Clone High

Clone High is set in a high school in the fictional town of Exclamation, USA, that is secretly being run as an elaborate military experiment orchestrated by a government office called the Secret Board of Shadowy Figures. The school is entirely populated by the clones of famous historical figures who were created in the 1980s and raised with the intent of having their different strengths and abilities harnessed by the United States military. and speak in three distinct intonations. The show centers on the clones of five famous figures: Abe Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, JFK, and Gandhi. The central plot of the show revolves around the clones going through day-to-day struggles and navigating boundaries. is also attempting to win over Cleopatra and has a long-standing rivalry with Abe. Characters Season 1 • Abe Lincoln (voiced by Will Forte) is a clone of Abraham Lincoln and the main protagonist. He admires his "clonefather" Abraham Lincoln and feels that he is struggling to live up to him. He is in love with Cleopatra, and has an awkward and honest personality. She secretly has a crush on Abe • Cleopatra "Cleo" Smith (voiced by Christa Miller in season 1, • Gandhi (season 1, voiced by Michael McDonald) is a clone of Mahatma Gandhi and Abe's other best friend. He, like Abe, is struggling to live up to his "clonefather" Mahatma Gandhi. As a result, he rebelled against his "clonefather" and reinvents himself as a wild party animal and serves as the show's comic relief. Gandhi sees himself as a music artist and calls himself the "G-Man". He did not return in the revival series after members of India's parliament protested Clone High's depiction of Gandhi in 2003, shown to be still frozen in 2023 (with Abe not noticing his absence, and Joan not remembering him at all due to the memory wipe machine used on all clones). • Principal Cinnamon J. Scudworth (voiced by Phil Lord) is a mad scientist and the principal of Clone High, who initially secretly plans to use the clones as attractions for his hypothetical amusement park, dubbed "Cloney Island", and many of the series' subplots surround him trying to find ways to accelerate his plans. After these plans are thwarted, he freezes his original batch of clones for twenty years, immediately resuming Clone High in the adjoining years with new clones. Scudworth is usually the focus of the subplots of the show. • Mr. Besley Lynn Butlertron (voiced by Christopher Miller) is Principal Scudworth's Mr. Belvedere-esque sane robotic butler and reluctant sidekick. Seasons 2-3 • Candide Sampson (voiced by Christa Miller) is Principal Scudworth's strict, cold-hearted superior in the second and third season, put in charge by the Secret Board of Shadowy Figures as running Operation Spread Eagle. Principal Scudworth is shown to have a romantic interest in her. She is revealed to be Joan's new foster mother in "Sleepover". • Frida Kahlo (voiced by Vicci Martinez) is a clone of Latin artist Frida Kahlo, who is the most popular of the second generation of clones. She is shown to be a fan of skateboarding. She is a separate clone from the Frida Kahlo clone in the first season who appeared as a background character. • Harriet Tubman (voiced by Ayo Edebiri) is a clone of Black American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who is very preppy and Frida's best friend with dyed hair. She is a separate clone from the Harriet Tubman clone voiced by Debra Wilson in the first season. • Confucius (voiced by Kelvin Yu) is a clone of Asian philosopher Confucius, who is infatuated with online and many social media trends. He is a separate clone from the Confucius clone in the first season who appeared as a background character. • Topher Bus (voiced by Neil Casey) is a clone of Christopher Columbus, who tries to distance himself from his "clone-father" by shortening his name and appearing to be supportive of social movements and trends. This appears to be a façade, as he is shown to troll people online through anonymous, offensive comments. == Episodes ==

Season 1 (2002–03) This was the only season to be created in traditional digital ink-and-paint animation by Rough Draft Studios. {{Episode table |background=#7EA6E2 |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |airdateT=Canadian air date |altdate= |altdateT=U.S. air date |country=US |episodes={{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=1 |EpisodeNumber2=1 |Title=Escape to Beer Mountain: A Rope of Sand |DirectedBy=Ted Collyer |WrittenBy=Phil Lord, Christopher Miller & Bill Lawrence |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= January 20, 2003 |ShortSummary=In desperation to get with the beautiful and popular Cleopatra, Abe Lincoln is hoping to make a move on her at JFK's party. JFK, however, also has the hots for Abe and will only let Abe come on the condition that he can do some stuff with him at the party. Meanwhile, Joan of Arc, who is trying to win Abe's heart, starts up a Teen