Line #54 Series/LifeWithDerek


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7	[[quoteright:245:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_mmn7ve8orz1rfj97xo1_250_535.jpg]]
8	[[caption-width-right:245: In which the extreme {{Tsundere}} and the extreme {{Jerkass}} must become brother and sister. [[BelligerentSexualTension It doesn't work too well.]]]]
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10	''Life with Derek'' is a [[CanadianSeries Canadian]] [[LiveActionTV live-action]] [[DomCom domestic comedy]] produced for Canada's Creator/FamilyChannel and simultaneously aired in America on Creator/DisneyChannel, where it gained a respectable audience. The show ran for two short thirteen-episode seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07) and two full seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09).
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12	The show focused on [[BlendedFamilyDrama two families merging together after divorces]]. In typical NuclearFamily fashion, the siblings don't get along all the time, and HilarityEnsues. The main character is Casey [=McDonald=] (Creator/AshleyLeggat), a [[ThePerfectionist perfectionistic]], [[ControlFreak overly controlling]] teenage girl who has a rivalry with her new stepbrother, the titular Derek Venturi (Creator/MichaelSeater), a [[TallDarkAndSnarky sarcastic]] [[{{Jerkass}} prankster jerk]].
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14	A [[TheMovie movie]] of the series, ''Vacation with Derek'', premiered in Canada on June 25, 2010 and in America on May 14, 2011.
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16	In late 2012, the development of an official relaunch with the working title ''Life With Derek, Again'' involving the original cast members was announced. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen It was not picked up for production.]]
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18	In 2022, a sequel movie titled ''Life With Luca'' was ordered and produced; it premiered on February 20, 2023.
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20	Compare ''Series/EvenStevens'', a similar Disney Channel show often considered a predecessor to this show.
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22	!Tropes used by ''Life With Derek''
23	* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: Casey joined the pep squad because she assumed this was expected of her as the football hero's girlfriend.
24	* AlmostKiss: "Date with Derek" has Derek and Emily move in for one in order to lure Casey out of hiding and spying on them. [[spoiler:Emily actually kisses Derek for real though near the end of the episode.]]
25	* AloofBigBrother: Derek oscillates between being this and a BigBrotherMentor (who just happens to really suck at it) depending on his mood.
26	* AlphaBitch: Max's cheer-captain ex-girlfriend Amy.
27	* AmateurFilmMakingPlot: In “Home Movies”, Casey wants to make a movie about her family for a school project.
28	* AmateurSleuth: Edwin and Lizzie try their hands at it, and fail miserably (Edwin more than Lizzie.)
29	* AmbiguousSituation: If both Nora and Dennis, and George and Abby remain on very good terms with each other, why did they get a divorce in the first place?
30	* AndStarring: "And Michael Seater as Derek."
31	* AnimatedCreditsOpening: The opening sequence for TheMovie is StopMotion animated.
32	* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Edwin takes the cake, though Marti and Lizzie have their moments.
33	* ArcWords: The phrase "Blended Family" grates on the nerves after four seasons.
34	* AscendedExtra: Sheldon Schlepper, who was originally supposed to only be in one episode.
35	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Casey learns this the hard way on her sixteenth birthday when she wishes Derek out of her life. [[spoiler: But considering that it's all a dream, and the audience is well aware of it...]]
36	* BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: Male versions, with Derek getting the looks, Sam the brains and Ralph the brawn.
37	* BelligerentSexualTension: Speculation abounds regarding this between Derek and Casey. Thick enough between Truman and Casey to serve up with an ice cream scoop.
38	%%* BigManOnCampus: Max. Derek tries.
39	* BirthdayEpisode: There’s four of them:
40	** “It’s Our Party” for Lizzie and Edwin
41	** “Sixteen Sparkplugs” for Derek
42	** “Not so Sweet Sixteen” for Casey
43	** “Two Kisses, One Party” for Marti.
44	* BlahBlahBlah: When Sam is talking to Derek about his and Casey's recent argument, this is all Derek hears.
45	* BlendedFamilyDrama: Stepsiblings Casey and Derek don't get on after their parents get married.
46	* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Male versions of it found in Sam, Ralph and Derek, all three being best friends and jocks, with Derek being the only JerkJock out of the three. Also, BeautyBrainsAndBrawn, with Derek getting the looks part, Sam the brains and Ralph the brawn.
47	* BookDumb: Derek obviously isn't stupid. He just has other priorities.
