Seven Periods With Mr Gormsby

Seven Periods With Mr Gormsby is a New Zealand comedy series that ran from 2005 to 2006, with two seasons going to air. It aired in New Zealand and Australia.

It revolves around the fictional Tepapawai Boys High School, one of the worst schools, if not the worst, in New Zealand. In the beginning of the series, the principal, Roger Dascent, needs a teacher for the worst class in school, 5F. Everyone he asks refuses, until in despair, he asks his secretary, Lauren, "Is there anyone we haven't tried?" She gives him Mr Gormsby's file. Mr Gormsby (played by David Ellis McPhail) is a sexist, bigoted teacher who is a war veteran and carries a cane with him everywhere he goes, being a great believer in corporal punishment.

Mr Gormsby isn't Dascent's only problem, though- throughout both seasons, he has to deal with the Teachers' Union members going on strike, a school fire, a teacher/student relationship, the demands placed on him by the local Education Review Office reviewer, his own collapse into insanity, a car bombing, the constant lack of funds, incompetent teachers and the impending doom of Tepapawai's possible merger with the local girl's school. Naturally, once Gormsby enters, Hilarity Ensues.

Tropes for this series include:
"Gormsby: Sit down Bastabus, of course I wasn't going to rodger you. This isn't a Catholic School. It was simply a ruse to make Hohepa take responsiblity for his actions"
 * Abhorrent Admirer: Marion Patterson to Dasent. He only puts up with her to keep the school open.
 * Asshole Victim: Steve ends up having his car firebombed, is arrested for insurance fraud (he was innocent) is accused of downloading child porn and making meth from the back of his car, and loses the job he wanted. And he deserved every little bit.
 * Badass Teacher: Gormsby may be a teacher, and an old one at that, but he is deadly.
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Steve. The reason he hates Gormsby so much is that he sees through Steve right away.
 * Black Comedy Rape: Subverted.


 * Butch Lesbian and Lesbian Jock: Ms Tangaroa
 * Butt Monkey: Bastabus
 * Cool Car: Gormsby's 1960s Wolseley.
 * Do Wrong Right: Formerly the Trope Namer
 * Drill Sergeant Nasty: Gormsby. Yes, he's not in the army anymore, but that doesn't stop him acting like it.
 * Driven to Madness: Dasent, at the end of Season 1.
 * Expansion Pack Past: Gormsby's stories of life in the army.
 * Good Girls Avoid Abortion:
 * Hippie Teacher: Steve seems like this.
 * In-Series Nickname: Pissant, for Dasent.
 * Jerkass: Steve.
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold: Mr Gornsby
 * Kick the Son of A Bitch: See Asshole Victim.
 * Meaningful Echo: "Nice wheels Steve."
 * Molotov Cocktail
 * New Zealand Brevity: Each season only has seven episodes.
 * Then again, it is called Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby, not Twenty-Two.
 * No Bisexuals: After Alasdair he is accused of 'going hetero'.
 * Refuge in Audacity: Almost everyone does this at least once.
 * More specifically, everything that comes out of Mr. Gormsby mouth qualifies.
 * Sadist Teacher / Stern Teacher: Gormsby tends to walk the line between these tropes
 * Save Our Students
 * Separated By a Common Language: The page quote wouldn't work in America ("substitute teacher") or Britain ("supply teacher"). Also, Govind's official character page, "dairy" in this context meaning "convenience store".
 * Subordinate Excuse: Lauren, probably the most competent member of Tepapawai's staff, is only staying on as Dasent's secretary because she's in love with him.
 * Teacher-Student Romance
 * Teen Pregnancy
 * This Is Not a Drill: 'Camp Tepapawai', in a rather memorable moment.
 * Transparent Closet: Alasdair.
 * Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Everyone.
 * Wacky Homeroom