| Higher Ground | |
|---|---|
Higher Ground logo |
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| Format | Drama adventure |
| Created by | Michael Braverman Matthew Hastings |
| Starring | Joe Lando Anne Marie Loder Hayden Christensen A. J. Cook Kandyse McClure Jorgito Vargas, Jr. Meghan Ory Kyle Downes Jewel Staite Deborah Odell |
| Theme music composer | Jim Guttridge & Daryl Bennett |
| Country of origin | Canada United States |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Harold Lee Tichenor (executive producer) Michael Braverman (executive producer/show runner) |
| Running time | approximately 43 minutes (per episode) |
| Production company(s) | Crensent Productions (2000) Lionsgate Television WIC Entertainment (2000) Paramount Television (2000) CBS Paramount Television (2007) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Fox Family (2000) |
| Original run | January 14, 2000 – June 16, 2000 |
Higher Ground is an American-Canadian television show shot outside Vancouver, British Columbia, that aired in 2000.[1] It starred Joe Lando, Hayden Christensen, A.J. Cook, Kandyse McClure and Jewel Staite.
Higher Ground told the story of a Mt. Horizon High School, a sanctuary for troubled teens. Set high in the mountains of the Northwestern United States, Horizon's rigorous schedule of outdoor sports — mountain climbing, biking, rafting, etc. — gave students the confidence to face their personal struggles with addiction, abuse or disorders.
Students tackled issues like drugs, sexual / verbal abuse, self-mutilation, eating disorders, gang violence, neglect, and suicide attempts -- but the series never adopted the "issue of the week" style common to teen shows. While navigating perilous action sequences and romantic entanglements, the students (and some of the teachers) found Mt. Horizon's world much safer than their turbulent home lives had been.
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The show focused on one group of Horizon students nicknamed the "Cliffhangers"
Joe Lando played Horizon's Director, Peter Scarbrow, a recovering addict who climbed mountains, rode motorbikes and became a father figure to Horizon kids. He occasionally traveled to New York to see his ex-wife, Chloe (Ingrid Torrance). Anne Marie Loder, Deborah Odell, Roger R. Cross and Dmitry Chepovetsky portrayed Horizon's teachers.
The daily schedule of Mt. Horizon's students included regular classes, preparing food for others, various sport activities, such as climbing, football or rafting, which are mainly focused on mutual collaboration. These activities taught students both co-operation and confidence.
Scott is a smart 16-year-old football star who plays the piano and excels in athletics. Scott is the child of divorced parents. When Scott was 15, his father married a young woman who was closer to his age than her husband's. This new stepmother seduced him and later began sleeping with him. Unsure of what might happen if the affair was revealed, Scott started berating her to his father and turning to drugs. His school work disintegrated and he was thrown off the football team. As a last resort, his father decided to send him to Horizon. At first, Scott had a short relationship with Juliette Waybourne, but later he became romantically involved with Shelby Merrick.
Scott Barringer is played by Hayden Christensen.
At age 14, Shelby ran away from home because of her stepfather who sexually abused her for years. Her mother was in denial, but Shelby believed that if she ran away and kept his secret, her stepfather would leave her little sister Jess alone. On the streets, Shelby became a prostitute and started using drugs. After a year, Shelby located her natural father in Los Angeles, but despite his good intentions, he could neither control his daughter nor help her with her emotional problems. Thus he made a deal with juvenile authorities that allowed her to go Horizon rather than Juvenile Hall. During the course of the show she falls deeply in love with Scott Barringer. Later, Shelby returns home after her stepfather has had a heart attack. She discovers that her stepfather had broken his promise and abused her teenage sister Jess. When Shelby calls the cops, her mother, not wanting her daughters taken from her, finally reveals the truth, and the stepfather is taken into custody. Shelby is return to Horizon.
Shelby Merrick is played by A. J. Cook.
Katherine is an African American, adopted child of white parents. Even though she always knew she was adopted, a sense of alienation set in as she grew older, and Katherine felt she didn't fit in. That confusion caused her grades to slip and to withdraw from her talents as a gifted athlete. The accidental death of Katherine's sister, the biological daughter of her adoptive parents, contributed to her lapse into depression. She was finally sent to Horizon by her parents.
Katherine Ann Cabot is played by Kandyse McClure.
Auggie came to Horizon to avoid a Youth Authority lockup. The youngest of five children, Auggie grew up in a middle class home on the fringe of the barrio. Although not a gang member, he was a tagger and had gained an impressive reputation. Eventually he was busted, but the court took mercy on Auggie who, at 15, can barely read or write. All through school, he was placed in educable mentally handicapped classes even though he was actually very intelligent. Horizon's teachers realized the real problem: profound dyslexia. He became romantically involved with Juliette Waybourne.
