List of ''Recess'' episodes
Recess is an American animated television series created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere (credited as "Paul and Joe") and produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The series focuses on six elementary school students and their interaction with other classmates and teachers. Recess first aired on ABC from 1997 through to 2001, and reruns aired on Disney Channel in the United States.
The show premiered on August 31, 1997 with the first season spanning 26 episodes. The second season premiered on Saturday, September 12, 1998. Disney brought the show back for a third season of 8 episodes which began on September 11, 1999 premiering on ABC as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning while the fourth season premiered at the same time, but airing on UPN as part of Disney's One Too. Season three was notably shorter than the previous ABC seasons. This was because the staff were busy with Recess: School's Out. Outside of the U.S., the individual 11 minute episodes of season three and season four were weaved together to create one long season. Season five premiered on September 9, 2000 while season six premiered on October 31, 2001 concluding the series with the last episode airing in November 2001.[1]
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Network | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 26 | August 31, 1997 | January 17, 1998 | ABC | |
| 2 | 25 | September 12, 1998 | February 27, 1999 | ||
| 3 | 16 | September 11, 1999 | January 22, 2000 | ||
| 4 | 46 | September 12, 1999 | July 17, 2000 | UPN | |
| 5 | 9 | September 9, 2000 | January 6, 2001 | ABC | |
| 6 | 5 | October 31, 2001 | November 5, 2001 | UPN | |
Episodes
Season 1 (1997–98)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Break In" | Chuck Sheetz | Paul Germain & Joe Ansolabehere | August 31, 1997 |
| T.J. Detweiler is punished with no recess after an unsuccessful attempt of the gang to raid the kitchen's "good food"; seeing how deranged he has become, the rest of his friends (the sporty Vince LaSalle, the intellectual Gretchen Grundler, the rough-and-tumble Ashley Spinelli [referred to by her last name], and the sweet, yet naive Mikey Blumberg) try to break him out by enlisting the help of the other students on the playground. This is the only episode where Gus Griswold does not appear as he is not introduced until the next episode. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "The New Kid" | Chuck Sheetz | Joe Ansolabehere & Paul Germain | August 31, 1997 |
| A military brat named Gustav Griswold (referred to as "Gus") arrives at school, and the Gang takes it upon themselves to show him around. Gus is touched by their kindness, but is soon labeled "New Kid" by King Bob, which means he is officially the lowest of the low in the school social order. The other kids organize a scheme to resist King Bob's ruling, but it's ultimately up to Gus to defend himself. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "The Experiment" | Chuck Sheetz | Lesa Kite | September 20, 1997 |
| Butch (a mysterious kid who tells horror stories and urban legends about kid life) scares the playground with a story of seeing his older brother kiss his girlfriend and warning the kids that there will come a day where boys kiss girls and girls kiss boys and they will like it. To prove this, the gang picks two people who will go through with the experiment -- and things get worse when the two people turn out to be T.J. and Spinelli. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "The Great Jungle Gym Standoff" | Chuck Sheetz | Joseph Purdy | September 20, 1997 |
| All of the kids love "Old Rusty," the jungle gym that's the center of the playground. When Principal Prickly announces that a new jungle gym will be installed in place of Old Rusty, T.J. climbs onto the structure to protest. He's soon joined by his friends and the rest of the students, leading to a massive peaceful protest that involves the whole town. | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Jinxed" | Chuck Sheetz | Scott Shelley | September 27, 1997 |
| Gus is unable to speak after being jinxed by the Ashleys; he can only talk again if someone says his name, and the Ashleys work to prevent this from happening. | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Officer Mikey" | Chuck Sheetz | Lesa Kite | September 27, 1997 |
| Mikey wants to become a safety ranger, which causes the gang to get help from others in order to make his dream come true. | |||||
| 7 | 7 | "First Name Ashley" | Chuck Sheetz | Holly Huckins | October 4, 1997 |
| Miss Finster's snitch Randall seeks revenge on Spinelli, and finds the perfect ammunition in her school record: her first name, which is unknown to the whole playground, is "Ashley." Things only get worse for the embarrassed Spinelli when the Ashleys, a clique of popular girls who all share the same name, decide that they must initiate her into their group with "Ashley-fication." The Gang decides to save the "old" Spinelli by enacting a clever, name-changing plan. | |||||
| 8 | 8 | "To Finster with Love" | Chuck Sheetz | Jeffrey Wright From an Idea by: Nahnatchka Khan | October 4, 1997 |
| Miss Finster develops a crush on Hank the janitor and begins dating him. This distraction affects their usual job performance, which causes imbalance in the schoolyard. | |||||
| 9 | 9 | "King Gus" | Chuck Sheetz | Peter Gaffney | October 11, 1997 |
| When King Bob comes down with a bad case of tonsilitis, he appoints Gus as the temporary King Of The Playground while he recovers from surgery. Soon, the power goes to Gus's head, and he starts bossing the other students around and demanding cookies. | |||||
| 10 | 10 | "Big Brother Chad" | Chuck Sheetz | Jon Greenberg | October 11, 1997 |
| Vince develops a reputation as a hero for defending some younger kids, but he modestly protests he's not nearly as cool as Chad, his older brother. Everyone shares fond memories of Chad--and are shocked when he picks Vince up after school and reveals himself to be a stereotypical nerd, which Vince doesn't seem to realize. When the Gang points out the truth, Vince fears that he too will become a nerd, but he soon discovers that Chad's geeky nature is cool in its own way. | |||||