Crisis Hotline in an attempt to impress him with her commitment to community service; their mutual friend, Gandhi, who accidentally agrees to help with the hotline, forwards the calls to his cell phone so he can go to the party. All the while, Principal Scudworth and Mr. Butlertron attempt to crash the party so as to better understand the students.Guest stars: Michael J. Fox as Gandhi's remaining kidney, Andy Dick as van Gogh and Donald Faison as George Washington Carver {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=2 |EpisodeNumber2=2 |Title=Episode Two: Election Blu-Galoo |DirectedBy=Bud Harris |WrittenBy=Phil Lord & Christopher Miller |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= January 27, 2003 |ShortSummary=Cleo discovers she cannot continue to run for Student Body President because of term limits, so she convinces JFK to run on her behalf, and when Abe sees that Cleo appreciates leaders, he decides to run as well. But students of Clone High do not care about real issues, and many are infatuated with JFK; Abe employs a corporate sponsor, "X-Stream Blu," to jazz up his campaign. The only problem is that Gandhi becomes horribly addicted to this mysterious food product.Guest stars: Marilyn Manson as himself, Sarah Chalke as X-stream Erin, Donald Faison as X-stream Bob and Zach Braff as X-stream Mike {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=3 |EpisodeNumber2=3 |Title=A.D.D.: The Last 'D' is for Disorder |DirectedBy=Bud Harris |WrittenBy=Tom Martin |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= February 3, 2003 |ShortSummary=When Gandhi is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.), the students of Clone High begin to ostracize him. Abe must decide whether to please Cleo by doing the same, or to stand up for his "best dude 4 ever" and lose any chance of being with Cleo. Meanwhile, Joan struggles with living up to the legacy of her 15th century clone mother, and begins hearing strange religious voices in her head. Also, Principal Scudworth starts wearing Mr. Butlertron's sweater vest, in the belief that it gives him the power to relate to the students of Clone High.Guest stars: Zach Braff as Paul Revere, Donald Faison as Toots and Tom Green as himself {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=4 |EpisodeNumber2=4 |Title=Film Fest: Tears of a Clone |DirectedBy=Ted Collyer |WrittenBy=Erica Rivinoja |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= February 10, 2003 |ShortSummary=When Abe decides to organize a Clone High Student Film Festival, he spends much time working on a movie about a misunderstood football-playing giraffe; Cleo stars in an autobiographical epic about how difficult it is to be as perfect and glamorous as her; Joan directs an avant-garde film which expresses her love for Abe through psychoanalytic dream imagery; and Gandhi and George Washington Carver work together to make a comedic mixed-race buddy cop action comedy called Black and Tan. Meanwhile, JFK plans a film but never manages to leave the casting couch with his various would-be female co-stars, and Principal Scudworth starts to panic when his bosses on the Secret Board of Shadowy Figures invite themselves to his house for dinner, but thankfully for him, Mr. Butlertron is there to save the day.Guest stars: Donald Faison as George Washington Carver and Neil Flynn as Boy auditioning for Abe's film {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=5 |EpisodeNumber2=5 |Title=Sleep of Faith: La Rue D'Awakening |DirectedBy=Ted Collyer |WrittenBy=Murray Miller & Judah Miller |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= February 17, 2003 |ShortSummary=The PXJTs (a parody of the SATs or PSATs) are right around the corner, but Abe is losing sleep running errands for his beloved Cleo. When Joan keeps trying to warn Abe about his sleep deprivation, a secret of hers is uncovered. Also, Gandhi, overwhelmed by the pressure of studying, decides to not take the test and become a trucker instead. Mr. Butlertron and an old foe battle it out for the last time.Guest star: John C. McGinley as Doug Prepcourse {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=6 |EpisodeNumber2=6 |Title=Homecoming: A Shot in D'Arc |DirectedBy=Bud Harris |WrittenBy=Eric Kentoff |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= February 24, 2003 |ShortSummary=Since the CHHS basketball team refuses to allow girls or animals to play, the athletic Joan decides to cleverly disguise herself as "John D'Arc", becoming the star player. Cleo then falls for D'Arc, making team-captain Abe "Weakest"-Lincoln jealous. But Cleo's not the only one falling for D'Arc, as fellow athlete JFK finds himself having confusingly sexual feelings about the whole affair. Meanwhile, Gandhi and Genghis Khan kidnap the mascot of Clone High's rival school, Genetically Engineered Superhuman High.Guest stars: Chris Berman as himself, Dan Patrick as himself and Neil Flynn as Julius Caesar {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=7 |EpisodeNumber2=7 |Title=Plane Crazy: Gate Expectations |DirectedBy=Bud Harris |WrittenBy=Tom Martin |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= March 3, 2003 |ShortSummary=Abe and Cleo's new relationship is threatened when she is picked to be on a Canadian Spring Break Dance show, hosted by Ashley Angel from O-Town. Meanwhile, Gandhi becomes an international rap sensation with the help of JFK as his manager. Also, Principal Scudworth is constantly being tricked by a pesky skunk.Guest stars: Ashley Angel as himself and Neil Flynn as Buddy Holly {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=8 |EpisodeNumber2=8 |Title=A Room of One's Clone: The Pie of the Storm |DirectedBy=Ted Collyer |WrittenBy=Adam Pava |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= 2016 (MTV Classic) |ShortSummary=Storm's-a-brewin' when Joan's house burns down and her family has no choice but to move in with Cleo's, where conflict ensues; Abe attends a Conflict Mediation Seminar to learn how to more effectively resolve disputes between the two. Gandhi and JFK find themselves in escalating arguments. Meanwhile, Mr. Butlertron becomes jealous when Principal Scudworth forms a relationship with a robotic toy dog.Guest stars: Donald Faison as Martin Luther King Jr. and Toots and Neil Flynn as Moses {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=9 |EpisodeNumber2=9 |Title=Raisin the Stakes: A Rock Opera in Three Acts |DirectedBy=Ted Collyer |WrittenBy=Phil Lord & Christopher Miller |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= March 10, 2003 |ShortSummary=After an anti-drugs assembly at the school, a rumor goes around that one can get high smoking raisins, leading the clones to embark on a musical, mystical journey of intoxication and irresponsibly long hair. Sober Joan is trying to keep Abe from turning into a drugged-out hippie, while Principal Scudworth and the PTA build a giant wall in an attempt to fence the students in. Meanwhile, Gandhi goes on a raisined-out subconscious mindtrip where he encounters a hummingbird-unicorn-donkey creature, a two-headed Olsen Twins monster, a talking Italian pencil, and a stereotypically Australian dragon, on his quest to rescue a princess whom he believes will have sex with him.Guest star: Jack Black as Larry Hardcore/the Pusher {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=10 |EpisodeNumber2=10 |Title=Litter Kills: Litterally |DirectedBy=Bud Harris |WrittenBy=Murray Miller & Judah Miller |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= 2016 (MTV Classic) |ShortSummary=JFK's long time best friend, Ponce de León, literally dies, causing JFK to sink into a spiral of depression. This causes tension between Abe and Cleo, who dutifully attempts to comfort JFK, her former boyfriend, during his grief. Meanwhile, Gandhi is mistakenly sent to death row where he has trouble getting high fives, but makes new friends in the showers.Guest stars: Luke Perry as Ponce and Neil Flynn as Glenn the Janitor and Julius Caesar {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=11 |EpisodeNumber2=11 |Title=Snowflake Day: A Very Special Clone High Holiday Special |AltTitle=Snowflake Day: A Very Special Holiday Episode |DirectedBy=Bud Harris |WrittenBy=Erica Rivinoja |OriginalAirDate= |AltDate= 2016 (MTV Classic) |ShortSummary=It's the politically correct Snowflake Day season, and everyone is in the holiday spirit, except for Joan, who is against the commercialism of the made-up holiday. But a homeless urchin who "may or may not be" pop sensation Mandy Moore teaches Joan an important lesson. Meanwhile, Abe and Gandhi attempt to invent and market an interesting device, so that Abe will have money to buy Cleo an expensive Snowflake Day gift.Guest star: Mandy Moore as herselfNote: This episode did not air during the original run of the series, as Teletoon normally did not air holiday themed episodes outside of the holiday time period. However, they made an exception after multiple viewer requests, and released the episode as part of the second airing. Season 2 (2023) Seasons 2 and 3 were created by ShadowMachine Animation studio. Season 3 (2024) ==Production==

Development Phil Lord and Christopher Miller first met together while they were attending Dartmouth College. The profiles of Lord and Miller on the college's newspaper caught the attention to former Disney chairman Michael Eisner. Lord and Miller attended a two-minute interview with animation executives at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Lord and Miller met and pitched the idea to their godfather Bill Lawrence, who started working on the first season of Scrubs at the time. Lord later changed the show's setting to a high school, attempting to lean into the tropes of teen dramas, a popular genre at the time. Forte was asked by Lord and Miller, who were friends with him, to voice Abe for the show. The characters have little movements when they speak, and several assets of the animation