Augusto Ciceros is played by Jorgito Vargas, Jr.
She's often referred to as "Princess" or "Queenie" by Shelby, which is derived from her appearance and behavior. She continually assaulted and abused herself with such means as bulimia and self-mutilation. Being influenced by her perfectionist mother, who has had many husbands in the last nine years, Juliette has grown up in three different households with eight siblings of three different fathers. Exacerbating her unstable surroundings, almost all of the children are extremely successful overachievers. Unable to compete with their accomplishments, she chose physically destructive measures to get the love and attention she craved. Her biological father, an airline pilot who was often away, finally brought Juliette to Horizon. She has a relationship with Augusto Ciceros and a short relationship with Scott Barringer.
Juliette Waybourne is played by Meghan Ory.
He was adopted at birth by parents who were looking more for a solution to their marital difficulties than for a child to love. When the marriage ended up in divorce, Ezra was caught in the middle of his parents' arguments. The experience forced him to be a pleaser, a mediator, a peacemaker, and a rule-follower. To comfort himself, Ezra turned to drugs and started using ketamine, with which he nearly overdosed himself. After Ezra was revived in the ER and spent 10 days recovering, he was sent to Horizon. He maintains close relation with Daisy Lipenowski.
Ezra Friedkin is played by Kyle Downes.
Also known as Daisy Graves, she has hid herself beneath a mask of gothic make-up, clothes, and piercings. When years of emotional abuse at home began to threaten her physically, she assaulted her father with a seven-iron golf club, and was quickly sent to Horizon hence. Insightful and harshly honest, Daisy carefully hides her own inner pain and rage behind arrogance and morbid sense of humour. She has a strong friendship with Ezra Friedkin and later also with Shelby Merrick. Her mother dies in a drunk driving accident toward the end of season one. Shelby and Sophie accompany Daisy to the funeral, where she attempts to reconcile with her father.
Daisy Lipenowski is played by Jewel Staite.
The headmaster and chief administrator of Mt. Horizon High School for the past three years. In cooperation with the school's owner and founder, Frank Markasian, he has built Horizon to one of the finest, most progressive and most successful "emotional growth" schools in the Pacific Northwest. Physically, Peter is strong and healthy, an outdoor athlete into running, biking, climbing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking or windsurfing, even though he has screws in his knee. Prior to meeting Frank, Peter had bottomed-out. To keep up with the incredible physical demands of the business after a success at one of the biggest brokerages on Wall Street, he, at his 28, turned to cocaine and then to heroin. Drugs ultimately led to divorce and when, after his first overdose and a stint at a rehabilitation clinic, he began using drugs again, Peter ended up on the streets. Recovering at a Washington hospital after another near-fatal overdose, he met Frank, whose philosophy struck a chord with Peter. The two men bonded and Frank invited him to Mt. Horizon for recovery. Frank became Peter's mentor, best friend and surrogate father. Except for an occasional trip back to New York, he has remained at Mt. Horizon ever since. Peter developed a relationship with Sophie Becker, the conclusion of which is marriage.
Peter Scarbrow is starred by Joe Lando.
She met Peter Scarbrow during one of his drug rehabilitations and the two became friends, one of the reasons being their interest for adrenaline sports. Later Sophie departed abroad while Mt. Horizon was established. When she came back, Peter, eager for her not to leave his life again, eventually coaxes her to become more involved at the school. Sophie agrees and since then their mutual affinity begins developing. Later in the show is revealed she has endometriosis and thus is infertile. At the end, Peter accepts her offer of marriage.
Sophie Becker is played by Anne Marie Loder.
Hannah led the Cliffhangers for the first half of season one. She loved the kids and became very close with them - especially Kat and Augusto - but struggled to balance her marriage with the emotionally demanding job. She discovered Augusto's dyslexia, taught Juliette to finally face her mother, welcomed Daisy to the school and helped Shelby use her "tough love" for a good cause. After a new student committed suicide, Hannah decided to leave Horizon and fix her marriage in Seattle. Hannah is played by Deborah Odell.
Higher Ground consists of 22 episodes, each of which having its own quotation at the beginning. These quotes comes from famous writers, politicians and other significant persons.
Scott Barringer is brought to Mt. Horizon, a school for troubled teens, against his will. Meanwhile, Peter Scarbrow, the administrator of Mt. Horizon, learns that the school is in financial trouble and is facing foreclosure by the bank. Scott tries to run away, but gets caught, and we learn that he was seduced by his stepmother.