| 11 | 11 | "My Fair Gretchen" | Chuck Sheetz | Holly Huckins | October 18, 1997 |
| When Gretchen gets a perfect score on a standardized test, Principal Prickly plans to send her to Oppenheimer Academy, a school for gifted children. Gretchen doesn't want to go, as she'll be separated from her friends, so the Gang hatches a plan to have her act stupid during a placement interview to trick the panel. | |||||
| 12 | 12 | "Speedy, We Hardly Knew Ye" | Chuck Sheetz | Bruce Rubin | October 18, 1997 |
| Speedy, the class hamster, dies, so the kids decide to throw a funeral, which does not go as expected when each of the classes revealed that the Speedy who died is not the same Speedy they had as a class pet. | |||||
| 13 | 13 | "I Will Kick No More Forever" | Chuck Sheetz | Michael Kramer | October 25, 1997 |
|
When Ashley Q. outkicks Vince during a kickball game (without even paying attention), his spirit and talent are crushed. Vince vows to never play kickball again, and becomes a lonely shut-in obsessed with his "glory days" of the previous months. The Gang decides to use one of Gretchen's experiments to bring back Vince's confidence and skill. NOTE: Some versions of this episode (specifically those in other countries) replace the part where Ashley Q kicks the kickball all the way to China with a recycled shot of Vince's kickball landing in a Dumpster to make it look like Ashley Q kicked it there. | |||||
| 14 | 14 | "The Kid Came Back" | Chuck Sheetz | Holly Huckins Based on a Story by: Rachel Lipman | October 25, 1997 |
| A stranger called the Peanut Butter Kid tries to follow the gang everywhere, and it drives them crazy after being convinced he brings bad luck. | |||||
| 15 | 15 | "The Pest" | Chuck Sheetz | Rachel Lipman | November 1, 1997 |
| Gretchen becomes increasingly bothered by Jeffrey, who has fallen head over heels in love with her. | |||||
| 16 | 16 | "The Legend of Big Kid" | Chuck Sheetz | Peter Gaffney | November 1, 1997 |
| T.J. is captured by the kindergarteners, depicted as wild "savages" with their own society and rules. As he spends time among them, he gradually regresses to a kindergarten mindset. Meanwhile, the Gang, led by Vince, go on a search and rescue mission to find T.J. before he becomes a kindergartner forever. | |||||
| 17 | 17 | "The Box" | Susie Dietter | Jeff Wright | November 8, 1997 |
| Ms. Finster, angry that her rules seem to be ineffective, devises a new punishment for children: "The Box," a square of chalk drawn on the ground (similar to solitary confinement). T.J. is the first victim of the Box, and discovers its power when it completely shatters his spirit and makes him into Ms. Finster's subservient "good boy." With help from Gretchen's Freudian knowledge, the Gang tries to get T.J. back to normal. | |||||
| 18 | 18 | "The Trial" | Chuck Sheetz | Scott Shelley | November 8, 1997 |
| A dirt-clod fight among the whole school takes a turn for the serious when Randall claims that Spinelli threw a rock at him, which violates the "rules of war." King Bob demands a trial, with Gretchen forced into the role of prosecutor (via her intelligence) and T.J. as Spinelli's defense. Randall, Mikey, and Spinelli share their versions of what happened on that fateful day, and everyone gets a surprise when they determine the true culprit. | |||||
| 19 | 19 | "Teacher's Lounge" | Chuck Sheetz | Jon Greenberg | November 15, 1997 |
| Intrigued by its secrecy, the kids try to find out what the teacher's lounge looks like. | |||||
| 20 | 20 | "Randall's Reform" | Chuck Sheetz | Rachel Lipman | November 15, 1997 |
| T.J. and the gang finally accept Randall into their group, but could it be a trap? | |||||
| 21 | 21 | "Rainy Days" | Chuck Sheetz | Lane Raichert | November 22, 1997 |
| A lengthy rainstorm leads to the dreaded indoor recess, complete with a box of old board games, puzzles with missing pieces, and Randall calling a game of Bingo. The Gang is sure that they'll survive--until Butch tells them the story of a class of kids who, after five days of being cooped up, became the "Zombie Class of '89" (which Miss Finster proudly confirms). Now the group must avoid the same fate--even if it means braving Mother Nature herself to do it. | |||||
| 22 | 22 | "The Great Can Drive" | Chuck Sheetz | Michael Kramer Based on Idea by: Gary Glasberg | November 22, 1997 |
| Mikey is the only one in Miss. Grotke's class who decides to collect cans for the annual Can Drive after the other kids drop out, not wanting to lose against the Ashleys again; this eventually results in a massive rivalry escalating between the classes over who collects the most cans. | |||||
| 23 | 23 | "The Voice" | Chuck Sheetz & Susie Dietter | Jon Greenberg | January 10, 1998 |
| When Principal Prickly discovers that Mikey sings like Robert Goulet (who portrays Mikey's singing voice), he has a beautiful, young music teacher named Miss. Salamone (voiced by Glenne Headly), help him prepare for the school concert and soon after working with her, Mikey starts to fall in love with Miss. Salamone but is heartbroken when her boyfriend shows up to the music room and proposes to her will Mikey perform on stage? | |||||
| 24 | 24 | "Kids in the Mist" | Chuck Sheetz | Holly Huckins & Joe Ansolabehere Based on Idea by: Yule E. Caise | January 10, 1998 |
| A researcher named Dr. Quilty wants to research about recess. When she first tries it, she fails, and T.J. and the gang decide to help her out by making a documentary film about recess. | |||||
| 25 | 25 | "Parents' Night" | Chuck Sheetz | Holly Huckins | January 17, 1998 |
|
Spinelli is apprehensive about her parents attending Parent's Night and the gang must find out why. Guest Star: Katey Sagal as Flo Spinelli. | |||||
| 26 | 26 | "Swing on Thru to the Other Side" | Chuck Sheetz | Joe Ansolabehere Story by: Rachel Lipman | January 17, 1998 |
| Spinelli creates a pseudo-religious philosophy after she comes to the belief that fourth grader Swinger Girl (aka Laura Jameson) swung over the top and never came back down. | |||||
