Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Smart, irreverent parody has innuendo, drinking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Clone High
What's the Story?
The animated series CLONE HIGH is a parody of the popular teen dramas of the 1990s. In the early 2000s, mad scientist Dr. Cinnamon J. Scudworth (Phil Lord) cloned historic figures and made them high school teenagers. Employed by The Secret Board of Shadowy Figures, he is now the principal of Clone High, where earnest Abe Lincoln (Will Forte), atheist goth Joan of Arc (Nicole Sullivan), popular head cheerleader Cleopatra (Christa Miller/Mitra Jouhari), energetic slacker Gandhi (Michael McDonald), and arrogant jock JFK (Christopher Miller) walk the halls and attend class. Personalities are big and hormones are raging, making for all sorts of teen drama. But Principal Scudworth has his own plans for them, and with the help of his robot butler Mr. Butlertron (also Christopher Miller) is working hard at complying with his employer's orders.
Is It Any Good?
From love triangles to grooming clones for nefarious purposes, this MTV-originated series offers lots of edgy humor. The first season of the series (which aired between 2002-2003) relies on some stereotypical humor and uses a caricature of Gandhi as a consistent source of comic relief. This sparked some international controversy, which ultimately led to fans having to wait 20 years for the second season to drop. The contemporary installment is rebooted to be more inclusive thanks to racially and ethnically diverse actors voicing clones like Frida Kahlo (Vicci Martinez), Confucious (Kelvin Yu), Harriet Tubman (Ayo Edebiri), and Candide Simpson (Christa Miller) as Principal Scudworth's superior, joining the fray. Nonetheless, it still offers some smart and irreverent humor while delivering some fun easter eggs to watch out for. Those who liked the original Clone High won't be disappointed, and no doubt a new generation of viewers will enjoy tuning in.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about parodies. What is the intention behind them? Where is the line between being parodying someone or something to make a point and being insulting?
What are some of the major differences between the two versions of Clone High? Does the 2023 version successfully address the controversial content featured in the earlier episodes?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 2, 2002
- Cast : Will Forte , Christa Miller , Nicole Sullivan , Christopher Miller
- Networks : Max , Paramount+
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : History , Robots
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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