Bill & Cheri Steinkellner know a good cast when they meet one.
As the Emmy Award-winning writers of several notable primetime series including “Cheers,” the Steinkellners are quick to sing the praises of working with Gary Baseman’s entrancing animated cast. But not for the reasons you’d think.
“Our favorite difference between primetime sitcom writing and writing ‘Disney’s Teacher’s Pet’ is that animated characters say whatever we ask them to say,” says Cheri Steinkellner. “We’ve never had a more cooperative cast.”
Heading the class is Spot/Scott, a blue dog that wishes for all things beyond the end of the leash. When the film opens, Spot is completing his first year of school (the fourth grade) as an extremely popular student who nobody notices is really a canine with glasses and a beanie. He loves education, he adores hanging with the humans. And he knows, in his head, that he’ll never be more than a pretend boy. But his heart pines for a fairytale style miracle that would grant his ultimate wish. Rarely does a character, animated or otherwise, come to life with the utmost focus, yet utter conflict of Spot, er, Scott.
“Spot does not wish to be a dog,” says Bill Steinkellner. “Laying around in the sun, eating kibble from a bowl and panting for the occasional earscratch – those things just don’t fulfill him. Spot has a burning desire to be human.”
In Spot/Scott, the Baseman-Steinkellner combo has created one of the most memorable characters in animated history. Between his inner conflicts, basic instincts, uninhibited desires and comical turns, Spot/Scott strikes a chord in virtually everyone’s emotional range – and hits home on most anyone’s funny bone.
“Writing ‘Disney’s Teacher’s Pet’ is pretty much the same as writing ‘Cheers,’ except we have to be smarter,” Cheri says. “We go to our ‘Bartlett’s Quotations’ a lot more for Spot than we ever did for Frasier Crane or Diane Chambers, because Spot’s so much more well-read.”
“Hubcaps” was only half of Baseman’s inspiration for “Disney’s Teacher’s Pet.” In the comic books of his youth were the grounds for Spot’s alter-ego, an average, everyday fourth-grader with clothes, glasses and a beanie disguising his otherwise dog-like appearance.
I could never understand why nobody realized Superman was Clark Kent – not even the reporters at the Daily Planet!” Baseman says. “I wanted to take that absurdity one step further in that no one could tell that Spot was a dog when he donned his glasses and beanie.”
Beyond Spot/Scott is an endearing supporting cast of characters that range from an over-loving mother/teacher and a boy who simply seeks the normalcy of a boy-and-his-dog relationship, to a canon of neurotic pets and mutant swamp creatures. The result is sophisticated comedy that works on a variety of levels for all age groups.
As Spot’s best friend and master, Leonard Helperman (voiced by Shaun Fleming, “Splitsville”) doesn’t ask for much – except to be a normal, average kid who can spend his free time playing with his dog. He just wants a normal existence. But when your mom’s also your teacher, and your dog is the kid in the next desk, forget it. Leonard is stuck. On the other hand, it is cool to converse with your dog, your cat, and your canary. In “Disney’s Teacher’s Pet,” Leonard learns the true meaning of friendship and sacrifice for his best pal.
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