48	* BrainyBrunette: Casey and Lizzie both qualify.
49	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Casey addresses the audience [[OnceAnEpisode each episode]] immediately following the TitleSequence.
50	* BrilliantButLazy: George managed to become a successful attorney despite having been a slacker and a ne'er-do-well in high school. Derek arguably qualifies, as well.
51	%%* ButtMonkey: Edwin
52	* CallingTheOldManOut:
53	** The three younger siblings raise some serious Cain when they're expected pick up the slack around the house when Casey and Derek have to study for finals, without any additional consideration or compensation.
54	** In TheMovie, Casey stands up to her grandmother Felicia in defense of George and the rest of the Venturi clan.
55	* CatchPhrase: Casey's annoyed reaction of "''Der''-ek!" The distinctiveness is in how she says it. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in the episode "Open Mic Plight" when Derek responded:
56	-->'''Derek''': ''Ca''-sey! ''Sal''-ly!
57	* CharacterDevelopment: By the end of the series, Casey is much less of an obsessive-compulsive ControlFreak and has learned to relax and enjoy life, and Derek has gotten over his fear of commitment and does right by his family more often than not. That's not to say there aren't still times when they're positively insufferable.
58	%%* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Ralph
59	%%* ColdOpening
60	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Casey can be so short-sighted at times that she can only process the advice Paul gives her the way ''she'' wants to process it.
61	** From "The Wedding":
62	--->'''Casey''': So you're saying Vicky's insecure?\
63	'''Paul''': Mmm-hmm.\
64	'''Casey''': Wrong! She's flat-out mean!
65	** From "Dinner Guest":
66	--->'''Paul''': Don't you think you expectations are just a little too high?\
67	'''Casey''': Come on, my family can behave for one night.\
68	'''Paul''': No, I mean of yourself.\
69	'''Casey''': Of course!
70	* CompanionCube: Marti has her stuffed monkey, Sir Monksalot.
71	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Noel. His last appearance in an early season four episode had him coming to terms with him being just friends with Casey. It was an obvious set up for a PlatonicLifePartners friendship or possibly another LoveInterest for Casey. But then Truman came in, and Noel never showed up again.
72	* DarkHorseVictory: Emily was the first write-in candidate ever to be elected Student Body President of Thompson High.
73	%%* DefrostingIceQueen: Grandma Felicia in TheMovie.
74	%%* DomCom
75	* DrivesLikeCrazy: George is a notoriously-reckless driver, even losing his license on the eve of Derek getting his. [[InformedFlaw Or so we're told. We never actually see him drive]].
76	%%* DrivingADesk: Derek's driving test.
77	* DrugsAreBad: Casey attempted to intervene when she thought Derek was selling drugs (and using Edwin as his bag-man.) [[spoiler:It turns out he was just selling office supplies his dad stole from work, and [=CDs=]]].
78	* EaglelandOsmosis: This show provides a fascinating look at the similarities and differences between Canadian and American culture. The show itself could be considered a case of ''reverse'' osmosis, due to its popularity in the States.
79	* ElectionDayEpisode: There was an episode where Casey uses her stepbrother Derek as a puppet to run for school office and get the "cool" vote while enacting her ideas. [[spoiler: Their friend ends up winning as a write-in instead]].
80	* EpicFail: Having a low support during an election is bad, but one where the voters would rather have none of the candidates be president rather than yourself says something about Casey's life.
81	* ExpositoryThemeTune: One sang by Casey to explain her new life.
82	* {{Fanservice}}:
83	** Three words to describe Casey in her ''Babe Raider'' outfit: [[Series/HappyDays Yeowza, yeowza, yeowza!]]
84	** In one episode, Casey is seen reviling over the disorganization of the bathroom, clad in only a ModestyTowel. About as hot as you'll ever see on Creator/DisneyChannel.
85	* FirstNameBasis: The Venturi kids with Nora, and the [=McDonald=] girls with George.
86	* FirstNameUltimatum: ''Der''-ek!!
87	* FlirtyStepsiblings: Unintentional on the writer's part, intentional on the actors'.
88	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The Venturi brothers and the [=McDonald=] sisters.
89	* FourTemperamentEnsemble:
90	** Casey (melancholic), Derek (choleric), Edwin (phlegmatic), Lizzie (leukine), and Marti (sanguine).
91	** The parents: Nora (melancholic) and George (sanguine).