Season 2 (1998–99)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | "The Break-Up" | Chuck Sheetz | Michael Kramer | September 12, 1998 |
| The gang breaks up when T.J. can't decide whom he should write about in a school report about best friends. | |||||
| 28 | 2 | "The Hypnotist" | Susie Dietter | David Shane | September 12, 1998 |
| A hypnotist who the gang thinks is hooey and bogus, inadvertently causes Principal Prickly to think he is six years old, and he takes to the playground to have fun. The Gang discovers "Petey's" new attitude and quickly befriends him, but things take a turn for the worse when Miss Finster decides to take over as principal until the trance can be broken. The kids are forced to find a way to bring the old Prickly back, despite Petey's protests that he wants to stay a child. | |||||
| 29 | 3 | "Mama's Girl" | Chuck Sheetz | Mark Drop Based on an Idea by: C.D. Payne | September 19, 1998 |
| Spinelli, who secretly has a good relationship with Miss Grotke, inadvertently calls the teacher "Mama" to warn her of danger. Her tough reputation is soon in tatters as everyone calls her a "Mama's girl," and the bullying becomes so bad that she refuses to go to school ever again. The rest of the Gang tries to restore her confidence, with help from Miss Grotke, who refuses to tolerate bullies. | |||||
| 30 | 4 | "Outcast Ashley" | Chuck Sheetz | Doria Biddle | September 19, 1998 |
| When Ashley A. forgets "Purple Day" (a holiday that commemorates the day the Ashleys first met), the other girls kick her out of their group. The lonely Ashley A. befriends Gretchen, who's been neglected by the Gang lately; the two actually develop a positive relationship, which makes both the Gang and the other Ashleys upset. Gretchen is soon caught between both the warring cliques and her own longing to be a "popular girl" for once in her life. | |||||
| 31 | 5 | "The Game" | Chuck Sheetz | Peter Gaffney | September 26, 1998 |
| A new craze called 'Ajimbo' sweeps across the playground, brainwashing all the kids at recess. Can T.J. resist and bring back his friends, or will he be swept in as well? | |||||
| 32 | 6 | "The Lost Ball" | Chuck Sheetz | Holly Huckins | September 26, 1998 |
| A kickball falls into the mysterious back garden of a mansion and it is up to Gus to retrieve it. | |||||
| 33 | 7 | "Gus' Last Stand" | Chuck Sheetz | Jonathan Rosenthal | October 3, 1998 |
| After his old victim moves away, school bully Gelman decides that Gus will be the new target for his abuse, making the smaller boy afraid to even step on the playground. After numerous schemes to protect himself fail, Gus talks to his military father for advice, and ultimately decides to stand up to Gelman once and for all. The other kids, moved by his bravery, join in the fight. | |||||
| 34 | 8 | "Operation Field Trip" | Chuck Sheetz | Michael Kramer | October 3, 1998 |
| The school is going on a field trip, but when T.J.'s class's bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere, T.J. and the rest of the kids on the bus must find a way to fix it. | |||||
| 35 | 9 | "The Challenge" | Chuck Sheetz | Jon Greenberg | October 10, 1998 |
| Principal Prickly's brother (voiced by Martin Mull) is principal of a rival elementary school. The siblings square off over a bet based on a game of kickball with the gang playing off against their doubles. | |||||
| 36 | 10 | "Wild Child" | Chuck Sheetz | Mark Drop | October 10, 1998 |
| The Gang volunteers for the "Pee Wee Pals" program, which will pair them up with kindergarteners, in exchange for passes to a local amusement park. Most of the group is able to find common ground with their smaller friends, but T.J. struggles to make a connection with his own kindergartner. As he quests to find a hobby they can both enjoy, he inadvertently raises the fury of the whole playground. | |||||
| 37 | 11 | "The Substitute" | Susie Dietter | Phil Walsh | October 31, 1998 |
| A mysterious substitute by the name of Mr. E takes over Miss Grotke's class while she is away. While everyone is impressed with the way he handles the class, T.J. wants everyone else to remember how great Miss Grotke is. | |||||
| 38 | 12 | "Gretchen and the Secret of Yo" | Chuck Sheetz | Doria Biddle Based on an Idea by: Julie Forte | October 31, 1998 |
| Gretchen longs to be good at some kind of athletic activity, and discovers that she has a hidden talent for the yo-yo. Encouraged by rumors of a former yo-yoing master (guest star Brian Doyle-Murray) living nearby, she becomes his pupil and works to become a true "master of Yo," eventually leading her to the statewide championships. With her friends cheering her on, Gretchen tries to prove herself with the incredibly difficult "Invisible Man" trick. | |||||
| 39 | 13 | "The Girl Was Trouble" | Chuck Sheetz | Mark Drop | November 7, 1998 |
| In this deliberately monochrome send-up of film noir, Gretchen recounts the tale of how she fell in with the "seedy underbelly" of Third Street School in a quest to recover Galileo, a personal handheld computer she received as a birthday present. Her journey has her cross paths with the worst troublemakers in the halls, and she helps them with their pranks in an effort to get information about Galileo. | |||||
| 40 | 14 | "Copycat Kid" | Chuck Sheetz | Holly Huckins | November 7, 1998 |
| Vince "saves" Mikey's life by catching a baseball moving toward his head, and the bigger boy decides that he wants to be just like Vince to gain popularity and coolness. Mikey's habits soon grow into an obsession as he starts copying Vince's clothing, style, and speech patterns. Vince, none too happy about being mimicked, hatches a scheme to help Mikey remember his true personality and teach him a lesson about what it really means to be cool. | |||||
| 41 | 15 | "Operation Stuart" | Chuck Sheetz | Katy Ballard | November 14, 1998 |
| Mikey rescues Stuart, a stray cat, who wreaks havoc at 3rd Street School. When the gang loses Stuart, he's found by the Ashleys, thus starting a fight between the two groups over ownership of the cat. | |||||
| 42 | 16 | "Pharaoh Bob" | Chuck Sheetz | Jonathan Rosenthal | November 14, 1998 |
