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| The Weekenders | |
|---|---|
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| Also known as | Disney's The Weekenders |
| Genre | Animated sitcom Escapism |
| Created by | Doug Langdale |
| Directed by | Steve Lyons |
| Starring | Jason Marsden Grey DeLisle Phil LaMarr Kath Soucie Jeff Bennett |
| Opening theme | "Livin' for the Weekend" by Wayne Brady and Roger Neill |
| Composer | Roger Neill |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 39 (73 segments) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Doug Langdale |
| Editor | Arthur D. Noda |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Walt Disney Television Animation |
| Original release | |
| Network |
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| Release | February 26, 2000 (2000-02-26) – February 29, 2004 (2004-02-29) |
| Related | |
| Project G.e.e.K.e.R. Dave the Barbarian | |
The Weekenders (also known as Disney's The Weekenders) is an American animated television series created by Doug Langdale that ran on February 26, 2000, with the last episode airing on February 29, 2004, spanning four seasons. It centers on the weekend life of four 12-year-old 7th graders: Tino, Lor, Carver, and Tish. The series originally aired on ABC (Disney's One Saturday Morning) and UPN (Disney's One Too), but was later moved to Toon Disney.[1]
The Weekenders details the weekends of four best friends: Tino Tonitini (voiced by Jason Marsden), a friendly and ambitious Italian-American boy; Lorraine "Lor" MacQuarrie (voiced by Grey DeLisle), a hyperactive and dull-witted Scottish-American girl; Carver René Descartes (voiced by Phil LaMarr), a vain and materialistic African-American boy who is of Haitian descent; and Petratishkovna "Tish" Katsufrakis (voiced by Kath Soucie), a highly intelligent and bibliophilic Jewish-American girl of Eastern European descent (the fictional country where she was born is identified throughout the series simply as "the Old Country"). Every episode is set over the course of a weekend, with little to no mentions of school life. Friday sets up the adventure of the episode, Saturday escalates/develops it, and the climatic third act happens on Sunday. The implied "ticking clock" is used to signify the characters running out of time and the problem must be solved before going back to school Monday.
Tino serves as a narrator of each episode, providing his own insight into what he's experiencing as well as his friends, and will sum up the moral of the story at the end, always ending with a sign off of, "Later days".
A running gag in most episodes is that when the group goes out for pizza, the restaurant they go to has a different theme each time, such as a prison, where each table is its own cell, or the American Revolution, where the waiters look like the Founding Fathers and give rousing speeches about the pizzas.
The show was known for its distinctive animation style, similar to Nickelodeon's shows produced by Klasky-Csupo such as Rocket Power and As Told by Ginger, and also for being one of the few animated series where characters' outfits change from episode to episode. The series takes place in the fictional city of Bahia Bay, California ("Bahia" is Spanish for "bay"), which is based on San Diego, California where the creator lived.[2]
The show's theme song, "Livin' for the Weekend", was performed by Wayne Brady and written by Wayne Brady and Roger Neill.
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
| 1 | 8 | February 26, 2000 (2000-02-26) | May 6, 2000 (2000-05-06) | ABC | |
| 2 | 13 | September 9, 2000 (2000-09-09) | March 17, 2001 (2001-03-17) | ||
| 3 | 13 | September 9, 2001 (2001-09-09) | December 2, 2001 (2001-12-02) | UPN | |
| 4 | 5 | October 19, 2002 (2002-10-19) | February 29, 2004 (2004-02-29) | Toon Disney | |
| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Crush Test Dummies" "Grow Up" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale Sam Kass & Sharon Lee Watson | February 26, 2000 (2000-02-26) | |
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"Crush Test Dummies": Lor is in love with Thompson, and Carver thinks that she's talking about him. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Shoes of Destiny" "Sense and Sensitivity" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale Lance Kinsey | March 4, 2000 (2000-03-04) | |
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"Shoes of Destiny": Carver wants to stand beside the cool kids on picture day and his new shoes help him be "C.A.R.P.". | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "The Perfect Weekend" "Throwing Carver" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard Larry Spencer | March 11, 2000 (2000-03-11) | |
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"The Perfect Weekend": Tino plans out the perfect weekend, but his friends bail out. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Home@work" "To Be or Not to Be" | Steven Lyons | David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis Jonathan Rosenthal | March 18, 2000 (2000-03-18) | |
|
"Home@work": Lor needs her friends to help her pass an upcoming test or face going to military school. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Sitters" "Band" | Steven Lyons | Rachel Powell Steve Atinsky & Dan O'Connor | March 25, 2000 (2000-03-25) | |
|
"Sitters": Carver's mom and dad go to a conference, so Carver has to babysit his little brother, Todd. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Makeover" "The New Girl" | Steven Lyons | Sharon Lee Watson Sam Kass | April 1, 2000 (2000-04-01) | |
|
"Makeover": Lor gets asked out by Thompson and gets a whole new makeover by two girly girls. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Party Planning" "Pudding Ball" | Steven Lyons | Dan O'Connor & Steve Atinsky Evan Gore & Heather Lombard | April 22, 2000 (2000-04-22) | |
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"Party Planning": The gang gets invited to a party. It turns out to be clownless and they have to know each other's gender. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Dead Ringer" "Carver the Terrible" | Steven Lyons | Brian Palermo Rachel Powell | May 6, 2000 (2000-05-06) | |
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"Dead Ringer": Tino tries not to look like a geek while playing horseshoes. | ||||||
| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "Radio Drama" "The Tradition" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard Sam Kass | September 9, 2000 (2000-09-09) | |
