Characters / Debra!

Deborah "Debra" Carnegie Cameron Delong

"Skippy Liberty!"

Portrayed by: Niamh Wilson

Debra Delong is many things, an optimist who sees the best in everyone, a kooky social oddball, a helper to those in need, a searcher for interesting facts, a stylish fashionista, an aspiring entrepreneur, a big ball of teen girl energy, but most of all, she’s the new girl at Camfield High. While her parents are abroad on a series of scientific studies Debra’s grandmother transfers her to her new school where she meets Preston Lunford, a more worldly-wise, if a little cynical musician and amateur illusionist and immediately recruits him to be her partner in bringing joy and smiles to the world.

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• All Girls Like Ponies: She decided on the name of her future pony at age 6, Big Flying Pony, though she changes it to Big Soaring Pony after meeting Preston.
• Alliterative Name: As is fitting for a memorable main characters. Amazingly even Debra's middle names are even alliterated Debra Carnegie Cameron Delong.
• Bespectacled Cutie: Debra's fashion and style sense is quirky, bright and always colourful with the addition of her glasses.
• Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Gentle Girl to Preston's Brooding Boy.
• Carpe Diem: When she tries to motivate Preston to perform at the school talent show:
  Debra: Some day. Preston, big secret, there's no such thing as some day. Life's just a whole bunch of todays, and look, it just so happens to be today right now.
• Cloudcuckoolander: How she comes across to most people when they first meet her. And a while after.
• Cordon Bleugh Chef: In "Chez Camfield" Debra attempts to improve the school cafeteria menu with recipes of her own creative devising and manages to give Principal Ridge, Mr Treadgold, Mayor Fremont and Head of the School Board Mrs. Maxner food poisoning when she tests the recipes out on them. Gracie even scraps the sample she was supposed to eat into her mother's houseplant, not only does it die, but Officer Lungford has to remove it from the house wearing a hazmat suit.
• Cute Clumsy Girl: She's as dangerous as she is adorable, albeit unintentionally.
• The Dreaded: Regarded as this by Principal Ridge and Mr Treadgold at school.
• Drives Like Crazy: She's introduced as having taken driver's ed and crashed a car into a pole. Granted she's only 14.
  • Allegedly also drove a golf car into a wall despite Preston's shouting at her to break.
• Establishing Character Moment: Tries to get into a driver's Ed class telling Mr Treadwell she needs to get a license in order to get trucks with her face on them for her future company after rambling about how easily confusing the roads can be, while going into digressions about cartoons and awkwardly trying to socialize with the adults in the room. It is implied she may have crashed the car into the pole seen at the beginning.
• The Fashionista: Debra, while while eccentric and socially awkward, always comes to school or in public dressed stylish, with colourful clothes including cardigans and scarves. She acknowledges this aspect of herself when she offers to design clothes for jock girl Josie to wear for the fashion show in "Project Josie".
• Former Friend of Alpha Bitch: Debra and Dancy were once friends before Dancy became popular and started to belittle Debra.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The Optimist of the group.
• Friend to All Children: Is implied to be good with winning over younger kids as seen when Preston's little sister Gracie bonds with her.
• Gamer Chick: Is able to beat Auzzie and Preston when they play together.
• Genki Girl: She's a girl with seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm.
• Height Angst: While she does not seem to dwell on it she does state that Dancy being taller than her as one of her worries to Preston.
• Hippie Parents: While not stated outright, Dancy's blog Reason 127 claims that Debra's parents use chicken grease (..."or something") to fuel their car. Taking into account that Debra's parents are said to be scientists in the zoological field and have bought home Saharan locusts for dissection in the past they may be some variation on this.
• Kiddie Kid: Debra is quite naive and acts unaccustomed to social conventions, both in her peer group and in general, often misinterpreting conversations and missing sarcasm or apathy, plus a lot of her knowledge of social mechanisms tend to come from movies and TV.
• Lovely Assistant: Steps in as one for Preston's magician's act during the school talent show after she encourages him to perform and gets him a spot.
• Manic Pixie Dream Girl: The series. Debra has all the famous traits of one, including peculiar character quirks, an optimistic childlike disposition and willingness to live life to the full. If a fellow student or teacher is down in the dumps Debra will step in to fix whatever's wrong no matter how elaborate it may be.
• New Transfer Student: Debra's grandmother decided to transfer her to Camfield High as it was easier to access and doesn't have to worry about driving to as much.
• One of the Kids: According to her character profile on the Family Channel website:
  Debra still has the confidence of a 6-year-old and doesn't worry how that makes her look.
• Parental Abandonment: A "parents working abroad example" with Debra mentioning her parents are studying fire ants in Bolivia and left her in the care of her grandmother. Though she does text them a picture of her and Preston at the talent show and they respond with support.
• The Pollyanna: Nothing seems to get Debra down or sully her unrelenting optimism.
• Raised by Grandparents: Currently being looked after by her grandmother, though she is never seen, but is described by Debra as not being the best driver, hence why she was further motivated to learn to drive herself.
• Shorter Means Smarter: Debra is both significantly shorter and smarter than her arch-rival Dancy. ^note  Naimh Wilson and Alicia Josipovic were different ages making the show, with Josipovic being significantly older.
• The Smurfette Principle: Is the only girl in her friendship group at Camfield High despite being the leader (sans incidences when Dancy works with the gang), with all her regular friends being Preston and his bandmates.
• Socially Awkward Heroine: Does not begin to describe her.
• Thinks Like a Romance Novel: More so romantic movies in "Operation Dancy" when she concocts a plan to help Dancy get over her break-up with Mank. The rest of the time she lends on movies in general.
• Western Zodiac: Is a Gemini.

