Tower Prep

Tower Prep
Intertitle from the network promo
Genre	Action-adventure, science fiction, superhero, teen drama
Created by	Paul Dini
Starring	Drew Van Acker Ryan Pinkston Elise Gatien Dyana Liu
Opening theme	"Unstoppable" by Foxy Shazam (used in network promos and in the episode "Trust")
Composers	Kristopher Carter Michael McCuistion Lolita Ritmanis
Country of origin	United States Canada
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Paul Dini Glen Morgan
Producer	Peter Lhotka
Camera setup	Film; Single-camera
Running time	45 minutes
Production company	Dolphin Entertainment Cartoon Network Studios
Original release
Network	Cartoon Network
Release	October 16, 2010 (2010-10-16) – Unknown

Tower Prep is an American-Canadian television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 16, 2010, after the world premiere of Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. The series is created by Paul Dini, a former producer and writer of the DC animated universe. It is Cartoon Network's second one-hour live-action series after Unnatural History.

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, with Tower Prep not being mentioned as a returning series.

Production

Paul Dini wrote the first episode of Tower Prep, and Cartoon Network picked up the series as part of their initiative at the time to develop live action programming for a family audience. The pilot was shot in 2009, and full production of the first season began in 2010 in British Columbia.

Former X-Files writer Glen Morgan was hired as executive producer and show runner, joined by a writing team including Dini, Glen's brother Darin Morgan, Riley Stearns, Aury Wallington, Jeff Eckerle and Marilyn Osborn. Discussing his influences in creating the show, Dini states, "I thought about incidents when I was a kid. I went to a prep school, and I leaned back on my feelings of what it was like at the time – the strangeness and the alienation." From the start, the writers' goals were to create a story that did not talk down to kids, and to write natural dialogue, avoiding unrealistic slang and catch phrases. Many of the characters shift between being perceived as heroes or villains, because, Dini explains, "[throughout high school], your allegiances are switched and relationships change.... To a degree, Tower Prep is a real high school. It's just that the elements are blown out of proportion and into caricature."

The promotion for the series began with a storyline of Cartoon Network discovering 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 1000 iPod Touch devices that would take place during the show. The iPod Touch strongly resembled the PDA devices from the series.

The last two episodes of the first season aired on December 28, 2010. In an interview with the show creator Paul Dini, he did not state the status of a second season, but he claimed that everyone involved in the show wants another season, and that to this day Cartoon Network is still in negotiations to make a second season happen.

Premise

Tower Prep is an exclusive school for people with special abilities. None of the students know where they are or how they arrived there, and there's no escape. One moment Ian Archer was at home playing a video game; the next, he found himself waking up at Tower Prep with no memory of how he got there. Panicking, he tries to escape, and in the course of his failed attempt he meets three other students: Gabe, Suki and CJ. Throughout the series, the four friends make it their mission to uncover the mysteries behind Tower Prep and find a way to return to their normal lives.

Characters

The cast of Tower Prep (from left to right), Drew Van Acker as Ian Archer, Dyana Liu as Suki Sato, Ryan Pinkston as Gabe Forrest, and Elise Gatien as CJ Ward.

Main characters

• Ian Archer (Drew Van Acker) -fabrice breath good , seeing things before they happen and react. He's a rebel who wants to discover the secrets of Tower Prep and is trying to escape from the strange school. His ability allows him to be exceptional in martial arts and physical fights. He uses his skills to defend the students who can't protect themselves from other students. He may be related to the founder of Tower Prep. Conner calls Ian "his liege" in the episode "Dreams", which implies that his family has something to do with Tower Prep and Cornelius Tower. In the episode "Phone Home" Ian and CJ have their first kiss.

• Gabriel "Gabe" Lexington Forrest (Ryan Pinkston) - Gabe has the ability of Hypersuasion, allowing him to talk almost anyone into doing anything. His Hypersuasion skill seems to be less effective the longer he stays at Tower Prep. He's the class clown, the guy that shoots sarcastic comments and the funny self-deprecating attitude when someone tries to pick on him. He is the school class president. He also has a crush on Suki.