| King Bob orders the Kids of the Playground to make a monument in his name when he fears he won't be remembered after he leaves. | |||||
| 43 | 17 | "The Story of Whomps" | Chuck Sheetz | Mark Drop | November 21, 1998 |
| A scandal erupts at Third Street Elementary when "whomps" (a word T.J. uses to mean something that is unfair or unpleasant, similar to the slang meanings for "suck," "blow," "stink," and "bite") is accused by the school faculty and the administration for being a swear word. | |||||
| 44 | 18 | "Weekend at Muriel's" | Chuck Sheetz | Michael Kramer & Phil Walsh | November 21, 1998 |
| Spinelli is forced to spend a weekend with Miss Finster while her parents are away. | |||||
| 45 | 19 | "Economics of Recess" | Howy Parkins | Rick Gittleson, Mark Drop, & Phil Walsh | December 12, 1998 |
| T.J. discovers that while he was out sick, the school has undergone a currency implementation, Monster Stickers. At first, T.J. is broke, but through hard work and investments, he becomes the richest kid in school and goes mad with power. | |||||
| 46 | 20 | "Omega Kids" | Chuck Sheetz | Steve Bannos | December 12, 1998 |
| All the kids at 3rd Street School have fallen ill after eating tuna fish tacos, leaving T.J. and the gang as the only students in school. | |||||
| 47 | 21 | "Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave" | Susie Dietter | Mark Drop, Holly Huckins, & Phil Walsh | December 26, 1998 |
| Mikey is ridiculed when it's discovered he still believes in Santa Claus. When his efforts to prove that the man in red exists fail, he loses his Christmas spirit and refuses to perform in a school pageant, much to the chagrin of the students and other teachers. A chance encounter with a friendly old man (voiced by James Earl Jones) helps renew Mikey's faith, and he appears in the pageant after all--and discovers that the elderly man has a secret of his own... | |||||
| 48 | 22 | "Bad Hair Day" | Chuck Sheetz | Jeff Haber, Phil Walsh, & Mark Drop | January 16, 1999 |
| Mikey is given a bad haircut after getting gum stuck in it, and Vince and T.J. lie and say it is a trendy new cut. Soon, every boy on the playground wants their hair styled the same way. | |||||
| 49 | 23 | "Dance Lessons" | Chuck Sheetz | Phil Walsh | January 16, 1999 |
| When Spinelli is caught fighting in school yet again, Miss Finster calls her parents, and Mrs. Spinelli decides to enroll her daughter in a dance class to help channel her aggression. The friendly Russian teacher, sensing Spinelli's spirit, pairs with her "Mikhail"--or Mikey, who reveals that he loves to dance but cannot find a partner able to handle his large size. Spinelli starts to enjoy the work, but when it's announced that the ballet class will perform before the whole school, she must choose between her friend and her "rep." | |||||
| 50 | 24 | "Principal for a Day" | Chuck Sheetz | Steve Bannos | February 27, 1999 |
| T.J. is made principal for a day, and the students are afraid that the power will change him. | |||||
| 51 | 25 | "The Beauty Contest" | Chuck Sheetz | Libby Bideau & Sandy Adomaitis | February 27, 1999 |
| Spinelli is entered into a beauty contest by the Ashleys as a joke, but sticks around so she can beat them. | |||||
Season 3 (1999–2000)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 1 | "One Stayed Clean" | Chuck Sheetz | Bart Jennett & Gregg Taylor | September 11, 1999 |
| The gang helps Gus (who has never had a picture day because of his constantly changing schools) stay clean so he can have a great school photo. | |||||
| 53 | 2 | "A Genius Among Us" | Chuck Sheetz | Brian Hamill | September 11, 1999 |
| In this homage to Good Will Hunting, Gretchen finds herself stumped by a tough math problem and leaves it on the blackboard; when it is solved overnight, the Gang has a stakeout and discovers that Hank the Janitor is secretly a mathematical genius. He and Gretchen form a friendship based on their love of numbers, but when word of Hank's prowess gets out, he's courted by every major scientific institution in the world for his talent, forcing him to choose between them. | |||||
| 54 | 3 | "Dodgeball City" | Howy Parkins | Gil Evans, Mark Drop, & Phil Walsh | September 18, 1999 |
| It's dodgeball season at Third Street, and T.J., determined to beat his rival Lawson, creates a major bet on a fourth-grader versus fifth-grader game. Gus is the only kid who refuses to play, and the Gang soon discovers why: at his previous school, he was a dodgeball legend named "El Diablo" who swore off the game when he accidentally injured a kindergartner. When history repeats itself on Hector, Gus's kindergartener friend, El Diablo finds himself dusting off his old poncho for one last round. | |||||
| 55 | 4 | "A Career to Remember" | Brenda Piluso | Leslie Wolff, Mark Drop, & Phil Walsh | September 18, 1999 |
| The Gang ponder on what they want to be when they grow up, and Spinelli fears she may not have a future. | |||||
| 56 | 5 | "Kindergarten Derby" | Chuck Sheetz | Jonathan Rosenthal & Steve Viksten | September 25, 1999 |
| The annual Kindergarten Derby, a race wherein kindergarteners sponsored by older kids compete to win a wish from the playground's current ruler, hits Third Street School. Mikey refuses to participate, citing exploitation, but befriends a heavyset kindergartener named Tubby who is determined to do well in the race. The older boy explains that he was unable to finish his own Kindergarten Derby, and decides to work as Tubby's trainer to prove that being big doesn't make people matter less. | |||||
| 57 | 6 | "The Bet" | Chuck Sheetz | David Pitlik | September 25, 1999 |
| T.J bets Vince that he can't go without winning every game he plays for one day. | |||||
| 58 | 7 | "Space Cadet" | Chuck Sheetz & Howy Parkins | David Pitlik | October 2, 1999 |
| Gretchen gets a letter from NASA, telling her that she will be involved in the next space shuttle mission, which makes T.J. jealous because he wants to go into space. Buzz Aldrin voices himself. | |||||
| 59 | 8 | "Stand Up Randall" | Chuck Sheetz | Libby Bideau, Sandy Adomaitis, Mark Drop, & Phil Walsh | October 2, 1999 |
