Head of the Class (2021 TV series) explained
Head of the Class is an American sitcom developed by Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen that was released on the streaming service HBO Max on November 4, 2021. It is based on Rich Eustis and Michael Elias' series of the same name that ran from 1986 to 1991. In December 2021, the series was canceled after one season.
In December 2022, the series was removed from HBO Max.[1]
Cast and characters
Main
- Isabella Gomez as Alicia Gomez, a new young teacher of the honors debate class at Meadows Creek High School bearing a similar personality to Charlie Moore, a history teacher who taught honors class at Millard Fillmore High School on the original series.
- Dior Goodjohn as Robyn Rook, captain of the debate team and secretly a gamer.
- Gavin Lewis as Luke Burrows, member of the debate team who is obsessed with business and politics.
- Adrian Matthew Escalona as Miles Alvarez, Luke's best friend and member of the debate team who likes to sing.
- Brandon Severs as Terrell Hayward, son of Darlene Merriman (Robin Givens) from the original run of Head of the Class, member of the debate team and a swimmer.
- Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Makayla Washington, member of the debate team who is very interested in big social issues.
- Jorge Diaz as Elliot Escalante, an English teacher at Meadows Creek High School
- Katie Beth Hall as Sarah Maris, Principal Maris' daughter who is a student at Meadows Creek High School and a swimmer. She has a close friendship with Terrell. She is initially reluctant to join the debate class but eventually joins the team.
Recurring
- Christa Miller as Principal Maris, the principal at Meadows Creek High School and Sarah's mother
Special guest star
- Robin Givens as Darlene, Terrell's mother and the co-chair of the Parents Association at Meadows Creek High School. Much like her son, Darlene was an honors student herself, having been in the Individualized Honors Program at Millard Fillmore High School on the original series.
Production
Development
On May 12, 2020, HBO Max gave a reboot pilot order and five additional scripts for Head of the Class. The pilot was written by Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen.[2] On March 31, 2021, HBO Max gave the reboot a series order consisting of ten episodes. The series was developed by Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen who were expected to executive produce alongside Jeff Ingold and Bill Lawrence. Phill Lewis directed the pilot. The series was based on Michael Elias and Rich Eustis's Head of the Class. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Doozer Productions and Warner Bros. Television.[3] The series was released on November 4, 2021, with all ten episodes. On December 17, 2021, HBO Max announced that they would not be moving forward with a second season.[4] On January 31, 2023, it was announced that the series will be released on The Roku Channel and Tubi.[5]
Casting
In November 2020, Isabella Gomez and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport were cast in starring roles.[6] [7] On December 17, 2020, Gavin Lewis joined the main cast.[8] In January 2021, Jorge Diaz, Dior Goodjohn, Brandon Severs, Adrian Matthew Escalona, and Katie Beth Hall were cast to star while Christa Miller was cast in a recurring role.[9] [10] On October 12, 2021, a first-look clip revealed Robin Givens reprises her role as Darlene Merriman in undisclosed capacity.[11]
Filming
Production began in the summer of 2021 in Los Angeles.[3] [12]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 67% approval rating with an average rating of 5.8/10, based on 9 critic reviews.[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 63 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]
Notes and References
- Web site: 'Raised by Wolves' & 'The Time Traveler's Wife' Among Other Titles Being Removed from HBO Max as Warner Bros Discovery Lines up FAST Plans . 14 December 2022 . 14 December 2022 . 3 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230103003945/https://deadline.com/2022/12/raised-by-wolves-the-time-travelers-wife-among-other-titles-being-removed-from-hbo-max-as-warner-bros-discovery-lines-up-fast-plans-1235199433/ . live .
- Web site: 'Head Of The Class' Reboot Produced By Bill Lawrence Gets Pilot Order & Backup Scripts At HBO Max. Deadline Hollywood. Nellie. Andreeva. May 12, 2020. March 31, 2021. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126173308/https://deadline.com/2020/05/head-of-the-class-reboot-from-american-vandal-producers-scrubs-duo-bill-lawrence-pilot-order-hbo-max-1202932582/. live.
- Web site: 'Head Of The Class' From Bill Lawrence, Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen Lands Series Order At HBO Max. Deadline Hollywood. Peter. White. March 31, 2021. March 31, 2021. March 31, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210331223054/https://deadline.com/2021/03/head-of-the-class-bill-lawrence-amy-pocha-seth-cohen-series-order-hbo-max-1234725653/. live.
- Web site: 'Head Of the Class' Reboot Canceled By HBO Max After One Season. Deadline Hollywood. Nellie. Andreeva. December 17, 2021. December 17, 2021. December 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211217235035/https://deadline.com/2021/12/head-of-the-class-reboot-canceled-hbo-max-one-season-1234898663/. live.
- News: Spangler. Todd. Roku and Tubi to Launch Warner Bros. Discovery Free, Ad-Supported Channels, Featuring HBO's 'Westworld' and More. January 31, 2023. Variety. January 31, 2023. January 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230131155322/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/roku-tubi-warner-bros-discovery-free-fast-channels-westworld-1235507747/. live.
- Web site: Isabella Gomez To Headline 'Head of The Class' Reboot Pilot For HBO Max. Deadline Hollywood. Nellie. Andreeva. November 25, 2020. March 31, 2021. January 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210120100950/https://deadline.com/2020/11/isabella-gomez-star-head-of-the-class-reboot-hbo-max-gender-swap-1234621424/. live.
- Web site: Jolie Hoang-Rappaport Joins HBO Max 'Head Of The Class' Reboot. Deadline Hollywood. Dino-Ray. Ramos. November 30, 2020. March 31, 2021. January 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210117041650/https://deadline.com/2020/11/jolie-hoang-rappaport-hbo-max-head-of-the-class-reboot-1234621980/. live.
- Web site: Gavin Lewis Joins 'Head Of The Class' Reboot Pilot For HBO Max. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. December 18, 2020. March 31, 2021. December 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201218084135/https://deadline.com/2020/12/gavin-lewis-head-of-the-class-reboot-pilot-hbo-max-1234658705/. live.
- Web site: 'Head Of The Class': Jorge Diaz, Christa Miller Among 5 Cast In HBO Max Reboot Pilot. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. January 19, 2021. January 19, 2021. January 19, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210119222521/https://deadline.com/2021/01/head-of-the-class-jorge-diaz-christa-miller-cast-hbo-max-reboot-pilot-1234675694/. live.
- Web site: 'Head of the Class' Reboot at HBO Max Casts Katie Beth Hall (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. Joe. Otterson. January 27, 2021. November 4, 2021. November 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211104230450/https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/head-of-the-class-reboot-hbo-max-katie-beth-hall-1234893958/. live.
- Web site: TVLine Items: Givens Joins New Head of the Class, G4 Sets Return and More. TVLine. Vlada. Gelman. October 12, 2021. October 12, 2021. October 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211012194027/https://tvline.com/2021/10/12/head-of-the-class-reboot-robin-givens-returns-darlene-hbo-max/. live.
- thebrandonsevers. Brandon. Severs. CSM4ka0HV1Q. can't wait for you all to see the magic we're making !! (last pic is my favorite hehe) missing the lovely @dior.n.goodjohn and @iamjorgediaz #HeadoftheClass. August 5, 2021. September 2, 2021.
- head_of_the_class_2021. Head of the Class. tv. 1. December 12, 2021.
- head-of-the-class-2021. Head of the Class. tv. 1. November 6, 2021.