Cruel Summer (TV series)
Cruel Summer | |
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Genre | |
Created by | Bert V. Royal |
Starring |
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Music by | |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Nicole Colombie |
Cinematography |
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Editors |
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Running time | 42–45 minutes |
Production companies |
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Release | |
Original network | Freeform |
Original release | April 20, 2021 present | –
External links | |
Official website |
Cruel Summer is an American teen drama thriller television series created by Bert V. Royal. The series follows two teenage girls in the 1990s and the repercussions on everyone's lives after one disappears and the other seemingly takes her place. The series premiered on Freeform on April 20, 2021.[2] In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season.[3]
Premise[]
Set in the fictional town of Skylin, Texas, each episode focuses on the same day over the course of three years: 1993, 1994 and 1995. The series follows two teenage girls: Kate Wallis is a beloved popular girl who one day disappears without a trace at the hands of new vice principal Martin Harris. Jeanette Turner is an awkward outcast who seemingly takes over Kate's life after she goes missing. Found alive a year later, Kate accuses Jeanette of witnessing her abduction but not reporting it, which results in Jeanette becoming the most despised person in America. Through multiple lawsuits and fractured families, friendships and relationships, everyone scrambles to pick sides as the true story unfolds.
Episodes alternate between Jeanette and Kate's viewpoint.[4]
Disclaimers appear before certain episodes, cautioning viewers about themes in episodes such as child grooming and domestic abuse.
Cast and characters[]
Main[]
- Olivia Holt as Kate Wallis,[5] a popular girl who goes missing without a trace
- Chiara Aurelia as Jeanette Turner,[5] a nerdy girl who takes over Kate's life after her disappearance
- Froy Gutierrez as Jamie Henson,[5] Kate's, and later Jeanette's, boyfriend
- Harley Quinn Smith as Mallory Higgins,[5] one of Jeanette's best friends before her newfound popularity, and later Kate's best friend
- Brooklyn Sudano as Angela Prescott,[5] a bar owner and Greg's new girlfriend
- Blake Lee as Martin Harris,[5] the new vice-principal of Skylin High School who held Kate captive
- Allius Barnes as Vince Fuller,[5] one of Jeanette's best friends before her newfound popularity
- Nathaniel Ashton as Ben Hallowell,[6][a] Jamie's best friend
- Michael Landes as Greg Turner,[5] Jeanette and Derek's father, Cindy's ex-husband, and Angela's boyfriend
Recurring[]
- Sarah Drew as Cindy Turner, Jeanette and Derek's mother and Greg's ex-wife
- Barrett Carnahan as Derek Turner, Jeanette's older brother and Cindy and Greg's son
- Nicole Bilderback as Denise, Jeanette's lawyer
- Andrea Anders as Joy Wallis, Kate's wealthy self-centered mother with a Southern accent
- Ben Cain as Rod Wallis, Joy's second husband and Kate's stepfather
- Jason Douglas as Nick Marshall, Kate's lawyer
- Shelby Surdam as Tennille Peterson
- Aaliyah Muhammad as Renee Talbot
Episodes[]
No. | Title [7] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [7] | U.S. viewers (millions) | |||
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1 | "Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner" | Max Winkler | Bert V. Royal | April 20, 2021 | 0.274[8] | |||
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2 | "A Smashing Good Time" | Bill Purple | Bert V. Royal | April 20, 2021 | 0.218[8] | |||
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3 | "Off with a Bang" | Kellie Cyrus | Bert V. Royal | April 27, 2021 | 0.228[9] | |||
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4 | "You Don't Hunt, You Don't Eat" | Laura Nisbet-Peters | Imogen Binnie | May 4, 2021 | 0.260[10] | |||
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5 | "As the Carny Gods Intended" | Daniel Willis | Tia Napolitano | May 11, 2021 | 0.236[11] | |||
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6 | "An Ocean Inside Me" | Kellie Cyrus | Brian Otaño | May 18, 2021 | 0.261[12] | |||
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7 | "Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis" | Alexis Ostrander | Savannah Ward | May 25, 2021 | 0.198[13] | |||
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8 | "Proof" | Daniel Willis | Addison McQuigg | June 1, 2021 | 0.310[14] | |||
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9 | "A Secret of My Own" | Alexis Ostrander | Matt Antonelli | June 8, 2021 | 0.297[15] | |||
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10 | "Hostile Witness" | Bill Purple | Bert V. Royal | June 15, 2021 | 0.386[16] | |||
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Production[]
