Series synopsis
Boston Public is an American drama television series that premiered on FOX on October 23, 2000. It ended on March 2, 2005. It was created by David E. Kelley. It stars Chi McBride, Anthony Heald, Jessalyn Gilsig and Nicky Katt.
Principal Steven Harper runs Winslow High School as best as he can while dealing with the demands of the faculty, the students and their parents.
Premise
Principal Steven Harper runs Winslow High School as best as he can while dealing with the demands of the faculty, the students and their parents.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Chi McBride as Steven Harper
- Anthony Heald as Scott Guber
- Jessalyn Gilsig as Lauren Davis
- Nicky Katt as Harry Senate
- Loretta Devine as Marla Hendricks
- Jeri Ryan as Ronnie Cooke
- Sharon Leal as Marilyn Sudor
- Fyvush Finkel as Harvey Lipschultz
Supporting cast
- Michael Rapaport as Danny Hanson
- Rashida Jones as Louisa Fenn
- Joey McIntyre as Colin Flynn
- Jon Abrahams as Zach Fischer
- Natalia Baron as Carmen Torres
- Kathy Baker as Meredith Peters
- Michael Fairman as Harold Shaw
- Tom McCarthy as Kevin Riley
Guest cast
- Michelle Monaghan as Kimberly Woods
- Cara DeLizia as Marcy Kendall
- Joey Slotnick as Milton Buttle
- China Shavers as Brooke Harper
- Percy Daggs III as Rob
- Johnny Pacar as Boone
- Josh Hammond as Senate Look-Alike
- Ashley French as Carol Prader
- Natanya Ross as Singer
- Blake Heron as NRA Student
- R. Brandon Johnson as Sam
- Camryn Manheim as Ellenor Frutt
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 81 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 22 | October 23, 2000 | May 21, 2001 |
| Season 2 | 22 | October 29, 2001 | May 20, 2002 |
| Season 3 | 22 | October 21, 2002 | May 12, 2003 |
| Season 4 | 15 | September 19, 2003 | March 2, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter One Another school year is off to a booming start at Winslow High School -- an urban high school outside of Boston. Principal Steven Harper spends his days putting out fires, defending his faculty and just trying to keep it together. Lauren Davis, the idealistic head of the social studies department, and Harry Senate, a geology teacher with buried secrets, are embroiled in controversy for failing the star running back before a huge game with the cross-town rivals. But they both have bigger personal problems. Lauren has been asked out on a date by the icy vice principal and Harry has been put on probation for wielding a gun in one of his classes. When he's not dodging the star running back's lawyer or pulling a bully off the class geek, Principal Harper is trying to calm Ms. Hendricks. She left her class after scrawling ""Gone to kill myself, hope you're happy"" on the chalkboard. Meanwhile, English teacher Milton Buttle has become the star attraction on student Sheryl Holt's Web site. His un |
October 23, 2000 |
| 2 |
Chapter Two Last week's bra protest has resulted in school unity. All the girls have decided to go braless in a show of solidarity with Dana Poole. As bras flap ceremoniously from every other locker, Principal Harper juggles a variety of other issues. The superintendent is breathing down Harper's neck because Lauren has rallied a few of the other teachers and they all refuse to get fingerprinted. Also, Marla, who's supposed to be on medical leave, has shown up for work, and Lipschultz, the man behind the bra debacle, has shown up on Sheryl Holt's infamous Web site -- in a bra and panties! Harper decides the two of them will co-teach a class in order to keep an eye on each other. Meanwhile, Vice Principal Guber tries to regain control by meeting with Dana Poole. He suspects that she's high, so he wants a urine sample. She protests and bolts straight to Harry -- whom she blackmails for the second time in order to avoid suspension. It seems that earlier in the year she and Senate shared a kiss, and s |
October 30, 2000 |
| 3 |
Chapter Three Principal Harper's job is in jeopardy and an impending school board meeting has him on edge. Still, he can't help but get involved when Anthony Ward is found hanging upside down from the roof. It turns out the entire soccer team has ganged up on little Anthony since he thwarted their attempts to download answers for a test. Harper's decision to suspend the entire team, and thereby forfeit the soccer season, only adds fuel to Superintendent Marla Shinn's fire. Meanwhile, Harry Senate confesses to kissing Dana Poole and explains her blackmail scheme. Guber sends a shocked Dana to Bob ""Big Boy"" Lick for counseling but Harper does not suspend Senate. Coach Riley, on the other hand, is dealing with a football team who has marked one of their teammates as gay and will not shower with him. Plus, Lauren is left to defend herself when Superintendent Shinn questions the topic of cannibalism being taught in Lauren's classroom. At the school board meeting, things come to a head when all of the fa |
November 6, 2000 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter Twenty-Three New teachers join the faculty; Lipschultz gets into trouble after giving a student the wrong name; Marla sponsors a club of female students. |
October 29, 2001 |
| 2 |
Chapter Twenty-Four Ronnie begins her teaching career at Winslow High; Lauren tries to help a pregnant, straight-A student gain admission to Princeton. |
November 5, 2001 |
| 3 |
Chapter Twenty-Five Senate is outraged when he learns that a prized student purchased a college-application essay over the Internet. Hanson's class decides to sue Lipschultz in court for defamation of character after he calls a student a derogatory term. |
November 12, 2001 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter Forty-Five Young teachers join the faculty; students plan a walkout because of the administration's apparent lack of concern for student issues. |
October 21, 2002 |
| 2 |
Chapter Forty-Six Harsh echoes resound from the student riot; the Danny-Marla confrontations lead to racist allegations against her; a drug deal entraps one of Guber's prized pupils. |
October 28, 2002 |
| 3 |
Chapter Forty-Seven Misconduct charges target Guber, who's up against a new superintendent; race issues fester between Marla and Danny; reckless student driving sparks reproach. |
November 4, 2002 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chapter Sixty-Seven Ronnie witnesses an attempted rape, then receives a shock when she presses for legal action on behalf of the victim (guest star Amanda Fuller); Hanson tries to prevent a student from being expelled for drugs. |
September 19, 2003 |
| 2 |
Chapter Sixty-Eight After a cheerleader is attacked, blame falls on another student's mother (Sean Young); Carmen goes head to head with a ""bad boy"" student (Milo Ventigmilia); Hansen copes with a student who says he is the son of God. |
September 26, 2003 |
| 3 |
Chapter Sixty-Nine A female student files a serious sexual-harassment charge against Danny; a classroom debate over the U.S. involvement in Iraq turns violent; the tension between Harper and Guber over Marylin reaches the boiling point. |
October 3, 2003 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | FOX |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 23, 2000 |
| Last aired | March 2, 2005 |
| Runtime | 44 minutes |
| Status | Ended |