USA High (1997–1999) User Reviews (11)

Brings back the joy of being a kid

[psalty01 · 6/10 · 3 February 2008]

It was a cute show. Predictable, yes, but cute none the less.

It isn't supposed to be the creme de la creme of cinema. It was a show for kids to watch, and that was the target audience.

It is similar in style to Saved by the Bell, however without as much sparkle. SbtB was the hit, and this show was simply an attempt to recreate the magic in a different setting.

I was among the many who loved shows like this, at one point I wanted a channel of nothing, but shows of this order. It reminds of a time when life was simpler and the hijinks only caused problems for a few days or a few hours.

So although it isn't terribly original, it was fun to watch and those among the intended audiences understood that.

By far the best of the Peter Engel teen comedies

[klondike · 6 February 1999]

"USA High" is by far the best of the Peter Engel teen comedies. Instead of relying on just tired old one liners, the show emphasizes humor based from good character development. The cast is one of the best on any show currently running. The show borrows from other shows, not just other Peter Engel programs. It is part "Save By the Bell (but much better), part "Friends," and part "Three's Company." One down side is that the show has been thrown off balance with the exit of Lazzarini and the entrance of Excess.

Saved by the...oops i mean USA high

[kclambeth · 1/10 · 12 July 2007]

Basically this is the same as every other Peter Engel show, except it's set in France (Well acted in front of a big picture of the eiffel tower anyway) Shallow, same plot lines and cringe-worthy its something i used to watch only when i was seriously bored out of my mind.

First of all there's a pervy Teacher Mr.Elliot and his barmy British daughter (Who has the worst English accent ever and why are we brits portrayed as posh and insane?) There's the pointless Miss french whats her name? Ditzy Lauren - can't act for toffee, the 'cute' guy, the German weirdo, the loud in your face Winnie, short, butt of all the jokes Laz, who is cuter than the others and not all that geeky and then there was some other dude who i can't remember the name of.

It was all so cheesy and fake and managed to cliché so many different nationality's i.e the English, Germans and the french or who most teens in American shows refer to as 'Europeans' despite the fact that Europe has over forty countries in it! They were allowed to share rooms boy and girl (Yeah, they'd do that at a strict academy?) and the episodes were always about dating, cars (Does every American teen drive when they hit sixteen?) and falling out with each other, it appeared they were all terrible actors.

I later saw James Madio (Laz) acting superbly in Band of Brothers and realized it was just the crap script that made his acting so bad.

Don't watch this.

PS- how lame is the theme tune?

Great show, unless you hate "TEEN" sitcoms.

[TheDvDFan · 26 January 1999]

Yes, I like this show. Though it is just "Saved By The Bell: The Collage Years" - "California Dreams" + "Saved By The Bell"...good copy-off huh? Now if you've seen ALL of Peter Engel's shows you know one thing, all just rip-offs "Saved By The Bell". This time it is different. Instead of just using regular humor they use offbeat humor. Stuff you won't find on the "Saved By The Bell"-ish shows. A great show...backfired when William James Jones came.

Average Grade: B+

Hee hee, I like this show.

[Janissen · 16 May 1999]

Guilty pleasure, obsessive addiction, refusal of maturity..........?

Whatever you want to call it, I like this show. See, like any dedicated adolescent, I'm a big advocate for Peter's productions. And although I'll always favor the earlier escapades of Zach, Kelly, Slater, Jessie, Lisa, and Screech (though I'll forever dislike Screech), this one has affectionately annoyed and endeared me enough to increase its viewing audience.

Hey, I don't mind. I'm apathetically inclined. I'll allow myself to be captivated by the lives of the obviously toooldforboardingschool actors and their heyI'mlivinginParisinthisreallybigroomandIhavealotofmoney. Because I like the European setting. The unrealistic dorm sizes. Lauren Fontaine's wardrobe. Its all innocent and unimaginative fun. Something I've always enjoyed partaking in. Thanks for not letting me mature, Pete.

