Spot Helperman is a dog, and the main protagonist of the TV series Teacher's Pet, and the protagonist of the movie Teacher's Pet: The Movie. He dresses up like a boy named Scott Leadready II and goes to school with his master and best friend Leonard. He will often quote a saying at the end of each episode.
Background[]
Personality[]
Spot is an intelligent and enthusiastic dog who eager to learn and have fun with his friends, especially Leonard. He is very loyal to Leonard, and will help him in his time of needs. Sometimes, when things go wrong for him, he starts having an episode or exaggerating it. Still, Spot is a true friend and will do anything for those he loves. The only people that know of Spot being Scott are Leonard, Mr. Jolly, Pretty Boy, and Tallulah.
Physical appearance[]
Spot is a blue-furred mutt with a white tummy and a black spot on his back. As a Scott, he wears a little hat, a yellow short-sleeved collard shirt, red pants, glasses, and gray sneakers. He was an homage to Baseman's dog, Hubcaps. As a man, he wore a fancy suit.
Appearances[]
Teacher's Pet[]
Spot was tired of staying at home and wanted to go to school to be closer to Leonard and then, he decided to do so. He named himself Scott Leadready II and became the most popular child in school. Leonard became jealous and his love interest, Leslie started to develop a crush on Scott. Spot told Leonard everything, who agreed for Spot to stay as long as no one finds out.
Teacher's Pet: The Movie[]
At the end of the school year, Spot his won a perfect attendance medal. Mrs. Helperman gets nominated for a N.E.A.T.O. award has to go to Florida with Leonard for the final round. But the van that the Helpermans take does not allow dogs, so Spot, Pretty Boy and Jolly have to stay at home and he is very disheartened that he and Leonard will be separated for a while. While Mrs. Boogin, the Pet-sitter is watching soaps, Spot accidentally sits on the remote, turning it to the "Barry Anger Show." Barry Anger interviews a "wacko" scientist named, Ivan Krank who claims he can transform animals to humans, to Spot's delight.
He finds out that Krank resides in Florida. Seeing this as a chance to change into a real human boy, he sets off to follow the Helpermans. Spot finds Leonard a few miles out of town. Since no dogs are allowed inside the van, Spot has to dress as he does to school, as Scott Leadready. As Mrs. Helperman sees one of her students from the school, after a conversation with Scott's "family" (really Spot dressed in drag), she happily takes him along. When they finally reach Florida, Spot admits to Leonard he came just so he can become a real boy.
Leonard agrees to help find this scientist Spot is looking for, but once Spot sees that Krank is nuts, they’ll leave. Meanwhile, Pretty Boy and Jolly find out about Krank’s failures and head out to warn Spot. They find Dr. Krank, who is angered by another failure, along with his failed experiments, Dennis and Adele, a mutant alligator and mosquito, respectively. When Spot points out to Krank that the test subject he needs to make a human is a mammal, Krank transforms Spot into a human being, against Leonard's will- but to his and Leonard's shock Spot, long since past his puppyhood, becomes a full-grown adult and not a child (which is his age in dog years). Krank captures Spot and Leonard, to show his success at creating a human from a dog. But his nephew, Ian Wazalooski, comes and sets them free in exchange for a slimy chew toy.
Leonard and Spot make $500 dollars by finding a lost dog and her puppies using the Twilight Bark from 101 Dalmatians. Spot gets some fancy clothes and rents a car and the two head to the trailer park, unfortunately forgetting that Spot is a human adult, so Spot passes himself off as a fellow finalist in the Teacher of the Year contest and a friend of the Leadready family. Leonard's mom falls in love with the now human Spot, further angering Leonard because he doesn't want his dog to become his step-dad. He gets angry and insists Spot to leave, ending their friendship. At the same time, Pretty Boy and Jolly get lost in Cuba.
Around the time Leonard's other pets arrive. Spot’s in a shady motel, and Leonard explains the whole story. Spot regretfully starts to miss Leonard, and Leonard feels that the only way to re-create his relationship with Spot is to have Krank turn him into a dog. Leonard and Spot try to return to each other but pass each other on the way. Pretty and Jolly explain to Spot where Leonard has gone, and the pets set out to retrieve their master. A battle begins at the lab between Spot and Krank.
When the machine runs out of fuel, Spot puts the nickel coin Krank gave him earlier and it turns Krank into a mouse with Jolly chasing him out of the lab. The machine goes haywire and Spot stands in front of the machine to change back into a dog and it zaps him. After the explosion, Leonard finds that Spot has turned to a pile of blue dust. Upset, believing Spot was dead, Leonard kicks the machine. It reactivates and zaps Spot again, changing him back into a dog. Spot stands up with head held high and declares that he’s proud of being a dog. Afterward, Spot, Jolly, and Pretty Boy are outside the awards ceremony cheering for Leonards mom who has won the award, but are wondering how they’re going to get home without letting Mrs. Helperman see them in Florida. Luckily, Spot has a plan.
That night, in a deleted scene, Spot dresses up as Scott Leadready again and convinces Mrs. Helperman to drive him home with them. Meanwhile, Jolly and Pretty Boy are holding onto the van’s letter.
Relationships[]
Leonard Helperman[]
Spot and Leonard are best friends when they're at the park or taking a nice walk. As Scott, they fight with each other and can't stand each other. Spot really looks out for Leonard and gives him advice. Leonard sometimes resents Spot’s antics because they get him in trouble. Overall, Spot and Leonard are true friends and are loyal to one another.
Mary Helperman[]
Spot is Mrs. Helperman’s star student. In the movie, when Spot is temporarily human, she falls in love with him while on a date. After a serious, ugly fight with Leonard, Spot leaves her. Before Scott is a dog again, she seems to have gotten over being dumped. When Spot is changed back to normal, she becomes happy to lend him a ride back to East/Westland (with him dressed as Scott Leadready, of course).
Pretty Boy and Mr. Jolly[]
Spot, Mr. Jolly and Pretty Boy are good friends. Spot always turns to them for help and is willing to do anything to help them in their time of needs even if it means, paying for Pretty Boy's subscription for a dirty magazine. Mr. Jolly and Pretty Boy are willing to help him as well.
Ian Wazselewski[]
Spot and Ian are good friends and Spot seems to be the only student who doesn’t mind Ian’s antics. In "One Dog's Junk", Ian shows his antagonistic side to Scott when he mocks him for having a toy that used to belong to Spot as a puppy and which was just sold at a yard sale and Scott goes berserk and they start fighting like animals over the toy. Later, Ian gives him the squeaky burger toy back after outbidding 2 Doofuses on the internet for a rare one-of-a-kind version of the toy and even though Spot becomes friends with Ian again, he becomes confused on the lesson. Another time when Ian shows Spot his antagonistic side towards him is in "What's Sweat Gotta Do With It", when Spot "steals" Ruth as his dancing partner. Later, when the dance starts, he gets revenge on Spot by changing the music and having everyone bump Spot endlessly.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- He and Leonard are the only characters to appear in every episode.
- He was inspired by Hubcaps, Gary Baseman's dog. He would wonder what he would do while he was gone for the day.
- Another inspiration for Spot was from the Superman franchise, being that the people of Metropolis could never recognize Spot or Clark Kent with their glasses.
- Despite being an intellect who can do everything, Scott can be ignorant as he once didn't notice that everybody got T-shirts from the museum and thinks that no one except him got anything.
- While not intentional at the time, the character of Spot has grown into being something of a trans icon due to the fact that he wants to be accepted as a boy even though he is a dog.
References[]
