School Spirits

Maddie Nears wakes up dead and stuck at her high school, trying to work out what happened to her while everyone around her carries on like nothing changed. As a ghost she starts asking questions, following leads, and forming uneasy alliances with students who knew her in life. The show mixes whodunit plotting with everyday teenage pressures, so as Maddie pieces together clues she also has to deal with shifting friendships, rivalries, and secrets that make the truth harder to pin down.

School Spirits was created by siblings Nate Trinrud and Megan Trinrud and premiered in 2023. The series stars Peyton List as Maddie, with Milo Manheim, Kristian Ventura, Spencer MacPherson, and Kiara Pichardo among the principal cast. It frames a supernatural mystery around familiar high school settings.

The series did not attract major industry awards at launch, so there aren't big wins or nominations to list. Still, individual performances earned notice from viewers and some reviewers, and the show became part of conversations about new supernatural-tinged teen dramas in 2023.

Online viewers responded by sharing theories, scene clips, and character takes, which helped the show reach an engaged niche audience. Fans compared its tone to other teen mysteries and used social media to debate motives and possible suspects, keeping interest alive between episodes and across seasons.

Audience reception skewed positive, reflected by a 7.7/10 average from 210 votes, and critics tended to praise the blend of mystery and character work. Major themes include identity and the fallout of secrets, with the afterlife conceit used to question how well people really know those around them. Performances and the tight ensemble cast are often highlighted alongside the show's willingness to mix teen drama with procedural elements.