Jump to content

High Potential (TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
High Potential
GenreCrime drama
Created byDrew Goddard
Based on
HPI
by
  • Nicolas Jean
  • Stéphane Carrié
  • Alice Chegaray-Breugnot
ShowrunnerTodd Harthan
Starring
Music by
  • Josh Kramon
  • Jake Staley
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Vail Romeyn
  • Andrea Massaro
  • Kaitlin Olson
  • Myung Joh Wesner
  • Casey Vandeventer
Cinematography
Editors
  • Philip Fowler
  • John Reyes-Nguyen
  • Tuan Quoc Le
Running time43–44 minutes
Production companies
  • Goddard Textiles
  • Spondoolie Productions
  • ABC Signature
  • Taft Tennis
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 17, 2024 (2024-09-17) –
present (present)

High Potential is an American crime drama television series created by Drew Goddard for ABC. It is based on the 2021 French television series HPI.[1] The series premiered on September 17, 2024.[2]

Premise

[edit]

The show centers on Morgan, a single mother with three kids who is a cleaning lady for the Los Angeles Police Department. She is also a high potential intellectual, with an IQ of 160. After figuring out a case using her unconventional mind, she becomes a consultant for the LAPD's Major Crimes division.

A subplot involves Morgan using the LAPD's help and resources to find out what happened to her first boyfriend Roman, the father of her oldest daughter Ava, who disappeared when Ava was a baby.

Cast and characters

[edit]

Main

[edit]
  • Kaitlin Olson as Morgan,[1] a single mother with three children, an IQ of 160, and a wide range of knowledge. Morgan works as a cleaning lady for the LAPD until Selena offers her a consultant position.
  • Daniel Sunjata as Karadec,[1] a detective who is skeptical about Morgan being an asset to the LAPD but becomes her primary helper
  • Javicia Leslie as Daphne,[1] Karadec's partner
  • Deniz Akdeniz as Lev "Oz" Ozdil,[1][3] Major Crimes investigator
  • Amirah J as Ava,[1] Morgan's rebellious teenaged daughter and Elliot's half-sister, whose father, Roman, disappeared 15 years before the series begins
  • Matthew Lamb as Elliot,[1] Morgan's son with her second ex-husband Ludo and Ava's half-brother
  • Judy Reyes as Selena,[1] head of the LAPD's Major Crimes Division, where Morgan serves as a consultant

Recurring

[edit]
  • Taran Killam as Ludo Radovic,[4] Morgan's second ex-husband, Ava's ex-stepfather and Elliot's father who is a driving instructor
  • Garret Dillahunt as Lieutenant Melon,[5] head of the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division

Episodes

[edit]
No.Title [6]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [6]U.S. viewers
(millions)		Rating/share
(18-49)
1"Pilot"Alethea JonesDrew GoddardSeptember 17, 2024 (2024-09-17)3.59[7]0.35/6[7]
Morgan, a nighttime janitor at the LAPD, accidentally knocks over a murder case file while working. As she picks up the file's crime scene photos, she determines that the case's primary suspect, the victim's wife, is also a victim, and marks it on the LAPD's murder board. Karadec, enraged that she tampered with police evidence, brings her in, but Morgan convinces Selena that she's right about the wife. Selena has Karadec work with Morgan on the case and finding the wife, Lynette Acosta. Selena and Karadec deduce that Lynette's sister was having an affair with one of her clients. The client killed Lynette's husband, then kidnapped Lynette and hid her in her sister's cabin. After successfully finding Lynette, Selena offers Morgan a full-time position as a consultant, but Morgan refuses. However, after trying to have a conversation with her eldest daughter, Morgan accepts the offer on the condition that Selena helps Morgan find her first husband, Roman, who vanished 15 years ago.
2"Dancers in the Dark"Marc WebbTodd Harthan & Marc HalseySeptember 24, 2024 (2024-09-24)3.68[8]0.31/5[8]

Morgan's first official case involves a tap dancer, Damian, who was pushed off a roof onto his car. Lt. Melon of the LAPD's Robbery Division comes to Selena for help on a case involving a string of jewelry store heists. Morgan and Karadec find the tap dancer's partner, Roland. Roland claims that a third person pushed Damian. Morgan proves Roland's claim, and realizes that Roland was the intended target. Morgan and Karadec find Roland too late, killed at a nightclub. After observing the nightclub's security footage, Morgan realizes that the killer used the same gun in Melon's jewelry store heists. The LAPD sets up a sting operation to catch the killer/jewel thief.