Preston Lunford

"I've never said this to a girl before, but could you please leave me alone."

Portrayed by: Will Jester

Preston is more or less a typical boy at Camfield High who plays guitar in his Floor De Voort tribute band and practices magic tricks at home. A fairly normal kid with some unique interests, but most of all Preston has a worldly, slightly cynical personality to the point of not seeing himself as exceptional. Then comes Debra, recruiting him as her new friend, determined that the pair will make their world a brighter and better place for all. At first he has no idea what to do with this unusual girl in his life, but soon he realizes that she’s the friend he needs. One thing is certain, his Preston's life will never be the same again.

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• Action Survivor: Survives being shot out of a cannon.
• Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Brooding Boy to Debra's Gentle Girl.
• Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Becomes this when he agrees to be Debra's friend.
• Deadpan Snarker: How he rhetorically responds to Debra's wacky suggestions and undiluted optimism, which at times really makes it feel like snark is his first language.
• Establishing Character Moment: Has one when him, Auzzie and Brad are introduced. While Auzzie is prepping himself up to impress girls and Brud is juggling in the background Preston is shown to be shy and reserved while specifically hesitant about performing his magic on stage for the talent show while making the cup he is drinking from levitate.
• Foreign Culture Fetish: He follows the Dutch group, Floor De Voort, the “Beatles of Holland”, with his band even becoming a cover group for them called Floor De Voted.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The Cynic of the group.
• The Lancer: To Debra and the group.
• Only Sane Man: The most grounded and leveled-headed member of the group when taking into account Debra’s eccentricities, Auzzie’s delusions of his chances with Dancy and Brud’s stoic aloofness and very literal minded-ness. His own family may count as well, between his parents' flights of fancy and little sister Gracie's deviousness.
• Performance Anxiety: Suffers from stage fright when he first meets Debra who wants him to perform in the school talent show to beat Dancy.
• The Snark Knight: Preston's general approach to sudden new events and Debra's ideas is to snarkily dissect them into their most elementary particles, which comes in handy when faced off against bullies like Dancy whom he can go toe-to-toe with in snark combat.
• Stage Magician: Secretly aspires to be one, though he only practices at home and has to pay to use his little sister's cuddly rabbit. Debra then encourages him to perform in the school talent show.
• Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Preston and his little sister, Gracie are pretty down-to-earth and sensible compared to their very excitable parents.

Auzzie Pilditch

"Just smile like you know me."

Portrayed by: Austin MacDonald

Auzzie plays bass in Preston’s band and is known as a smooth operator and the aspiring resident ladies’ man of Camfield High. Emphasis there should be put on “aspiring” as he never quite has any luck with aforementioned ladies. The frequent object of his affection is Debra’s former friend and school queen bee Dancy, whom he has been trying to impress since kindergarten. Often, he and Brud are usually a double-act helping out in Debra’s latest scheme, usually in a behind-the-scenes capacity usually in the form of mission control or sabotage, and often making things gradually more zany than even Debra could.