were reused. The characters and backgrounds were traditionally drawn, and frames and cels were frequently recycled. Lord and Miller drew several concept drawings of JFK and Joan of Arc during development. Kauffman later used Clone High as an influence to design the Total Drama characters as requested by the producers. The first season was animated by Rough Draft Studios. The second and third seasons were animated by Jam Filled Entertainment. Music Clone High featured a wide variety of music, usually exclusive to alternative rock, indie rock, Midwest emo, hardcore punk, pop rock, metalcore, from mostly unknown and underground bands and musicians. The soundtrack included songs by Alkaline Trio, American Football, Ritalin, Catch 22, Ilya, The Gentleman, Drex, Taking Back Sunday, The Gloria Record, The Stereo, Jo Davidson, Saves the Day, Hot Rod Circuit, Thursday, Helicopter Helicopter, Owen, Dashboard Confessional, Elf Power, Abandoned Pools, The Get Up Kids, Mink Lungs, Mates of State, Snapcase, The Mooney Suzuki, Jon DeRosa, Ephemera, Jinnrall, Avoid One Thing, DJ Cellulitis, DJ Piccolo, Whippersnapper, Matt Pond PA, Mad City and Bumblefoot. The series' other background music and original score was written and produced by Scott Nickoley and Jamie Dunlap of Mad City Productions. == Humor ==

Clone High uses two main sources of comedy: teen drama parodies and historical references. the show uses satire to appeal to MTV's male targeted demographic, aged 17 to 25. The show parodied dramas that appeared on U.S. television in the 1990s that dealt with themes such as drug abuse, AIDS, alternative lifestyles, racism, ostracism, and consequences of prom. The show also parodied aspects of teenagers on television, Several aspects of the show parodied teen dramas. Part of the humor for this trope was that it mocked the misery of high school, tackling the issues with wit and absurdity. Themes of ''Dawson's Creek were used to parody the themes of homosexuality, eating disorders, sex, diseases, and morality. Plots, themes, and scenes of teen series and films were referenced: The love triangle of Abe, Joan, and Cleo parodied Dawson's Creek, the "parents-are-away" parties paid homage to Freaks and Geeks, the makeover plotline was reminiscent of teen films at the time (including Clueless), and a teen-suicide hotline subplot referenced Heathers''. The idea of the characters having to live up to their expectations, an aspect common in teen dramas, was also used to style the show's humor. While Clone High includes a sexually and diverse society, other themes satirize American racial and gendered norms, including the transformation of Gandhi from a geek into "a shorter, browner Kennedy" in the twelfth episode of the first season. There is an image of a dolphin hidden in almost every episode. ==Release==

Clone High was originally slated to premiere at the same time in Canada and the United States. Initial reviews Upon the first season's premiere, Clone High initially received mixed reviews from television critics. On Metacritic, the show has a score of 60 out of 100 based on seven reviews from critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Several critics likened the "enjoyably nervy" humor to that of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Home video and streaming On January 24, 2005, Nelvana announced on Corus Entertainment's website that Clone High, along with several others, would be released on home video with the retail initiative Teletoon Presents. The series was released as "The Complete First Season" in Canada by Kaboom! Entertainment and Nelvana. The DVD contains every episode from the original first season, including the five episodes which did not originally air in the United States. As of 2023, the series is available to be streamed on Paramount+ in the United States. On April 14, 2023, the first season was added to Max, ahead of the revival's premiere. The revival, alongside the first season of the original show, was added to Hulu in October 2024. == Gandhi controversy ==

as a party animal received negative backlash from India. In early 2003, an article in Maxim magazine depicting Mahatma Gandhi being beaten up by a muscular man sparked outrage in India. Clone High was caught in the crossfire when citizens in the country conducted internet searches on the Maxim article but also found out about the show's Gandhi character on MTV's website. This sparked an outrage in India over the show's depiction of Gandhi. On January 30, 2003, the 55th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, approximately 150 protesters (including members of parliament) gathered in New Delhi and vowed to fast in response to Clone High, including Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi. Tom Freston, the head of Viacom (owner of MTV), was visiting the network's India branch and was "trapped in the building". In 2014, he recalled that protestors "basically threatened that they'd revoke MTV's broadcasting license in India if they didn't take the show off the air". Miller would later recall that executives at MTV enjoyed the show, and asked for the duo to pitch a second season without Gandhi. Lord and Miller's two potential versions of a second season included one that made no mention of Gandhi's absence, and another that revealed that the character was a clone of actor Gary Coleman. "We pitched that, and it went up to the top at Viacom again and it got a big no," he remembered. == Cult following and legacy ==

