High Schooled Wikia

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High Schooled is a web series created by Nicholas Merchant that is distributed on Comedy Cubed and Drakoloid. It revolves around the lives of overexcitable high schooler Derek Lipton (Derek de Jong) and his best friend, Ryan Brahmer (Nicholas Merchant). Unlike other Drakoloid live action shows of the era, which are shot as a "virtual collaborative sitcom" with actors filming their own parts seperately and being stitched together in editing, *High Schooled* is shot in a traditional single camera television series style, with all the actors rehearsing and filming their lines together. This is the style of all Comedy Cubed shows, including *High Schooled,* which is produced at Comedy Cubed. The show is primarily filmed in Chicago.

## Summary

It revolves around the lives of overexcitable high schooler Derek Lipton (Derek de Jong) and his best friend, Ryan Brahmer (Nicholas Merchant). Together, they must deal with crazy neighbors, annoying siblings, and the troubles of High School.

## Cast

### Starring

Derek de Jong as Derek Lipton (seasons 1-2)

Nicholas Merchant as Ryan Brahmer (seasons 1-2)

Paul Ingersoll as Sean Riley (season 1)

Ariadne Merchant as Amanda Lipton (season 2, recurring season 1)

Nikhil Patel as Kenny (season 2, guest season 1)

Alyssa Russell as Lauren (season 2)

Jason Merchant as Principal Pearson (season 2, recurring season 1)

### Recurring

Jacob Beiser as Victor (season 1-2)

Charlotte Henderson as Nikki (season 1-2)

Henrik Nielsen as Ralph (season 2)

### Additional

Lee Friedman as Carl (season 1)

Rhys Lewis as Frederick (season 1)

Pat Kizer as Derek's Mom (season 1)

### Chart of Recurring and Starring Cast\*\*

\*The total number of episodes only counts episodes where the character appears on screen in original footage, and therefore excludes episodes where the character was only mentioned and does not appear, or where the character appears only in a repeat of a previous episode's scenes (such as in a previously on segment).
\*\*The chart only includes characters that have appeared in multiple episodes, and therefore excludes single episode guest stars such as Lee Friedman as Carl, Rhys Lewis as Frederick, and Pat Kizer as Derek's mom.

## Episodes

List Of High Schooled Episodes

 2

## Development

The series was initially developed by showrunner Nicholas Merchant at his studio Comedy Cubed as a vehicle for Derek de Jong in early 2015. Titled *Lipton's Lab*, the show would focus on two teen scientists and their neighbor who operate a lab and create crazy experiments. Derek de Jong was cast as the lead, Derek Lipton, with Alec Wyers playing his friend and Nicholas Merchant playing their crazy neighbor. Alec Wyers had scheduling conflicts with his other show, Kevin and Alec, and was to be recast. This version of the series made it to pre production. During writing, Merchant discovered the characters' personal and academic lives were a more interesting topic than the lab experiments. This, combined with the goofy tone of the show, which was a tone already used in Comedy Cubed's top show Kevin and Alec, led to *Lipton's Lab* being shelved. Meanwhile, Merchant was also developing a semi biographical show about his life, focusing on himself and his best friend. When this show got stuck in development, it too was shelved.

In late 2015, these two shows were merged to create *Squad Up,* the working title for *High Schooled.* Nicholas Merchant, who remained showrunner, began pre production in November 2015, and cast the main four roles (one of which was removed before the show aired). The pilot script was completed in December 2015. Up to this point, the show was produced solely at Comedy Cubed. In January 2016, in order to find a wider audience for the show, Merchant sent the pilot spec script to Drake Vegas, president of Drakoloid, asking if he'd like to co-distribute it. Drakoloid, which had a hole in their schedule due to the cancellation of *Freshman Fall*, another sitcom with a very similar premise (which Merchant was also intended to star in), agreed to distribute the show.

