History WesternAnimation / Pelswick

Created by (but not directly based on the [[BlackComedy cartooning]] of) John Callahan, ''Pelswick'' was a show that was produced by Creator/{{Nelvana}}, and was shown on Creator/{{CBC}} Television and Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} starting in 2000 (it was originally aired alongside ''WesternAnimation/AsToldByGinger'') , and ran for two seasons. The show was about Pelswick Eggert, a teenage boy who struggled with the average problems that teenagers have, such as trying to decide between impressing a girl and going with his gut feelings, and dealing with bullies, while also being in a wheelchair.

In most episodes, Pelswick would have to learn AnAesop from his GuardianAngel, Mr. Jimmy. No matter what the Aesop was, Pelswick would usually [[DramaticallyMissingThePoint not get it until the very end of the episode.]]

* AccidentalAesop: In-universe: Mr. Jimmy did not intend the Aesop, "You are taking something that is not that bad and covering it up with a lot of things that are worse" in the dance episode; he just really wanted to cover his bald spot.

* BeardOfSorrow: Quentin grows one when he's unemployed. [[UpToEleven He's only unemployed for three days. And it grows the day after he's fired.]]

* BlackComedy: Pelswick occasionally pokes fun at his own disability, and the creator himself also likes to poke fun of himself being stuck in a wheelchair, as shown in some of his adult animations which have a bit more black comedy then Pelswick.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: After being confused by his dad speaking words he doesn't even know, Pelwick adds that if he talks like that, "they're gonna need subtitles." Cue a shot of Pelswick "translating" Dad's language on a reality show.

* BuffySpeak: Pelswick asks "what's Boyd doing with a raft and an auger? Or, as kids around the world know it, a 'drilly-thingy.'" This is later combined with InsistentTerminology when Pelswick refers to an auger as a "drilly-thingy" to Gram-Gram.

* CrypticConversation: Mr. Jimmy likes to give Pelswick advice on what to do, it's just that he never wants to do it in a straightforward manner. In one episode, he does... but since Pelswick is so used to these, [[YouWereTryingTooHard he tries too hard]] to figure it out.

--> "How come they call them ''side''walks when they're in front of your house? And how come they call them side''walks'' when you can run on them?"

* EruditeStoner: Mr. Jimmy spends a lot of time acting like he's at a Music/GratefulDead concert... and is also the one to provide each episode's morals.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The title of one episode, "Assault and a Battery", is pretty shocking for a TV-Y Nickelodeon show that aired right next to ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'' on Saturday mornings for a while.
* GreenEyedMonster: In several Nickelodeon bumpers, Pelswick expresses his dislike and resentment towards other Nicktoons such as SpongeBobSquarePants, TheFairlyOddParents, and HeyArnold! On account of the huge unpopularity of his show.

* IThoughtItMeant: Played with, when Boyd's toady mistakes the word "popular" for "perpendicular".
* InsistentTerminology: Ace corrects people often when they misuse words, use words that aren't specific enough ("actually, if it has strings, it's a ''marionette''"), or even just define them improperly ("vanilla isn't plain ice cream, vanilla ''is'' a flavor").

* LaserGuidedKarma: Something bad usually happens to Boyd by the end of the episode after his general {{Jerkass}}ery. The episode "Oh, Bully, Where Art Thou?" stands out for having Boyd temporarily in need of a wheelchair, which most of the students thought would be Pelswick's perfect chance for payback... but Pelswick can't bring himself to hit Boyd when he's down.
* LethalChef:

* NWordPrivileges: Enforced in-universe. Pelswick writes a comic that is considered offensive to disabled people (err... "[[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad differently abled]]" people) until they find out [[SelfDeprecation who wrote it.]]

* ObfuscatingDisability: {{Inverted}}. When Pelswick goes on a date with a girl he meets online and finds out she loves to dance, he gets robotic legs in order to pretend to be able to walk (and dance). HilarityEnsues. His sister Kate plays it straight in another episode where she pretends to be a blind blues singer.
* OnlySaneMan: Pelswick is the only sane person in his family (with the possible exception of baby brother Bobby who barely talks), but he doesn't play this role at school--Ace and/or Julie often have to be the voice of reason for him then.