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"Radio Drama": Tish gets bossy over a radio contest. | ||||||
| 10 | 2 | "To Each His Own" "Diary" | Steven Lyons | Larry Spencer Japhet Asher | September 16, 2000 (2000-09-16) | |
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"To Each His Own": Each member of the gang wants to go to events that cater to their interests. | ||||||
| 11 | 3 | "The Invited" "Real Fake" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale Evan Gore & Heather Lombard | September 23, 2000 (2000-09-23) | |
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"The Invited": Tino and Tish secretly get ready for a costume party, that Lor and Carver aren't invited to. | ||||||
| 12 | 4 | "Super Kids" "Crevasse of Dreams" | Steven Lyons | Sam Kass Japhet Asher | November 4, 2000 (2000-11-04) | |
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"Super Kids": After a seminar, everyone tries to do something meaningful with their weekends. | ||||||
| 13 | 5 | "Dixon" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale | November 11, 2000 (2000-11-11) | |
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An amusement park is re-opening and the gang tries to earn tickets while Tino frets about his mom's upcoming date, but after finding out his mom's date, Dixon, is cool, Tino tries to make sure they get together.
| ||||||
| 14 | 6 | "Taking Sides" "To Tish" | Steven Lyons | Jonathan Goldstein Doug Langdale | January 13, 2001 (2001-01-13) | |
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"Taking Sides": Tino and Carver get into a fight which splits the group in two. | ||||||
| 15 | 7 | "Tickets" "Vengeance" | Steven Lyons | Larry Spencer Doug Langdale | January 27, 2001 (2001-01-27) | |
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"Tickets": Tino wins 2 tickets to a Chum Bukket concert and he has a tough time deciding which of his friends to take. | ||||||
| 16 | 8 | "Murph" "Uncool World" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard Doug Langdale | February 3, 2001 (2001-02-03) | |
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"Murph": Tino worries that people don't like him. | ||||||
| 17 | 9 | "My Punky Valentine" "Brain Envy" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis | February 10, 2001 (2001-02-10) | |
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"My Punky Valentine": Tino has a crush on the punk girl and his friends try to "un-crush" him. | ||||||
| 18 | 10 | "Tish's Hair" "I Want to Be Alone!" | Steven Lyons | Peter Gaffney | February 17, 2001 (2001-02-17) | |
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"Tish's Hair": Tish gets a new hairdo and the gang is too afraid to tell her it's ugly. | ||||||
| 19 | 11 | "Baskets for Bucks" "Pru" | Steven Lyons | Dan O'Connor & Steve Atinsky Susan Leslie | March 3, 2001 (2001-03-03) | |
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"Baskets for Bucks": Lor is under pressure when she must sink three baskets in a row to win money, and thinks that losing will end her friendship with the others. | ||||||
| 20 | 12 | "Talent Show" "Relative Boredom" | Steven Lyons | Larry Spencer David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis | March 10, 2001 (2001-03-10) | |
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"Talent Show": Lor tries out for the talent show. | ||||||
| 21 | 13 | "New Friends" "The Awful Weekend" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard | March 17, 2001 (2001-03-17) | |
|
"New Friends": After Tino meets his mom's former best friend, he decides that the differences he has with his friends will only end in tears. | ||||||
| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1 | "Crushin' Roulette" "Lucky Shoes" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale Larry Spencer | September 9, 2001 (2001-09-09) | |
|
"Crushin' Roulette": Tish feels left out when she is the only one without a crush, and tries to find the right person. | ||||||
| 23 | 2 | "Cry" "The Perfect Son" | Steven Lyons | Brian Palermo Peter Gaffney | September 16, 2001 (2001-09-16) | |
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"Cry": After Tino cries during Romeo and Juliet in class and is made fun of, he decides to give up all his emotions. The lost emotions plan seems to backfire among the gang. | ||||||
| 24 | 3 | "Listen Up" "Never Say Diorama" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis | September 23, 2001 (2001-09-23) | |
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"Listen Up": The gang becomes Preteen Pals courtesy of Helpers Helping the Helpless, to help kids get over middle school fears, but Carver has a tough time listening and being helpful. | ||||||
| 25 | 4 | "Secret Admirer" "The Lone Wolves Club" | Steven Lyons | Larry Spencer Peter Gaffney | September 30, 2001 (2001-09-30) | |
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"Secret Admirer": Carver tries to discover who his secret admirer is, and becomes unhappy when he learns who it is. | ||||||
| 26 | 5 | "The Most Dangerous Weekend" "Charity Case" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard Dan O'Connor & Steve Atinsky | October 7, 2001 (2001-10-07) | |
|
"The Most Dangerous Weekend": Tino becomes paranoid and overcautious, after breaking his arm. | ||||||
| 27 | 6 | "Best" "Broken" | Steven Lyons | David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis Evan Gore & Heather Lombard | October 14, 2001 (2001-10-14) | |
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"Best": Tino tries to get "Best" designation in the yearbook. | ||||||
| 28 | 7 | "Father's Day" "Follow the Leader" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale Peter Gaffney | October 21, 2001 (2001-10-21) | |
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"Father's Day": It's Father's Day this weekend but for Tino, what does Father's Day mean to him since his dad doesn't live with him? | ||||||
| 29 | 8 | "Careers" "Tutor" | Steven Lyons | Peter Gaffney Larry Spencer | October 28, 2001 (2001-10-28) | |
|
"Careers": The group puzzles over their career test results. | ||||||
| 30 | 9 | "The Tao of Bluke" "An Experimental Weekend" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis | November 4, 2001 (2001-11-04) | |
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"The Tao of Bluke": The group has a team challenge called "Bluke". | ||||||
| 31 | 10 | "Celebrity" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale | November 11, 2001 (2001-11-11) | |
|
Tish stars in an episode of Teen Canyon and becomes a celebrity, so Carver tries to teach her how to behave like one, but she soon starts to act rude and superior.