Epic in television

[Jiggawhat78 · 5 July 2003]

This show is raw, funny and oh so original. The plot was superb and the acting was some of the best I have seen in a long time. I must say the high light of the show was William James Jones who played Dwane "excess" Wilson he was the real reason I began watching the show (great actor) but I was pulled in by the talents of Josh Holland, Elena Lyons and Marquita Terry. Now if they would bring this show to DVD I could feel complete. This show definitely gets an A+ from this satisfied fan.

A GREAT SHOW!!!

[Juniore · 16 June 2000]

Usa high rules! In a good way, it's different from those other teen shows. It's not set in the U.S., instead, it's set in Paris! The characters are from different background and very well-developed on this show. All the girls are hot. The funniest is Winnie, who's a sexy black girl with a whole lot of attitude; Ashley is next, who is a pretty blonde with a perculiar view of the world; and then comes the lovely Lauren, who's the nicest; and last but not least, Mrs. Gabrielle Dupree, who is one of the sexiest teachers I've ever seen. The boys are Christian, who's Winnie's boyfriend and is somewhat spacey; and Lazz, who's strange but very funny; and Jackson, the ladies man; and finally Mr. Elliot, the widowed father of Ashley who likes Ms. Dupree. This show was always good. Some episode rocked while a few were lame. Excess, the newest character, was okay, but not as good as the rest(he was better as Tony Wicks). This show wasn't as good as SBTB: College Years, but it lasted longer. I would rate it a 7/10.

"USA Low"

[pooh-24 · 8 October 2000]

I see then IMDB did not print my first review of this show.Why not?It is only USA High,as bad enough as it is.

In short this is a recycled Peter Engle teen show,with the Saved By The Bell mode used for the show,which is bad enough as it is.

You have Thomas Magiar and Josh Holland playing the two studs.You have Elisa Lyons and Kristen Miller playing the two hotties.You have Marquita Terry playing the token black girl,who has too much of Stuart Scott disease in her.Plus you have James Madio playing the Screech role only that he is short,not dumb or ugly but he is the odd man out here anyway.

There you have it.Pure Saved By The Bell redux.Same old plots,same old bad writing,same old format,same old bad acting,same old Peter Engle making money again.

Considering it is the same as SBTB,Califoria Dreams,Running The Halls,Hang Time,One World,and City Guys.USA High is something one can say safely,"I have passes this way before".

Right.A dull sitcom without cute actors to make you forget the lack of entertainment you see on the show.A Peter Engle show can be anything more can it?

This is the worst show ever!!

[ECM85 · 25 April 1999]

This show is really bad. And I mean really, really bad. Marquita Terry is the worst actress I've ever seen. Her character is so stupid. She's too overpowering. She's so jealous that she forbids her boyfriend, Christian, from having any fun. Christian is so dumb, I don't see how he ever made it through kindergarden. Ashley's accent is so fake!! Her character is dumb, too. I mean, come on, no one's that stupid!! Jackson is so girl-crazy. He just focuses on girls and music. And if he hasn't had his big break yet, cut out the music pro talk already!!!!!!! Lazerini is dumb, too. He acts like a caveman!! No respectable human being acts like that!!! Lauren's character is fake. Eleana Lyons needs to go to a better acting school. Mr. Elliot is a total idiot! No headmaster acts like that, especially if he wants to keep his job. He just flirts with Miss Dupree' and he's got to be about twice her age!! This is a really poor show, the acting is bad, and the plot outlines are stupid and unrealistic. Don't waste any of your time on this show.

Quite funny, but also quite dumb

[Bobass · 24 August 1999]

The show has it's moments, but overall it ain't that great. I watch the show every once in the while, but not much. It's just another one of those trashy shows on USA Network (If you know what I mean). That's all i got to say.

International students attend an elite academy in Paris

[Verona · 29 March 1999]

I grew up on "Saved by the Bell", and I don't see any previous plot holes changed here. Now that I look back on it, SBTB was dependent on a lot of suspended disbelief, and not that of sci-fi movies or action movies. They were just stupid things, like scams that would never work, a very close knit relationship with your principal, the same room for every character but just with different posters up on the wall. USA High is all that, plus a complete lack of character development or charisma. I can't even bear to watch the end title, the music, fake scenery and dialogue are corny, transparent, and aren't even remotely funny.

F-