History Main / DetentionEpisode

* In ComicBook/ArchieComics, at least through UsefulNotes/{{the bronze age of comic|Books}}s, the titular character is frequently given detention, usually by Principal Weatherbee. Sometimes given for the pettiest issues, detention seems to be the school's punishment of choice, both for Archie and (less frequently) for other characters.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode, "Full Moon", Harold, Stinky, and Sid [[{{Mooning}} moon]] Principal Wartz. Arnold is the only witness, and because he's not a snitch, he refuses to rat them out, so Principal Wartz gives Arnold 30 days of hard labor in detention. If Arnold confesses before the end of the deadline, Principal Wartz will lift his punishment, and if he doesn't, he will mark Arnold as a "Failure to cooperate" on his permanent record, but Arnold still refuses to rat his friends out. Near the end of the episode, Harold, Stinky and Sid's guilty consciences catch up with them and they confess what they did to Principal Wartz just before he can mark Arnold as a failure to cooperate.

[[quoteright:341:[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simpsonsdetentionroom.png]]]]

In Anglophone pre-collegiate schools, detention is a disciplinary action where students are required to stay in a designated room, keep quiet, and do absolutely nothing for some amount of time. In fiction, detention is [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace one thing where a well-to-do student does not want to go to]]. The other one is {{dodgeball|IsHell}}. The room is run down, dimly lit and gritty, the teacher running the room is [[SternTeacher keeping a watchful eye on you]] and [[SadistTeacher may make your stay a living heck]], the desks are filled with bullies and {{delinquents}}, graffiti is everywhere, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and there're decades-old gum beneath your desk]]. And heaven forbid if you spend your time in detention on a weekend.

->''"The room is filthy and unmaintained, with used chewing gum and who-knows-what-else underneath every single desk. There are no activities allowed in that room, no distractions to ease your mind, allowing your lingering guilt over what you did to gnaw at your soul until it brings you to tears. Principal Skinner is in charge of the room, and watches all of his hostages with eyes of cold steel, waiting to snap at anyone who steps out of line. And the other desks are manned by the school’s most dastardly rogues and delinquents, who will stop at nothing to make your life miserable. If a little girl like you or I were to lose her concentration for even a moment, she would find her hair tied into knots and her knickers hoisted up from the back."''

* In the ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode, "Full Moon", Harold, Stinky, and Sid [[{{Mooning}} moon]] Principal Wartz. Arnold is the only witness, and because he's not a snitch and refuses to rat them out, Principal Wartz gives Arnold 30 days of hard labor in detention. If Arnold confesses before the end of the deadline, Principal Wartz will lift his punishment, and if he doesn't, he will mark Arnold as a "Failure to cooperate" on his permanent record, but Arnold still refuses to rat his friends out. Near the end of the episode, Harold, Stinky and Sid's guilty consciences catch up with them and they confess what they did to Principal Wartz just before he can mark Arnold as a failure to cooperate.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode, "Full Moon", Harold, Stinky, and Sid [[{{Mooning}} moon]] Principal Wartz. Arnold is the only witness, and because he refuses to rat them out, Principal Wartz gives Arnold 30 days of hard labor in detention. If Arnold confesses before the end of the deadline, Principal Wartz will lift his punishment, and if he doesn't, he will mark Arnold as a "Failure to cooperate" on his permanent record, but Arnold still refuses to rat his friends out. Near the end of the episode, Harold, Stinky and Sid's guilty consciences catch up with them and they confess what they did to Principal Wartz just before he can mark Arnold as a failure to cooperate.

* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' has had quite a few detention episodes, since the majority of the series takes place at school, but there's none more notable than the SlasherMovie-themed episode "[[Recap/BoyMeetsWorldS5E17AndThenThereWasShawn And Then There Was Shawn]]", taking place during the gang's senior year at John Adams High; in this episode, Cory, Topanga, Angela, Shawn and another student named Kenny are given detention for disrupting the class and end up being trapped inside the school with an unknown killer running amok.

* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' has had a few detention episodes, since the majority of the series takes place at school, but there's none more notable than "[[Recap/BoyMeetsWorldS5E17AndThenThereWasShawn And Then There Was Shawn]]", taking place during the gang's senior year at John Adams High; in this episode, Cory, Topanga, Angela, Shawn and another student named Kenny are given detention for disrupting the class and end up being trapped inside the school with an unknown killer running amok.

