The Big Cheese

The Big Cheese
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Joined with	Dollhouse Drama Krunk's Date
Network	Cartoon Network
Premiere date	December 4, 1996
Run time	6:50
Starring	Christine Cavanaugh Allison Moore Kath Soucie
Music composed by	Thomas Chase Steve Rucker
Writer(s)	Charlie Bean
Storyboard artist(s)	Charlie Bean
Director(s)	Genndy Tartakovsky
Art director(s)	Paul Rudish
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Title card

"The Big Cheese" is the third and final part of the ninth episode of Dexter's Laboratory season one, and the twenty-sixth episode overall. It aired on December 4, 1996 on Cartoon Network. It was written by Charlie Bean, and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the series creator.

Dexter uses a new device to aid in the next day's French test while sleeping. But when it malfunctions to only repeat one phrase, he speaks nothing else but that very phrase.

Memorable quotes

Dee Dee: Morning, poophead!
Dexter: Omelette du fromage! Omelette du-...
Dee Dee: Hmm... Dexter? What's my name?
Dexter: Omelette du fromage...
Dee Dee: That's all you can say. That's all you can say! That's all you can say! That's all you can say!

Girl: What did you say?
Dexter: Omelette du fromage?
Girl: Oh, Dexter! Dexter! French is the language of love... Say it again, Dexter!
Dexter: Omelette du fromage...
Girl: Oh...
Bully: Hey, Dexter! You talking to my girls?!
Dexter: Omelette du fromage! Omelette du... fromage!
Bully: Hey! Woah! Slow down, buddy! I didn't know it was like that, man.

Characters

Legend
Character debut	Speaking debut	Ep. debut	No lines	Mentioned

In order of appearance:

Character	Actor
Dexter	Christine Cavanaugh
Computer	Kath Soucie
Mom	Kath Soucie
Dee Dee	Allison Moore

Organizations

• United Nations

Locations

• Earth
  • United States
    • Dexter's residence
      • Dexter's lab
    • Omelette Du Fromage
    • New York
      • Headquarters of the United Nations

Objects

• French textbook
• Learn French
• Subconscious Discographic Hypnotator
• Dexter Sings Omelette du Fromage
• Times magazine
• Cheese omelette parade float

Vehicles

• Hot rod car
• Helicopter
• White limo

Production

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

• Model design: Andy Bialk, David Fassett
• Background design: Butch Hartman
• Background color: Andy Clark

Release

Dates are in order of release:

• United States: December 4, 1996 on Cartoon Network
• United Kingdom and Ireland:

Behind the scenes

• The title is a pun on "big cheese," referring to another term for a boss.
• Dexter's password for his laboratory, "Star Wars", is a reference to the film franchise of the same name.
• A picture of the Eiffel Tower can be seen during Dexter's algebra class.
• The dunking pose Dexter uses during a basketball game is a reference to the one used by former Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan.
• The "Just Dü It" card is a parody of the Nike slogan, "Just Do It."
• The game show Dexter participates is similar to Jeopardy!.

Errors

• Although "omelette du fromage" is used throughout the episode as the term for cheese omelette, the actual French translation of it is "omelette au fromage" (literally "omelette with cheese"). The partitive du in "omelette du fromage" can be interpreted as the French equivalent of the English word of, making the literal translation of the phrase "omelette of cheese".

In other languages

Language	Name	Meaning

Home availability

• 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.