• Candace "CJ" Ward (Elise Gatien) - CJ has the ability to read people's body language, called Perception. CJ claims to have no memory of her life before Tower Prep. To everyone at Tower Prep, CJ is a textbook example of someone who follows "The Program." She is the perfect student, one of the more popular girls in school and well liked by everyone; that is exactly what she wants everyone to think as she secretly plots to escape from the school. CJ is a master at playing both sides and hiding her true intentions. In the episode "Whisper", she finds out that her abilities have increased allowing her to understand people from their handwriting. It is revealed in the episode "The Rooks" that she has a crush on Ian. In the episode "Phone Home" CJ and Ian kiss. She tells him that she doesn't want him to die if he's never kissed a girl. In the episode "Snitch", it is revealed that she is Headmaster's daughter and that he forced her to tell him everything she knew. In the episode "Fathers", her name is revealed to be Candace. Even though she is exposed as the snitch, she still cares very deeply about her friends and dreads losing them. After Ian knocks out the Headmaster she still asks to go escape with them. She hasn't talked to her mother in a long time, so she agrees to do whatever her father commands on the condition that she gets to talk to her mother again.

• Suki Sato (Dyana Liu) - Suki, from Tokyo, has the ability to imitate anything as long as she has heard the voice/sound at least once. She can also replicate handwriting with 100% accuracy. Her power is known as Mimicry. She's a quiet, introspective girl whose bubbly personality shines through. She is "as quiet as a mouse" but also considered a "hottie" (by Ray Snider). Her father own Sato Systems (formally known as SatoScientific), a well known electronics company that is the main technology provider for the school. They make everything electronic, including the security cameras and communication devices, as well Whisper 120, Whisper 119 and Whisper 023, the school's supercomputer. She has an older brother, Shinji, whom she once believed was dead. He also went to Tower Prep. She kisses Gabe in "Phone Home" after he tells her that he's never kissed a girl. In the episode "Fathers", Suki's father tries to take her away from Tower Prep because she "isn't for Tower Prep and Tower Prep isn't for her". Her father almost succeeds, until Ian defeats him and his bodyguards.

Tower Prep staff

The teachers of the school do not use their actual names. They are instead called by the subjects they teach. For example, if a teacher teaches math, they are simply called Math. The headmaster of the school is simply called Headmaster. If a teacher has two subjects, they are called by both. For example, if a teacher has both history and physical education, they are called Coach History.

• Headmaster (Ted Whittall) - Headmaster insists that Tower Prep's purpose is solely to refine the exceptional students' abilities for the better, but there are hints that suggest he has other plans. He is possibly the actual leader of the Rooks, as Coach called him "Most Exalted One" in one of their talks. In the episode "Trust" it is revealed that he reports to a higher administrative board. In the episode "Snitch", it is revealed that he is CJ's father and that he is trying to make Tower Prep like it was when Cornelius ran the school. He is secretly working against the head administration. Only 7 people know: Suki, Ian, CJ, Gabe, Cornelius Tower, Headmaster (himself) and one more person.

• Coach (Dan Payne) - Coach is a former student of Tower Prep and a test subject for Corvus H-40, a chemical substance used as a "performance enhancer", although it is implied that the Corvus H-40 has significant side effects. Both he and Headmaster are Rooks members, even though Headmaster actively speaks out against them. Coach wears a watch with the Rooks emblem. It is possible that Coach no longer has an ability due to Corvus H-40 abuse. It is also revealed in the episode "Snitch" that when Coach was a student at Tower Prep he was incarcerated in the West Campus and describes it as the greatest thing you fear. but not just a normal fear like being humiliated or embarrassed, but a true, deep fear.

• Coach History (Richard Steinmetz) - He is the red buffer coach and the school's history teacher. He once told Ian that if he beat the gold team (regular coach's team) the coach would reveal all he knew of the school's history. In the process, it was discovered that the Gnomes are Tower Prep students.

• Nurse (Karin Konoval) - She was a suspect in the Chemica Desin epidemic. Ian discovered that the true suspect was Ross Anderson, who stole the Chemica Desin during her work study in the clinic and modified it. When Ross Anderson was at the Headmaster's Office, she didn't punish her, but instead asked how she modified the Chemica Desin. Connor later finds the Chemica Desin 2.0 which hints that they made more of the modified version that Ross created.

