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.[2][3] In December 2021, the series was canceled after one season.[4]
| Head of the Class | |
|---|---|
_Title_Card.png) | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Based on | Head of the Class by Rich Eustis Michael Elias |
| Developed by | Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Tom Howe |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography |
|
| Editors |
|
| Camera setup | Multi-camera[1] |
| Running time | 21–27 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO Max |
| Release | November 4, 2021 |
| Related | |
| Head of the Class | |
Cast and characters
editMain
edit- 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
edit- Christa Miller as Principal Maris, the principal at Meadows Creek High School and Sarah's mother
Special guest star
edit- 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
editDevelopment
editOn 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.[1] 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.[2] The series was released on November 4, 2021, with all ten episodes.[3] 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.[6]
Casting
editIn November 2020, Isabella Gomez and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport were cast in starring roles.[7][8] On December 17, 2020, Gavin Lewis joined the main cast.[9] 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.[10][11] On October 12, 2021, a first-look clip revealed Robin Givens reprises her role as Darlene Merriman in undisclosed capacity.[3]
Filming
editProduction began in the summer of 2021 in Los Angeles.[2][12]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Phill Lewis | Teleplay by : Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen Story by : Rich Eustis & Michael Elias and Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen Based on the teleplay by : Rich Eustis & Michael Elias | November 4, 2021 | U12.10001 |
| 2 | "Moms Be Momming" | Phill Lewis | Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen | November 4, 2021 | U13.14502 |
| 3 | "As the World Sa-Turns" | Phill Lewis | Willie Hunter | November 4, 2021 | U13.14503 |
| 4 | "The Stare-Master" | Randall Winston | Steven Cragg & Brian Bradley | November 4, 2021 | U13.14504 |
| 5 | "YOLO" | Phill Lewis | Allison Bosma & Jon DeWalt | November 4, 2021 | U13.14505 |
| 6 | "All We Do Is Win" | Phill Lewis | Joanna Quraishi | November 4, 2021 | U13.14506 |
| 7 | "The Escalante Minute" | Phill Lewis | Luisa Leschin | November 4, 2021 | U13.14507 |
| 8 | "Beaks and Cheeks" | Phill Lewis | Allison Bosma & Jon DeWalt | November 4, 2021 | U13.14508 |
| 9 | "Frozen Dinner...Party" | Phill Lewis | Nora Nolan | November 4, 2021 | U13.14509 |
| 10 | "Three More Years" | Phill Lewis | Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen & Bill Callahan | November 4, 2021 | U13.14510 |
Reception
editThe 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]
References
edit- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (May 12, 2020). "'Head Of The Class' Reboot Produced By Bill Lawrence Gets Pilot Order & Backup Scripts At HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c White, Peter (March 31, 2021). "'Head Of The Class' From Bill Lawrence, Amy Pocha & Seth Cohen Lands Series Order At HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c Gelman, Vlada (October 12, 2021). "TVLine Items: Givens Joins New Head of the Class, G4 Sets Return and More". TVLine. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (December 17, 2021). "'Head Of the Class' Reboot Canceled By HBO Max After One Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ "'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. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (January 31, 2023). "Roku and Tubi to Launch Warner Bros. Discovery Free, Ad-Supported Channels, Featuring HBO's 'Westworld' and More". Variety. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 25, 2020). "Isabella Gomez To Headline 'Head of The Class' Reboot Pilot For HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (November 30, 2020). "Jolie Hoang-Rappaport Joins HBO Max 'Head Of The Class' Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Petski, Denise (December 18, 2020). "Gavin Lewis Joins 'Head Of The Class' Reboot Pilot For HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Petski, Denise (January 19, 2021). "'Head Of The Class': Jorge Diaz, Christa Miller Among 5 Cast In HBO Max Reboot Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (January 27, 2021). "'Head of the Class' Reboot at HBO Max Casts Katie Beth Hall (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Severs, Brandon [@thebrandonsevers] (August 5, 2021). "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". Retrieved September 2, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Head of the Class: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "Head of the Class: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 6, 2021.