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• Big Guy, Little Guy: Little guy to Brud's big guy when they're together.
• Cannot Talk to Women: A less nervous example. His pick-up lines and general approach tends to send girl in the opposite direction until Debra and Preston step in to teach him how to properly. It works, but it requires a total rewrite of his normal personality.
• Casanova Wannabe: Auzzie the almost the poster child for this trope in Tween dramas. The first thing he does when he meets Debra for the first time... yeah you guessed it. Sadly with all his moves and lines it never gets him anywhere. Poor Auzzie, he tries so hard.
• Chuunibyou: Thinks of himself as a smooth ladies man when the one girl he constantly tries to get with keeps shooting him down and reacts in disgust, and also when he claims to have connections to win the radio contest it turns out he means the group's teacher, Mr Treadgold.
• Establishing Character Moment: Emphasizes his role in the band at the talent show is to "tell a few jokes to charm the babes". He also immediately takes a selfie with Debra when she enters the room.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The Realist of the group.
• Henpecked Husband: Invoked in "Designing Auzzie" Debra fears he will end up becoming one when he starts dating senior girl Helen who starts to boss him around relentlessly and even has an Imagine Spot wherein Auzzie had aged into an old man while Helen remains her young self after coarsening Auzzie to age for the both of them has even gotten Auzzie to age for both of them.
• Hormone-Addled Teenager: While not a major example he will abandon his friends if a chance with Dancy appears during a contest. it never gets him anywhere with her, she happily admits to using him and the gang pretty much forgive him in the end.
• KidAnova: Around 14-years-old and will gladly try his luck on any girl in his age range. It never works, but he puts in the effort.
• No Guy Wants to Be Chased: Expresses displeasure to a stunned Preston when Dancy tries to get with him, saying that guys are meant to chase after girls.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: Auzzie is short for Oscar.
• Pubescent Braces: Has a discreet set.
• Single-Target Sexuality: To Dancy. Apparently he's been trying to get with her since kindergarden.
  (Dancy's entrance theme plays she walks up to Auzzie)
  Dancy: You wanted to talk to me?
  Auzzie: (stutters) When?
  Dancy: Always. Since we were four. You were always all "Dancy, Dancy, I'm a hot-blooded man, you're a woman. blah, blah,". Well here I am, All woman, and there you are, all pencil-necked, metal-mouth, yard sale-dressed geek, so... talk!
• Those Two Guys: Often with Brud.

Brud Branson

"Whoa! What is it?"

Portrayed by: James Coholan

Brud is the drummer in Preston’s band, which is ironic as he’s the quietest member of the group, often prone to flights of fantasy and playing with objects not unlike Debra. With his big build he is arguably the muscle of the group, though he is very good natured and sensitive. Unfortunately Brud shows signs of being a slow-learner, often taking expressions and figures of speech literally, comically missing the point and having trouble concentrating. Together with Auzzie the pair are often a double-act that function as back-up support to Debra’s latest schemes. Second to Debra he is probably the most peculiar in the group.

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• Big Guy, Little Guy: Big guy to Auzzie's little guy when they're together.
• Book Dumb: Brud largely appears to be a slow learner, sadly it led him to quit his drumming lessons because he couldn't keep up and opted for karate instead.
• Cowardly Lion: Says in his note to Auzzie in "Operation Dancy" that he has gone home from school early to hide under his bed for fear of Barbarquee Arnett", the ghost who is said to haunt Camfield High.
• Dumb Muscle: What Brud might lack in conventional smarts he makes up for in physicality.
• Establishing Character Moment: While not as memorable or as striking as Debra, Preston or Auzzie's, Brud is shown to be playing with his drum sticks in the background when the band is not playing, effectively setting up his quirky and quiet nature.
• Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The Apathetic of the group.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Is the Melancholic.
• Gentle Giant: He is the biggest and also the most gentlest of the group (besides Debra).
• In Touch with His Feminine Side: Was taught to sow by his father in the event his leg was ripped to pieces by a bear in the woods.
• Literal-Minded: Often enough, especially when Josie falls over backstage at the fashion show:
  (Josie falls to the floor)
  Debra: Brud pick her up.
  Brud: (looks down at Josie) Hey! My name's Brud.
  Preston and Auzzie facepalm.
  Debra: Not pick her up. Pick her up off the floor.
• Martial Arts for Mundane Purposes: While not a necessarily mundane example Debra is able to teach Brud to overcome his cordination issues with playing the drums by having him apply his karate skills to drumming in time for Floor De Voted's big show at the school.
• Those Two Guys: Is frequently this in a double-act with Auzzie.

Dancy Cologne

"Reason number 128, soon I'll be winning the school talent show. And Delong? She'll be in the I have no talent show."

