Tower Prep#ep12
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Tower Prep - Intertitle.jpg
| genre = Action/Adventure
Mystery
Teen drama
Science fiction
Superhero
| creator = Paul Dini
| developer =
| creative_director =
| starring = Drew Van Acker
Ryan Pinkston
Elise Gatien
Dyana Liu
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = Kristopher Carter
Michael McCuistion
Lolita Ritmanis
| country = United States
Canada
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 13
| executive_producer = {{ubl|Paul Dini|Glen Morgan|Bill O'Dowd|Brian A. Miller{{efn|name=CNEx|executive producer for Cartoon Network Studios}}|Mark Costa{{efn|name=CNEx}}|Tramm Wigzell{{efn|name=CNEx}}|Rob Swartz{{efn|name=CNEx}}|Rob Sorcher{{efn|name=CNEx}}}}
| producer = Peter Lhotka
Karen Mayeda-Vranek{{efn|co-producer}}
Darin Morgan{{efn|supervising producer}}
| location = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| cinematography = Philip Linzey
| editor = Scott Richter
Geoffrey O'Brien
James Coblentz
| runtime = 45 minutes
| camera = Film; Single-camera
| company = Dolphin Entertainment
Cartoon Network Studios
| channel = Cartoon Network
| first_aired = {{Start date|2010|10|12}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2010|12|28}}
| related =
}}
Tower Prep is a teen science-fiction television series created for Cartoon Network by Paul Dini, who is known for previously writing and producing series in the DC Animated Universe. From October 12 to December 28, 2010, the series aired one thirteen-episode season, before being canceled by Cartoon Network.[http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4796 Cartoon Network Picks Up First Two Live-Action Series] – Turner Newsroom Release Date: 11/6/2009[http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv-programming/23557.html Cartoon Network holds 2010 upfront] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715160201/http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv-programming/23557.html |date=2011-07-15 }} – Radio Business Report/Television Business Report 21 April 2010 04:49:00
Premise
The series centers around "Tower Prep", an isolated boarding school for teenagers with supernatural abilities. The protagonist (Ian Archer) and a group of friends (Gabe Forrest, Suki Sato, and CJ Ward) are unwilling students at the institution, with no memory of how they got there. Throughout the series, they explore the mysteries of Tower Prep in the hope of escaping and returning to their normal lives.
Characters
=Main=
- Ian Archer (Drew Van Acker) – Ian, the rebel, has the ability of "Preflex", seeing and reacting to events before they occur,[https://web.archive.org/web/20110713155038/http://m.towerprep.com/site/ian.html Ian Archer profile] which lets him excel in martial arts.
- Candice "CJ" Ward (Elise Gatien) – CJ, the popular girl, has the ability of "Perception", which lets her read people's intentions from their body language.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110717080439/http://m.towerprep.com/site/cj.html CJ Ward profile]
- Gabriel "Gabe" Lexington Forrest (Ryan Pinkston) – Gabe, the class clown, has the ability of "Hypersuasion", which let him talk people into doing whatever he wants.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110717080434/http://m.towerprep.com/site/gabe.html Gabe Forrest profile]
- Suki Sato (Dyana Liu) – Suki, the quiet one, has the ability of "Mimicry", which lets her perfectly imitate any sound she has ever heard.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110717080519/http://m.towerprep.com/site/suki.html Suki Sato profile]
=Tower Prep staff=
- Headmaster (Ted Whittall) – The mysterious head of Tower Prep, eventually revealed to be CJ's father.
- Coach (Dan Payne) – A former student of Tower Prep and a test subject for Corvus H-40, a performance-enhancing substance.
- Dr. Specs (Alek Diakun) – Responsible for wiping the memories of new students.
- Coach History (Richard Steinmetz)
- Nurse (Karin Konoval)
=Supporting=
- Whisper 119 (voiced by Peggy Jo Jacobs) – The AI responsible for managing the school and contacting new students. Later upgraded to Whisper 120.
- Ray Snider (Richard Harmon) – A student with the ability of "Hyper-strength".