Development[]
On September 25, 2019, Freeform gave Last Summer a pilot order.[17] On January 17, 2020, Last Summer was picked to series. The series was created by Bert V. Royal who was also expected to executive produce alongside Jessica Biel, Michelle Purple, and Max Winkler who also directed the pilot. The production companies involved with the series are Entertainment One and Iron Ocean Productions.[18] On May 18, 2020, Last Summer was retitled as Cruel Summer.[19] The series premiered on April 20, 2021.[2] On June 15, 2021, Freeform renewed the series for a second season.[3] On July 6, 2021, it was reported that Royal has exited the series after the pilot after disagreements with a network executive.[20]
Casting[]
On November 13, 2019, it was reported that Michael Landes, Brooklyn Sudano, Harley Quinn Smith, Chiara Aurelia, Mika Abdalla, Froy Gutierrez, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee, and Nathaniel Ashton were cast in series regular roles.[21] On May 18, 2020, Olivia Holt had replaced Mika Abdalla.[19] On October 30, 2020, Sarah Drew joined the cast in a recurring role.[22] On March 11, 2021, Barrett Carnahan, Andrea Anders, Benjamin J. Cain, and Nicole Bilderback were cast in recurring roles.[23]
Music[]
Besides Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman serving as the main composers,[24] the series heavily relies on a 90's inspired soundtrack.[25] The second episode notably makes use of the Cranberries song "Zombie".[26]
Reception[]
Critical response[]
Cruel Summer received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 93% based on 30 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Though it may have a bit too much going on, Cruel Summer's delicious twists and delightful turns from its young stars are never less than entertaining."[27] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 14 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]
Saloni Gajjar of The A.V. Club gave the series a B and wrote, "Cruel Summer manages to overcome its convoluted storytelling because it finds interesting, grounded ways to explore the impact of society's expectations of these young girls, and how their town and own families contribute to the pressure they face."[29]
Ratings[]
On April 30, 2021, it was reported that Cruel Summer is the most-watched overall series debut ever on Freeform with an average 3.81 million total viewers across multi-platforms for its first week.[30]
No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) |
Viewers (millions) |
DVR (18–49) |
DVR viewers (millions) |
Total (18–49) |
Total viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner" | April 20, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.274[8] | 0.1 | 0.238 | 0.2 | 0.512[31] |
2 | "A Smashing Good Time" | April 20, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.218[8] | 0.1 | 0.201 | 0.2 | 0.419[31] |
3 | "Off with a Bang" | April 27, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.228[9] | 0.1 | 0.302 | 0.2 | 0.530[32] |
4 | "You Don't Hunt, You Don't Eat" | May 4, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.260[10] | 0.1 | 0.338 | 0.2 | 0.598[33] |
5 | "As the Carny Gods Intended" | May 11, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.236[11] | 0.1 | 0.341 | 0.2 | 0.577[34] |
6 | "A Ocean Inside Me" | May 18, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.261[12] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
7 | "Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis" | May 25, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.198[13] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
8 | "Proof" | June 1, 2021 | 0.2 | 0.310[14] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
9 | "A Secret of My Own" | June 8, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.297[15] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
10 | "Hostile Witness" | June 15, 2021 | 0.2 | 0.386[16] | 0.1 | 0.386 | 0.3 | 0.766[16] |
Accolades[]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2021 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama | Chiara Aurelia | Nominated | [35] |
Olivia Holt | Nominated | ||||
Best Cable Series, Drama | Cruel Summer | Won |
Notes[]
References[]
- ^ Hedash, Kara (April 21, 2021). "Is Cruel Summer Based On A Book? The Show's Inspiration Explained". Screen Rant. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
