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Step Up (TV series)

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Step Up
Also known asStep Up: High Water
Genre
Created byHolly Sorensen
Based onStep Up franchise
Starring
Theme music composerKutt the Check
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes30
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Joshua Throne
  • Salli Newman
  • Joseph Zolfo
CinematographyJoaquin Sedillo
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time41–57 minutes
Production companies
  • Hollycake (seasons 1–2)
  • Creative Extremists (season 3)
  • Offspring Entertainment
  • Free Association
  • Lionsgate Television
  • Picturestart (seasons 2–3)
  • Everheart Productions (season 3)
Original release
NetworkYouTube Red
ReleaseJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
NetworkYouTube Premium
ReleaseMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
NetworkStarz
ReleaseOctober 16 (2022-10-16) –
December 18, 2022 (2022-12-18)

Step Up (previously titled Step Up: High Water) is an American drama television series, based on the Step Up film series. It premiered on January 31, 2018, on YouTube Red. The series was created by Holly Sorensen, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. After being canceled by YouTube Red after two seasons,[1] Starz picked up the series for a third season,[2] which premiered on October 16, 2022.[3] In December 2022, the series was canceled after three seasons.[4]

Premise

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The series follows the students and faculty of "High Water", Atlanta's most cutthroat performing arts school. When twins Tal and Janelle relocate from Ohio, they find themselves thrust into a world where every move is a test. As they attempt to navigate their new world— on and off the dance floor— they will discover just how deep they are willing to dig to realize their dreams and seize their moment.[5]

Cast and characters

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Main

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Recurring

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  • R. Marcos Taylor as Earnest Octavio/East-O (season 1)
  • Al Calderon as Johnny One (season 1)
  • Saidah Nairobi as Electra
  • Ashley Greene as Nine Sanders (season 2)
  • Jeremy Copeland as Zo Browder (season 2)
  • Cruz Abelita as Justin (seasons 1-3)

Guest

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Episodes

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
110January 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)YouTube Red
210March 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)YouTube Premium
310October 16, 2022 (2022-10-16)December 18, 2022 (2022-12-18)Starz

Season 1 (2018)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Pilot"Adam ShankmanHolly SorensenJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
22"Solo"Debbie AllenThembi L. Banks & Rochée JefferyJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
33"The Running Man"Rob HardyHadjiiJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
44"Shuffle"Janice CookeMolly Kate Margraf & Jerica LiebermanJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
55"5.6.7.8"Janice CookeBryan M. Holdman & William H. BrownJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
After a hashtag about Sage Odom being broke and owing people money goes viral, he comebacks with a live performance of his new hit single with the help of the High Water students.
66"Duets"Michael SchultzThembi L. Banks & Rochée JefferyJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
Davis kidnaps his little brother Justin from a neglectful foster home. Odalie must help her fugitive boyfriend keep Justin safe and Davis out of jail.
77"Dance Craze"Nzingha StewartWilliam H. BrownJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
Odalie’s two worlds collide exposing her secrets to the other High Water students.
88"Ensemble"Silas HowardBryan M. HoldmanJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
Odalie is shunned and hated by many of the High Water students. Most refusing to dance until she’s expelled.
99"Choreography"Charles Randolph-WrightHolly Sorensen & Bryan M. HoldmanJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
Odalie helps Davis practice for Sage Odom’s professional dance crew in his world tour.
1010"Two-Step"Norman BuckleyHolly Sorensen & William H. BrownJanuary 31, 2018 (2018-01-31)
Davis makes the word tour team but must choose between following his dreams as a dancer and custody of Justin.

Season 2 (2019)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
111"Precision"Lisa LeoneHolly SorensenMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
Odalie and Poppy compete for the team’s female captain title.
122"Splits"Mary LambertKenny NeibartMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
Davis has dinner at Odalie’s parents’ party. Odalie’s parents find out the truth of her life at High Water.
133"Form"Lisa LeoneHadjiiMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
Odalie and Davis must figure what to do after her parents cut her off.
144"Vogue"Charles Randolph-WrightRochée JefferyMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
The dance crew must find their inner sex appeal for the world tour.
155"Inversion"Damian MarcanoJordan Heimer & Manuel FigueroaMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
Odalie works with Davis on a stunt piece similar to Dirty Dancing to impress Sage. Still drunk from the night before, Tal makes a huge mistake that could cost Odalie her dance career.
166"Isolations"Jessica LoweryDelondra WilliamsMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
The fallout of Odalie’s injury continues to rock the High Water students.
177"Attitude"Dominic LeclercMolly Kate Margraf & Jerica LiebermanMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
With Tal and Davis’s help, Odalie is able to dance with some aquatic therapy. She finally feels like she’s making progress since her injury.
188"Azonto"Janice CookeLou-Lou IgbokweMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
The tensions of Odalie and Davis’s relationship continue to run high. She refuses to apologize to her parents. He must do what’s best for Justin.
199"Improvisation"Anne FletcherWilliam BrownMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
Fully recovered from her injury, Odalie wants a spot back on the world tour. Poppy feels threatened as she and Odalie must compete for her lead spot in the tour. Sage must decide between his vision of the tour and the optics.
2010"Hip-Hopera"Fred GerberHolly Sorensen & William BrownMarch 20, 2019 (2019-03-20)
Odalie continues to be the most hated person at High Water. Davis gets a chance at joining the world tour.

