Everything you need to know about the TV adaptation of Dare Me
Megan Abbott's novel Dare Me, about the competitive world of high school cheerleading, has hit the small screen – and here are all the details you need to know about it.
Dare Me, Megan Abbot’s dark, gripping exploration of the teenage psyche set in the competitive world of high school cheerleading, has been adapted into a TV series by USA Network. The series is part small-town drama, part murder mystery, and is sure to appeal to fans of shows such as Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects. Megan, an award-winning author of five novels and a television writer known for her work on acclaimed HBO series The Deuce, wrote and co-produced the series. Here’s everything we know so far.
What is Dare Me about?
Megan Abbott’s novel Dare Me immerses the reader in the competitive world of high school cheerleading in this dark story exploring the psyche of teenage girls. Addy and Beth, best friends and members of the cheerleading squad, find their friendship tested and their lives turned upside down with the arrival of Collette French, their new coach. Collette turns the girls into warriors, and rivals, but she’s also playing a deadly game of her own. The TV series is based on the novel, and the script was written by the novel’s author Megan Abbott.
Who stars in Dare Me?
Dare Me stars Herizen F. Guardiola, who appeared in Baz Luhrmann's The Get Down, as Addy Hanlon, and Marlo Kelly as Beth Cassidy. Collette French will be played by Willa Fitzgerald, who is best known for her role in Scream: the TV series.
When is Dare Me on TV?
Dare Me premiered on USA Network on 29 December 2019 and the final episode of the first season aired on 8 March 2020. Season one is available to stream on Netflix in the UK now.
Further reading: the best films based on books.
Dare Me
by Megan Abbott
This dark, thrilling novel is a gripping exploration of what it is like to be a teenage girl. Collette French arrives at school and takes charge of the cheerleading squad, upsetting friendships and fuelling rivalries. Friends Addy and Beth find that they are keeping secrets from each other for the first time, while Coach French has secrets of her own . . .