Portrayed by: Alicia Josipovic

Dancy is the queen bee of Camfield High. Referring to herself as the school’s "Queenager" she can be expected to be seen strutting the corridors with her loyal minions, the Dancyettes and looking out for ways to boost her popular status evermore. To Dancy popularity is everything, valuing her looks and public perception above everything else. A long time ago when they were little she and Debra Delong used to be best friends, but then she discovered popularity and has gone on to become arch rivals with her former friend, taking any opportunity to step over her, even keeping a blog called "Reasons Why I'm Better Than Debra Delong" with entries in the hundreds.

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• Alpha Bitch: Mean to everyone she can get away with, bullies the main heroine, demands to be the centre of attention, leader of her girl posse, dates a jock.
• Book Dumb: Is shown to be on various occasions, from thinking that butterflies buzz to having failed English according to Auzzie, and most of all, hasn't improved since the spelling bee against Debra in the third grade.
• Cruel Cheerleader: Stands in as a cheerleader with her Dancyettes during "Graduating Fenufski" to support Craig Fenufski in his final match in the hopes of getting his locker. While this is only temporary it does not remedy her cruel streak.
• The Ditz: She is seen doing her nails rather practicing for the spelling bee rematch.
• Evil Former Friend: To Debra.
• The Fashionista: As a member of the popular crowd Dancy has a supply of trendy and glamorous outfits for any occasion.
• Girl Posse: Is nearly always seen with her two female minions she calls her "Dancyettes". Their actual names are never revealed and they are usually credited as "Danceyette #1" and '#2". While not given much individual characterization they do seem like considerate friends to her, even trying to snap her out of her breakdown in "Designing Auzzie".
• Hidden Depths: Tells Preston that being popular is not as nice as it seems, specifically that the popular kids don't have perfect lives and that she likes to look at the planets and stars through her telescope in her bedroom at night.
• Leitmotif: has her own character song in the form of "I'm a Brat" by Lisha Cash when she enters the scene, also serving as her Bitch Alert.
• Phoneaholic Teenager: Usually seen on her phone texting or updating her blog.
• Sore Loser: She cannot bear the fact that Debra defeated her in a spelling bee five years prior, despite her emerging victorious against Debra in plenty of other competitions since then, including a hula hoop contest.
• Token Evil Teammate: Whenever she has to work with Debra's group.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: According to Debra discovering popularity made Dancy a mean girl.
• Villainous BSoD: Has one for 24 hours straight nearly after she prepares herself to humiliate Auzzie by turning him down in the cafeteria, only for him to turn away from her and ask out senior girl Helen who says yes to him.

Mr. Treadgold

Portrayed by: Alan Catlin

A substitute teacher at Camfield High who is often bought in to teach a wide variety of subjects, from Math to Gym, all the way to Driver's Ed, Mr Treadgold is shown to be a weary shell of a man who is frequently the target of Debra's unending curiosity in the form of her asking him seemingly random questions.

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• Apathetic Teacher: It seems the years have worn him down to the extent he just wants to get on with the job and each class's lesson without variation or deviation, which is like a reed in a hurricane when it comes to Debra's endless questions and whimsical interruptions. While she is genuinely interested in the subjects she brings up and asks him she is too socially inexperienced and idealistic to notice that she is tiring him out, almost to the point of a breakdown in his current state.
• Embarrassing First Name: Nedward.
• Extreme Doormat: To Principal Ridge.
• Hero-Worshipper: Claims in a class dedicated to "Inspirational Figures" that his is Principal Ridge.
• Jack of All Trades: As a substitute teacher he has to fill in for other staff members who might be absent and take teach their classes, which are shown to include music, math, photography, history, geography and English along with coaching greco-roman wrestling, driver's ed (though its likely this is outside of school) and is the Treasury for the school board.
• Jaded Professional: While not to the extend he cannot perform his job, just more so that he just cannot bring himself to get excited or filled with energy like Debra and would rather just get on with the job.
• Metalhead: Is revealed to be this for KISS-esque group Lung Trumpet in the eponymous episode.

Principal Ridge

Portrayed by: Richard Waugh

The apathetic and corrupt principal of Camfield High.

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• Amusing Injuries: Suffers a concussion that temporarily reverts him back to a childlike state which leads him to demand Debra and Preston paint his leg and later gatecrashes the school talent show.
• Apathetic Teacher: Cares more about the personal perks of being a principal rather than the well being of the school or its students, such as wanting to get funds for a more comfortable chair for his office than improve the food in the cafeteria.
• Child Hater: Does not make a secret of his dislike for his students.
• Distracted by the Luxury: Likes to live big, such as getting a professional French chef to cook for a meeting with the school board for he can get funds for a new chair, or being the chaperone for the winners of a free meal in a fancy restaurant in a school raffle.
• Manchild: Becomes this in the very first episode as a result of slipping on a classroom floor and suffering a bump to the head that reverted him back to his personality as a young child.
• Momma's Boy: Implied to be one. Gets up early in the morning to look after his mother's turtles. Also, when competing for Craig Fenufsky's locker Dancy attempts to bribe him with some of her glamorous shoes and pumps for his mother.