| Randall becomes the playground comedian and gains popularity, but the gang isn't laughing when they find out that all the jokes are about Mikey. | |||||
| 60 | 9 | "The Shiner" | Chuck Sheetz | Steve Bannos | November 6, 1999 |
| T.J. comes in to school with a black eye and lies that he got it for doing something heroic and becomes the center of attention. | |||||
| 61 | 10 | "Lord of the Nerds" | Chuck Sheetz & Howy Parkins | Story by: David Stone Screenplay by: Ford Riley | November 6, 1999 |
| When T.J. breaks his collarbone during a football game, he's forced to stay in a room full of nerds, known as "Pale Kids," who don't go outside for recess. Over time, he bonds with the Pale Kids over their shared love of comic books, and even starts to enjoy their nerdy hobbies. When he returns to the blacktop and endures teasing, he's determined to stick up for his newfound friends, who come along for a single day of outdoor activity. | |||||
| 62 | 11 | "That Stinking Feeling" | Howy Parkins | Chad Einbinder | November 13, 1999 |
| While playing football with the fifth grade boys, Spinelli develops a crush on a boy named Johnny "Baby Tooth" V and ends up being the laughingstock of the entire school. | |||||
| 63 | 12 | "My Funny Valentines" | Howy Parkins | Gregg Taylor | November 13, 1999 |
| It's Valentine's Day and T.J. (who hates the holiday) creates joke Valentines that every girl on the playground takes seriously. | |||||
| 64 | 13 | "The Barnaby Boys" | Howy Parkins & Chuck Sheetz | Rocket Rabinowitz & Phil Walsh | January 15, 2000 |
| T.J. and Vince become fans of "The Barnaby Boys", a series of children's novels that follow the adventures of two teenage sleuths -- and get in over their heads when they try to uncover the mystery of the temporary janitor. | |||||
| 65 | 14 | "Buried Treasure" | Chuck Sheetz | Peter Gaffney & Jonathan Rosenthal | January 15, 2000 |
| T.J. discovers an old treasure map in an outdated history book, leading the Gang on a merry chase across the playground to find the mysterious valuables left behind by the map's writers. The Ashleys, Diggers, and Randall are gradually drawn into the hunt, and greed soon gets the better of most of the kids as they scheme to hoard the treasure for themselves. A speech from T.J. reminds them that the hunt is supposed to be fun, and they all recover in time to find the treasure--favorite toys that belonged to the map's creators, a group which includes Principal Prickly himself. | |||||
| 66 | 15 | "The Library Kid" | Howy Parkins & Chuck Sheetz | Doria Biddle & Holly Huckins | January 22, 2000 |
| A book report assignment sends the Gang to the library, where they share the tale of the mysterious "Library Kid," a girl who is rumored to live among the stacks. A quick hunt reveals the Library Kid, and they encourage her to go outside to experience recess. After some reluctance, the Library Kid soon goes "recess crazy" and plays completely out of control, prompting Gretchen to lead the Gang in an effort to help her before serious problems begin. | |||||
| 67 | 16 | "The Ratings Game" | Howy Parkins | Ilana Wernick & Holly Huckins | January 22, 2000 |
| The Ashleys make up a ratings system to crush the self-esteem of the kids on the playground, leading to chaos. | |||||
Season 4 (1999-2000)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68 | 1 | "The First Picture Show" | Chuck Sheetz | Richard Whitley | September 12, 1999 |
| T.J. finds out about the first Señor Fusion movie and vows to see the first show, but Principal Prickly (who is a fan of Señor Fusion) challenges T.J. to a trivia contest where Prickly will let the school go see the movie if T.J. wins. | |||||
| 69 | 2 | "The Big Prank" | Chuck Sheetz | Gregg Taylor | September 12, 1999 |
| T.J. tries to prank King Bob so he can win the King's old title of Prankster Prince. | |||||
| 70 | 3 | "Hustler's Apprentice" | Chuck Sheetz | Katy Cooper & Ned Teitelbaum | September 13, 1999 |
| Gus joins the Hustler Kid but causes trouble. | |||||
| 71 | 4 | "The Spy Who Came in from the Playground" | Chuck Sheetz | Michael Kramer | September 13, 1999 |
| The gang make a friend of new kid James Stone (voiced by Jason Marsden) and show him all of their tricks. However, it's revealed that he's a spy. | |||||
| 72 | 5 | "Gus' Fortune" | Howy Parkins | Ron Birnbach & Phil Walsh | September 19, 1999 |
| After playing with a paper fortune teller, Gus is told the next day will be his last one. | |||||
| 73 | 6 | "Rumor Mill" | Chuck Sheetz | David Pitlik | September 19, 1999 |
| The Gang notices that Mikey is frequently taken advantage of on the playground, but he shrugs off the abuse as part of his daily routine. The next day, though, all of the kids treat Mikey with deference, and the Gang soon discovers that a rumor about their friend pushing a boy into a girls' bathroom is spreading like wildfire. They do their best to hunt down the rumor's originator, and end up getting a surprise when they discover just who started the gossip. | |||||
| 74 | 7 | "Recess is Cancelled" | Chuck Sheetz | Jeff Haber, Mark Drop, & Phil Walsh | September 22, 1999 |
| The government officially cancels recess as part of an experiment, but things go wrong when the kids become slow-minded and depressed as a result. | |||||
| 75 | 8 | "Tattletale Heart" | Brenda Piluso | Matt Rosenberg | September 22, 1999 |
| A huge food fight breaks out in the cafeteria, and Gus is the only eyewitness to the person who started the mess. He wants to tell Miss Finster, as she's threatened to take away recess if no one comes forward, but the rest of the Gang tells him that the "Kids' Unwritten Code" will label him a tattletale if he spills the beans. When Miss Finster begins personal interrogations of the whole student body, Gus finds himself fighting to keep from cracking. | |||||
| 76 | 9 | "The Madness of King Bob" | Chuck Sheetz | Gregg Taylor | September 26, 1999 |
| Continuing from "The Big Prank". King Bob becomes obsessed with pulling a prank on T.J.. | |||||
| 77 | 10 | "Call Me Guy" | Brenda Piluso | Ford Riley | September 26, 1999 |
| Gus loses his glasses and becomes cool as a swingin' boy named "Guy". | |||||
| 78 | 11 | "Prickly is Leaving" | Chuck Sheetz | Julie Ann Sipos & Bart Jennett | October 3, 1999 |
