Life With Derek was a Canadianlive-actiondomestic comedy, produced for Canada's Family Channel, which gained a respectable American audience airing on Disney Channel. The show focused upon two families merging together after divorces. By your average Nuclear Family standards, the siblings don't get along all the time and Hilarity Ensues. The main character is Casey, a perfectionistic teenage girl who has a rivalry with the titular Derek. The show ran for two short thirteen-episode seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07) and two full seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09.)The Movie, Vacation with Derek, premiered in Canada on June 25, 2010, but failed to make its US premiere date of December 10, 2010. The film, however, finally made its U.S. debut on Saturday, May 14th, 2011.... on Starz Kids. At 1:50 PM in the afternoon.In late 2012 there is a relaunch with the working title "Life With Derek Again" involving the original cast members in pre-production. No word as yet to if it will be picked up for production.Compare Even Stevens.
Tropes used by Life With Derek
All Guys Want Cheerleaders: Casey joined the pep squad because she assumed this was expected of her as the football hero's girlfriend.
Aloof Big Brother: Derek oscillates between being this and a Big Brother Mentor (who just happens to really suck at it,) depending on his mood.
Arc Words: The phrase "Blended Family" grates on the nerves after four seasons.
Ascended Extra: Sheldon Schlepper, who was originally supposed to only be in one episode.
Be Careful What You Wish For: Casey learns this the hard way on her sixteenth birthday when she wishes Derek out of her life. But considering that it's all a dream, and the audience is well aware of it...
Belligerent Sexual Tension: Speculation abounds regarding this between Derek and Casey. Thick enough between Truman and Casey to serve up with an ice cream scoop.
Brilliant, but Lazy: 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.
Brother Chuck: 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 Platonic Life Partners friendship or possibly another Love Interest for Casey. But then Truman came in, and Noel never showed up again.
Canada, Eh?: Generally averted, but not altogether avoidable in a self-consciously Canadian show. At one time, averted and mocked in one episode.
And the accents. Dear Lord, the accents.
Canadians have accents?
Not so much accents as "verbal quirks" (which I'm sure us Americans have from their POV). Pronunciations such as Sorry being said as "Sore-ee", Been as "Bean", Again as "Uh-Gain", and of course the pronunciations of the "ou" sound in words like House, About, etc. And no, it's not the "aboot" pronunciation (no idea where that even came from), they just say it... very differently.
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.
In The Movie, Casey stands up to her grandmother Felicia in defense of George and the rest of the Venturi clan.
The Cast Showoff: Ashley Leggat, who plays Casey, is a professionally-trained dancer, and the show emphasized this repeatedly in later seasons. The TV-movie Vacation with Derek even made a whole subplot out of this, casting So You Think You Can Dance Canada winner Nico Archambault as her love interest.
Leggat is a triple threat entertainer. She is also a singer, having sung a few times on the show.
Catch Phrase: Casey's annoyed reaction of "Der-ek!" The distinctiveness is in how she says it. Lampshaded in the episode "Open Mic Plight" when Derek responded:
Derek: Ca-sey! Sal-ly!
Character Development: By the end of the series, Casey is much less of an obsessive-compulsive Control Freak 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.
Dojikko: Casey started out as this, garnering the nickname "Klutzilla." This was eventually forgotten and Casey became an accomplished dancer.
There were episodes where she was stated to have been dancing since she was little. The clumsiness was a more one episode thing because it only happened when around her crush at the time, Sam.
Drugs Are Bad: Casey attempted to intervene when she thought Derek was selling drugs (and using Edwin as his bag-man.) It turns out he was just selling office supplies his dad stole from work, and CDs.
Eagleland Osmosis: 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.
In one episode, Casey is seen reviling over the disorganization of the bathroom, clad in only a towel. About as hot as you'll ever see on Disney Channel.
First Name Basis: The Venturi kids with Nora, and the McDonald girls with George.
Generation Xerox: 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.
Graduate from the Story: The series finale "Futuritis" features Casey and Derek's high school graduation.
Just Friends: This trope is the actual title of an episode which is devoted entirely to playing straight, subverting, deconstructing, and generally having fun with the trope.
Kidanova: Derek walks the line between being this and a straight Casanova.
The Klutz: Casey, who is given the nickname "Klutzilla" very only on. However, in later seasons, she is also shown to be a talented dancer (much like the actress who plays her), so it's hard to buy her pratfalling as genuine.
Last Minute Hookup: In the penultimate episode, between Derek and Emily.
Laugh Track: This show is notable, along with Naturally Sadie and Phil of the Future, in that it doesn't have one, although goofy sound effects and guitar riffs are used to much the same effect.
Locked in a Room: 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...
London, England Syndrome: An interesting aversion, in that we eventually learn the show is set in London, Ontario (population 350,000, about halfway between Toronto and Detroit), but they never come out and call it "London, Ontario".
The Masochism Tango: Sam and Casey's extremely fragile on-again, off-again relationship.
The Obi-Wan: Paul Greebie, Casey's guidance counselor.
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.
Platonic Life Partners: 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 FanonNot Blood SiblingsBeta Couple.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Principal Lasseter is a disciplinarian, but is also willing to consider more important things, such as the effect of expelling Derek on school morale.
Running Gag: '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.
Say My Name: DER-EK!!! Casey isn't the only one who says it like that, either. In one episode, they lampshade it by having the characters bet as to whether Derek can get everyone to say his name like that. And yes, he wins. It's also become a very popular and simple drinking game, much like "Hi, Bob!". The rules? Drink whenever anyone says "Derek".
Spell My Name with an S: 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:
Derek: Are you sure? Because "Mac" just feels right.
Standardized Sitcom Housing: Delightfully averted. The McDonald-Venturi home is an older-style three story dwelling, of which multiple rooms are seen from multiple angles.
Straw Feminist: Casey seems to think the word "Secretary" is sexist, and insists that her stepfather use the more politically-correct "Administrative Assistant."
This Is My Side: 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.
Those Two Guys: Sam and Ralph, depending on the episode.
Three Wall Set: Averted in this series through the use of a more cinematic Single Camera format (quite rare for a sitcom.)
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.
At their junior prom, Sheldon proposes to Emily in front of the entire student body. He's about to move to Newfoundland with his parents, and is making a last ditch effort to hold onto Emily.
Life With Derek was a Canadian live-action domestic comedy, produced for Canada's Family Channel, which gained a respectable American audience airing on Disney Channel. The show focused upon two families merging together after divorces. By your average Nuclear Family standards, the siblings don't get along all the time and Hilarity Ensues. The main character is Casey, a perfectionistic teenage girl who has a rivalry with the titular Derek. The show ran for two short thirteen-episode seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07) and two full seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09.)The Movie, Vacation with Derek, premiered in Canada on June 25, 2010, but failed to make its US premiere date of December 10, 2010. The film, however, finally made its U.S. debut on Saturday, May 14th, 2011.... on Starz Kids. At 1:50 PM in the afternoon.In late 2012 there is a relaunch with the working title "Life With Derek Again" involving the original cast members in pre-production. No word as yet to if it will be picked up for production.Compare Even Stevens.
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