First, some airdate background: The TV series *Higher Ground* appeared on the local Vancouver-based station BCTV and ran right through the 2000-2001 TV season without any repeats, a rarity on television. It aired on Saturdays, usually at 8 PM.
When I began to watch *Higher Ground*, from the few ads I'd seen beforehand, I expected another bland *Neon Rider*, or worse, a shallow *Popular* or soapish *Dawson's Creek*. Instead what I got was like few series I'd ever seen. If you'd ever seen *My So-Called Life*, you might get some idea of the kind of quality of the show I'm talking about, and this is even better.
The show itself is about a school for troubled teens located in the deep wilderness (Mt. Horizon High School), where kids who've had drug problems or other serious problems at home find a sanctuary at this privately-funded boarding school run by some dedicated teachers who are trained to help them overcome their demons and face their fears. Unlike other entertainment shows, *Higher Ground* doesn't gloss over the tough issues touched on in the show but faces them squarely, head on, very honest and real about it. Meanwhile, I've seen all the episodes of the first season now and not one of them is boring or sappy, and certainly not depressing either. Instead, each episode finds a way to uplift you by the end in a way that is far from corny. The acting is top-notch and powerful all the way, with special note to the teen stars, all of whom are to be highly commended for their work, especially Hayden Christensen and A.J. Cook (who plays Shelby), as well as Jewel Staite (who plays Daisy). Special congratulations to the writers and producers as well. Now, about the show itself.
Run by a dedicated teacher named Peter Scarbrow (played by Joe Lando) who is himself a long-recovering drug-addict, he and his other teacher-mentors put the kids through their paces, not only giving them the normal high school education you'd expect but also taking them out on a series of outings like long hikes and canoe trips into the surrounding wilderness, and even some climbing, showing them the simple facts of how to exist and survive in a place where only nature provides the rules of survival, not parents or street-gangs. Along the way, faced with this "naturalized" simplicity and the fact that the kids must work together to survive here, the kids learn about their own self-worth and respect for each other, as well as their teachers. The kids on the show include at least a few who are recovering addicts, including the series' teen star, Hayden Christensen, who plays the troubled Scott, and another kid, a girl, who used to run away from home and live on the streets who is named Shelby. All of our kids have had troubled home lives of one sort or another, and as you go through the series, we slowly find out just what kind of lives they were and how they end up dealing with them. Occasionally the kids return home to do this, other times trouble finds them, but Peter Scarbrow, Sophie Becker (played by Anne Marie Loder) and the other teachers are always their to guide them through their personal hells. Now, the show isn't only about the kids' troubles either. There are plenty of other things going on, a growing romance between some of our teens, for one thing, and another one between Peter and Sophie. All of our characters, not just the kids, have their own scars and personal demons, the teachers included. For instance, Sophie has her own problems, which she hopes working with Peter at the school will solve, a place to call home. By the end of the season, many of them will face their fears and some others will struggle on without apparent success. But the fact that they're struggling at all means something, that they're trying.
Okay, I've tried to give an idea of the show without giving away any spoilers. If the show ever appears at your local station or on a cable channel in the future, I highly recommend it. You'll be hooked from the first episode, and as you watch the romance between young Scott Barringer and Shelby develop (a bit of a spoiler here!), you'll quickly find yourself eagerly watching one of the best examples of unsappy, satisfying romance ever seen on teen television.
Now some distressing news. According to BCTV, the show may already be canceled even as I write this. I certainly hope not. According to the credits, this show is jointly produced by Fox and Paramount International, among two other companies. Let's hope they realize what they've got here and see that it gets a good shot, at least.
This review written by: Brian C Frate, Pender Island, BC Canada
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