| ||||||
| 32 | 11 | "Clown" "Testing Dixon" | Steven Lyons | Larry Spencer | November 18, 2001 (2001-11-18) | |
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"Clown": Tino tries to cure himself of his coulrophobia. | ||||||
| 33 | 12 | "Croquembouche" "Imperfection" | Steven Lyons | Peter Gaffney David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis | November 25, 2001 (2001-11-25) | |
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"Croquembouche": The gang visit a food festival with presentations. | ||||||
| 34 | 13 | "The Worst Holiday Ever" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard | December 2, 2001 (2001-12-02) | |
|
The Christmas season approaches, but because each member of the gang celebrates different holidays – Lor celebrates Christmas, Tino celebrates Solstice, Tish celebrates Hanukkah, and Carver celebrates Kwanzaa – they all plan to spend the weekend at Lor's grandmother's farm, but her RV gets stuck in a blizzard.
| ||||||
| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 1 | "Nevermore" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard | October 19, 2002 (2002-10-19) | |
|
Tino goes through a revenge rampage, when his friends won't go trick-or-treating with him and they think they're "too old".
| ||||||
| 36 | 2 | "Brain Dead" "Lor's Will" | Steven Lyons | Evan Gore & Heather Lombard Larry Spencer | November 7, 2003 (2003-11-07) | |
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"Brain Dead": Tish loses her title as "Brain" when she gets a B on a test. | ||||||
| 37 | 3 | "Radio Free Carver" "Dinner Party" | Steven Lyons | David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis Larry Spencer | November 14, 2003 (2003-11-14) | |
|
"Radio Free Carver": Carver becomes the new DJ of the Bahia Bay Middle School with disastrous results. | ||||||
| 38 | 4 | "Laundry Day" "Penny McQuarrie" | Steven Lyons | David Warick & Amy DeBartolomeis Peter Gaffney | November 21, 2003 (2003-11-21) | |
|
"Laundry Day": Lor enlists the gang to help her do her family's laundry. | ||||||
| 39 | 5 | "Tino's Dad" | Steven Lyons | Doug Langdale | February 29, 2004 (2004-02-29) | |
|
Tino's dad is visiting for the first time in 8 years, and he must plan the perfect weekend to bond with his dad.
| ||||||
The Weekenders premiered on February 26, 2000, as part of Disney's One Saturday MorningonABC. From 2001 to 2002, it also aired as part of Disney's One TooonUPN on Sunday mornings.[3] In September 2002, the series moved to Toon Disney,[4] and new episodes began airing on October 19, 2003,[5] finishing on February 29, 2004.
Reruns of the series continued to air on Toon Disney from 2004 to 2006, and also on Disney Channel in 2003.
In the United States, the entire series is now available on DVD on two volume sets sold exclusively through the Disney Movie Club,[6] which makes The Weekenders the first Disney animated television show to have a full release on DVD.[7] Due to the first-sale doctrine in the United States, the discs can be legally resold and are regularly available from sellers on eBay and other similar sites.[8] As of February 2024 the series is not available for streaming on Disney+.
| DVD name | Ep # | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| The Weekenders: Volume 1 | 20 | March 5, 2013 |
| The Weekenders: Volume 2 | 19 | March 5, 2013 |
The Weekenders has received very positive reviews from critics and fans for its solid writing, upbeat energy and multi-dimensional characters.[9]
TV Guide called The Weekenders as "the show that killed Pokémon", because ABC stole the ratings when they aired it at 10:00 am – the same time Pokémon aired on Kids' WB. In addition, Variety reported that The Weekenders took the number one rating on Saturday morning television, which knocked off Pokémon from its 54 consecutive weeks as the top spot.[10]
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| Disney's One Saturday Morning (1997–2002) |
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| ABC Kids (2002–2011) |
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| 1980s debuts |
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| 2020s debuts |
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