Being Mrs. Leadready is the fifth episode of Teacher's Pet from Season 1. It was directed by Timothy Björklund and written by Laura McCreary, her sole writing credit for the series.
Synopsis[]
Parent-Teacher Conference day is coming soon, and Scott needs someone to dress up as his mother. He feels left out for not having parents and explains to Leonard in song how much he barely remembers his birth mother and wonders what she was like. Leslie arrives and asks Leonard to remind his mom of all the nice things she's done for him before her Parent-Teacher Conference and Leonard agrees to do so. When Leslie leaves, Scott notices that when he's nervous he sounds "feminine" and asks him to impersonate his "mother" the next day.
When Leonard reluctantly decides to do so, Scott arrives, wearing a wig, dress, high-heels and earrings, the same attire Leonard is wearing. When they decide to go into the classroom, Principal Strickler isn't fooled by Leonard's disguise but is fooled by Scott's, and is even attracted to him as Mrs. Leadready. However as always, Tallulah isn't fooled by Scott's disguise at all and goes hissing and scratching near her. In the classroom, Mary Lou invites Mrs. Leadready and Scott for dinner after being tempted by her delicious pot roast, not realizing he will be playing three different people at the same time (himself, Scott, and Mrs. Leadready).
Now aware of his predicament, Spot decides to ask Leonard, Mr. Jolly, and Pretty Boy for help. They all agree, in exchange for sunflower seeds (Pretty Boy), tuna (Mr. Jolly), and simply for Spot's sake (Leonard). After eating a bunch of bacon-scallops and a surprise visit by Strickler, Spot gets a stomach ache from overreating. Leonard tells his mother the Leadreadys went home due to illness. Mary Lou decides to hum a song to Spot and rock him to bed, the very same song that Scott sang earlier in the episode. As this happens, Scott realizes that in a way, Mary Lou is his true mother even if they aren't cut from the same cloth.
Cast[]
Voice actor | Role(s) |
---|---|
Nathan Lane | Spot Helperman/Scott Leadready II |
Shaun Fleming | Leonard Helperman |
Debra Jo Rupp | Mary Lou Helperman |
Jerry Stiller | Pretty Boy |
David Ogden Stiers | Mr. Jolly |
Wallace Shawn | Principal Strickler |
Mae Whitman | Leslie Dunkling |
Trivia[]
General[]
- Spot would later dress as Mrs. Leadready (along with the other members of his "family") again in the movie.
- Per Leonard, his mother calls him "Lenny penny" as a nickname.
- Leslie has a grandmother named Granny Smith, who fittingly enough runs a farm growing Granny Smith apples.
- Pretty Boy claims his father hails from New Jersey.
- Spot accidentally pulls out the magazine Soggy Doggie Magazine from underneath his bed while searching for Mrs. Leadready's dress.
- Principal Strickler purchased a poinsettia for Mrs. Leadready.
- Strickler reveals pot roast is a favorite food of his.
- Moral: Anyone can be your family, not merely your own kind.
Cultural references[]
- Sacagawea is referenced at the beginning of the episode, as well as the (at the time) newly minted Sacagawea dollar.
- Mary Lou brings up the fact Sacagawea was the $16,000 question on How'd You Like to Be a Zillionaire?, referencing game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
- Leonard mentions having been teased with the nickname of Leonadict Arnold, a pun on Benedict Arnold, who left the American army during the Revolutionary War and joined the British.
Production information[]
- This is the only season 1 episode without any guest stars.