School Spirits (2023 TV series)

2023 American supernatural drama television series Not to be confused with School Spirits (2012 TV series).

School Spirits

Genre	Supernatural Teen drama Mystery
Created by	Megan Trinrud & Nate Trinrud
Starring	Peyton List Kristian Ventura Milo Manheim Spencer MacPherson Kiara Pichardo Sarah Yarkin Nick Pugliese Rainbow Wedell
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producers	Oliver Goldstick Megan Trinrud & Nate Trinrud Max Winkler
Producers	Vicki Sotheran Don Dunn Natalia Castells-Esquivel Peyton List
Cinematography	Craig Dean Devine
Editor	Robert Lattanzio
Running time	44–52 minutes
Production company	Awesomeness
Original release
Network	Paramount+
Release	March 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.

Plot

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

Main

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.
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
Milo Manheim as Wally Clark, a teenage spirit who died during a high school football game. He becomes romantically interested in Maddie.
Spencer MacPherson as Xavier Baxter, Maddie's boyfriend in the living world. Maddie learns that he was cheating on her with cheerleader Claire Zomer.
Kiara Pichardo as Nicole Herrera, a close friend of Maddie and Simon
Sarah Yarkin as Rhonda, a cynical teenage spirit who was murdered by her guidance counselor
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.
Rainbow Wedell as Claire Zomer, the school's head cheerleader, Xavier's secret girlfriend, and Maddie's former childhood friend

Recurring

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".
Maria Dizzia as Sandra Nears, Maddie's alcoholic mother
RaeAnne Boon as Dawn, a carefree teenage spirit who died by accidental electrocution
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

No.	Title	Directed by	Teleplay by	Original release date
1	"My So-Called Death"	Max Winkler	Megan Trinrud & Nate Trinrud	March 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 Winkler	Oliver Goldstick	March 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)
3	"Dead and Confused"	Oran Zegman	Thomas Higgins	March 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)
4	"Ghoul Intentions"	Oran Zegman	Lijah Barasz	March 16, 2023 (2023-03-16)
5	"The Twilight End Zone"	Brian Dannelly	Bernadette Luckett	March 23, 2023 (2023-03-23)
6	"Grave the Last Dance"	Brian Dannelly	Natalia Castells-Esquivel	March 30, 2023 (2023-03-30)
7	"Séance Anything"	Hannah Macpherson	Oliver Goldstick	April 6, 2023 (2023-04-06)
8	"Madison's Body"	Hannah Macpherson	Megan Trinrud & Nate Trinrud	April 12, 2023 (2023-04-12)
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

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."

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." 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."