CBC Sitcom based on the stand-up comedy of Gerry Dee. He plays the title character, Gerry Duncan, a borderline-incompetent High School gym teacher pressed into teaching academic subjects as well. Primarily a Work Com focused on the teachers, but also notable for being Halifax- rather than Toronto-based and using amateur actors to play the kids, thus being one of the few teen-character-heavy English language Canadian shows not to use any of the actors listed on the Only So Many Canadian Actors page.
Mr. D provides examples of the following tropes:
- Acquired Error at the Printer: When Mr. D coaches the school's basketball team, their team name is spelled wrong on the jerseys. Mr. D tells the team that the printer made a mistake and will provide a refund. The assistant coach points out that the invoice states they have already accepted the jerseys and that no refunds will be given.
- Bland-Name Product: Xavier Academy's name implies it's a Catholic school (as was the school Gerry Dee both attended and taught at) but nothing is ever stated, no religious icons are seen and none of the faculty members in this faculty-centered show are in Holy Orders.
- Burger Fool: Gerry gets a second job at Barrels Steakhouse in one episode and tries to keep it a secret.
- Elaborate University High: Filmed in a real school in Halifax that looks almost new and really nice.
- Granola Girl: Ms. McPhee, the guidance counselor.
- Mysterious Teacher's Lounge: Averted, but an issue is that the librarian tends to hog the microwave.
- One-Steve Limit: Played with. A Running Gag is how another teacher (Mr. Dwyer) has the nickname "Mr.D", Gerry wants it, but Dwyer is much more popular with the kids.
- Only Sane Employee: Inverted. The title character is the least sane employee while the others pass around the Sanity Ball.
- Sucky School: Once you get past the gleaming architecture and spiffy uniforms, the standards of teaching have to be pretty low for Mr. Duncan to hold onto his job. And the other teachers aren't that much better.
- The Peter Principle: Played with, Mr. Duncan is barely competent as a PE teacher, and totally incompetent as an English teacher.
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Mr. Duncan isn't a loud Jerkass, but he's not a subtle one either.
