Hey Arnold Writer Reflects on Making Helga’s Mom an Alcoholic

screenrant.com:

Hey Arnold! writer Joe Ansolabehere reflected on the decision to make Helga's (Francesca Marie Smith) mother, Miriam (Kath Soucie), an alcoholic on the show. Hey Arnold! is an American animated comedy show that premiered on Nickelodeon in 1996 and was one of the most mature children's shows of that time period. The show follows Arnold (Alex D. Linz), a fourth-grade boy with a football-shaped head who lives with his grandparents in a boardinghouse in Hillwood, WA. The show focuses on his and his friends' various adventures as they navigate the urban lifestyle and deal with the bully Helga, who secretly harbors a huge crush on Arnold.

One of the most unique aspects of Hey Arnold! was that it harbored many mature themes that many children missed at the time, but later came to recognize as adults. In fact, the entire premise was pretty mature and thoughtful, considering it was a rare portrayal of kids from a working-class neighborhood who didn't have a lot of money. Hey Arnold! also tackled heavy topics such as neglectful parents and the traumatic aftermath of war, as well as challenged the perfect American life and nuclear family ideals that many sitcoms perpetuated at the time. Additionally, the show also tackled alcoholic parents.

Related: Nickelodeon Perfectly Highlights Pride Over 30 Years

In an interview with Slash Film, Hey Arnold! writer Ansolabehere reflected on making Helga's mom an alcoholic. Initially, Ansolabehere's writing partner, Steve Viksten, had pitched the idea of having a character in the show who was an older, flirty alcoholic woman. When that idea got tossed out, Viksten had the idea to make Helga's mother an alcoholic. The studio was originally against it but ended up allowing it to subtly be inserted