• Dr. Specs (Alek Diakun) - He works in the medical lab hidden in the underground tunnels. There, he prepares new students by erasing their short-term memory with electronic static, then transports them to the campus using the underground tunnels. He may be the doctor seen in the old surveillance video footage strapping a student to a chair while Cornelius Tower tries to stop him. He is seen giving Conner Owens and later Gabe a mind-wipe at West Campus using "In my Dreams Tonight" by Cookie Tower and the Hypnotic Five.

Secondary characters

• Whisper 119 (voiced by Peggy Jo Jacobs) - It is the artificial intelligence that manages the school and serves as a "recruitment officer" by contacting children who have exceptional abilities. She is shown to have emotions in episode the "Whisper;" Ian realizes she sent him the "handwritten" note saying "I'm scared, too," which CJ analyzes as "caring, artistic, and motherly." Whisper indirectly helps Ian, Gabe, Suki, and CJ out of some tight situations. In the episode "Phone Home", Whisper 119 was upgraded to Whisper 120 but as one last act against the school she opens the door to the roof of one of the school's abandoned buildings for Gabe, Suki, C.J and Ian right before she "dies" and gets upgraded. After Conner's return it is revealed that she was upgraded because she was developing a conscience that allowed students to temporarily exit the school through the holographic/hallucinogenic wall.

• Ray Snider (Richard Harmon) - Ray is a student at Tower Prep who was one of Ian's initial roommates. He clashes with Ian after Ian moves out of their room. He considers Suki a "hottie", but he also cares deeply for Suki. In the episode "The Rooks" he is a member of the elite fraternity. His ability is Hyper-strength. Along with Emily and Fenton, Ray seems to suspect Ian, CJ, Suki, and Gabe's plan to escape after they discover maps of the school grounds in episode "Field Trip".

• Calvin "Cal" Rice (Izaak Smith) - Cal is Ian's main antagonist. He is the captain of the gold Buffer team and is the so-called head jock of the school. He constantly pushes Ian around and seems threatened by him. His ability is enhanced hearing. In the episode "Field Trip" he is supposedly captured and believed to be turned into a gnome but was actually his own choice. He comes back in episode "Trust" stating he has no recollection of what happened after he was caught by the gnomes. He clearly has feelings for CJ.

• Conner Owens (Andrew Dunbar) - Is part of a group trying to revert Tower Prep back to it original purpose. He can move through the holographic wall, with the help of Whisper 119, with things Ian and his friends need. When the system was upgraded to Whisper 120 they found a weak spot in West Campus. Conner goes down in the tunnels and is taken to West Campus by the gnomes. Conner gave Ian and Gabe Chemica Desin 2.0 and said that it was the end of everything.

• Cornelius Augustus Tower (David Smith, Matthew Thiessen) - As a former magician and jazz artist, Cornelius Tower is the founder of Tower Prep and loved his students. The school was later taken over and he was betrayed. In an audio story of his life, he is cut off while saying 'they're turning my students into-'. He has an office in the back of a laboratory. He is missing an eye which he left in a glass paperweight. Ian may be related or close to him, since a picture is found of them together in a garden. In the episode "Fathers", it is revealed that he is still alive, working with Headmaster.

• Shinji Sato (Terry Chen) - Suki Sato's older brother who she was told had been killed. In the episode "Phone Home", it was revealed that he was instead a student at Tower Prep. He knows about the observation center and also how to get into west campus. He came back to take Suki back to Tokyo and their family.

Minor characters

• Don Fincher (Calum Worthy) - One of Ian's initial roommates and is Ray Snider's best friend. He doesn't show up in the series after Ian moves out.

• Fenton Capwell (Charlie Carrick) - Fenton is a student who loves opera. In the episode "Monitored", he takes Ian's place as Ray's and Don's roommate, and in "Election", he falls ill when running against Emily Wright in the presidential election. In the episode "Field Trip", he is assigned "CJ" as his partner. His ability is unknown, but it may be associated with his voice. In the episode "Snitch" it is seen that he hangs out with Ray Snider, and they both suspect that Ian, "CJ", Suki and Gabe are trying to escape.