At home, Morgan tries to connect with Ava, who wants to know when Morgan will get her car back. After seeing Ava's art project, Morgan shows Ava a series of murals painted by Roman, but it makes Ava upset, as she believes Roman walked out on them. After getting her first paycheck, Morgan uses it to bring her car home, cheering her kids up. Selena tells Morgan that Roman's car was impounded shortly after his disappearance, with a box of diapers inside, implying his intent to return home.
3"Dirty Rotten Scoundrel"Rebecca AsherDennis SalduaOctober 8, 2024 (2024-10-08)3.78[9]0.34/5[9]

While working on a case involving a con artist/rideshare driver, Karadec gets increasingly frustrated with Morgan not following police protocol or letting him know what she plans on doing. After nearly getting injured by a suspect, Karadec yells at Morgan, leading to Morgan quitting from her job. However, she decides to come back the next day and solve the case. At home, Morgan gets upset when she learns that Ava has brought a possible boyfriend at home and in Ava's room alone together, despite Ava's insistence that they're only studying. Morgan becomes more upset when she learns Ludo allowed it without Morgan's prior knowledge or permission. She tells Ludo that he overstepped his authority with Ava, as Morgan is Ava's parent, but Ludo takes it as a reminder that he is not Ava's biological father. Morgan later apologizes to Ludo.

Meanwhile, Selena and Melon find a mural Roman painted just prior to his disappearance was located in a neighborhood known for illegal activity, and believe he might have been silenced because he was a potential witness to a crime committed there.
4"Survival Mode"Pete ChatmonAndrea M. Scott and Marc HalseyOctober 15, 2024 (2024-10-15)3.36[10]0.33/4[10]
Morgan's trust in others is tested when a divorced mother's daughters are kidnapped, and clues lead back to the mother as a suspect. Worried about finding the kids ASAP, Karadec makes a few impulsive decisions without running them by Selena. Karadec and Selena get worried about Morgan when they notice she hasn't been sleeping, and stops looking at the case objectively.
5"Croaked"Daisy von Scherler MayerDiane Ruggiero-WrightOctober 22, 2024 (2024-10-22)3.60[11]0.29/4[11]

The team investigates the death of a veterinarian, poisoned by a substance on her hands. While investigating the crime scene, Morgan tranquilizes Karadec to prevent him from getting poisoned. While Morgan is with Karadec, Daphne and Oz work the case from another angle, but all four of them end up at an apartment, where they learn the vet was trafficking exotic pets to afford a house for her girlfriend. Oz gets a confession from the girlfriend's husband, but Morgan thinks something is off. While Karadec is on a date, Morgan does some investigating on her own, and realizes that the girlfriend adopted the vet's son, whom the vet had been forced to give up due to a teenage pregnancy. The girlfriend is revealed to be killer, who was worried the vet would steal her son away. Daphne and Oz return the trafficked pets to their rightful owners.

At home, Morgan discovers that Ava has been taking birth control pills. Morgan wants to confront her, but Ludo suggests waiting for Ava to come to Morgan. Morgan eventually tells Ava she found the birth control pills. Ava tells Morgan that she’s taking the pills for her complexion, easing Morgan’s fears.
6"Hangover"Rebecca AsherKassia Miller & Myung Joh WesnerOctober 29, 2024 (2024-10-29)3.09[12]0.26/3[12]

The CEO of a healthcare device company is found dead in her office the day after a company party. The prime suspect is the CEO's assistant, who was passed out in the same room, but woke up hungover and without any memory of the previous night. Despite all signs pointing to the assistant, Morgan strongly believes in her innocence. Morgan and Karadec eventually find a camera recording the incident, showing that the CEO tried to kill the assistant, but failed, allowing the assistant to go free due to self-defense.

