Scream: The TV Series

When a seemingly ordinary prank video blows up online, the quiet town of Lakewood is rattled and a teenager ends up dead. The show follows a circle of high schoolers whose friendships, romances, and rivalries come under intense scrutiny as detectives and residents try to piece together what happened. As investigators dig, long-buried secrets about Lakewood surface and everyone becomes a suspect. The series keeps the focus on how a small community responds to sudden violence, how social media fuels suspicion, and how hidden histories shape present-day choices, with new clues and red herrings appearing each episode.

Created by Dan Dworkin, Jay Beattie, and Jill E. Blotevogel, the series premiered in 2015 on MTV, drawing on the tone and slasher conventions of the Scream film franchise while aiming for serialized television suspense and teen drama.

Among genre fans the show sparked lively online discussion and theory-crafting, thanks to its twist-driven plotting and viral-marketing style that mirrored the story's social media element. Cast members like Keke Palmer and RJ Cyler helped the show reach wider audiences, and its mix of horror tropes with contemporary teen life kept it visible on streaming platforms and fan forums.

Critics and viewers reacted with mixed to positive opinions, reflected in an average user rating around 6.9 out of 10. Reviewers often highlighted the ensemble performances and the puzzle-like mystery, while noting uneven pacing across some episodes. The show repeatedly returns to themes of trust, reputation, the consequences of secrets, and the collision of past wrongs with present danger.

The series did not accumulate major industry awards, but it found a devoted fanbase within horror and teen mystery communities. It also helped revive interest in slasher-style storytelling on television and provided breakout visibility for several young actors.