In the crowded landscape of YA supernatural dramas, School Spirits stands out as a refreshingly clever blend of ghost story, mystery, and coming-of-age angst, captivating audiences since its March 9, 2023, premiere on Paramount+. Created by Megan Trinrud and Nate Trinrud, the series is adapted from their upcoming graphic novel co-authored with Maria Nguyen, offering a fresh take on the afterlife where high school never truly ends. Starring Peyton List (Cobra Kai, Bunk’d) as the sharp-witted Maddie Nears, a teen girl stuck as a ghost in her Wisconsin high school, the show masterfully weaves teen drama with otherworldly chills, earning a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score for Season 1 and swift renewals that cement its status as a breakout hit.
Maddie’s story kicks off with a bang: she wakes up as a spirit, unable to remember how she died, and must navigate the afterlife’s bureaucracy of fellow ghosts while piecing together her fate from the living world. Trapped between realms, she enlists the help of quirky spectral classmates—like Simon Elway (Kristian Ventura, The Exorcist: Believer), her loyal best friend ghost, and Xavier Baxter (Milo Manheim, Zombies), a brooding jock with secrets—and rallies them to uncover the truth. As flashbacks reveal her pre-death life, Maddie grapples with betrayal, family drama, and the haunting realization that her murderer walks the halls she once ruled. “It’s The Good Place meets Veronica Mars in a haunted high school,” raved Collider, praising the Trinruds’ script for balancing scares with heartfelt teen turmoil.
Peyton List anchors the series with effortless charisma, transforming Maddie from confused specter to determined detective, her wide-eyed vulnerability masking a fierce resolve that echoes Buffy Summers with a ghostly twist. Ventura’s Simon brings comic relief and loyalty, while Manheim’s Xavier adds brooding romance and hidden depths. The ensemble shines: Sarah Yarkin as Maddie’s living best friend Nicole, Nick Pugliese as the pompous afterlife overseer Mr. Martin, and Spencer MacPherson as Sheriff Baxter, whose investigation intersects with Maddie’s ethereal sleuthing. Season 1’s cliffhanger—revealing a shocking betrayal—left fans clamoring, propelling renewals: Season 2 premiered January 30, 2025, diving deeper into Maddie’s unresolved death and ghostly alliances, while Season 3 was greenlit in March 2025 for a January 28, 2026, debut.
Produced by Luxenberg/Just for Laughs and Thruline Entertainment, with executive producers Oliver Ackland and the Trinruds, School Spirits films in Vancouver, capturing Split River High’s eerie corridors with a moody palette that amplifies the limbo limbo. Critics laud its “smart, spooky reinvention of teen ghost tropes” (The Hollywood Reporter), with Season 2’s 94% approval highlighting escalating mysteries and emotional payoffs. Fans obsess on TikTok (#SchoolSpirits, 500M views), recreating Maddie’s iconic “ghost glare” and debating killer theories.
At 45-minute episodes, it’s binge perfection for YA supernatural lovers craving Chilling Adventures of Sabrina chills with Dead Like Me‘s wit. As Season 3 looms, Maddie’s quest promises more hauntings, heartbreaks, and high school horrors. Stream Seasons 1-2 on Paramount+ now; the afterlife’s halls await—who killed Maddie Nears?