- Calvin "Cal" Rice (Izaak Smith) – A jock with the ability of enhanced hearing who bullies Ian.
- Conner Owens (Andrew Dunbar) – A member of a secret group who assists Ian and his friends.
- Cornelius Augustus Tower (David Smith, Matthew Thiessen) – A former magician, WWI fighter pilot, and jazz artist, who founded Tower Prep.
- Fenton Capwell (Charlie Carrick) – An opera-loving student.
- Emily Wright (Jodi Balfour) – The former class president of Tower Prep.
=Minor=
- Don Finch (Calum Worthy) – Ray Snider's best friend.
- Shinji Sato (Terry Chen) – Suki Sato's older brother.
- Emerson Poencet (Jeffrey Ballard) – A student with the ability of microscopic vision.
- Howard Gilmore (Jarod Joseph) – A student with the ability to see in the dark.
- Ross Anderson (Kacey Rohl) – Emily's ruthless campaign manager.
Production
Paul Dini wrote the first episode of Tower Prep, drawing on his own experiences of "strangeness" and "alienation" at prep school. Cartoon Network picked up the series as part of their initiative to develop live action programming for a family audience.{{cite news|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=27687 |title=CCI: "Tower Prep" & "Firebreather" |publisher=Comic Book Resources. |author=Phegley, Kiel |date=2010-08-05 |access-date=2011-01-04}} The pilot was shot in 2009, and full production of the first season began in 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbr.com/discovering-paul-dinis-tower-prep/ |title=Discovering Paul Dini's "Tower Prep" |publisher=Comic Book Resources. |author=Phegley, Kiel |date=2010-11-23 |access-date=2011-01-04}} Former X-Files writer Glen Morgan was hired as executive producer and showrunner, joined by a writing team including Dini, Glen's brother Darin Morgan, Riley Stearns, Aury Wallington, Jeff Eckerle, and Marilyn Osborn.
The promotion for the series began with a fictional storyline, in which Cartoon Network published vlogs from the four main characters. Prior to the series premiere, a sneak peek of the show was released for free download on the iTunes Store featuring half of the first episode. To promote the premiere, the network announced a giveaway of 1,000 iPod Touch devices that would take place during the show. The song "Unstoppable" by Foxy Shazam was used in network promos and in the episode "Trust".
Cancellation
The last two episodes of the first season aired on December 28, 2010. On March 23, 2011, Cartoon Network announced their new and returning programs for the remainder of 2011 and Tower Prep was not mentioned as one of the returning series.{{cite web |last=Seidman |first=Robert |date=March 23, 2011 |title=Cartoon Network Unveils New Programming Slate Including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck and Details on 'How to Train Your Dragon' |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/23/cartoon-network-unveils-new-programming-slate-including-bugs-bunny-and-daffy-duck-and-details-on-how-to-train-your-dragon/86774 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110325050326/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/23/cartoon-network-unveils-new-programming-slate-including-bugs-bunny-and-daffy-duck-and-details-on-how-to-train-your-dragon/86774 |archive-date=March 25, 2011 |access-date=March 23, 2011 |publisher=TV by the Numbers.com}} In October 2011, Cartoon Network removed all Tower Prep content from its website.