92	* GenerationXerox: Derek is doing his best to live up to his father's high school reputation (evidenced by a file that requires its own box) as an underachieving prankster.
93	* GraduateFromTheStory: The series finale "Futuritis" features Casey and Derek's high school graduation.
94	* HandsomeLech: Derek strikes out about as often as he scores.
95	* HappilyMarried: George and Nora both seem to have gotten it right on the second try.
96	%%* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Roxie in TheMovie]].
97	%%* HighSchool
98	* HighSchoolDance: Uses the 'boy has to ask a girl' theme to a tiring extent, resulting in a long-winded "[[HilarityEnsues hilarious misunderstanding]]" about who asked whom.
99	* HilariousOuttakes: [[EveryEpisodeEnding Over the end credits of every episode]].
100	* HypocriticalHeartwarming: Let it be known that Derek is the '''''only one''''' allowed to insult Casey.
101	* IDidntMeanToTurnYouOn: Casey has a nasty habit of giving guys the wrong impression. Noel and Ralph come to mind most readily.
102	* IdiosyncraticWipes: The pantomime skits between scenes.
103	* ImaginaryFriend: Marti's imaginary friend Daphne, [[{{Tuckerization}} named for series creator Daphne Ballon]].
104	* JerkJock: Played straight with Derek, and subverted with his [[LovableJock modest, likeable hockey buddies]] Sam and Ralph.
105	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Derek when he's not [[{{Jerkass}} just a jerk]]. Especially with [[MoralityPet Marti]] and Casey, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX38T7JnC6c especially when Casey cried]].
106	* JustFriends: This trope is the actual title of an episode which is devoted entirely to playing with the trope.
107	* KickTheDog: "Don't Take a Tip From Me" features one of Derek's cruelest cases of these, when he and Casey both end up as wait staff at a restaurant where Casey's bad at her job while Derek's great at it. When Casey finally asks Derek for help, he "helps" her by setting up a "waiter boot camp" with their family and then being as unhelpful and uncooperative as possible, as well as ''actively sabotaging'' her efforts until she gives up and runs off crying, all seemingly just because he wants to see her suffer. Noteworthy in that their mother ends up calling him out on it this time, angrily telling him that this was probably among the worst things he has done and demanding that he both apologize to her and give her ''actual'' advice.
108	-->'''Nora:''' It's one thing to belittle Casey...but to kick her when she's down?
109	* {{Kidanova}}: Derek walks the line between being this and a straight [[TheCasanova Casanova]].
110	* TheKlutz: Casey, who is given the nickname "Klutzilla" very only on. However, in later seasons, she is also shown to be a talented dancer ([[TheCastShowoff much like the actress who plays her]]), so it's hard to buy her pratfalling as genuine.
111	** Unless you actually hang around dancers, and their perpetual injuries.
112	* LastMinuteHookup: In the penultimate episode, between [[spoiler: Derek and Emily]].
113	* LaughTrack: This show, along with ''Series/NaturallySadie'' and ''Series/PhilOfTheFuture'', doesn't have one, although goofy sound effects and guitar riffs are used to much the same effect.
114	* LethalChef:
115	-->'''Edwin''': Didn't Derek tell you to show up ''after'' dinner?\
116	'''Lizzie''': Yeah, friends don't let friends eat here.\
117	'''Nora''': Hey!
118	%%* LocalHangout: Smelly Nelly’s
119	* LockedInARoom: Derek and Casey get locked in the bathroom in "The Party" and bonding ensues. Although... whether or not Derek was being sincere is up for debate...
120	* LondonEnglandSyndrome: An interesting aversion, in that we eventually learn the show is set in London, Ontario (population 350,000, about halfway between UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} and UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}), but they never come out and call it "London, Ontario".
121	** They reference it being London, Ontario exactly once, in a throwaway line from "Derek Denies Denial" where Derek's snarking at his dad.
122	-->'''George:''' Derek, explain yourself.\
123	'''Derek:''' Okay, I was born seventeen years ago, in London, Ontario...
124	%%* LovableJock: Sam and Ralph.
125	* TheMasochismTango: Sam and Casey's extremely fragile on-again, off-again relationship.
126	* MissingChild: In TheMovie, Marti goes missing and when Derek and Casey go to find her, they find her canoe overturned in the water and Derek visibly panics.
127	%%* NotBloodSiblings: Often an excuse of the shippers.