• Emily Wright (Jodi Balfour) - Emily is the former class president of Tower Prep who lost her re-election bid to Gabe. She first appears in "Election", where she meets Ian while trying to find the cause behind the illness of her original opponent, Fenton. She is assigned to work with Gabe on the class field trip. Emily is now the class vice president under Gabe. She tells Ian that she intends to join "The Broken", a resistance group against Tower Prep. After The Broken disappears, Emily is missing as well, hinting that she joined the group.

• Emerson Poencet (Jeffrey Ballard) - Emerson is a student who first appears in the episode "Whisper". His has microscopic vision, which he uses to determine that the secret notes Ian gets are computer printouts, see Ian's individual blood cells, and accurately identify six different sets of fingerprints with a mere glance on a campaign button.

• Howard Gilmore (Jarod Joseph) - Howard can see in the dark. He used his ability to steal things, including Gabe's sock monkey Señor Guapo, and frame Ian for the thefts. He is sent to the West Campus. In their search for the real thief, Ian, Gabe, Suki, and CJ find Howard's hideout in the underground labs.

• Ross Anderson (Kacey Rohl) - Ross is Emily's ruthless campaign manager. At the end of the episode "Election", it is discovered that she spread the Chemica Desin enzyme inhibitor to those who threatened Emily's re-election. She is presumed to be sent to West Campus, but in reality, Headmaster and Nurse are actually very impressed with her achievement.

• The Broken - A group that was led by Phillips, who dresses like Redfang. The Broken members think he may actually be Redfang. Emily told Ian about "The Broken" and he wanted to join. When Ian went to meet "The Broken" they suggested that he lead them for their plan to escape, but when Ian, Gabe,CJ, and Suki went to The Broken's hideout they were gone and only a gnome was left behind. Headmaster later tells the administration "The Broken was mended, but Archer is still broken, not for long though."

• Whisper 120 (voiced by Peggy Jo Jacobs) - Whisper 120 is the upgraded Whisper by Sato Systems and was introduced in the episode "Phone Home". She is not sentient like Whisper 119, so she cannot go against her programming. She meets Ian, Gabe, Suki, and CJ in the forest after their escape in the season finale, informing them that they have "passed the test", have a "higher purpose", and must work for Headmaster to help win the "war to come".

Season 2: Second Period

This season is set for 2012. It will contain 14 episodes.

Reception

Critical reception

The premiere episode of Tower Prep received positive reviews. Brian Lowry of Variety said the show's mysteries might appeal to both kids and adults, calling it "a series that points the way toward a best-case scenario" for Cartoon Network's live-action programming. Robert Lloyd in his Los Angeles Times review praised the show's energy, casting, and writing in spite of its modest production values. Both reviewers noted the series shares elements with The Prisoner and other works such as Harry Potter, Lost and The X-Files. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club stated that while the pilot episode suffered from low production values and murky fight scenes, it benefited from a strong primary cast, Dini's use of superpowers, and potentially intriguing moments. Further, he specifically pointed to the involvement of creator Paul Dini and producers Glen Morgan and Darin Morgan as reasons he believed the show will grow into a compelling series. 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".

External links

• Official website
• Tower Prep at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com
• Tower Prep Wiki, a wiki dedicated to Tower Prep