Retrospective reviews The first season of Clone High garnered wide reappraisal and praise from television critics. Heather Marulli of Television Without Pity called the series "a mini-masterpiece of the animated genre; an opus to the primetime cartoon". David Broermann of the website Freakin' Awesome Network gave the series an "A+", saying it has "some really really good character development and depth" and an "amazing soundtrack". He notes the fantastic use of multiple running gags keeping viewers on their toes. In 2009, the show was listed as number five on IGNs "Reader Choice: Top Animated Series". In a 2014 retrospective piece on the series, Jesse David Fox of Vulture praised the premise, characters, and voice-acting, writing that "Clone High still holds up more than a decade later as a brilliantly funny, completely nuts, surprisingly heartfelt, tonally inventive masterpiece." Popularity After its initial cancelation in 2003, Clone High fell into obscurity in the United States. However, it survived on the internet and gained a fanbase throughout the years. A clip of Gandhi and George Washington Carver going "Say what?" inspired parody and remix videos on YouTube. After the show was announced to have a revival in 2020, the first season of the show gained popularity, with several memes posted on Instagram. Clone High also gained popularity on TikTok, which drew new audiences to the show. In late August 2020, a tweet that included a clip of JFK went viral on Twitter, spreading memes of JFK by September. Several memes included audio clips of JFK and videos of fans cosplaying as JFK on TikTok. Several fans also cosplayed other characters, such as Joan of Arc, for TikTok. == Revival ==

Lord and Miller have stated that they have "considered" a live-action film adaptation of the series. References to Clone High are present in their later productions: the duo admitted many jokes in 22 Jump Street were "ripped off straight from Clone High", while Forte also voices a Lego version of Lincoln in The Lego Movie (2014), and the original version of Lincoln in America: The Motion Picture (2021). In March 2020, Lord and Miller brought the first pitch of the revival to HBO Max on Zoom, along with others. On February 10, 2021, the series was ordered for two seasons by HBO Max. On June 23, 2021, Christopher Miller revealed the title of the revival's first episode as "Let's Try This Again". On September 16, 2021, Tara Billinger, who is known for Paul Rudish's Mickey Mouse universe and created Long Gone Gulch, announced that she would be serving as art director. On October 29, 2022, Miller announced via Twitter, that the revival would premiere in the first half of 2023. On November 2, 2022, Lord, Miller, and Billinger posted teasers of the show on their Twitter pages. On January 28, 2023, the unfinished first episode of the revival was leaked. On March 24, 2023, it was announced that a majority of the original cast would be returning, but the role of Cleopatra, who was originally voiced by Christa Miller, will now be voiced by Mitra Jouhari, while Christa Miller will now be playing Candide Simpson. Joining the cast were Ayo Edebiri as Harriet Tubman (replacing Debra Wilson), Vicci Martinez as Frida Kahlo, Kelvin Yu as Confucius, Neil Casey as Topher Bus, Jana Schmieding as Sacagawea, Sam Richardson as Wesley, Mo Gaffney as Ms. Grumbles, Al Madrigal as Frederico, Danny Pudi as Dr. Neelankavil, Emily Maya Mills as Ethel Merman, and Michael Bolton, Ian Ziering, Steve Kerr, and a returning Mandy Moore as fictionalized versions of themselves. On April 5, 2023, an official teaser trailer was uploaded on the official channel for HBO Max. In January 2024, the second season of the revival (third season overall) announced several new cast members joining the series. Consisting of Jermaine Fowler as Toussaint Louverture, Paul F. Tompkins as Professor Hirsute, Stephen Root as Schneider Snorkelle, Jackée Harry as a fictionalized version of herself based on Jack the Ripper, Hannah Simone as Lady Godiva, D'Arcy Carden as Bloody Mary, Randall Park as Mr. Kim, Jameela Jamil as Mrs. C, Renee Elise Goldsberry as Sandra Sandria and Richard Kind as Nostradamus (replacing Andy Dick). The trailer was uploaded the following week, confirming the entirety of the season airing on February 1. On July 26, 2024, it was announced that the revival would not be returning for a third season (fourth season overall), once again ending the series on a cliffhanger. ==See also==