| Recess | |
|---|---|
The main characters of the series. From left to right, Vince, Spinelli, Mikey, TJ, Gretchen and Gus. |
|
| Format | Animated series, Comedy-Drama |
| Created by | Paul Germain Joe Ansolabehere |
| Starring | Ross Malinger (1997-1998) Andrew Lawrence (1998-2001) Rickey D'Shon Collins Ashley Johnson Pamela Adlon Jason Davis Courtland Mead April Winchell Dabney Coleman Allyce Beasley Ryan O'Donohue Toran Caudell Erik von Detten Blake McIver Ewing Anndi McAfee Helen Slayton-Hughes (1999-2001) |
| Composer(s) | Denis M. Hannigan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 65 (128 segments) (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 Minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC UPN (Disney's One Too) (1999-2001) |
| Original run | September 13, 1997 – November 5, 2001 |
| External links | |
| Official Website | |
Recess is an American animated television series created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere and produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The series focuses on six elementary school students and their interaction with other classmates and teachers. The title refers to the period of time during the school day in which children are not in lessons and can spend time outside with friends, known as recess in the United States. One of the main features of the series is how the children form their own society, complete with government and a class structure, set against the backdrop of a regular school.
Recess first aired on ABC from 1997 through to 2001, and reruns aired on Disney Channel in the United States. The success of the series saw it being distributed to numerous countries around the world, notably the United Kingdom, where it aired on multiple channels including Toon Disney and Disney Channel UK. In 2001, Walt Disney Pictures released the first of two films based on the series, Recess: School's Out, which was distributed theatrically. It was followed by a direct-to-video second film entitled Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street that same year. In 2003, a third film entitled Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade was released, along with Recess: All Growed Down. Both were also direct-to-video. The characters also made an appearance in an episode of the Disney series Lilo and Stitch.
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Recess portrays the lives of six fourth graders as they go about their daily lives in a highly clichéd school environment. The students of Third Street School have set up a microcosm of traditional human society complete with its own government, class system, and set of unwritten laws. They are ruled by a monarch, King Bob, who has various enforcers to make sure his decrees are carried out. The little society has a long list of rigid values and social norms that imposes a high expectation of conformity upon all the students.
Recess is illustrated to be a symbol of freedom — a time when children can express themselves and develop meaningful relationships. Most episodes involve one or more of the main six characters seeking a rational balance between individuality and social order. They are often defending their freedom against perceived threats by adults or social norms. The group's leader, T.J. Detweiler, tends to have the most complete vision of this struggle, though even he has times when he inadvertently leads the group too far toward an extreme of conformity or nonconformity.
The show's introductory music, art design and style often evoked the feel of prison escape movies such as The Great Escape, and the playground hierarchy and school administration were often depicted in ways that played homage to common themes in such films.
Recess premiered on ABC's One Saturday Morning programming block on September 13, 1997. Recess's success spawned two direct-to video-titles and one theatrical film, Recess: School's Out, which was released on February 16, 2001.
The series was cancelled in 2001, and Disney stopped airing new episodes after November 5, 2001, but still continued to show episodes on ABC's One Saturday Morning until 2002 and UPN's Disney's One Too programming blocks until 2003 when both blocks were phased out. Re-runs also aired on ABC Kids until September 2005 (when the block turned into an all Disney Channel line-up), as well as Disney Channel from 2003 to 2006, and then 2009 to 2010, Toon Disney from 2001 to 2009 (when the channel ceased operations), and Disney XD from 2009 to early 2010. This show is one of the few Disney television shows to be aired on all three major Disney networks. They are still shown sometimes on the Disney Cinemagic channel. On October 26, 2011, Recess reruns ran again on Disney XD.
| Actor(s) | Role |
|---|---|
| Ross Malinger Andrew Lawrence Myles Jeffrey |
T.J. Detweiler |
| Pamela Segall Adlon | Ashley Spinelli |
| Ricky D'Shon Collins | Vince LaSalle |
| Courtland Mead | Gus Griswald |
| Ashley Johnson | Gretchen Grundler |
| Jason Davis | Mikey Blumberg |
| April Winchell | Miss Muriel Finster |
| Ryan O'Donohue | Randall Weems,Digger Dave |
| Dabney Coleman | Peter Prickly |
| Erik von Detten | Erwin Lawson |
| Allyce Beasley | Miss Grotke |
| Blake Ewing | Menlo, Douglas |
| Toran Caudell | King Bob |
| Anndi McAfee | Ashley Armbruster |
| Francesca Smith | Ashley Beaulet,Swinger Girl,Upsidown Girl |
| Rachel Crane | Ashley Quinland Ashley Tomasian #1 |
| Ashley Johnson | Ashley Tomasian #2 |
| Klee Bragger | Digger Sam |
| Season | Ep # | First Airdate | Last Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 13 | September 13, 1997 | January 17, 1998 |
| Season 2 | 13 | September 12, 1998 | February 27, 1999 |
| Season 3 | 8 | September 11, 1999 | January 22, 2000 |
| Season 4 | 23 | September 12, 1999 | July 17, 2000 |
| Season 5 | 5 | September 9, 2000 | January 6, 2001 |
| Season 6 | 3 | October 31, 2001 | November 5, 2001 |
Recess: School's Out is an animated film directed by Chuck Sheetz and is based on the television series where the characters must intercept a gang of anti-recess terrorists plotting on wiping the entire school off the map . The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and was released theatrically nationwide on February 16, 2001.
Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade is a Disney direct-to-video animated film released on December 9, 2003.
Lilo & Stitch featured an episode titled Lax, which included the TV series Recess, when T.J. and the gang go on a school vacation to Hawaii.
Disaster strikes when a giant alien called Dr.Hamstervil tries to use another alien to make everyone relaxed while he takes over the world. Luckily, Gretchen (from Recess) saves the day, since she believes work is relaxing.
(Released August 7, 2001)[1]
It is an animated film based on the television series. This film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, and released to movie theatres in 2001.
(Released November 6, 2001)[2]
It is a Disney direct-to-video animated film. It compiles four unrelated episodes, including the program's Christmas special "Yes Mikey, Santa Does Shave".
(Released December 9, 2003)[3]
It is a Disney direct-to-video animated film.
(Released December 9, 2003)[4]
It is a Disney direct-to-video animated film. It compiles four unrelated episodes.
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