Principal photography of episode 1 began in February 2016 and ended in April. The episode featured the three main characters of the show: Derek, Ryan, and Sean. Lauren, who was intended to be a fourth main character, had a large role in the episode's second half. After filming was completed, Merchant decided that he didn't think the character was properly developed, so he decided to cut the character's scenes and shelve Lauren until the writers could figure out how to properly write for her. Lauren was played by Katya Edwards. In order to fix the pacing and plot of the episode, which was now missing a large plot point, reshoots were conducted in May. As Sean and Lauren were intended to alternate as the supporting main character to Derek and Ryan from episode to episode, Sean's role was greatly expanded following the removal of Lauren.

## Production

### Season 1

The main cast for season 1 was Derek de Jong as Derek Lipton, Nicholas Merchant as Ryan Brahmer, and Paul Ingersoll and Ariadne Merchant occasionally. Ingersoll was intended to be the third main character, taking over a role previously intended for two characters, so his character Sean Riley had a large presence in the season's storyline.

In June 2016, Paul Ingersoll, who plays Sean, told Merchant that he'd have to leave the show by the end of the month. Ingersoll, who had been on medical leave for parts of the school year, forcing him to fall behind, had to move to a boarding school away from the show's shooting location in Chicago, and could no longer act in the series. Episode 2, which was filmed in June, proceeded as it had originally been planned, and does not acknowledge that it is Paul's last appearance as Sean in a starring role. Merchant decided against recasting Sean, as he had planned to reduce Sean's importance in the second season, and because Paul's departure did not affect the show's schedule, as Sean wasn't to appear in episode 3 anyway.

With only two main characters, Merchant decided to add a temporary guest starring character, Charlie. Charlie was to be played by Mitch Walker. However, this character was cut, as his introduction and place didn't fit into the direction of the show. His personality and relationship with Derek and Ryan was later adapted into Kenny. Ariadne Merchant, who plays Amanda Lipton, was originally intended to have a large appearance in episode 3 as a temporary starring character, but after Ingersoll's departure, her starring role was to be made permanent, starting with season 2.

Plans to expand Amanda's role and to introduce Derek's cousin Charlie were shelved due to an effort to change the show starting with episode 4 of season 1. The show, which was originally intended to focus on Derek and Ryan's time in high school (hence the title, "High Schooled"), had drifted away from this focus in development and the first half of season 1 has little mention of high school. With episode 4, Nicholas Merchant, the show's creator and showrunner, decided to return the show to its original concept. This focus back to high school will be clearly seen in episodes 4 and 5 of season 1 as well the first three episodes of season 2. Along with this focus on high school, the show's focus moved away from Derek's home life, necessitating that Amanda, Derek's sister have a more limited role in the second half of season 1 (a stark departure from her starring role in episode 3).

The finale begins setting up for season 2, with Ingersoll returning for a guest arc to properly write off Sean while Kenny, previously mentioned in "The Guinea Pig Funeral", is introduced on screen. Additionally, Principal Pearson's role is expanded in the finale to set him up as a starring character for season 2.

### Season 2

Continuing with the shift in focus from Derek and Ryan's home life to their school careers in the second half of season 1, season continues to expand their high school experiences. A majority of the supporting cast introduced in the show's pilot was related to Derek's home life, such as his neighbor Sean and his sister Amanda. Therefore, with the shift to high school, a new supporting cast was introduced. This introduction began during season 1, when Principal Pearson, Derek and Ryan's high school principal, and Kenny, one of their friends that was briefly mentioned in episode 3, appear. On June 26, 2017, Comedy Cubed officially announced that four characters will be promoted to starring status: Amanda (recurring during season 1 and previously reported to have a decreased role in the second season), Kenny (who guest starred in the season 1 finale), Principal Pearson, and a new character, Lauren.

A character more directly replacing the absence caused by Sean is Lauren, who was originally in the show's pilot and was to be a fourth major character before her role was cut and Sean's role was expanded. Lauren was originally cut in order for the writers to more properly develop her character. The character's personality and role in the show has been reconfigured (since she was originally intended to be an old friend of Derek and Ryan's, but without any mention in season 1, this was no longer a plausible backstory), and she was recast: Katya Edwards originally played the character in the deleted scenes from the pilot, while Alyssa Russell plays the character in season 2.

