High School (American TV series)

High School is a coming-of-age drama television series developed by Clea DuVall and Tegan and Sara Quin, based on the 2019 memoir of the same name by the Quins. It premiered on Amazon Freevee on October 14, 2022.[2]

High School
Genre
Created byClea DuVall
Based on
Developed by
  • Clea DuVall
  • Sara Quin
  • Tegan Quin
Story byClea DuVall
Starring
  • Railey Gilliland
  • Seazynn Gilliland
  • Esther McGregor
  • Olivia Rouyre
  • Amanda Fix
  • Brianne Tju
  • Geena Meszaros
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
ProducerLeslie Cowan
Production locationCalgary, Alberta Canada[1]
Running time22–31 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkAmazon Freevee
Original releaseOctober 14, 2022 (2022-10-14) –
present (present)

Premise

Through a backdrop of '90s grunge and rave culture, twin sisters navigate identity, love, and music.

Cast

Main
  • Railey Gilliland as Tegan
  • Seazynn Gilliland as Sara
  • Esther McGregor as Natalie
  • Olivia Rouyre as Phoebe
  • Amanda Fix as Maya
  • Brianne Tju as Ali
  • Geena Meszaros as Lily

Recurring

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byTeleplay byOriginal air date [3]
1"I Bet It Stung"Clea DuVallClea DuVallOctober 14, 2022 (2022-10-14)
2"Shock To Your System"Clea DuVallClea DuVallOctober 14, 2022 (2022-10-14)
3"Hang On to the Night"Clea DuVallClea DuVallOctober 14, 2022 (2022-10-14)
4"Welcome Home"Rebecca AsherLaura KittrellOctober 14, 2022 (2022-10-14)
5"Freedom"Rebecca AsherClea DuVallOctober 21, 2022 (2022-10-21)
6"Hello, I'm Right Here"Clea DuVallLaura KittrellOctober 21, 2022 (2022-10-21)
7"Fix You Up"Clea DuVallClea DuVallOctober 28, 2022 (2022-10-28)
8"The Con"Clea DuVallLaura KittrellOctober 28, 2022 (2022-10-28)

Production

Development

On October 20, 2020, it was announced that Amazon Studios's free ad-supported streaming service IMDb TV was developing a project based on identical twin indie pop duo Tegan and Sara Quin's eponymous 2019 memoir. Happiest Season director Clea DuVall was attached to create and direct the pilot episode, as well as executive produce alongside the Quin sisters. The series is set to be produced by Plan B Entertainment under their overall deal at Amazon Studios.[4] At Amazon's first NewFront presentation on May 3, 2021, it was announced that IMDb TV had given the project a series order. Upon the series order announcement, Tegan and Sara said:[5]

We are incredibly excited to be working with Lauren, Ryan, and the fantastic IMDb TV team to bring 'High School' to life and apologize in advance to our mother for forcing her to relive this period of time with us again. We've made casting suggestions on her behalf to the incomparable Clea DuVall and our wonderful partners at Plan B.

Casting

On March 17, 2022, Railey and Seazynn Gilliland were cast as the leads, while Cobie Smulders and Kyle Bornheimer were set to guest star in the show.[6]

Filming

On March 17, 2022, it was reported that principal photography was set to begin on March 21 in Alberta, Canada.[6]

Reception

In advance of its official Amazon premiere, the series received a preview screening in the Primetime program at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.[7]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.4/10, based on 22 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "High School is as effervescent and sensitive as a Tegan and Sara album, delivering a highly specific coming of age comedy that rings with universal truth."[8]

Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 based on 10 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[9]

On Rolling Stone's list of the 20 Best TV Shows of 2022, it was named as the 7th Best.[10]

On The New York Times' list of Best TV Shows 2022, the show was listed 5th.[11]

Notes

    References
    1. Wood, Damien (September 29, 2022). "Tegan and Sara bring 'love letter to the '90s' to Calgary with High School première". CTV News Calgary. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
    2. Avalos, Regina (August 14, 2022). "High School: Amazon Freevee Sets Premiere Date for Drama Based on Tegan and Sara Quin Memoir (Watch)". TV Series Finale. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
    3. "Shows A-Z – High School on Freevee". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
    4. Andreeva, Nellie (October 20, 2020). "'High School' Coming-Of-Age Comedy From Tegan & Sara Quin, Clea DuVall & Plan B In The Works At IMDb TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
    5. Spangler, Todd (May 3, 2021). "Tegan and Sara 'High School' Series From Clea DuVall Greenlit at IMDb TV". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
    6. Andreeva, Nellie (March 17, 2022). "'High School': TikTok Duo To Star In IMDb TV Dramedy; Cobie Smulders, Kyle Bornheimer Also Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
    7. Jeremy Kay, "TIFF Primetime brings Netflix series ‘1899’, while Industry Conference adds Academy heads, ‘RRR’ director". Screen Daily, August 10, 2022.
    8. "High School: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
    9. "High School: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
    10. Sepinwall, Alan (December 7, 2022). "The 20 Best TV Shows of 2022". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
    11. "Best TV Shows 2022". New York Times. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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