Posted in: HBO, streaming, TV | Tagged: Bill Lawrence, hbo max, Head of the Class, preview, reboot, Robin Givens
Head of the Class OG Star Robin Givens Joins HBO Max Reboot [VIDEO]
HBO Max announced the return of Robin Givens, the first alum of the ABC series to return for the Bill Lawrence-spearheaded reboot. The actress reprises her role as Darlene Merriman, a former student of the original Individualized Honors Program (IHP). Her character since being married is now Darlene Hayward, an ambitious lawyer with a degree from Stanford. She wants what is best for her son and is hyper-focused on setting him up for success. Darlene might need a reminder of the positive impact an out-of-the-box teacher can have, but she's fighting for the good of all students at Meadows Creek High as co-head of the Parents' Association.
Original Run of Head of the Class on ABC
Givens, who appeared in all 114 episodes during all five seasons of its original run (1986-1991), is the only confirmed return so far. The ABC series created by Michael Elias and Rich Eustis featured Howard Hesseman as Charlie Moore, a teacher looking to get more out of life for gifted students at a New York City school. It also starred William G. Schilling, Jeannetta Arnette, Dan Frischman, Khrystyne Haje, Tony O'Dell, Brian Robbins, Kimberly Russell, and Dan Schneider. The reboot from the creator of Ted Lasso and Scrubs stars Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time) as Alicia Gomez, who looks to do the same for her overachieving high school students wanting them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life. You can check out the first look clip below.
The HBO Max series also stars Jorge Diaz, Jolie Hoang Rappaport, Gavin Lewis, Dior Goodjohn, Brandon Severs, Adrian Matthew Escalona, and Katie Beth Hall. Christa Miller will have a recurring role. Lawrence will executive produce with Amy Pocha, Seth Cohen, Jeff Ingold, Phil Lewis, Liza Katzer, and Bill Callahan. The reboot comes courtesy of Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros TV, which also produced the original ABC series. Head of the Class is in session for the HBO Max reboot on November 4. You can check out our interview with Gomez here.