#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (million)
1	"New Kid"	Terry McDonough	Paul Dini	October 16, 2010 (2010-10-16)	100	1.323
Ian Archer (Drew Van Acker), is suspended for fighting while defending another student. That night, while playing a video game he hears a buzzing noise and blacks out. He wakes up at a mysterious preparatory school called Tower Prep, with no idea on how he got there. When he tries to escape he meets CJ Ward (Elise Gatien), Gabe Forrest (Ryan Pinkston) and Suki Sato (Dyana Liu) who, with the exception of CJ (who has no memory of her life before Tower Prep), were sent there by their parents. They all want to escape and find out where they are. Unfortunately, their escape plan is thwarted by creatures in the forest called "Gnomes", which force them back to the campus. Later, Ian and his new friends pull a prank on Ian's initial roommates for messing with him. As the episode ends, Ian mentions getting a note that says "I'm scared, too...", But the group claims they didn't give him the note, leaving them wondering who did.
2	"Monitored"	Thomas Wright	Paul Dini	October 26, 2010 (2010-10-26)	101	1.061
A number of personal items are stolen and Ian is blamed since some of the stolen property is found in his room. Because of this, he must defend himself in the school tribunal and must be shadowed all day by a school monitor. Meanwhile, Gabe, CJ and Suki work to prove his innocence. While Ian is in his room, he finds a secret entrance to underground tunnels, where he discovers that the real thief was using them to frame him. The thief and Gabe's roommate, Howard Gilmore, stole the items and tried to frame Ian out of jealousy.
3	"Whisper"	James Wong	Glen Morgan	November 2, 2010 (2010-11-02)	102	N/A
The gang attempts to find out who wrote the message "I'm Scared Too", and discovers an older version of Whisper, Whisper 23. They believe Whisper 23 holds the answers, but when they turn her on she locks the room down and forces them to play a deadly video maze game where the loser is electrocuted. They are saved by a power surge which short-circuits Whisper 23, and it is later revealed that Whisper 119 wrote the message and caused the power surge.
4	"Buffer"	Peter DeLuise	Glen Morgan	November 9, 2010 (2010-11-09)	103	N/A
Ian develops a rivalry with the Yellow buffer team and is offered a chance to join the red buffer team. Ian discovers that Coach History has a mysterious connection with the gnomes. In an attempt to learn what Coach History knows about the gnomes, Ian sacrifices his Buffer match in order to fight off the gnomes while CJ and Gabe steal evidence from Coach History about the gnomes. They then discover that the gnomes are really students at Tower Prep.
5	"The Rooks"	Thomas Wright	Aury Wallington	November 16, 2010 (2010-11-16)	104	1.065
Gabe tells Ian about a fraternity at the school called the Rooks, who choose certain students each year to join their ranks, subjecting them to demeaning activities. Ian is the only one who makes it in. He learns that Jeremy plans to sabotage CJ's dance, so he betrays the Rooks, only to be beaten up by Jeremy (who has a preflex ability, like Ian). However, Gabe stops the Rooks and Headmaster cancels the dance organized by CJ. Coach and Headmaster discuss Ian and the Corvus H-40 (an ability enhancing chemical taken by the Rooks) and it's revealed they were Rooks when they attended Tower Prep.
6	"Book Report"	Peter DeLuise	Darin Morgan	November 23, 2010 (2010-11-23)	105	1.018
While reading the Odyssey, Ian discovers notes about how to escape Tower Prep, written by a former student named Norman. While on his quest, Ian encounters students similar to the creatures in the book. It is later revealed Ian is not supposed to escape, but find out what Tower Prep is all about from within the school.
7	"Election"	Michael Rohl	Riley Stearns	November 30, 2010 (2010-11-30)	106	N/A
Gabe decides to run for class president when the other candidate becomes ill. Students begin losing their powers shortly after the campaigning begins. Ian discovers a chemical called "Chemica Desin" implanted in the campaign buttons and infecting the students. Ross Anderson, the campaign manager for Emily Wright (Gabe's election opponent) was the culprit. Gabe wins the election and Headmaster and Nurse asks Ross to show them how she improved the chemical using only Tower Prep supplies.
8	"Field Trip"	Dwight Little	Paul Dini	December 7, 2010 (2010-12-07)	107	N/A
The Biology class is sent into the woods to research the Tower Prep flora and fauna. Paired randomly, they have little time to check out the forest to find out exactly where Tower Prep is located. Ian and Cal discover an underground gnome lair. In the end, it is revealed that Cal intended to become a gnome. Phillips, a student that once escaped the school, is revealed to be "Redfang", a creature haunting the woods. He is also the leader of a mysterous group hiding in the wild who will save as many students they can from becoming gnomes.
