angie Jaree	...	Singer In Commercial (voice)
Joey Paul Jensen	...	Seymour's Mother (voice)
Maurice LaMarche	...	Big Bob Pataki (voice)
Tress MacNeille	...	Arnold's Grandma / Miss Slovak (voice)
Anndi McAfee	...	Phoebe Heyerdahl (voice)
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Vincent (voice)
Justin Shenkarow	...	Harold Berman (voice)
Francesca Smith	...	Helga Pataki / Marcy (voice)

Storyline

The first episode is "Spelling Bee", It's time to crown the spelling champ of the whole city, and P.S. 118 has two contenders for the $500 prize. In one corner, Arnold. In the other, Helga. The second "Pigeon Man", Arnold's prized pigeon takes ill, and only one person can help-the creepy recluse Pigeon Man. But when Arnold visits him in his rooftop roost he find they're birds of a feather.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Details

Release Date:

6 January 1997 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Games Animation, Nubian Nights Worldwide, Snee-Oosh Productions

Did You Know?

Quotes

Big Bob Pataki: Remember, we'll beat any advertised price. Unless it's lower.

User Reviews

Pigeon Man

-10 April 2007 This is one of the most moving episodes of a cartoon series I have ever seen. It teaches lessons to children that it is okay to be different, but to remember that even though not everyone is good, that there is still some good in the world. Also, it taught me to not be ashamed of who I was and to embrace it. I'm not going to go into detail about this because you should go watch the episode for yourself to see what I mean. Anyway the acting and style and music are all very good as they always are on Hey Arnold, but there is something more about this episode. Something that just spoke to me as a good person and a good human being. The effect this episode had on me lasted ever since then, and I know nothing in my childhood that has moved me more. 10/10

-15 January 2013

I just caught this episode again and watched for the first time in about 6 years. This one still holds up, unlike a lot of other shows that I found to be great as a child. This one deals with a lot of complex concepts for a children's TV show, such as the nature of human beings. It shows us at our worst when Harold and his friends trash the roof because they found the Pidgeon Man to be weird and different. It shows us at our best when Arnold befriends the Pidgeon Man and takes him out for pizza. It also shows how it is okay to be different and the reality that not everyone will accept you for going against the grain. It is truly a tragically beautiful episode and I still found myself tearing up at the end. The late great Vincent Schiavelli gives a masterful performance here that really makes the viewer understand the Pidgeon Man's loneliness. I stand by my rating from all those years ago: 10/10. Perfect.