Recess (TV show) - Definition and Overview

Recess is the name of a Disney children's animated TV show that aired on One Saturday Morning from 1997 to 2001. It consists of six best friends who have various adventures during recess at their school. Reruns continue to air on Disney Channel.

Characters

Kids

Main characters

• Theodore "T.J." Detweiler-the ringleader of his five best friends. He normally wears a red baseball cap, backwards. T.J. usually spends time planning pranks against the teachers.
• Vince LaSalle-a very talented athlete.
• Ashley Spinelli-a feisty girl who enjoys pro wrestling.
• Gretchen Grundler-academically talented and very intelligent.
• Mikey Blumberg-large, likes to eat, and very philosophical: writes poetry and believes in notions of peace often dismissed by the others.
• Gustavus "Gus" Patton Griswald-the newest kid in the grade, and also very short. His father is in the army.

Other kids

• King Bob-the "king" of the playground. He once appointed himself pharaoh when he realised that no one remembered the three kings before him (no one would since the other kids were too young).
• Theresa "Cornchip Girl" LaMaise-a girl who is usually seen eating cornchips. Like Gus, she also has a military family; her father is in the United States Navy. Gus' father and her own father are rivals.
• Cryer Kid- Only mentioned in the first episode, Cryer Kid agrees to work for the kids for a dollar and two candy bars
• Randall Weems-the snitch of the playground and Ms. Finster's informant.
• Menlo-kid who works for Principal Prickly
• The diggers (Digger Dave and Digger Sam)-two boys who spend all their time digging holes.
• Erwin Lawson-Vince's sports rival, he usually goes by his last name.
• Guru Kid, a.k.a. Jimmy-provides spiritual advice for students.
• Hustler Kid, a.k.a. Francis-a black market trader who provides various items for the kids, such as comics, maps to teacher's houses, and rare airplane models.
• The Ashleys (Ashley Armbruster, Ashley Bonet, Ashley Quinlen, and Ashley Tomasiene)-four girls who are best friends just because they all have the same first name. They view themselves with perfection and spend their time putting on make-up, having tea parties, and playing with dolls. The Ashleys are often the targets of pranks that are pulled off by T.J. and his friends. The Ashleys each have a younger brother and a younger sister (the Tylers and the Britneys). They also are commonly referred to by their last initial (example, Ashley A.). (NOTE: Ashley T. rarely speaks)

Teachers

• Principal Peter Prickly-the principal of Third Street School.
• Ms. Muriel Finster-the teacher in charge of keeping order on the playground.
• Ms. Groetke-The 4th Grade Teacher at Third Street, she is somewhat New Age with an annoying voice, but a good heart

The Playground

Believe it or not, the playground has an organized system of government. The students are ruled by a king, who is appointed by the last one in fourth grade. The laws and the "Kids' Unwritten Code of Honor" are basically what kids think of in this age group (some laws are about jinxing and tattle-tales).