If you spent any time flipping through cable channels on a Saturday morning in the late nineties, you probably ran into a group of teenagers hanging out at a boarding school that looked suspiciously like a repurposed set from Saved by the Bell. That was USA High, a show that leaned so hard into its era it practically became a time capsule. It wasn't exactly high art. Honestly, it was pretty goofy. But for a specific generation of TV watchers, it was the definitive peak of the "USA Action Extreme Team" block.
What was USA High even about?
The premise was simple enough. You had a group of six students attending the American Academy in Paris. It sounds fancy, right? A boarding school in the city of lights? In reality, we mostly saw the same hallway, a lounge, and maybe a few establishing shots of the Eiffel Tower to remind us where they were supposed to be. The show was the brainchild of Peter Engel. If that name rings a bell, it should. He’s the guy who gave us Saved by the Bell, California Dreams, and Hang Time.
Engel had a formula. It worked.
The cast was your classic ensemble of archetypes. You had Christian, the charming guy who was always up to something. Then there was Ashley, the wealthy American girl, and GiGi, the stylish French student who supposedly knew all the local secrets. Rounding them out were Jackson, the "cool" one, Bobby "The Brain" Lazzarini, and Lauren. They dealt with the usual sitcom stuff—bad grades, secret crushes, and the occasional lesson about honesty or friendship that felt a bit like a PSA.
Why the USA High TV show feels like a fever dream now
Most people remember the show because it felt like a weird cousin to the NBC Saturday morning lineup. It had that same bright lighting and the aggressive laugh track. But because it aired on USA Network, it had a slightly different vibe. It felt a bit more "international," even if that just meant one character had an accent and they occasionally mentioned croissants.
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Actually, the show ran for 75 episodes. That is a massive amount of television for a show people barely mention today. Usually, a show with that kind of volume hits syndication and stays there forever, but USA High sort of vanished into the ether of the early 2000s once the network shifted its branding.
One thing that makes it stand out in hindsight is the cast. You might recognize Josh Braaten, who played Christian. He went on to have a really solid career in Hollywood, appearing in things like Dumb and Dumberer and guest starring on basically every major show from Mad Men to This Is Us. Seeing him in those baggy nineties sweaters now is a trip.
The Peter Engel touch
You can’t talk about this show without talking about the "Engel-verse." By 1997, Peter Engel had perfected the art of the teen sitcom. He knew exactly how to pace a 22-minute episode.
- The Setup: A character wants something (a date, a better grade, to avoid trouble).
- The Scheme: They hatch a plan that is definitely going to fail.
- The Complication: It fails spectacularly, usually in front of the principal or a teacher.
- The Resolution: Everyone learns a lesson, but they’ll probably do the same thing next week.
In USA High, the authority figure was Mr. Elliott, played by Thomas Carroll. He was the classic "tough but fair" headmaster who was constantly being outmaneuvered by teenagers. It was a trope, sure, but it was comforting. There’s something about that specific era of television—before everything got gritty and serialized—that feels incredibly nostalgic now.
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Is it actually a "good" show?
That’s a loaded question. If you’re looking for Succession level writing, keep moving. But if you want to understand the landscape of 90s cable, it's essential. It represented a time when cable networks were desperate for original content to keep audiences glued to their screens between reruns.
The fashion alone is worth a rewatch. We are talking about peak late-90s aesthetic. Vests over t-shirts. Bucket hats. Hair gel used in quantities that would probably be considered a fire hazard today. It was a vibe.
The humor was broad. Sometimes it was genuinely funny, other times it was so cheesy you could feel your arteries clogging. But it had heart. The chemistry between the leads—especially the banter between Bobby and the rest of the group—felt genuine enough that you actually cared if they passed their midterms or got the girl.
Where did everyone go?
It's always interesting to see where a teen cast ends up. While Josh Braaten stayed in the industry, others took different paths. Elena Lyons, who played Lauren, did some more acting but also became quite well-known in the world of professional competitive shooting and eventually married sales trainer Grant Cardone. It’s a wild pivot from playing a high schooler in a Paris-set sitcom, but that’s the reality of the industry.
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James Madio, who played Bobby "The Brain" Lazzarini, was already a bit of a veteran before the show. He was in Hook as one of the Lost Boys (Don't Ask) and had a role in The Basketball Diaries. After USA High, he went on to do some really heavy-hitting work, including a role in Band of Brothers. It’s a testament to the talent on these "silly" shows that the actors often went on to do much more serious, prestigious work.
How to watch it today
Tracking down the USA High TV show in 2026 is actually harder than you’d think. It’s not sitting on Netflix or Max with a big remastered banner. Because of the weird rights issues that often plague these older cable shows, it’s mostly found in the corners of the internet.
- YouTube: You can often find episodes uploaded by fans who recorded them on VHS back in the day. The quality is grainy, the colors are a bit washed out, and honestly, that’s the best way to watch it. It adds to the nostalgia.
- Physical Media: There was never a massive DVD push for this show like there was for Saved by the Bell. If you find a disc, it’s likely a bootleg or a very rare promotional item.
- Streaming: Occasionally, it pops up on "fast" channels (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) like Pluto or Tubi, usually tucked away in a 90s flashback category.
The lasting legacy of the American Academy
Why do we keep coming back to these shows? Maybe it’s because they represent a world where the problems were solvable in thirty minutes. There were no smartphones. If you wanted to talk to your friend, you had to find them in the hallway or call their dorm room. The stakes were low, but they felt high.
USA High wasn't trying to change the world. It was trying to sell breakfast cereal and keep kids entertained for a half-hour on a Saturday. In doing so, it captured a very specific moment in time when the world felt a little smaller and a lot more colorful.
If you’re a fan of TV history or just someone who grew up during the USA Network's "Big Apple" era, this show is a crucial piece of the puzzle. It reminds us that even the "forgettable" shows have a way of sticking with us, long after the final credits roll.
Step-by-Step: How to Dive Back into 90s Teen Sitcoms
If you want to go down the rabbit hole of shows like USA High, start by looking for the "Peter Engel" credits on IMDb. You’ll find a treasure trove of shows that share the same DNA.
- Check the Archives: Look for "USA Action Extreme Team" promos on video archive sites. It provides the context of how these shows were marketed—usually alongside WWF Raw or Pacific Blue.
- Compare the Tropes: Watch an episode of Saved by the Bell: The New Class and then an episode of USA High. You’ll notice they often reused plot points, character dynamics, and even jokes.
- Follow the Cast: Look up the actors on social media. Many of them are active and occasionally share behind-the-scenes photos that never made it to the public during the show's original run.
- Join Fan Communities: There are surprisingly active Facebook groups and subreddits dedicated to "Lost Media" and 90s cable nostalgia where fans trade clips and trivia about the show.