While working on the case, a janitor at the LAPD, Tom, starts a conversation with Morgan. After solving the case, Morgan leaves her phone number for Tom to see.
7"One of Us"TBATBANovember 12, 2024 (2024-11-12)TBDTBA

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

On September 20, 2022, High Potential was given a pilot order by ABC. The pilot was written by Drew Goddard.[13] On May 16, 2023, High Potential was picked to series by ABC. The series was created by Goddard who was expected to executive produce alongside Sarah Esberg, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, Pierre Laugier, Anthony Lancret, Jean Nainchrik, and Alethea Jones. Jones also directed the pilot. Thomas also was expected to serve as the showrunner. Kaitlin Olson was expected to serve as producer. Production companies involved with the series are Goddard Textiles, Spondoolie Productions, Itinéraire Productions, Septembre Productions, and ABC Signature.[1] On June 5, 2024, Thomas exited as the showrunner for the series.[14] On June 21, 2024, Todd Harthan was announced as the new showrunner who would also serve as an executive producer, replacing Thomas.[15] High Potential is the last series from ABC Signature before the division was folded into 20th Television on October 1, 2024.[16]

Casting

[edit]

Upon the series pickup announcement, Olson, Daniel Sunjata, Javicia Leslie, Deniz Akdeniz, Amirah J, Matthew Lamb, and Judy Reyes were cast in starring roles.[1] On July 1, 2024, Garret Dillahunt joined cast in a recurring capacity.[5] On August 21, 2024, Taran Killam was cast in a recurring role.[4]

Broadcast

[edit]

High Potential premiered on September 17, 2024 on ABC.[2]

Reception

[edit]

The series holds an 93% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 critic reviews with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "With the ineffable Kaitlin Olson on hand to inject some spiky personality into a familiar formula, High Potential is a solid procedural with plenty of upside."[17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 70 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[18]

Olson's performance has been singled out for praise in reviews from publications such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, the latter of which cited her as "the one good reason to watch [the show]."[19][20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cordero, Rosy; Andreeva, Nellie (May 16, 2023). "ABC Picks Up Kaitlin Olson-Led 'High Potential' Series From Drew Goddard". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Pedersen, Erik (July 10, 2024). "ABC Fall Premiere Dates: 'Abbott Elementary', 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Golden Bachelorette', Ryan Murphy's 'Doctor Odyssey' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  3. ^ "High Potential". ABC Entertainment Press Site. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Petski, Denise (August 21, 2024). "Taran Killam Joins Kaitlin Olson In ABC's 'High Potential' Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (July 1, 2024). "Garret Dillahunt Boards ABC's 'High Potential'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Shows A-Z – high potential on abc". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (September 18, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Decent Debut for High Potential on ABC Following Solid Dancing with the Stars 33rd Premiere". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (September 25, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: NBC Leads in Viewers with America's Got Talent Season Finale, Dancing with the Stars on ABC Builds in Demos from Season Premiere". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 9, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: The Irrational Returns Okay for NBC, Airing Out of The Voice the Most-Watched Telecast in Prime Time". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 16, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: New York Yankees Propel TBS to Top FBI-Fueled CBS in Total Viewers and Win Prime Time Overall". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 23, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: TNT Leads Prime Time Demos with NBA Season Tip-Off Doubleheader". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 30, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: MLB World Series Ascends in Game 4 for Fox". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 20, 2022). "ABC Orders Drama Pilot From Drew Goddard Based on French Detective Series 'HPI'". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  14. ^ Schneider, Michael (June 5, 2024). "Kaitlin Olson's New ABC Series 'High Potential' to Get New Showrunner As Rob Thomas Exits (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 21, 2024). "ABC's 'High Potential' Sets Todd Harthan As New Showrunner". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  16. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 1, 2024). "ABC Signature Folding Into 20th TV Under Karey Burke; Hulu & ABC Scripted Teams Combining Under Simran Sethi In Major Reorg Resulting In Layoffs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  17. ^ "High Potential: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  18. ^ "High Potential: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  19. ^ Tinubu, Aramide (September 17, 2024). "Kaitlin Olson Is Solidly Quirky in ABC's Sufficient Cop Drama 'High Potential': TV Review". Variety. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  20. ^ Fienberg, Daniel (September 17, 2024). "'High Potential' Review: Kaitlin Olson Is the One Good Reason to Watch ABC's Clumsy Procedural". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High_Potential_(TV_series)&oldid=1256050681"