- ^ a b N'Duka, Amanda (February 26, 2021). "Freeform Unveils First-Look At Jessica Biel-Produced Series Cruel Summer – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Gelman, Vlada (June 15, 2021). "Cruel Summer Renewed for Season 2". TVLine. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ D'Addario, Daniel (April 13, 2021). "Freeform's Cruel Summer Tells a Haunting, Intriguing Story in Three Parts: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Cruel Summer Bios". Disney General Entertainment Content Press. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- ^ Hansen, Devon (May 25, 2021). "Cruel Summer: The 10 Best Characters On The Show". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ a b "Cruel Summer Episodes". Disney General Entertainment Content. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Metcalf, Mitch (April 21, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.20.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (April 28, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.27.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 5, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.4.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 12, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.11.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 18, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.18.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 25, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.25.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (June 1, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.1.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (June 8, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.8.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c Berman, Marc (June 16, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: Later and Abbreviated Edition of America's Got Talent on NBC Loses Steam". Programming Insider. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 25, 2019). "Freeform Orders Last Summer Drama Pilot From Bert V. Royal, Jessica Biel, Max Winkler & eOne". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ White, Peter (January 17, 2020). "Last Summer: Freeform Picks Up Jessica Biel-Produced Thriller To Series – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (May 18, 2020). "Last Summer: Olivia Holt Set As Lead In Recasting, Jessica Biel-Produced Freeform Series Gets New Title". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ White, Peter; Del Rosario, Alexandra (July 6, 2021). "Cruel Summer Creator Bert V. Royal Exits Freeform Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (November 13, 2019). "Last Summer: Jessica Biel-Produced Freeform Thriller Sets Michael Landes, Brooklyn Sudano, Harley Quinn Smith And 6 More As Series Regulars". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 30, 2020). "Cruel Summer: Sarah Drew To Recur On Jessica Biel-Produced Freeform Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (March 11, 2021). "Cruel Summer: Barrett Carnahan, Andrea Anders, Benjamin J. Cain & Nicole Bilderback Join Freeform Thriller Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
- ^ "Wendy & Lisa Scoring Freeform's Cruel Summer". Film Music Reporter. March 30, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (April 19, 2021). "Cruel Summer Team Previews Freeform Drama's 'Thin Line Between Hero and Villain' and Its '90s Nostalgia Trip". TVLine. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ Dodson, P. Claire (April 20, 2021). "The Most Thrilling Mystery in Cruel Summer Is Being a Teenage Girl". Teen Vogue. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ "Cruel Summer: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "Cruel Summer: Season 1". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Gajjar, Saloni (April 20, 2021). "Freeform's Cruel Summer is a riveting thriller hindered by a convoluted format". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 30, 2021). "Cruel Summer Becomes Freeform's Biggest Multi-Platform Premiere Ever". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Berman, Marc (April 21, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: CBS in Repeats From 8-10 p.m. ET; Modest Results Elsewhere". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ Berman, Marc (April 28, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: Clean Sweep for CBS". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ Berman, Marc (May 5, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: Clean Sweep for CBS". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Berman, Marc (May 12, 2021). "Tuesday Ratings: Diluted Remains the Observation on the Broadcast Networks". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (July 8, 2021). "HCA TV Awards Nominations: Ted Lasso Leads Programs For Inaugural Honors; NBC, HBO & Netflix Lead Nets". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
External links[]
- Cruel Summer at IMDb
- 2020s American teen drama television series
- 2021 American television series debuts
- American thriller television series
- English-language television shows
- Freeform (TV channel) original programming
- Nonlinear narrative television series
- Television series about missing people
- Kidnapping in television
- Television series about teenagers
- Television series by Entertainment One
- Television series set in 1993
- Television series set in 1994
- Television series set in 1995
- Television shows set in Texas
- 2020s American LGBT-related drama television series