| Principal Prickly's wish of being a middle school principal comes true, but his replacements are an evil man named Dr. Slicer and his assistant Gilda, who are even worse. Tim Curry is the voice of Dr. Slicer. | |||||
| 79 | 12 | "Randall's Friends" | Howy Parkins | Milton Chassman | October 3, 1999 |
| Randall gets the gang to pretend to be his friends on his birthday after lying to his father about having friends. | |||||
| 80 | 13 | "The Biggest Trouble Ever" | Howy Parkins | Steve Bannos, Mark Drop, & Phil Walsh | November 7, 1999 |
| A statue of Thaddeus T. Third the Third, Third Street School's namesake, is to be installed on the front lawn of the building, but the Gang inadvertently destroys it while using it as a new climbing structure. They are labeled the "Destructive Six" by the media, and the mayor announces a severe plan to send the kids to six individual schools, which shocks even Miss Finster as cruel. The kids must defend themselves in court to avoid this fate, and get help from a surprising source. This episode pays homage to both the 1979 film, Escape from Alcatraz and the 1987 film, Full Metal Jacket. | |||||
| 81 | 14 | "The Rules" | Howy Parkins | Etan Cohen & Bart Jennett | November 7, 1999 |
| The old King Morty's rules are reinstated after Vince and Lawson have a disagreement regarding a kickball landing in a dumpster. | |||||
| 82 | 15 | "Gus and Misdemeanors" | Chuck Sheetz | Holly Huckins | November 8, 1999 |
| Some bad kids from trick Gus into shoplifting candy from Kelso's. | |||||
| 83 | 16 | "A Science Fair to Remember" | Howy Parkins | Libby Bideau, Sandy Adomaitis, & Bart Jennett | November 8, 1999 |
| Little Becky Benson idolizes Gretchen...or does she? | |||||
| 84 | 17 | "Mikey's Pants" | Chuck Sheetz & Howy Parkins | Scott Redman & Phil Walsh | November 14, 1999 |
| While trying to pick up a ball that rolled under a bench, Mikey rips his pants and his friends try to help him cover up the rip while they hide from Miss Finster who'll stop at nothing to find him and sew his pants. | |||||
| 85 | 18 | "Here Comes Mr. Perfect" | Chuck Sheetz | Ron Birnbach & Phil Walsh | November 14, 1999 |
| Jared Smith, a new kid, comes to Third Street and isn't as average as the gang hopes when he's better than all the students at the things they are good at. | |||||
| 86 | 19 | "Good Luck Charm" | Chuck Sheetz | David Pitlik | November 19, 1999 |
| Spinelli borrows Vince's lucky marble to pass a math test on the day Vince needs it most. | |||||
| 87 | 20 | "Diggers Split Up" | Chuck Sheetz | Cary Okmin | November 19, 1999 |
| The Diggers have a fight and split up; the gang tries to get them back together. | |||||
| 88 | 21 | "SchoolWorld" | Howy Parkins | Scott Shelley | November 21, 1999 |
| In this homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Principal Prickly installs a new supercomputer called the SAL 4000 to run the school. At first, the kids love SAL, as he is able to procure recess equipment and change the temperature of the drinking fountains at a moment's notice. But when SAL gradually loses his mind and decides to take control of the entire school by imprisoning the teachers, it's up to Gretchen and the rest of the gang to power him down. | |||||
| 89 | 22 | "Bachelor Gus" | Chuck Sheetz | Sandy Adomaitis & Libby Bideau | November 21, 1999 |
| Gus moves into Old Rusty at school after overhearing his parents' unfortunate plans to move again. | |||||
| 90 | 23 | "The Dude" | Howy Parkins | Richard Whitley | November 28, 1999 |
| A school legend, T.J.'s idol comes back as a teacher. | |||||
| 91 | 24 | "Partners in Crime" | Chuck Sheetz | Written by: Bart Jennett Story by: Phil Walsh | November 28, 1999 |
| After being ignored by the student body, Menlo and Randall join forces and start blackmailing the kids to do them favors and it's up to T.J. and his friends to put a stop to the duo. | |||||
| 92 | 25 | "The Candidates" | Chuck Sheetz & Howy Parkins | Etan Cohen & Mark Drop | November 29, 1999 |
| Vince and Gretchen run against each other for class president. | |||||
| 93 | 26 | "This Brain for Hire" | Chuck Sheetz | Nancylee Myatt & Phil Walsh | November 29, 1999 |
| Gretchen does other people's homework in order to get the money for a new bike. | |||||
| 94 | 27 | "Spinelli's Masterpiece" | Brenda Piluso | Story by : Brian Hamill Teleplay by : Ford Riley | February 6, 2000 |
| Spinelli lets off some steam by creating a chalk drawing and T.J. does everything he can to keep Miss Finster from erasing it. | |||||
| 95 | 28 | "Nobody Doesn't Like T.J." | Howy Parkins | Milton Chassman & Phil Walsh | February 6, 2000 |
| T.J. finds out that Gordy is the only kid on the playground who doesn't like him, and sets out to make him his friend. | |||||
| 96 | 29 | "A Great State Fair" | Howy Parkins | Gail Glaze & Bart Jennett | February 13, 2000 |
| Gus gets left behind, along with Gelman and Miss Finster, when Gus's dad forgets to give him his permission slip to his first great state fair. | |||||
| 97 | 30 | "The A.V. Kid" | Howy Parkins | Mark Archuleta | February 13, 2000 |
| A.V. Kid must choose a successor because he's leaving Third Street for Portugal. T.J. and Vince would both like the position. | |||||
| 98 | 31 | "Yope from Norway" | Howy Parkins | Bob Illes | February 20, 2000 |
| Gus becomes jealous of Yope, a Norwegian transfer student. | |||||
| 99 | 32 | "Bonky Fever" | Chuck Sheetz | Bart Jennett | February 20, 2000 |
| Mikey's tenth birthday is coming up, and his mother inadvertently triggers a massive fear of becoming older. He gradually regresses to an infantile state by obsessing over "Bonky the Dragon" (a parody of Barney the Dinosaur). The rest of the Gang, concerned with Mikey's babyish attitude, does their best to break his addiction and remind him of what it means to be an older kid. | |||||
| 100 | 33 | "Don't Ask Me" | Howy Parkins | Sandy Adomaitis & Libby Bideau | February 21, 2000 |
| Spinelli takes the place of the Guru Kid. However, her advice to the playground begins to backfire. | |||||
| 101 | 34 | "The Secret Life of Grotke" | Howy Parkins | Ford Riley | February 21, 2000 |
