Like many other television programs or movies set in current times, Recess has had a few elements which rooted the show in its' mid-to-late-1990s time period. Although Recess ran from 1997 to 2001, the show takes place in between 1997 and 1998. In a news article about Recess: School's Out, printed in 2001, Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere stated that they didn't want the show to be a period piece, hence why the characters do not have current or "cool" clothes or hairstyles. However, the show became a slight period piece due to refrences to technology.