Peter is caught between his ex-wife Chloe and a new flame, Sophie Becker. The students help search for Annie's 6 year old daughter Gracie, who wandered off into the woods during a picnic. Shelby Merrick is acting out terribly and must overcome the troubling shadows of her past in order to help rescue the little girl.
Peter visits his father while in New York trying to get a loan, and back at the school the students dread taking their PSATs.
To teach the kids to work as a team, they are entered in the Junior Eco-Challenge competition.
A search-and-rescue mission is mounted to find Juliette, who has fallen into an uncharted cave containing ancient Indian bones.
Peter gives the group a parenting assignment, and Katherine's behavior with her boyfriend threatens her impending graduation.
Auggie's older brother tries to talk him into selling drugs to the rich kids at Horizon. Meanwhile potential investors visit the school, and Sophie and Peter try to figure out their relationship.
As a thunderstorm causes the school to flood, Shelby's attempt to seduce Scott cause him to relive unpleasant memories. He reveals his secret to Shelby.
After a student commits suicide, Hannah resigns and the school's founder decides to take the group on a trek to the site of his son's death 22 years earlier.
Scott travels down a treacherous river, trying to run away after an encounter with his abusive stepmother. Meanwhile, Shelby falls in love with a horse that's been abused and abandoned.
Juliette is devastated because she is not invited to her mother's wedding. Ezra is devastated over his parents false attempt to reconcile their differences.
As Ezra recovers from an attempt to commit suicide, Peter and Sophie are busy tracking down Auggie and Juliette who have run away.
When a tough father brings his troubled son, David, to the school, the kid antagonizes the other students while the father treks through bear country with Peter.
Horizon's new boss wants to make a promotional film that uses actors instead of the actual students.
When an undercover reporter shows up to do an expose on the school, the students feed her the wild stories that she wants to hear. Scott discovers Shelby's secret.
As a winter storm moves in, the kids' solo treks are ruined, Shelby becomes lost, and Peter's visiting father has a heart attack.
Daisy returns home with Sophie and Shelby for her mother's funeral and must face her abusive, drunken father. Meanwhile, the Cliffhangers read and identify with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein".
Peter's brother arrives to contest their father's will; Sophie undergoes a medical procedure; Shelby's mother pulls her out of school to take care of her ailing, formerly abusive stepfather; Ezra steals the plot of Romeo & Juliet for his new play.
Shelby's home life disintegrates when she discovers that her stepfather abused her little sister Jess. She confronts her mother about the abuse for the first time. Scott and Daisy worry about Shelby, but Peter doesn't have the power to bring her back to Horizon.
Peter battles his addiction to pain killers. Scott's real mother visits. Shelby returns to Horizon. This episode also features the song Wither by Canadian rock band glo.
During Parents Week, Scott and Shelby fight and Juliette meets Auggie's parents. Meanwhile, Shelby's sister Jess runs away from home to Horizon. She tells Scott and Shelby what happened to her on the streets; Scott understands Shelby's life for the first time. David returns and terrorizes Ezra and Daisy. At the end of Parents' Week, Scott lies and tells his father that his stepmother never abused him.
Scott's dad wants to take him back home. Scott tries to convince Shelby that they can stay together even if when he leaves Horizon. Kat talks Peter & Sophie in to having a MORP - like a Prom, but without dates or favoritism. David is back and Ezra is upset because Daisy prefers David over him. Scott fights with his dad on their way home and decides not to leave Horizon. He returns just as the MORP is ending. When Shelby asked him why he came back, he says: "Because I love you." Sophie asks Peter to marry her.
Fox Family and Lions Gate Films took advantage of tax incentive programs offered by the Canadian and British Columbia governments to reduce costs. The programs required that the bulk of production expenses, including salaries, be spent in Canada. Because of this, though American writers wrote all 22 screenplays, Canadians directed all 22 episodes, and most of the cast and crew were Canadian. Additionally, the series was filmed entirely on location in Canada, and most (but not all) of the post-production work also was done there.[2]
Principal photography took place in a scenic valley outside Vancouver starting in August 1999. By November, the crew had only 5–6 hours of daylight each day, shifting much of the dramatic action indoors during the middle episodes.
Producers received unexpected support from other Canadian artists over the course of the series. For example, Canadian songwriter Sarah McLachlan licensed her song Angel in its entirety for only C$10,000, the minimum allowable under her record company contract. (The song plays at the end of Episode 16.)[3]
On May 4, 2000, producers received word that Hayden Christensen had been cast in the upcoming Star Wars film, Attack of the Clones. (Lucasfilms made the official announcement May 7.) George Lucas became aware of Christensen when Christensen's agent sent him the pilot episode from Higher Ground.[4] However, as this announcement came well after Fox Family Channel had decided not to renew the show, it had no bearing on the show's cancellation.