50 Fun Facts About Recess

Who created Recess?

Late title cards credited them simply as 'Paul & Joe'.

On which network and block did Recess premiere in September 1997?

The block was later renamed ABC Kids; reruns landed on Disney Channel and Toon Disney.

How many half-hour episodes were made across the show's four seasons?

The series wrapped in November 2001, the same year as the theatrical film.

Since which year has Principal Prickly run Third Street School?

He was once a student there himself and became a teacher to help kids.

What grade are T.J. and his five friends in?

Miss Grotke is their fourth-grade teacher; a sixth-grader rules the playground.

What is T.J.'s child-friendly substitute swear word?

'Tender' is his word for something good.

How does T.J. always wear his red baseball cap?

He is rarely seen without it.

Which two actors voiced T.J. over the run of the show?

Malinger handled seasons one and two, Lawrence took over from season two.

What is Spinelli's real first name, which she keeps hidden?

She was named for a great-aunt who won the Iditarod, but hates being linked to the snobby Ashleys.

Which Louie actress and King of the Hill star voices Spinelli?

She also voices Bobby Hill.

What is Spinelli's favourite spectator sport?

Her mother reveals on Parent-Teacher Night that she has a crush on T.J.

Which member of the gang is the athlete with a rivalry against fifth-grade bully Lawson?

Vince LaSalle excels at everything from basketball to cooking; his brother Chad is a secret geek.

Which Broadway singer provided Mikey's singing voice?

Jason Davis did his speaking voice; Mikey writes poetry and performs ballet.

Which member of the gang is a new kid from a military family who has attended 12 schools in six years?

He was introduced in the second episode as 'The New Kid'.

What fearsome nickname did Gus once carry at Jesse James Elementary for his dodgeball skills?

He gave up the game after hitting a small boy in the face.

Which actress voices the brainy Gretchen Grundler?

Johnson later played Ellie in The Last of Us games.

Who rules the playground as its monarch?

He is a sixth grader with enforcers to carry out his decrees.

What is Randall Weems' role on the playground?

He reports every misdeed to Miss Finster.

Who voices Miss Finster?

Finster served in the military in the 1950s and reminisces about Guam.

What was Miss Finster's job before teaching?

She has worked at Third Street since the 1960s.

Which veteran actor voices Principal Prickly?

Prickly has been principal since 1968.

What is the first name of Miss Grotke, the gang's hippie-ish teacher?

Allyce Beasley voices her; her 1960s counterculture views clash with Finster and Prickly.

How many girls make up the Ashleys?

Ashley A, B, Q and T; the clique nods to Heathers and Clueless.

What is Swinger Girl's ultimate goal?

Francesca Marie Smith voices her.

What do the Diggers do all recess?

Sam and Dave are voiced by Ryan O'Donohue and Klee Bragger.

What does Cornchip Girl throw to announce King Bob's arrival?

Her real name is Theresa LaMaise and she is in first grade.

What is the Hustler Kid's playground role?

Michael Shulman voices him.

What is Menlo obsessed with?

He is an office aide to Miss Lemon and a former close friend of T.J.

Which leather-jacketed fifth grader with a white streak in his hair tells the kids scary cautionary tales?

T.J. almost always prompts him with the words 'What're you talking about, Butch?'

Which genre of film did the show's music and design deliberately evoke?

The Great Escape was a touchstone for the playground hierarchy and the adults.

Which two Recess films went straight to video in 2003?

Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street had come out on video in 2001, the same year as the theatrical film.

What is the villain's plan in Recess: School's Out?

Phillium Benedict, a fired Secretary of Education, wants a new ice age to kill summer break.

Which actor voices villain Phillium Benedict?

Benedict had been fired as Secretary of Education for trying to abolish recess nationwide.

Which Sabrina star voices T.J.'s sister Becky in Recess: School's Out?

Tara Strong took over the role in Taking the Fifth Grade.

How much did Recess: School's Out gross on a $23M budget?

Reviews were mixed but the box office was strong for a TV spin-off.

What is the machine the villains test at Third Street School in School's Out?

Gretchen works out it is meant to move the moon when it nears Earth.

Which other Disney show did the Recess kids cross over into for their final appearance?

One of the gang later resurfaced in an episode of Chibiverse.

In which film is Miss Finster revealed to have been the gang's kindergarten teacher?

She was pleasant until she saw her kindergartners covered in mess and having fun.

Which studio produced Recess?

Overseas studios including Grimsaem, Anivision, Sunwoo and Toon City did the animation.

What is Miss Finster's middle name?

Muriel Periwinkle Finster, to be exact.

Which Monty Python member voices Galileo, Gretchen's handheld computer?

Gretchen is fiercely protective of the calculator-sized gadget, which helps her plan the gang's schemes.

Spinelli was named after a great-aunt who was the first woman to win which race?

She does not mind the name itself; she hides it only to avoid being lumped in with the Ashleys.

Which comic book hero is Principal Prickly secretly a fan of?

Prickly was himself once a Third Street pupil and became a teacher out of a genuine wish to help children.

In 'Hustler's Apprentice', what is the Hustler Kid's real name revealed to be?

The same episode shows he belongs to an association of hustlers drawn from every school.

Who directed the 2001 theatrical film Recess: School's Out?

Jonathan Greenberg wrote the screenplay; the film premiered on February 10, 2001, six days before its US release.

In School's Out, which post had Benedict reached before the President fired him?

He was sacked for trying to abolish recess nationwide, the same idea that had cost him the Third Street principalship in 1968.

In School's Out, what does T.J. have thrown at the beam to destroy it?

Benedict had already broken the controls, so the throw was the only way to halt the irreversible process.

Which Big Bang Theory actress voices the gluttonous bully Kristen 'Kurst the Worst'?

The fifth-grade bully, usually caught stealing cafeteria food, once bonded with Mikey over a shared love of desserts.

On which network did reruns of Recess air until 2003, besides ABC?

Disney Channel picked the show up in September 2003, pre-empting Fillmore! and The Legend of Tarzan for a 90-minute block.

Why were the creators credited only by their first names, 'Paul & Joe'?

The pair later revealed in 2022 that they had spent four years working on a possible revival.