Season 3 (2022)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [7]
211"Kryptonite"Damian MarcanoHolly SorensenOctober 16, 2022 (2022-10-16)
222"Ain't Gon' Let Up"Terrence GreenDelondra MesaOctober 23, 2022 (2022-10-23)
233"Player's Ball"Dawn WilkinsonManuel Figueroa & Jordan HeimerOctober 30, 2022 (2022-10-30)
244"Cell Therapy"Dawn WilkinsonHadjii HandNovember 6, 2022 (2022-11-06)
255"Never Scared"Dawn WilkinsonWilliam BrownNovember 13, 2022 (2022-11-13)
266"You Know What It Is"Damian MarcanoJerica Lieberman & Molly Kate MargrafNovember 20, 2022 (2022-11-20)
277"It's Goin' Down"Jamaica CraftRebecca Boss & Chris MasiNovember 27, 2022 (2022-11-27)
288"Who Can I Run To?"Dawn WilkinsonKemiyondo CountinhoDecember 4, 2022 (2022-12-04)
299"Bring 'Em Out?"Holly SorensenJeremy KaufmanDecember 11, 2022 (2022-12-11)
3010"Sleep When U Die"Dawn WilkinsonKenny NeibartDecember 18, 2022 (2022-12-18)

Production

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Development

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On June 23, 2016, YouTube announced at the annual VidCon conference in Anaheim, California that they were developing a new drama series based on the Step Up film series with Lionsgate Television producing alongside Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan.[8][9]

On June 23, 2017, YouTube announced that it had officially given Step Up: High Water a first season order consisting of ten episodes, each running about 45 minutes in length. The series was described as YouTube Red's first "big-budget, Hollywood-produced television drama" and that its arrival would end up "moving it into more direct competition with players like Netflix and traditional cable networks." In the announcement, it was revealed that each episode of the series would cost several million dollars to produce.[10] A few days later, members of the series' creative team were announced. Original songs for the series were set to be written by singer/songwriter Jason “PooBear” Boyd and “Jingle” Jared Gutstadt. The films series’ choreographer Jamal Sims was expected to choreograph the first episode after which subsequent episodes would be choreographed by Jamaica Craft. The pilot episode was set to be directed by Adam Shankman.[11] It was later reported that Debbie Allen had directed the show's second episode.[12]

On May 22, 2018, it was announced that YouTube had renewed the series for a second season.[13] On January 24, 2019, it was reported that the second season would premiere on March 20, 2019.[14] On August 16, 2019, YouTube Premium canceled the series after two seasons.[1] On May 28, 2020, Starz picked up the series for a third season.[2] Following filming restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Blackhall Studios reopened for production on several films and the series, which was being written at the time, on July 13, 2020. Production was immediately paused on the same day when lead actress Naya Rivera was found dead following a boating accident several days prior.[15] Rivera's character had been set to appear; in August 2020 it was announced that a re-worked season would begin filming in January 2021.[16] On September 17, 2022, it was announced that the third season would premiere on October 16, 2022.[3] Days before the season finale, it was announced that Starz had canceled the series.[4]

Casting

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On June 28, 2017, it was announced that Ne-Yo, Naya Rivera, Faizon Love, Lauryn McClain, Petrice Jones, Marcus Mitchell, Jade Chynoweth, Carlito Olivero, Terrence Green, R. Marcos Taylor, Eric Graise, and Kendra Oyesanya had been cast in the series' main roles.[11] On January 19, 2018, it was reported that Savion Glover would make a guest appearance in the series as a teacher at High Water.[17] On August 28, 2018, it was announced that in season two Ashley Greene and Jeremy Copeland were joining the cast, that Rick Ross and Todrick Hall would appear as themselves, and that JaQuel Knight would make a cameo appearance in addition to choreographing episode three.[18] After YouTube canceled the series, Petrice Jones moved on to other projects, leaving him unavailable by the time Starz picked up the show for Season 3. His role was filled by Keiynan Lonsdale as new character Tal Baker. Because of Naya Rivera's death, Christina Milian was cast as Collette.[19]

Release

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Marketing

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Promotional poster for Fathom Events' special screening of the premiere episode.

