Time For A Recess With Way Back Wednesday

Remember those TV shows you used to watch when you were in middle school? Maybe it was a Saturday morning cartoon or a ridiculous sitcom. Well let’s travel down memory lane because it’s time for a new feature I’m calling “Way Back Wednesday”. On the occasional Wednesday I’ll relive the fond memories of a show that is no longer with us and that brings back fond memories. Hopefully you will remember it too and can share your own experiences.

For my first Way Back Wednesday, I’m only jumping back to 1997. This was a year where Saturday morning cartoons were a reason to actually wake up on the weekend, and South Park, Teletubbies, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer did not yet exist on TV. ABC had a block of cartoon programming called “One Saturday Morning” that included such gems as Doug, Pepper Ann, the illustrious Science Court, and my personal favorite, Recess.

Recess aired Saturday mornings on ABC alongside Doug and Pepper Ann.

Being a middle school student at the time, a show that centered entirely around school yard pranks and the joys of recess really spoke to me. The six kids that the show focused around each perfectly fit the stereotypes that every school was comprised of. I had a particular fondness for the characters T.J. and Spinelli. T.J. because I aspired to be a prankster like he was (I was never quite so successful). Spinelli because she was a tough, tom boy and I was definitely a tom boy at that age. Other memorable characters include King Bob, the monarch of the playground and the Ashley’s, a group of overly dramatic “mean girls” (the cartoon precursor to movie of the same name to be sure).

The show also had some deeper meaning behind it. Wikipedia’s article on the show comments:

“Recess is illustrated to be a symbol of freedom—a time when the kids 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.”

Oh Disney cartoons, always preaching some kind of political message. But in this case, I feel the show sent a good message to kids of my generation. It valued not only having fun but also having a good set of morals. Most importantly it taught that not all rules are good rules and should be questioned. So in a sense it also made us aware of the problems with conformity and government. Politics and kids, always a fun mix.

DISCUSS: What Saturday morning cartoon do you most fondly remember? Did that show have any political or social undertones that you may not have realized as a child?