Originally intended to be five episodes, the first two were split and aired as four episodes, with another two planned to complete the student council arc. This conclusion faced many production issues, with the entire first script written by Henrik Nielsen and partially shot being thrown out and replaced last minute by a new story written by Merchant. This storyline, titled "Camp Kenny," was partially filmed but never completed due to the crew's inability to find a satisfying conclusion. Thus, the show currently ends with a cliffhanger.

### Season 3 (Derek & Ryan)

The show was renewed for a five episode third season in April 2018, before the issues involving the season 2 conclusion arose. The season was originally scheduled to premiere in September 2019, and since Merchant and de Jong were to have graduated by then, was to feature a new main cast focused on Kenny, Amanda, Nikki, and Ralph. However, it was later decided that the show could not work without Derek and Ryan and this idea was scrapped.

A year later, Merchant and de Jong decided to revive the show and continue with Derek and Ryan as the focus, even past their graduation. This revival is titled *Derek & Ryan*, and serves as a de facto season 3. *Derek & Ryan* brings the show back to season 1's episodic plotlines, and cuts down the main cast to Derek and Ryan, with many prior season stars, including Kenny, Sean, and Amanda, returning in recurring or guest capacities. Given a two year gap between seasons, it does not address the cliffhanger of season 2, which remains unresolved. *Derek & Ryan* fulfills the original five episode season 3 order.

###

## Reception

*High Schooled* received positive reception from both the Comedy Cubed and Drakoloid community. As a Comedy Cubed produced show, it was in place with the content previously distributed by Comedy Cubed, and thus required little adjustment by the audience. On Drakoloid however, the show, although still positively received, is considered a great departure from normal Drakoloid sitcoms, which usually are filmed with individual actors reading the scripts seperately, and then being spliced together. Most Drakoloid sitcoms have a greater focus on the script and story, and therefore usually have more episodes a season (more than double what *High Schooled* has), and less on presentation and directing (each actor more or less directs their own lines, and there is little to no cohesion in a scene), something that is reversed for Comedy Cubed. This was most clearly seen with the departure of Paul Ingersoll. When a cast member departs, it is common for Drakoloid shows to simply recast the role, as for them, it is much less important if their is a continuous performance and visual continuity, and it is more important that the show's story and scripts are not compromised by the actors. For *High Schooled*, it was decided the character of Sean would be written off, following Comedy Cubed policy, since Comedy Cubed shows prefer to focus on building characters through acting and directing, not focusing entirely on the writing.

## Potential Spin-Off

During development of episode 3 of season 1, which puts a greater focus on Amanda and her friend Nikki, discussions of a spin-off, focusing on them, began. To test audience reaction, a series of 10 minisodes (1-2 minute videos) focusing on Amanda and Nikki were ordered. Production started on the minisodes in December 2016. They are written and directed, as the potential full show will be, by Nicholas Merchant and Ariadne Merchant, who plays Amanda. The character of Ryan also appears heavily in the minisodes, to help bridge the gap between *High Schooled* and the potential spin-off.

However, in April 2017, as Amanda was reconfigured as a main character of season 2, it was decided that Nicholas and Ariadne Merchant will focus on the main show. The filmed minisodes, as well as the unfilmed scripts for additional minisodes, were scrapped, as Amanda and Nikki's personality will be changed, so the minisodes no longer match their canonical personalities. However, a new attempt to create a series focused on Amanda and Nikki began in the summer of 2017, and a new show, titled Middle Schooled, was announced. In order to keep Amanda a starring character on *High Schooled,* the show is less of a spin-off, with a separate premise, but rather a companion series, that more closely expands specific details of the original show and features much of the original show's cast in a supporting role. Multiple episodes were filmed, but after the lackluster reception of the first, the series was scrapped.