In December 2011, Paul Dini announced that the series would not return for a second season.{{cite web |date=December 7, 2011 |title=Over :( |url=https://twitter.com/Paul_Dini/status/144286675449823232 |publisher=Paul Dini's official Twitter}}{{cite web |date=December 7, 2011 |title=Nope. Sorry. |url=https://twitter.com/Paul_Dini/status/144593147467542528 |publisher=Paul Dini's official Twitter}} Dini continued to comment on the series over the next several years, saying that he was "sworn to secrecy" about the ending,{{cite web |date=December 7, 2011 |title=Sorry. I'm sworn to secrecy. |url=https://twitter.com/Paul_Dini/status/144642784970813440 |publisher=Paul Dini's official Twitter}} that Cartoon Network decided not to air a second season despite talk of foreign financing,{{cite web |date=May 27, 2012 |title=There was talk of foreign financing for season 2, but CN decided not to air it again in the US regardless, so the deal fell thru. |url=https://twitter.com/Paul_Dini/status/206910832750247936 |publisher=Paul Dini's official Twitter}} and that he was never given a reason for the cancellation of the series.{{cite news |author=Goldman, Eric |date=2013-12-16 |title=Paul Dini on Cartoon Network's Programming Decisions and Why Boy Viewers Are Valued Over Girls |publisher=IGN. |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/16/paul-dini-on-cartoon-networks-programming-decisions-and-why-boy-viewers-are-valued-over-girls?abthid=52af947717ebe86d30000034 |access-date=2013-12-16}} Dini speculated that a primary reason for the cancellation was that Tower Prep drew a primarily female viewership, and that Cartoon Network wanted to instead target young male viewers for their merchandising.{{Cite podcast |url=https://www.mixcloud.com/FatmanOnBatman/51-paul-dini-shadow-of-the-bat/ |title=Shadow of the Bat |website=Fatman on Batman |publisher=SModcast Podcast Network |host=Kevin Smith |date=2013 |access-date=March 21, 2022}}{{Cite web |last=Lutes |first=Alicia |date=2013-12-19 |title=According to 'Tower Prep' Creator, Girls Were the Reason The Show Was Cancelled |url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/11119-according-to-tower-prep-creator-girls-were-the-reason-the-show-was-cancelled |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=Bustle |language=en}}
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#92000A |overall=5 |title=22 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |viewers=12 |country=US |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = New Kid
| DirectedBy = Terry McDonough
| WrittenBy = Paul Dini
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|10|12}}
| ShortSummary = Ian Archer (Drew Van Acker) is suspended for fighting while defending another student. That night, he loses consciousness and wakes up at a mysterious school called Tower Prep. In the process of attempting to escape, he joins forces with fellow students CJ Ward (Elise Gatien), Gabe Forrest (Ryan Pinkston) and Suki Sato (Dyana Liu). The group's plans are thwarted by "gnomes", creatures living in the forest around Tower Prep.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title = Monitored
| DirectedBy = Thomas Wright
| WrittenBy = Paul Dini
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|10|19}}
| ShortSummary = Ian must defend himself against accusations of theft in a school tribunal, while Gabe, CJ, and Suki work to prove his innocence. Ian discovers a secret tunnel entrance in his room, which Howard Gilmore, Gabe's roommate, was using to frame him for the thefts.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = Whisper
| DirectedBy = James Wong
| WrittenBy = Glen Morgan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|10|26}}
| ShortSummary = Ian, Gabe, CJ, and Suki attempt to track down the author of a mysterious note. In the process, they encounter Whisper 23, an older version of the school AI, who forces them to play a deadly video game.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = Buffer
| DirectedBy = Peter DeLuise
| WrittenBy = Glen Morgan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|11|02}}
| ShortSummary = Ian sacrifices a chance to join the school sports team in order to help his friends investigate Coach History's connection with the mysterious "gnomes", who turn out to be Tower Prep students.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = The Rooks
| DirectedBy = Thomas Wright
| WrittenBy = Aury Wallington
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|11|09}}
| ShortSummary = Ian joins a school fraternity called the Rooks, only to betray them when he discovers their plans to sabotage CJ's dance.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title = Book Report
| DirectedBy = Peter DeLuise
| WrittenBy = Darin Morgan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|11|16}}
| ShortSummary = While reading the Odyssey, Ian discovers notes about how to escape Tower Prep, written by a former student named Norman.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| Title = Election
| DirectedBy = Michael Rohl
| WrittenBy = Riley Stearns
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|11|23}}
| ShortSummary = As Gabe runs against Emily Wright for class president, students begin to lose their powers. Ian discovers that Ross Anderson, Emily's campaign manager, has been using the campaign buttons to infect the students.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| Title = Field Trip