On July 12, 2017, YouTube released a video introducing the show's main cast.[20] On August 13, 2017, the cast of the series, including Jade Chynoweth and Kendra Oyesanya, performed at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards with a highly choreographed dance routine.[21]

On December 19, 2017, YouTube released the first trailer for the series and announced that the show would premiere on January 31, 2018, with all ten episodes released at once.[22] On January 24, 2019, the official trailer for season two was released.[14]

Premiere

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On January 30, 2018, YouTube partnered with Fathom Events for special screenings of the first episode of the series at more than 750 movie theaters. The event also included a screening of the original 2006 Step Up film that launched the five-film franchise, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the television series.[23][24]

Reception

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In a positive review, Sonia Saraiya of Variety offered the series praise saying: "This YouTube Red original has found an intriguing way to blend the mediums of dance, film, and soapy teen television, with an energetic, conscious new installment in the series that is a lot of fun to get sucked into."[25] In another favorable critique, Decider's Kayla Cobb described the series as "a genuinely compelling and dramatic story that very well may stand as the best narrative installment of the Step Up universe."[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (August 16, 2019). "Series 'Step Up: High Water' & 'Wayne', Pilot 'Dark Cargo' Seek New Homes As YouTube Steps Up Scripted Pullback/". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Petski, Denise (May 28, 2020). "'Step Up' Series Picked Up By Starz Following YouTube Cancellation". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Caruso, Nick (September 17, 2022). "Step Up Season 3: Christina Milian Carries the Torch of a Dance Empire in New Trailer – Plus, Get Premiere Date". TVLine. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (December 13, 2022). "'Step Up' Canceled After Its One Season On Starz". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Cranswick, Amie (December 20, 2017). "Step Up: High Water TV series gets a first trailer". Flickering Myth. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  6. ^ Starz. "Breaking News - Starz Announces Pick Up of Re-Imagined "Step Up" Series from Lionsgate Television". Futon Critic. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  7. ^ "Shows A-Z – Step Up on Starz". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  8. ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (June 24, 2016). "'Step Up' Movie Franchise to Become TV Series on YouTube Streaming Service". Variety. Archived from the original on December 20, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 24, 2016). "'Step Up' TV Series Produced By Channing Tatum, Other Shows Ordered By YouTube". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  10. ^ Barnes, Brooks (June 23, 2016). "YouTube Red Buys 'Step Up,' Its First Big-Budget TV Drama". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Petski, Denise (June 28, 2017). "'Step Up: High Water': Ne-Yo, Naya Rivera & Faizon Love To Topline YouTube Red Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  12. ^ Kwateng-Clark, Danielle (November 24, 2017). "'Step Up: High Water' Has Debbie Allen Flexing Her Directing Powers". Essence. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (May 22, 2018). "'Step Up: High Water' Renewed For Season 2 By YouTube". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  14. ^ a b Petski, Denise (January 24, 2019). "'Step Up: High Water': First Look At Season 2 Of YouTube Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  15. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (2020-07-17). "Atlanta Production Ramp-Up Underway Despite Surge In COVID-19 Cases In Region". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  16. ^ Topel, Fred (2020-08-27). "Naya Rivera Had a Big Role in 'Step up' Season 3 -- How They're Adapting". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  17. ^ "BWW Exclusively Premieres Clip from STEP UP: HIGH WATER ft. Savion Glover". Broadway World. January 19, 2018. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  18. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (August 28, 2018). "Ashley Greene Joins Cast of YouTube's 'Step Up: High Water' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  19. ^ Petski, Denise (February 23, 2021). "'Step Up': Rebbi Rosie, Keiynan Lonsdale & Enrique Murciano Join Christina Milian & Ne-Yo In Starz Series". Deadline. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  20. ^ Kinane, Ruth (July 12, 2017). "'Step Up: High Water': Meet the Cast in This Exclusive Video". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  21. ^ Fuhrer, Margaret (August 14, 2017). "Watch the Cast of "Step Up: High Water" Slay at the Teen Choice Awards—Then Learn Their Moves". Dance Spirit. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  22. ^ Petski, Denise (December 19, 2017). "'Step Up: High Water': Trailer & Premiere Date For YouTube Red Series Based On Film Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  23. ^ McNary, Dave (January 4, 2018). "Film News Roundup: Fathom Sets Premiere Showings for 'Step Up: High Water' Series". Variety. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  24. ^ "Step Up: High Water Season Premiere Event In Movie Theaters - Fathom Events". Fathom Events. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  25. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (January 31, 2018). "TV Review: 'Step Up: High Water' on YouTube Red". Variety. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  26. ^ Cobb, Kayla (February 2, 2018). "YouTube Red's 'Step Up: High Water' Is Like A More Dramatic 'Glee' But With Dancing". Decider. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
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