* ParentWithNewParamour: "Hear No Evil, P.C. No Evil" involves Quentin getting a girlfriend named Spagna. Kate is horrified at first, with Pelswick optimistic. [[{{Irony}} When they actually meet her, Kate loves her and Pelswick hates her.]] Later on, Kate hates her too. Quentin breaks up with her by the end of the episode.
* PlayingATree: In "Blink and You're At 182," Kate winds up playing "Non-speaking Radish #3" in her school play due to her sudden unpopularity.

* StopHelpingMe: Pelswick's reaction to Mr. Jimmy most of the time, at least in part because he usually has no idea what Jimmy is talking about. [[invoked]]
* StuffyOldSongsAboutTheButtocks: "Yo Butt," a PissTakeRap originally performed by two Austrian men wearing lederhosen and eventually sung by most of the main characters over the course of the third episode.

* ThatPoorCar: Gram Gram was said to snore so loud that it set off all the car alarms on the street.

* TookALevelInJerkAss: Pelswick in the NicktoonsNetwork bumpers reflecting on his unpopularity.

* YouWereTryingTooHard: In one episode, Mr. Jimmy advises Pelswick to "ask to see Dr. Stevens' puppet." Pelswick, so used to {{Cryptic Conversation}}s, assumes that he has to solve a riddle. It's not until Kate mentions his puppet that Pelswick realizes that is ''literally'' what he was supposed to do. Apparently Mr. Jimmy did it out of kindness for Pelswick because he doesn't like the riddles, but it backfired because Mr. Jimmy neglected to tell him he was doing it.

* ArmlessBiped: The trading card character Armless Norman from the episode "Faceless Jeff."

* GreenEyedMonster/TheResenter: In several Nickelodeon bumpers, Pelswick expresses his dislike and resentment towards other Nicktoons such as SpongeBobSquarePants, TheFairlyOddParents, and HeyArnold! On account of the huge unpopularity of his show.

* Green-EyedMonster/TheResenter: In several Nickelodeon bumpers, Pelswick expresses his dislike and resentment towards other Nicktoons such as SpongeBobSquarePants, TheFairlyOddParents, and HeyArnold! On account of the huge unpopularity of his show.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The title of one episode, "Assault and a Battery", is pretty shocking for a TV-Y Nickelodeon show that aired right next to DoratheExplorer on Saturday mornings for a while.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: N*Talented's name is based on *Music/{{NSYNC}} and they have Music/MilliVanilli's controversy.

* BannedEpisode: The pilot episode "Inherit the Wheeled" never aired in America because Nickelodeon found a scene where Pelswick imagines himself rolling away from a wolf and a fire in the woods before having his wheelchair hit a log and getting eaten by a bear to be too disturbing and violent.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: N*Talented's name is based on NSync and they have Music/MilliVanilli's controversy.

* NoodleIncident: How Pelswick became a paraplegic is never revealed, though, for all intents and purposes, we (the viewers) can assume that Pelswick was born that way, since Nickelodeon would never dream of having a child become a paraplegic due to a horrible accident or a crippling disease/condition.

* NWordPrivileges: Enforced in-universe. Pelswick writes a comic that is considered offensive to disabled people (err... "[[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad differently able]]" people) until they find out [[SelfDeprecation who wrote it.]]
* NoodleIncident: How Pelswick became a paraplegic is never revealed.

* ShoutOut: One of Boyd's nicknames for Pelswick is "Chairizard," a play on the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' character Charizard.

* EvilRedhead: Boyd, the schoolyard bully.

* AlphaBitch: Sandra.

* BlackBestFriend: Sandra is the best friend to Julie.

* CoolOldLady: Gram-Gram.

* MyBelovedSmother: Technically a grandmother, but Agnes is this to Boyd.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: N*Talented's name is based on N*Sync and they have Milli Vanilli's controversy.