| DirectedBy = Dwight Little
| WrittenBy = Paul Dini
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|11|30}}
| ShortSummary = During a Biology field trip into the woods, Ian and Cal discover an underground gnome lair. They meet Philips, or "Redfang", leader of a mysterious group dedicated to saving students from becoming gnomes.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| Title = Dreams
| DirectedBy = Brenton Spencer
| WrittenBy = Darin Morgan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|12|07}}
| ShortSummary = When Ian, Gabe, and Suki have dreams about a mysterious yellow elevator, they search for it in the tunnels. They observe a new student (Conner) being brought out of the elevator. Conner, who becomes Ian and Gabe's new roommate, can infiltrate dreams. The group investigates the office of Cornelius Tower, founder of Tower Prep. Conner escapes the school.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| Title = Phone Home
| DirectedBy = Michael Robison
| WrittenBy = Aury Wallington
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|12|14}}
| ShortSummary = Ian attempts to call home for his birthday. Suki discovers that her brother, Shinji, is still alive.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 11
| Title = Trust
| DirectedBy = Michael Rohl
| WrittenBy = Riley Stearns
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|12|21}}
| ShortSummary = Ian suspects CJ of feeding Cal information for Headmaster about the group's escape plan. Emily Wright plans to join the Broken, a resistance group.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 12
| Title = Snitch
| DirectedBy = Thomas Wright
| WrittenBy = Jeff Eckerle and Marilyn Osborn
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|12|28}}
| Viewers = {{TableTBA|N/A}}
| ShortSummary = Conner returns to the school to help the group escape. Ian investigates West Campus and finds a way out. Headmaster is revealed to be CJ's father.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 13
| Title = Fathers
| DirectedBy = Dwight Little
| WrittenBy = Glen Morgan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|12|28}}
| Viewers = {{TableTBA|N/A}}
| ShortSummary = Gabe is sent to West Campus. Ian rescues Suki from her father, and defeats Headmaster in a fight. The group rescue Gabe and escape through a vent Ian found in West Campus, before meeting a hologram of Whisper 120.
| LineColor = 92000A
}}
}}
Reception
Critics commented on the show's low production values and murky fight scenes, but praised its overall concept, writing, and cast.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-tower-prep-20101019,0,4115113.story |title=Television review: 'Tower Prep' on Cartoon Network |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |author=Lloyd, Robert |date=2010-10-19 |access-date=2010-10-20}}{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/tower-prep-new-kid-1798166252 |title=Tower Prep – "New Kid" |newspaper=The A.V. Club |author=VanDerWerff, Emily |date=2010-10-17 |access-date=July 27, 2019}} Brian Lowry of Variety said the show's mysteries might appeal to both children and adults, calling it "a series that points the way toward a best-case scenario" for Cartoon Network's live-action programming.{{cite news|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117943849.html?categoryid=32&cs=1 |title=Tower Prep Review |publisher=Variety. |author=Lowry, Brian |date=2010-10-16 |access-date=2010-10-20}}
In the 2011 Leo Awards, Brenton Spencer was nominated for Best Direction in a Youth or Children's Program or Series for the episode "Dreams".{{cite news |url=http://www.leoawards.com/nominees_by_name_2011.html#Youth_or_Childrens_Program_or_Series |title=Leo Awards, 2011 Nominees by Name |publisher=Leo Awards |access-date=2011-06-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811215047/http://www.leoawards.com/nominees_by_name_2011.html#Youth_or_Childrens_Program_or_Series |archive-date=2011-08-11 }}
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Wikiquote}}
- {{IMDb title|1480669}}
{{Former Cartoon Network original programming}}{{Portal bar|Television|United States|Canada}}
Category:2010 American television series debuts
Category:2010 American television series endings
Category:2010s American high school television series
Category:2010s American mystery television series
Category:2010s American teen drama television series
Category:2010 Canadian television series debuts
Category:2010 Canadian television series endings
Category:2010s Canadian high school television series
Category:2010s Canadian teen drama television series
Category:American adventure television series
Category:American television series about teenagers
Category:Boarding school television series
Category:Canadian adventure television series
Category:Canadian mystery television series
Category:Canadian television series about teenagers
Category:Television series about artificial intelligence
Category:Cartoon Network original programming
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Serial drama television series
Category:Teen superhero television series
Category:Television shows filmed in Vancouver