The World Record

Summary
The kids try to set world records on their own, then discover that they have a better chance if they work together.

Plot
Arthur is explaining what his own book of world records would be like. Francine is in it for playing the drums the loudest. Buster is in it for telling the most jokes. The Brain is in it for saying the most things that Arthur doesn't understand. D.W. is even in it for watching the most reruns of Mary Moo Cow. Because Arthur blocks the screen while D.W. is watching, she calls Mom who tells him to come here, After that, she explains she holds a world record for getting Arthur in trouble for the most times.

At the treehouse, Arthur presents a world record book to his friends. He thinks that together they could break a record. He reads some of the records, and his friends picture themselves breaking them. They all set off and try to break one of their own. The Brain tries to make the most inventions, Muffy attempts refrain from speaking the longest, Francine tries to kick a soccer ball non-stop, and Buster plans to walk backwards the longest.

At Arthur's house, he is making a house of cards. He imagines himself in fame for building the largest one. He prevents D.W. from entering his room. She slams her bedroom door and Arthur's card house falls.

Meanwhile, Muffy and Francine have both kept their records for two hours. Buster runs into Francine, making her lose the ball. Muffy also speaks to him. He walks backwards to Binky's house, where he is making the largest popsicle stick bridge. He is sick from eating the popsicles.

At Arthur's house, he is preparing to break a bug eating record. Francine and Muffy arrive and request a new one to be broken. Arthur suggests they make the world's largest pizza, and they agree.

The Brain has made a flying lawn sprinkler. Unfortunately, the plane the hose is attached to accidentally flies over everyone getting them wet and crashes. They all organize the cooking of the world's largest pizza, and soon everything is planned.

Everything has been prepared, and the cooking will take place the following day. At dinner, Arthur is worried that something will go wrong. The following day, things are not going as planned while making the pizza. Muffy, Francine, and Binky leave for a break. Arthur is beginning to think his idea will be in the record books for "the biggest flop in history." Francine, Muffy, and Buster have arrived, and they have brought many volunteers with them. Together they finish the pizza, and start eating it.

Characters

 * Arthur Read
 * Buster Baxter
 * Francine Frensky
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Binky Barnes
 * Brain
 * David Read
 * Francis Haney
 * Jane Read
 * D.W. Read
 * Nadine Flumberghast
 * Mrs. Powers
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Thora Read
 * 3rd Grade Female Aardvark (cameo)
 * 3rd Grade Male Cat (cameo)
 * Beulah McInnerny (cameo)
 * Catherine Frensky (cameo)
 * Mrs. Powers (cameo)
 * Prunella Deegan (cameo)
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong (cameo)
 * Mary Moo Cow (cameo)
 * Fern Walters (cameo)
 * Millicent Crosswire (indirectly mentioned)

Trivia

 * This is the first episode to use the Big Bird Foot title card.
 * 4th wall break: In Arthur's imagination, there is a building with the AKOM logo on it (AKOM is the South Korean animation studio that provided the overseas animation for the first eleven seasons of Arthur).
 * Running Gag: D.W. tattletaleing on Arthur.
 * Technically, there is no world record for the longest time not talking because mute people go their whole lives without talking.
 * The pizzeria featured in the And Now a Word from Us Kids segment following this episode is Kosta's Pizza & Seafood, located in Needham, Massachusetts. It is still in business today, and still looks largely the same as it did on Arthur.

Production notes

 * When the hose sprays sauce on the pizza, D.W. is heard saying "woah." This line is delivered by her voice actor from Seasons 1-3, Michael Caloz, instead of Oliver Grainger.

Errors

 * The lines on the bottom of Arthur's shirt move in one scene when they begin to work on the pizza.

Cultural references

 * In reality, the world's largest pizza was cooked in Norwood Hypermarket, Norwood, South Africa on December 8, 1990. It weighed 26,883 pounds.
 * Thomas Edison invented over 1,000 inventions.
 * This is the first episode referencing the man Charles Osborne, the world record holder of having the longest period of hiccups. He hiccupped for 68 years. The second episode that references him is Season 11's "Hic or Treat."
 * The record of the man who walked around the world backwards that Buster attempts to break was true. Plennie L. Wingo walked all the way from Santa Monica to Istanbul, Turkey from 1931-1932, although not entirely around the world.
 * The Book of Incredible and Amazing World Records might be a reference to the  books.
 * This episode has almost the same plot as the Hey Arnold! episode "World Records" (made three years earlier). In both episodes, the main characters try to break a world record until they settle down on making the world's largest pizza-related dish, with the only difference being that Arthur's attempt at a giant regular pizza is successful while Arnold's pizza puff fails. Both episodes also have a character unsuccessfully trying to break the record for walking backwards. (in said episode, Buster)

Episode Connections

 * Arthur actually imagines making the world's biggest pepperoni and cheese pizza in Arthur vs. the Piano.
 * Nadine has the hiccups in this episode, similar to Arthur having the hiccups in Arthur vs. the Piano, and D.W. having the hiccups in Hic or Treat.

Home video

 * DVD:
 * You Are Arthur (DVD)