128	%%* NuclearFamily
129	* [[TheObiWannabe The Obi-Wannabe]]: Derek genuinely believes he's setting a good example for Edwin by leading him down the path of juvenile delinquency and sporadically-successful babe-hounding.
130	%%* OfficialCouple: The roster is as follows:
131	%%** Casey and:
132	%%*** [[TheMasochismTango Sam]]
133	%%*** [[AllGuysWantCheerleaders Max]]
134	%%*** [[BelligerentSexualTension Truman]]
135	%%** Derek and:
136	%%*** Kendra
137	%%*** Sally
138	%%*** [[spoiler: Emily]]
139	%%* OnlySaneMan: Nora and Lizzie.
140	* ParodyNames: An episode called "[[Franchise/TombRaider Babe Raider]]" focused on the controversy surrounding the titular video game.
141	%%* PetTheDog: Every episode.
142	* PlatonicLifePartners: In contrast to their elder siblings, Lizzie and Edwin have one of the best-written platonic relationships on television. Still doesn't stop the shippers, though, as the fans have made them into a {{Fanon}} NotBloodSiblings BetaCouple.
143	* PrecociousCrush: Lizzie develops one on her soccer coach in one episode. [[spoiler: Too bad he turned out to be a player.]]
144	%%* PutOnABus: Sheldon, and later, Sally.
145	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Principal Lasseter is a disciplinarian, but is also willing to consider more important things, such as the effect of expelling Derek on school morale.
146	* RecycledInSpace: ''Series/EvenStevens'' AS Series/{{THE BRADY BUNCH}}! IN CANADA!
147	* RunningGag:
148	** '' 'DER-ek-!' '' The more emphasis on the first syllable, the angrier Casey is when she says it. Inverted in 'Futuritis', when she says it (as Derek appears on stage) in a very soft, loving fashion.
149	** George can’t drive.
150	* SayMyName: '''''[+DER-EK!!!+]''''' Casey isn't the only one who says it like that, either. In one episode, they [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] it by having the characters ''bet'' as to whether Derek can get everyone to say his name like that. [[spoiler:And yes, he wins.]] It's also become a very popular and simple drinking game, much like [[Series/TheBobNewhartShow "Hi, Bob!"]]. The rules? Drink whenever anyone says "Derek".
151	%%* SchoolPlay: A musical about pirates.
152	* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Edwin and Derek.
153	* SexinessScore: The episode "6 1/2" has a new cute guy at school who gets on the girl's bad sides when he starts rating every girl in school, with Casey being particularly crushed on being rated a 6 1/2. As Emily says "He may look like a 10 but he's a 0".
154	* ShoutOut:
155	** George's old high school band was called "[[WesternAnimation/GeorgeOfTheJungle George in the Jungle]]."
156	** Derek pronounces "moron" as "[[WesternAnimation/BugsBunny maroon]]."
157	* SlapSlapKiss: How Casey and Truman came to be.
158	** [[FanPreferredCouple 90% of the fandom also expected Casey and Derek to end up together because of this.]]
159	* SoapboxSadie: Lizzie takes treehugging to a whole new level.
160	* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome: In the first episode of the second season, Edwin's age jumped from 10 to 12 when Daniel Madger's voice dropped.
161	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Casey's first clue that Derek had put his name on her math test (and vice-versa) was that he'd spelled her last name "Mac" rather than "Mc." His response:
162	-->'''Derek''': Are you sure? Because "Mac" just feels right.
163	* StandardizedSitcomHousing: Delightfully averted. The [=McDonald=]-Venturi home is an older-style three story dwelling, of which multiple rooms are seen from multiple angles.
164	* StrawFeminist: Casey seems to think the word "Secretary" is sexist, and insists that her stepfather use the more politically-correct "Administrative Assistant."
165	** StrawmanHasAPoint: Casey had a lot of good points in "Babe Raider".
166	* StrikeEpisode: The B-plot of "Grade a Cheater" involves the three younger siblings of Derek and Casey- Edwin, Lizzie and Marti- protesting against doing chores until they get paid more allowance for all the work they do.
167	%%* TallDarkAndSnarky:
168	%%** Derek
169	%%** Also minor character Noel in his first appearance.
170	%%* TeamMom: Casey
171	* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: Principal Lasseter gets rather indignant at George's attempt to address him [[FirstNameBasis by his given name]].
172	* ThisIsMySide: When Derek and Casey were staying at the house alone while the rest of the family went on a road trip, Casey taped parts of the house pink (her side) and blue (Derek's side) so that they would avoid running into each other.
