Dare Me (TV series)

Production

The series order for Dare Me came through on January 28, 2019. Novelist Megan Abbott was set to executive produce with Gina Fattore, Peter Berg, Michael Lombardo, Sarah Condon, and Karen Rosenfelt. Universal Cable Productions and Film 44 were the production companies. The premiere was scheduled for December 29, 2019, announced on November 8, 2019.

The show was canceled after one season on April 30, 2020, after which Abbott and Fattore planned to pitch it elsewhere. For the pilot, Willa Fitzgerald, Herizen Guardiola, and Marlo Kelly were cast in starring roles on July 25, 2018. Rob Heaps, Zach Roerig, and Paul Fitzgerald joined the main cast on August 14, 2018, with Joyful Drake, Tammy Blanchard, Antonio J. Bell, Alison Thornton, and Tamberla Perry in recurring parts. Chris Zylka and Taveeta Syzmanowicz were cast in recurring roles on May 29, 2019, followed by Adrian Walters and Amanda Brugel on August 7, 2019.

Alison Thornton was promoted to series regular for the second episode. Principal photography for the first season took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from April 22, 2019 to August 6, 2019.

Reception

Critics were generally kind to Dare Me. On Rotten Tomatoes, 27 reviews gave it an 85% approval score and a 7.3/10 average. The site’s consensus called it a visceral, moody slow-burn thriller that digs into teen inner life, though it can feel vapid. Metacritic calculated a 73 out of 100 from 12 critics, also landing in the “generally favorable” zone.