Gracie Lunsford

"What's it worth to you?"

Portrayed by: Camden Angelis

Preston's little sister. Gracie is both more down-to-earth than her and Preston’s easily excitable parents and also the more socially adept and self-serving of the Lunsford siblings. Gracie can be frequently found at the side-lines to Debra’s schemes where she can either profit from selling tickets to Preston being humiliated or taking advantage of her parents whenever weakness is detected.

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• Affection-Hating Kid: Can't stand the sight of her parents in their usual super-romantic mode, especially when she's trying to do her homework in the same space.
• Annoying Younger Sibling: To Preston.
• High-School Hustler: Took bets when her brother was been shot out of a cannon.
• Troll: Her speciality, non-internet variety.
• Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Her and Preston are the more level-headed members of the Lunford household, particularly Gracie as she is able to manipulate situations to her advantage or for fun.
• Wise Beyond Their Years: She has a varied vocabulary, is good with money and can manipulate people to her advantage.

Gabby Lunsford

"With any luck she'll help bring that smart, sensitive boy out of his social shell."

Portrayed by: Jessica Holmes

Preston and Gracie's mother. Mrs. Lunsford is a caring and supportive mother and wife who looks after everyone under her roof, including Debra when she’s over.

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• Good Parents: Her and her husband to Preston and Gracie.
• Feminine Women Can Cook: Shown to be a good cook and baker frequently as a housewife.
• Happily Married: To her police officer husband.
• Parental Obliviousness: While not a neglectful parent her and Jack are completely oblivious to Preston being the boy shot out of the cannon in "Cannon Have Your Cake" during Camfield's bicentenary. She even shows up on the scene after he had landed in her baking rival's cake and tells him how terrible his parents must be while he is still wearing his helmet. Her and Jack even laugh off Preston's admission that it was him later in the evening.
• So Unfunny, It's Funny: Her attempts at being a stand-up comedy in "Spelling Bee Rematch". Gracie's embarrassed reaction really sells it. She even gets an encore performance during the episode's end titles.
• Those Two Guys: Her and her husband are frequently this in the background or subplots.

Officer Jack Lunsford

Portrayed by: David Haydn-Jones

Preston and Gracie's father who's a police officer.

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• Action Dad: A downplayed example as his job as a police officer does present a lot of opportunity for action, but its more down to earth such as investigating property thief and the occasional stake-out, the latter of which he even brings along his wife Gabby and daughter Gracie. When he does have to write about his police work for a magazine Gracie decides to stylized into a Hardboiled Detective story.
• By-the-Book Cop: Always acts in accordance with constitutional law on the job, even when he is helping teach wrestling to Craig Fenufsky claims there are some nasty moves that he not allowed to teach having taken his police oath.
• Happily Married: To Gabby.
• Jock Dad, Nerd Son: Him and Preston.
• Those Two Guys: Him and Mrs Lunsford at times.
• Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Him and Gabby are the wacky parents to their serious children, the socially-conscious Preston and mischievous trickster, but smart Gracie.

Craig Fenufski

Portrayed by: Terry Jones

A Canfield High senior who has been held back from graduating due to his difficult home life.

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• Held Back in School: His storyline in "Graduating Fenufski".
• One-Shot Character: Only appears in "Graduating Fenufski".

Jo Briggs

Portrayed by: Kristina Virro

The toughest girl athlete at Camfield High.

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• Action Girl: Though most of it happens offscreen or is implied.
• The Dreaded: Feared by nearly every other student in Camfield High.
• The Lad-ette: Her regular appearance before the fashion show is typically unfeminine.
• One-Shot Character: Only appears in "Project Josie".
• Passionate Sports Girl: Plays intense contact sports and is said to have put several of her own teammates in the hospital.

Marla

Portrayed by: Zoi Samonas

Debra's cousin.

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• Caring Gardener: Carries her beloved plant around with her while visiting Debra in Camfield and regularly waters it.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Just like her cousin.
• Friend to All Living Things: Like Debra, but specifically to her plants.
• It Runs in the Family: She is just as quirky and as eccentric as Debra.
• One-Shot Character: Only appears in "Let's Party".