Dimwit Dexter
Dimwit Dexter | |
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Network | Cartoon Network |
Premiere date | March 25, 1996 |
Run time | 7:09 |
Starring | Christine Cavanaugh Allison Moore Kath Soucie Jeff Bennett John Kassir |
Music composed by | Thomas Chase Steve Rucker |
Writer(s) | C. Miles Thompson |
Storyboard artist(s) | C. Miles Thompson |
Director(s) | Craig McCracken Genndy Tartakovsky |
Art director(s) | Paul Rudish |
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Title card | |
"Dimwit Dexter", originally titled "Dumb Like Dee Dee", is the fourth pilot to Dexter's Laboratory. It aired on March 25, 1996 on Cartoon Network, and later on May 26, 1996 as the third segment of the fifth episode. It was written by C. Miles Thompson, and directed by Craig McCracken and the series creator, Genndy Tartakovsky.
Dexter's mind experiences a shutdown after he goes through a strenuous period of work, which causes him to behave erratically. His goofy antics soon become the butt of jokes amongst Dee Dee and the kids of the neighborhood.
Detailed summary
Dexter is in his laboratory working on his latest invention, running checks, writing on a blackboard, typing on a computer, and writing on a piece of paper. Inside his brain, a group of factory workers notice that the machinery has been overworking and shut it down. This causes Dexter to a relaxing cooldown at a cost of his own intelligence. With his newfound, foolish behavior, Dexter begins to lick his blackboard, place a lab rat inside one of his vacuum tubes, and chew on a green glob like a pack of gum. He then runs out of his lab playfully and rolls down the stairs several times.
His repeated behavior brings the attention to Dee Dee, who takes him to her room where she dresses him up as a girl named "Ginger". The two play hide-and-seek, where Dexter stands still to watch his sister count. On the third try, Dee Dee goes to hide while Dexter instead plays with Dee Dee's toy unicorn by riding piggyback on it. As he continues to ride on the stuffed toy and imitate a horse, Dexter races out of the house and sees several kids outside playing. He goes to hide in a bush and then rushes out wearing nothing but his underwear. One of the boys announces to the other neighborhood kids about this, garnering their attention.
As the kids gather around to watch the ensuing tomfoolery, Dexter jumps into a mud puddle, inflates himself with water from a garden hose, and falls into a garbage can. Later, he takes a goldfish from its bowl and places it in his underwear. He begins to dance, much to the growing laughter as more kids come to see him. Finally, Dee Dee and the kids cheer Dexter to kiss a duck's rear end, with many of them chanting his name out loud. Inside Dexter's brain, the factory resumes back to normal condition, which causes Dexter to come to his senses not long after he completes the deed. He becomes embarrassed from kissing the duck's rear and rushes back home. As he keeps regaining his breath, the duck kisses Dexter and looks at him romantically.
Memorable quotes
Dee Dee: Oooh, look how pretty you are! We'll call you Ginger.
Fat kid: Hey, everybody! Dexter's running in his underpants! Underpants!! UNDERPANTS!!! UNDERPANTS!!!!
Characters
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Locations
Objects
- None
Vehicles
- None
Production
Development
Filming
It was copyrighted in 1996.
Music
The theme song and music were composed by Thomas Chase and Steve Rucker. The end title lyrics were written by Pamela Phillips Oland. The director of music production was Bodie Chandler.
Crew credits
- Storyboard artist: C. Miles Thompson
- Background designers: Todd Frederiksen, C. Miles Thompson
- Background stylist: Martin Ansolabehere
- Executive producer: Larry Huber
- Executive producer: Debby Hindman
- Production supervisor: Sylvia Edwards
- Production coordinator: Donna Castricone
- Unit post-production supervisor: Gary Hall
- Story consultant: Jason Butler Rote
- Additional animation directors: Robert Alvarez, Robert Renzetti
- Fil-Cartoons animation director: Chris Cuddington
- Layout designers: Charlie Bean, Andrew Bialk, Julian Chaney, David Mucci Fassett, Butch Hartman, Christopher Mitchell, Joseph Orrantia, Marc Perry, C. Miles Thompson, Conrad Vernon, John Carey Yost
- Additional background designer: Andrew Bialk
- Model designers: Andrew Bialk, Sean Edberg
- Clean up artist: Barbara Krueger
- Casting director: Kris Zimmerman
- Talent coordinator: Collette Sunderman
- Supervising sound engineer: Ed Collins
- Recording engineer: Preston Oliver
- Ink and paint supervisor: Alison Leopold
- Color stylists: Karen Greslie, Cynthia Mcintosh
- Final checker: Nelda Ridley
- Graphics artist: Iraj Paran
- Animation checkers: Sandra Benneati, Beth Goodwin
- Xerographits: Star Wirth, Martin Crossley
- Executive in charge of post-production: John Forrest Niss
- Track readers: James Hearn, Kay Douglas, Carol Iverson, Kerry Iverson
- Supervising film editor: Paul Douglas
- Post-production supervisor: Gayle Mnookin
- Post-production assistant: Gina Lamar
- Negative consultant: William DeBoer, Jr.
- Post-production coordinator: Gail D. Silvers
- Telecine/On-line editor: Modern Videofilm
- Sound editor: 21st Century Sound Design Corp
- Sound re-recording mixer: Digimix
- Production assistants: Sami Rank, Sandra Benenati, Linda Moore, Jeffrey Collins
- Production liaison: Heather Kenyon
- Production accountant: Diana Stolpe
- Executives in charge of production: Joe Mazzuca, Brian A. Miller
- Development executive: Dan Smith
- Produced in association with: FIL-Cartoons
- Senior Vice President of Production: Sherry Gunther
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: March 25, 1996 on Cartoon Network
- United Kingdom and Ireland:
Behind the scenes
- One of the operators of Dexter's brain has a Scottish accent and says "Sir! She can't take any more!" His character and line are a reference to Scotty from Star Trek: The Original Series.
- This is the first episode in which Mom doesn't appear.
Errors
- When Dexter rubs the lipstick off his lips, it is on his arm, but in the next few frames, Dexter is wearing lipstick again.
Critical reception
In other languages
Language | Name | Meaning |
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Home availability
- In the United Kingdom and Ireland:
- March 27, 2000: Warner Home Video releases Dexter's Laboratory: Volume 1 on VHS.
- In the United States:
- October 12, 2010: Warner Home Video releases Dexter's Laboratory: Season One on DVD.
- June 25, 2024: Warner Home Video releases Dexter's Laboratory: The Complete Series on DVD.
- In Australia:
- February 13, 2008: Madman Entertainment releases Dexter's Laboratory: Season 1 on DVD.
- October 25, 2017: Madman Entertainment releases Dexter's Laboratory: Collected Experiments on DVD.