| The gang believe that Miss Grotke is a spy. But is she spying for or against America? | |||||
| 102 | 35 | "The Fuss Over Finster" | Howy Parkins | Milton Chassman | February 27, 2000 |
| Miss Finster sprains her ankle and can't keep up with the kids during recess. At first, T.J. is thrilled, as he knows that he can finally get away with all of his biggest schemes. But upon seeing Muriel desperately trying to maintain order on the playground, he and the rest of the Gang realize that they can't truly enjoy themselves if she is in pain. This inspires a playground-wide truce of absolutely perfect behavior to give Miss Finster a much-needed break--at least until her ankle is fully healed. | |||||
| 103 | 36 | "Soccer Boy" | Howy Parkins | Scott Redman & Bart Jennett | February 27, 2000 |
| Vince dosen't let Mikey join his five-a-side soccer team for the King Bob Classic, so Mikey becomes the goalie for Lawson's team. | |||||
| 104 | 37 | "Fort Tender" | Howy Parkins | Nick Dubois | February 29, 2000 |
| T.J. and the gang build a makeshift fort called "Fort Tender", only to have Lawson and his gang ruin their plans and steal it from them. | |||||
| 105 | 38 | "Germ Warfare" | Howy Parkins | David Pitlik & Phil Walsh | February 29, 2000 |
| Gus and Mikey are at war after Gretchen catches a cold. | |||||
| 106 | 39 | "More Like Gretchen" | Howy Parkins | Bart Jennett | March 1, 2000 |
| Spinelli asks Gretchen to accompany her and her mother on a trip to a cosmetics museum so she can avoid boredom. While there, Gretchen inadvertently impresses Mrs. Spinelli with her vast knowledge and various talents, a problem that persists when she joins the Spinellis for dinner. Spinelli's parents repeatedly wonder why she can't be more like the polite and intelligent Gretchen, which leads the tomboy to swear off friendship with the brainy girl. Can Gretchen find a way to resolve the problem? | |||||
| 107 | 40 | "Prince Randall" | Howy Parkins | Bob Illes & Phil Walsh | March 1, 2000 |
| Randall, tired of King Bob not taking him seriously, discovers the playground's ruler in a compromising position at the mall and blackmails him with photographs. As part of the deal, King Bob is forced to declare Randall a prince and go into exile, and the snitch soon begins a reign of terror. The Gang, determined to save the playground from disaster, encourages King Bob to come forward with the truth, and share their own embarrassing stories to win the other kids over to the exiled monarch's side. | |||||
| 108 | 41 | "Me No Know" | Howy Parkins | Gail Glaze & Ford Riley | April 30, 2000 |
| Vince feels left out of the loop when everyone on the playground begins quoting lines from the latest screwball comedy, Me No Know and sets out to see the film, despite Vince's parents forbidding him because of how crude and immature it is. This is the only episode where Vince's parents have a speaking role. | |||||
| 109 | 42 | "Good Ole T.J." | Howy Parkins | Libby Bideau & Sandy Adomaitis | April 30, 2000 |
| T.J. and Gretchen are finally partners for a project. Will it work? | |||||
| 110 | 43 | "Chez Vince" | Howy Parkins | Milton Chassman | May 7, 2000 |
| Vince becomes one of the greatest chefs in the history of the playground with his newfound restaurant Chez Vince. | |||||
| 111 | 44 | "Tucked in Mikey" | Howy Parkins | Jack Monaco | May 7, 2000 |
| Mikey is declared the first-ever poet laureate of Third Street School, and is chosen to recite an original composition at a special ceremony honoring him. Determined to write his best work ever, Mikey turns to Menlo, a master of organization and time management, for help in becoming more focused. But when Menlo's advice accidentally transforms Mikey into an efficiency-obsessed drone, the organizer teams up with the Gang to restore the daydreaming poet to normal. | |||||
| 112 | 45 | "Old Folks Home" | Howy Parkins | Ford Riley | July 17, 2000 |
| Mikey signs the kids up to visit a retirement home on the same day as "Señor Fusion Fest," and the Gang reluctantly agrees to the plan, hoping to leave early to go to the festival. As Mikey fails to impress the senior citizens with his singing, the other kids discover the amazing stories some of the other residents--including a doctor who worked on the Manhattan Project, a female boxer and former merchant marine, and a retired baseball player from the Negro Leagues--have to offer. | |||||
| 113 | 46 | "Some Friend" | Howy Parkins | Mark Archuleta | July 17, 2000 |
| T.J. has a mysterious friend that appears to be Menlo. | |||||
Season 5 (2000–01)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 114 | 1 | "The Coolest Heatwave Ever" | Howy Parkins | Jack Monaco | September 9, 2000 |
| The gang try to find the school's back-up water valve on the hottest day of the year. | |||||
| 115 | 2 | "No Strings Attached" | Howy Parkins | Milton Chassman | September 9, 2000 |
| The Ashleys approach Spinelli to give her six tickets to an upcoming wrestling show, and don't ask for anything in return. Spinelli, suspicious of their intentions, rallies the Gang to determine what the popular girls might be up to. As they continually investigate, they run the risk of missing the actual show, prompting Gus and Mikey to take the tickets as an act of good faith. The search ultimately leads Spinelli, T.J., Vince, and Gretchen to the Ashleys' clubhouse, where they discover an unfortunate surprise. | |||||
| 116 | 3 | "Beyond a Reasonable Scout" | Howy Parkins | Catherine Lieuwen & Bart Jennett | September 16, 2000 |
| Mikey and Gus want to join the Woodchuck Scouts. | |||||
| 117 | 4 | "The C Note" | Howy Parkins | Steve Ochs | September 16, 2000 |
| After a mysterious figure drops an envelope containing a hundred-dollar bill outside of Third Street School, T.J. picks it up and shares the happy news with his friends, who all plot to buy extravagant things with their "fortune." But when Gus points out that someone must have lost the money, T.J. leads the Gang on a quest to determine the rightful owner. Their journey takes them through all of Third Street and to the mansion of Thaddeus T. Third V, who reveals that the whole scenario was a test of people's morals. Pleased with their honesty, he gives the Gang an even better reward. | |||||