* The ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'' episode "Detention" has Ned and Cookie get detention for throwing a paper airplane in the hallway. Ned and Cookie then have to keep the teacher from leaving the room to keep themselves from being beaten up by the bullies

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' has had a few detention episodes, since the majority of the series takes place at school, but there's none more notable than "[[Recap/BoyMeetsWorldS5E17AndThenThereWasShawn And Then There Was Shawn]]", where Cory, Topanga, Angela, Shawn and another student named Kenny, given detention for disrupting the class, end up being locked inside the school with an unknown killer running amok.

* In the ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' episode "[[Recap/BoyMeetsWorldS5E17AndThenThereWasShawn And Then There Was Shawn]]", Cory, Topanga, Angela, Shawn and another student named Kenny are all given detention for disrupting the class, then end up being locked inside the school with an unknown killer running amok.

* The first episode of ''Series/PrettyLittleLiarsOriginalSin'' has the titular Liars end up in detention in the final parts of the episode where they meet each other and plot Karen's downfall together after being accused of the things they didn't do and collectively assuming that it's her.

* The first episode of ''Series/PrettyLittleLiarsOriginalSin'' has the titular Liars end up in detention in the final parts of the episode where they meet each other and plot Karen's downfall after being accused of the things they didn't do.

** In "Arthur Accused!", Arthur gets a week of detention from Mr. Haney and Ms. Tingley when he is falsely accused of spending the funds for a new puppy for the fire department at the arcade, rendering him unable to attend the third grade annual picnic. It's up to Buster to investigate the disappearance of the funds and [[ClearTheirName clear Arthur's name]], especially considering that [[NiceJobBreakingItHero he was the one who inadvertently landed Arthur in detention in the first place]].

** "Of Pets and Prophecies" begins with the students attending detention in the Disenchantment room as punishment for [[spoiler:breaking into the sewers, even though [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished they had only done so in order to save multiple students and a professor from an Oblex]],]] though the arc quickly shifts focus to [[HeroicPetStory the students' pets]] after an old magic rod causes the pets to be whisked away to a TalkingAnimal world, which they [[TheChosenOne are prophecized to save]].

** "Of Pets and Prophecies" begins with the students attending detention in the Enchantment department as punishment for [[spoiler:breaking into the sewers, even though [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished they had only done so in order to save multiple students and a professor from an Oblex]],]] though the arc quickly shifts focus to [[HeroicPetStory the students' pets]] after an old magic rod causes the pets to be whisked away to a TalkingAnimal world, which they [[TheChosenOne are prophecized to save]].

Can be the school equivalent to a PrisonEpisode (in which case, it may involve a JuvenileHell). It can be a form of a BottleEpisode due to the nature of the room. Compare StandingInTheHall, the Japanese equivalent; AfterSchoolCleaningDuty, When a student is made to clean school property after school; and WritingLines, when a student is made to write something they are not supposed to do repeatedly. See also TheBreakfastPlot.

In Anglophone pre-collegiate schools, detention is a disciplinary action where students are required to stay in a designated room, keep calm, and do nothing for some amount of time. In fiction, detention is [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace one thing where a well-to-do student does not want to go to]]. The other one is {{dodgeball|IsHell}}. The room is run down and gritty, the teacher running the room is [[SternTeacher keeping a watchful eye on you]] and [[SadistTeacher may make your stay a living heck]], the desks are filled with bullies and {{delinquents}}, graffiti is everywhere, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and there're decades-old gum beneath your desk]]. And heaven forbid if you spend your time in detention on a weekend.

Naturally, the student will find ways to get out of this heckhole, with the help of the delinquents of course. In real life, failing to show up on detention or bailing out can lead to an even more severe disciplinary action such as a longer detention period or suspension.

Can be the school equivalent to a PrisonEpisode (in which case, it may involve a JuvenileHell). It can be a form of a BottleEpisode due to the nature of the room. Compare StandingInTheHall, the Japanese equivalent; AfterSchoolCleaningDuty, When a student is made to clean school property after school; and WritingLines, when a student is made to write something they are not supposed to do repeatedly.