Recess reboot leaks from Disney “pitch bible” with original character killed off

Gabriela Silva
T.J., Mikey and the characters of Recess.

Recess was one of the most popular after-school TV shows of the ’90s, but a leaked pitch to reboot the Disney series would kill off one of the main characters.

Recess follows the adventures of a group of kids trying to survive middle school and find out who they are. However, a leaked “pitch bible” on Reddit revealed a possible reboot — and it may not sit too well with fans of the original.

According to the pitch, Recess: Next Bell would focus on a new group of friends while exploring what happened to the original characters, such as T.J., Spinelli, Vince, Mikey, Gretchen, Gus, the Ashleys, and even King Bob.

The new kids cross paths with the original crew, now adults with jobs and families. While their grown-up lives aren’t that surprising, Mikey’s storyline is unexpectedly emotional.

In the pitched reboot, Mikey succeeded in becoming a renowned celebrity, having attended Julliard after high school to pursue his music career. He was discovered by a famous soprano who introduced him to The Met. Mikey became a famous baritone, but while in India he found spirituality.

He gave up his celebrity life and became a guru. Going off the grid, no one had heard from him until they tracked him down… and learned he’d contracted a mysterious illness and died among his followers.

Original fans of Recess will remember Mikey as one of the most chipper and lovable characters of the friend group. “Mikey passing away in this makes me sad. I get why cause his [voice artist] passed away in IRL. But still, that was sad to read,” said one fan on Reddit

Jason Davis voiced Mikey in Recess up until its final season in 2001. He died in February 2020.

The pitch for Recess: The Next Bell is meant to appeal to a more “woke” generation of viewers and original fans who are now grown up with their own children.

Recess: The Next Chapter has not been green-lit, but you can catch other TV series to stream and new movies to watch.