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School Spirits (2023 TV series)

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Not to be confused with School Spirits (2012 TV series).

School Spirits
Genre
Created byMegan Trinrud & Nate Trinrud
Starring
  • Peyton List
  • Kristian Ventura
  • Milo Manheim
  • Spencer MacPherson
  • Kiara Pichardo
  • Sarah Yarkin
  • Nick Pugliese
  • Rainbow Wedell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Vicki Sotheran
  • Don Dunn
  • Natalia Castells-Esquivel
  • Peyton List
CinematographyCraig Dean Devine
EditorRobert Lattanzio
Running time44–52 minutes
Production companyAwesomeness
Original release
NetworkParamount
ReleaseMarch 9, 2023 (2023-03-09) –
present (present)

School Spirits is an American supernatural teen drama television series created by Megan Trinrud and Nate Trinrud that premiered on Paramount on March 9, 2023. The series, adapted from the forthcoming graphic novel by the Trinruds and Maria Nguyen, stars Peyton List, Kristian Ventura, Milo Manheim, and Spencer Macpherson. In June 2023, the series was renewed for a second season.[1]

Plot

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Set in the fictional town of Split River, Wisconsin, the show follows Maddie, a teen girl stuck in the afterlife investigating her own mysterious disappearance; she goes on a crime-solving journey as she adjusts to high school in the afterlife, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more secrets and lies she discovers.

Cast

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Main

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  • Peyton List as Maddie Nears, a teenager who suddenly finds herself among the spirits that inhabit Split River High School. Maddie cannot remember what happened to her and spends the first season investigating her possible murder. Like all the spirits at the high school, she cannot leave the school grounds.[2]
  • Kristian Ventura as Simon Elroy, Maddie's best friend in high school and the only living person who can now see and talk with her[2]
  • Milo Manheim as Wally Clark, a teenage spirit who died during a high school football game. He becomes romantically interested in Maddie.[2]
  • Spencer MacPherson as Xavier Baxter, Maddie's boyfriend in the living world. Maddie learns that he was cheating on her with cheerleader Claire Zomer.[2]
  • Kiara Pichardo as Nicole Herrera, a close friend of Maddie and Simon[2]
  • Sarah Yarkin as Rhonda, a cynical teenage spirit who was murdered by her guidance counselor[3]
  • Nick Pugliese as Charley, a teenage spirit who becomes Maddie's first friend in the afterlife. Charley, who was allergic to nuts, died when he left his EpiPen at home and ate fries cooked in peanut oil at school. Before his death, Charley was in a relationship with Emilio Figueroa, who is now a teacher at the school.[2][3]
  • Rainbow Wedell as Claire Zomer, the school's head cheerleader, Xavier's secret girlfriend, and Maddie's former childhood friend[2]

Recurring

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  • Josh Zuckerman as Mr. Martin, a spirit at Split River High School who leads an "afterlife support group." He was a science teacher before dying in a fire in his classroom lab. He appears to be interested to helping the teenage spirits "cross over".[2][3]
  • Maria Dizzia as Sandra Nears, Maddie's alcoholic mother
  • RaeAnne Boon as Dawn, a carefree teenage spirit who died by accidental electrocution[3]
  • Patrick Gilmore as Mr. Anderson, the high school's literature teacher who harbors a secret
  • Ian Tracey as Sheriff Baxter, Xavier's father who is investigating Maddie's disappearance while running for re-election as Split River's sheriff

Episodes

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No.Title [4]Directed byTeleplay byOriginal release date [5]
1"My So-Called Death"Max WinklerMegan Trinrud & Nate TrinrudMarch 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)
Maddie is the latest of deaths at her high school, the only difference being she doesn't know how she died. While attempting to uncover what led to her death, she bonds with another ghost Charley. Meanwhile, Maddie's pre-death friends Simon and Nicole attempt to discover what happened to her, and Simon suspects Maddie's boyfriend Xavier. After an altercation between the two, Xavier is caught holding onto Maddie's phone. Later, an assembly is held in memory of Maddie, which Simon doesn't attend. Staying in his classroom, he and Maddie are both shocked to be able to see each other.
2"The Fault of Our Scars"Max WinklerOliver GoldstickMarch 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)
3"Dead and Confused"Oran ZegmanThomas HigginsMarch 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)
4"Ghoul Intentions"Oran ZegmanLijah BaraszMarch 16, 2023 (2023-03-16)
5"The Twilight End Zone"Brian DannellyBernadette LuckettMarch 23, 2023 (2023-03-23)
6"Grave the Last Dance"Brian DannellyNatalia Castells-EsquivelMarch 30, 2023 (2023-03-30)
7"Séance Anything"Hannah MacphersonOliver GoldstickApril 6, 2023 (2023-04-06)
8"Madison's Body"Hannah MacphersonMegan Trinrud & Nate TrinrudApril 12, 2023 (2023-04-12)[6]
Simon, Xavier, Nicole and Claire look into the house Xavier previously broke into, looking for the hooded person Xavier saw. During their investigation, the hooded person critically injures Xavier before driving off, though Nicole manages to take a picture of their face. Meanwhile, Wally, Charley and Rhonda end up trapped in the boiler room, where they discover that Mr. Martin had been holding onto several of their belongings. Simon returns to the school, and explains to Maddie his belief that he is only imagining her presence at the school, revealing the hooded person to have been Maddie. When Maddie goes to rescue the three ghosts from the boiler room Mr. Martin approaches her, and she finally uncovers what happened to her: Janet, a ghost that the others assumed moved on, had actually stolen her body, and is the person that Simon and the others are chasing after.

Reception

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 83% approval rating with an average rating of 7.3/10, based on 18 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "School Spirits leaves some of its promising potential untapped, but Peyton List's splendid starring performance makes this paranormal mystery a solid watch for anyone who remembers the phantom pain of growing up."[7]

Daniel D'Addario of Variety wrote, "Without losing sight of the sorrow of Maddie's story, School Spirits manages to be surprisingly sparky and fun—proof positive that there are new stories to tell about the institution no one would ever want to be stuck in for their entire afterlife."[8] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter said, "Sometimes the familiar trappings of the high-school genre can open the door for a show to do wilder and more inventive things than more allegedly mature shows. School Spirits, unfortunately, takes no such liberties."[9]

References

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  1. ^ White, Peter (June 20, 2023). "School Spirits Renewed For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Cusson, Kate (August 22, 2023). "School Spirits Cast and Character Guide". MovieWeb. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Johnson, Erin (December 6, 2023). "How Everyone Died In School Spirits". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  4. ^ "School Spirits - Episodes". Paramount Press Express. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  5. ^ "Shows A-Z – School Spirits on Paramount ". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Paramount [@paramountplus] (April 12, 2023). "LITERALLY SO MUCH TO DISCUSS RN 😰 🚨 The #SchoolSpirits finale is out now ONE DAY EARLY on #ParamountPlus 🚨(in the US only)" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "School Spirits: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  8. ^ D'Addario, Daniel (March 9, 2023). "'School Spirits' Is a Charming Teenage Ghost Story: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  9. ^ Fienberg, Daniel (March 8, 2023). "'School Spirits' Review: Bland Paramount YA Drama May Give You Ghost Fatigue". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
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