| 118 | 5 | "The Army Navy Game" | Howy Parkins | Ford Riley | September 23, 2000 |
| When Gus's father finds out that Cornchip Girl's father is his archenemy from high school who works for the Navy, Gus and Cornchip Girl are not allowed to see each other anymore, but they decide to share a secret friendship that their fathers will not know about. | |||||
| 119 | 6 | "Big Ol' Mikey" | Howy Parkins | Bart Jennett & David Pitlik | September 23, 2000 |
| Gretchen and Galileo perform a test to determine how tall the Gang will be in the future. Mikey's answer is the most surprising: according to Galileo's data, he will grow to be fifteen feet tall! At first, everyone is pleased with the idea, but Mikey later has a nightmare wherein he grows into a giant monster that terrorizes the whole city. Determined to keep the world safe, he locks himself under a jungle gym and swears to never come out again. | |||||
| 120 | 7 | "The Principals of Golf" | Howy Parkins | Ford Riley | November 4, 2000 |
| The kids think Vince is getting special treatment when he becomes Prickly's golf partner for a golf tournament against his older brother's school. | |||||
| 121 | 8 | "All the Principal's Men" | Howy Parkins | Jack Monaco | November 4, 2000 |
| The gang tries to find out who removed all the balls from the playground. | |||||
| 122 | 9 | "Lawson and his Crew" | Howy Parkins | Phil Walsh | January 6, 2001 |
| In this two-part special, Lawson is upset when the Gang yet again wins honor and praise from King Bob and the rest of the playground. The bully abandons his old friends to form a new crew of counterparts to the group: himself for T.J., Randall for Gus, Skeens for Vince, Swinger Girl for Spinelli, Menlo for Gretchen, and Kurst "the Worst" for Mikey. Lawson's new group seems to be far more efficient at helping others, pulling pranks, and even protesting the administration's decisions. This puts the Gang into a depressed state, and makes them fear that they no longer have a place on the playground. Mikey points out that despite everything, they are still best friends, and the group takes solace in the fact--which comes in handy when they're called to solve a problem not even Lawson's gang can fix. | |||||
Season 6 (2001)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | 1 | "Terrifying Tales of Recess" | Howy Parkins | Children of the Cornchip: Mark Archuleta When Bikes Attack!: Jack Monaco Night of the Living Finsters: Bart Jennett | October 31, 2001 |
|
In this tribute to Tales from the Crypt, Butch tells viewers three terrifying tales of Recess.
| |||||
| 124 | 2 | "Kurst the Not So Bad" | Howy Parkins | Catherine Lieuwen | November 4, 2001 |
| Mikey discovers a surprising friend in Kurst "the Worst," a heavyset girl with an appetite that matches his and a mean attitude that doesn't. As they bond over sharing massive lunches, a true relationship begins to bloom, which upsets both the Gang and Kurst's group of fellow "bad kids." When it seems that Kurst is behind the theft of the cafeteria's huckleberry cobbler dessert, Mikey is forced to choose between defending his new friend or siding with everyone else. | |||||
| 125 | 3 | "League of Randalls" | Howy Parkins | Mark Archuleta | November 4, 2001 |
| Randall recruits the Tylers, the Ashleys' little brothers, to help him snitch on the other kids during recess. | |||||
| 126 | 4 | "Mundy, Mundy" | Howy Parkins | Mark Archuleta | November 5, 2001 |
| Bad-boy Mundy becomes very popular after he stops a ball from hitting a kindergarten girl and his friends get the gang to help them restore Mundy's bad boy reputation. | |||||
| 127 | 5 | "Lost Leader" | Howy Parkins | Bart Jennett & Randy Fechtor | November 5, 2001 |
| TJ loses his confidence after a series of failed plans and refuses to lead the group. | |||||
Films
| # |
Title |
Directed by |
Written by |
Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Recess: School's Out" | Chuck Sheetz | Story by: Paul Germain, Joe Ansolabehere, & Jonathan Greenberg Screenplay by: Jonathan Greenberg | February 16, 2001 |
|
It's the end of the school year, and the kids are on summer vacation. But boredom quickly sets in T.J. as his friends are headed for various summer camps. However, when T.J. discovers ex-principal Phillium Benedict's (James Woods) plans to get rid of summer vacation, he assembles his friends in an effort to defeat Benedict, find Principal Prickly, and save their summer vacations. Note: This was the only film in the franchise that received a theatrical release. | ||||
| 2 | "Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street" | Chuck Sheetz Susie Dietter | Paul Germain & Joe Ansolabehere | November 6, 2001 |
|
When Principal Prickly, Miss. Grotke and Miss. Finster get stuck in a snowbank during a snowstorm, they tell stories about their experiences with T.J. and the gang. Note: The episodes of "Principal for a Day", "The Great Can Drive", "Weekend at Muriel’s", and "Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave" are shown as flashbacks. | ||||
| 3 | "Recess: All Growed Down" | Howy Parkins Brenda Piluso | Paul Germain & Joe Ansolabehere | December 9, 2003 |
|
When the gang are captured by the kindergarteners, they discover their new leader, Chief Stinky. In order to escape, they tell the kindergarteners stories of how they used to get along with each other. Note: The episodes of "The Legend of Big Kid", "Wild Child", and "The Kindergarten Derby" are shown as flashbacks. | ||||
| 4 | "Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade" | Howy Parkins | Paul Germain & Joe Ansolabehere | December 9, 2003 |
| In the series finale, T.J. and the gang enter fifth grade. The film is divided into three different sections. In the first part, T.J. goes up against the Board of Education after they implement new changes to the school. The second part follows the gang being introduced to the fifth and sixth graders' club. The third and final part deals with Spinelli, who thinks she is getting too old for trick-or-treating on Halloween with the gang. | ||||
References
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