Ghosts of teenagers try to figure out their afterlives on ‘School Spirits’
From left are Peyton List as Maddie, Kristian Flores as Simon and Kiara Pichardo as Nicole in “School Spirits,” a comedy/drama about a high school with ghosts.
“School Spirits” begins with a murder mystery and a great premise: an afterlife support group.
Students and a teacher, who all died at Split River High School, gather in a circle on chairs in the school gym for their meetings. They’re invisible to the living, including the basketball players in the gym. But what’s more interesting is they’re from different eras and social groups, much like the spirits on the CBS comedy “Ghosts.”
And like the “Ghosts” characters, they can’t leave the property where they died, so they’re stuck in this high school purgatory until they resolve their issues and move on to a better place. But their support group adviser is a teacher who’s straight out of the 1950s, and the others are from decades such as the 1990s, 1980s and earlier. Moving on apparently isn’t easy.
But like all good ghosts, they don’t age.
Split River High School.
“School Spirits” premiered recently on Paramount+, where new episodes stream on Thursdays. It’s worth your time because of its murder mystery, its quirkiness and the colorful characters who manage to never go over the top. You’ll find there’s a more haunting mix of comedy and drama here than on “Ghosts.”
Created by Executive Producers Nate Trinrud and Megan Trinrud, “Schools Spirits” is based on an upcoming graphic novel.
Peyton List of “Cobra Kai” fame stars as Maddie Nears, who just died but, unlike the other ghosts, can’t remember how. Fortunately, she’s able to connect with one living person, her best friend Simon (Kristian Flores of “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”). And he’s helping her to figure out who killed her.
The show stands out because of the unexpected twists and turns, the characters and a filming style that is more like a movie than a TV show. You can see that in the lighting and some of the camera angles.
The cast includes Spencer MacPherson as Xavier Baxter (Maddie’s boyfriend before she died), Kiara Pichardo as Nicole Herrera (Maddie’s still-living friend, who has her own role in tackling the murder mystery), Sarah Yarkin as Rhonda (a ghost who seems to be from the 1960s or early 1970s), Milo Manheim as Wally Clark (a ghost who was a school athlete in the 1980s), Josh Zuckerman as Mr. Martin (the afterlife support group’s faculty adviser), Rainbow Wedell as Claire Zomer and Nick Puglise as Charly (a ghost from the 1990s who serves as Maddie’s guide to the afterlife).
Blake Navarro (Bella Shepard).
The acting is strong, particularly by Ms. Nears and Mr. Puglise, and their characters’ strictly platonic but still meaningful friendship is a reason to watch “School Spirits.”
The cast also includes Maria Dizzia as Sandra Nears, Maddie’s mother, who plays a key role in Maddie’s back story.
“School Spirits” is clearly designed as a series for young viewers, but the sense of mystery and references to earlier decades makes it a compelling show for all ages.
email: dmason@newspress.com