9	"Dreams"	Brenton Spencer	Darin Morgan	December 14, 2010 (2010-12-14)	108	N/A
When Ian, Gabe, and Suki have dreams about a mysterious yellow elevator, they search for it in the tunnels. They observe a new student being brought out of the elevator. He will become Ian and Gabe's new roommate and can infiltrate dreams. They discover Cornelius Tower's office (Tower Prep's founder) and investigate. They take some items from Cornelius' office and bring it to the observatory. Conner then escapes and reveals, in Ian's dream, that he is a "scout". They find that Conner took the things from the observatory, but left a picture of Cornelious Tower with a young child. Ian realizes that the young boy is himself.
10	"Phone Home"	Michael Robison	Aury Wallington	December 21, 2010 (2010-12-21)	109	N/A
On his birthday, Ian demands to speak to his parents. Headmaster allows the call, but it is later revealed that it was really Whisper impersonating his mother. Suki spies on Headmaster's office and sees her brother, Shinji, who she believed was dead. he was actually a student at Tower Prep. Knowing her brother plans to later call home, Suki attempts to piggyback onto the signal with a homemade satellite phone. As the group are about to reach the roof of the nearest satellite point they a blocked by a gaping hole. When they are about to swing across CJ kisses Ian, since earlier he had admitted he had never kissed a girl. When they get across they discover Whisper was upgraded from version 119 to Whisper 120. They then successfully make the call, but Ian's mom claims that it was to dangerous to talk and hangs up.
11	"Trust"	Michael Rohl	Riley Stearns	December 21, 2010 (2010-12-21)	110	1.068
Ian suspects Cal is a spy for Headmaster just as the group's escape plan begins to come together. When he finds Cal in CJ's room, Ian begins to suspect CJ is giving Cal inside information. Elsewhere, a group of students known as The Broken are discovered in the woods. Emily Wright then reveals that she intends to join The Broken and their resistance. These actions may have also led to the Art teacher's dismissal (Art was the faculty advisor for the paper). The group agrees to meet The Broken, but find their hideout empty. Ian and CJ clear their trust issues, and Headmaster meets with the school's head administration, telling them that The Broken is mended, but Ian is still "broken", but not for long.
12	"Snitch"	Thomas Wright	Jeff Eckerle & Marilyn Osborn	December 28, 2010 (2010-12-28)	111	N/A
Conner returns to the school and claims to know how to get out. He and his group of exiles believe West Campus is the way out of Tower Prep. He tries to get to West Campus but the gnomes made him turn back. he ends up in Ian's and Gabe's room with Chemica Desin 2.0. Ian sends him to the observatory, but the gnomes capture him in the tunnels. Ian takes the maps and key to West Campus and goes to there himself to find out what really happens to students at West Campus. He finds a way out, but in the meanwhile Suki's brother tries to take her home. In the very end, it is revealed that Headmaster is CJ's father.
13	"Fathers"	Dwight Little	Glen Morgan	December 28, 2010 (2010-12-28)	112	N/A
Season Finale. Gabe is sent to West Campus for refusing to reveal his source for Chemica Desin 2.0. His West Campus roommate is a guy named Demetrius, who was hired by Headmaster to protect Gabe from Jeremy and the Rooks. Suki's father arrives to take her back home but she is rescued by Ian. Meanwhile, Headmaster and CJ argue in his office, until Headmaster sends a text to Ian pretending to be CJ. Ian and Suki both arrive to finally learn that CJ is Headmaster's daughter. Ian tells Headmaster he will be leaving the school, no matter what Headmaster does to stop him. The argument escalates into a physical fight, until Ian knocks out Headmaster. Ian, CJ and Suki then go to West Campus to rescue Gabe, just as he is about to be assaulted by The Rooks. The team escapes after crawling through a vent Ian found in an abandoned kitchen. Outside, they meet a woman who turnes out to be a hologram of Whisper 120. She tells them that seven people know the Headmaster is trying to return the school to what it was when Cornelius Tower founded it: Suki, Ian, CJ, Gabe, Headmaster, Cornelius Tower and one more person. Whisper tells the four that they have escaped and that "not many people do." It is also revealed that "3's the charm" meaning their third escape attempt will be successful, but only for three of them.