173	%%* ThoseTwoGuys: Sam and Ralph, depending on the episode.
174	* ThreeWallSet: Averted in this series through the use of a more cinematic Single Camera format (quite rare for a sitcom.)
175	* TitleThemeTune: "This is life with Derek!"
176	* ThemeTuneRollCall: "This is life with Derek! This is life with Derek! This is life with Lizzie, Edwin, George and Nora, Marti, and Casey!"
177	%%* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Lizzie and Casey.
178	%%* TwoLinesNoWaiting
179	* TwoTeacherSchool: Averted. Rarely is the same teacher seen twice.
180	%%* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: Derek mostly, although Casey ventures into this territory quite a lot.
181	%%* UptightLovesWild: Unintentional, but if it wasn't...
182	* {{UST}}: Unintentional between Casey and Derek, middling to so-so between Derek and Sally before they became a couple, and burning hot between Casey and Truman before they hooked up.
183	* VictoriousChildhoodFriend: Patience really paid off for [[spoiler: Emily and Derek]].
184	* ViolentGlaswegian: Casey and Truman's fencing coach Fergus is a toned-down version.
185	* VisitByDivorcedDad: Casey and Lizzie's dad and the Venturi kids' mom both make appearances. They're as active as is practical in their kids' lives.
186	* VitriolicBestBuds: Derek and Casey's relationship could be seen like this.
187	* WackyMarriageProposal: Two of them:
188	** In a FlashBack episode, Casey and Derek have such a lousy rapport that they try, and initially succeed, at torpedoing their parents' marriage plans. [[spoiler:In the end, Casey proposes on behalf of her mother, and Derek accepts on behalf of his father]].
189	** At their junior prom, Sheldon proposes to Emily in front of the entire student body. [[spoiler: He's about to [[PutOnABus move to Newfoundland with his parents]], and is making a last ditch effort to hold onto Emily]].
190	* WildTeenParty: Derek throws one when George and Nora leave the house for the weekend.
191	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Literally snakes, in this case. Derek's phobic of them, as shown in the movie. He's also afraid of mice, a fear shared by George and Edwin.
192	* WritersCannotDoMath: Assuming the chronological order of the episodes is the production order, the first two seasons, up until the third season episode "Summer School Blues", cover one school year and part of the summer after. The next episode, "Home Movies", up until the season 4 episode "Rude Awakenings" cover another. The next episode, "How I Met Your Stepbrother", is stated to take place on George and Nora's second wedding anniversary, which, given that they married shortly before the events of the first episode and the flashbacks show that Casey and Derek were already in high school at the time, may be consistent. However, the episode after that, "Happy New School Year", suggests that it was still summer during that episode, as it focuses on school restarting. The rest of the season takes place during the next school year, as it ends with Casey and Derek graduating from high school. Overall, it appears that three years have passed in-universe over the course of the show, not counting the flashbacks of "How I Met Your Stepbrother". The film ''Vacation with Derek'' confuses this, however, as it takes place at the end of the summer before Casey and Derek go to university, suggesting it's only been a few months since the series ended. However, Nora is already heavily pregnant with Simon, despite having realized her pregnancy in the penultimate episode, only shortly before the prom, so she shouldn't be that far along a few months later. On top of this, it is also stated in the film that George and Nora have been married for four years by now (the length of the show airing), despite the earlier point about only three passing. The spinoff film ''Life with Luca'' adds to the confusion, as George and Nora's twentieth wedding anniversary is one of the plot points, and Simon is stated to be in college. Simon is first shown to be born in the epilogue at the end of the first movie, which takes place one year after the rest of it, so he shouldn't even be one year old yet. If George and Nora have been married for twenty years in the spinoff, then depending on whether only four or five years passed by the time of the first film's epilogue, he should be fifteen or sixteen during the film, which isn't normally old enough to be in college (except in rare circumstances). The spinoff film also has both Derek and Lassiter state that the latter was principal of the high school for all four years Derek attended, when the series introduces him as the new principal during season 2, when Derek is a sophomore.
193	** In addition, in "Mice and Men", Emily calls Kendra "a popular girl who is in the grade ahead of us", while in the fourth season, during Casey and Derek's senior year, Kendra is still in high school. Though it is possible she was held back a grade, and this is simply not mentioned, as Kendra did tell them that her parents "want her to do well for a change".

Context Series / LifeWithDerek