Total Eclipse (web series)
Total Eclipse is an American teen drama web television series starring Mackenzie Ziegler, Lauren Orlando, Johnny Orlando, Emily Skinner, Nadia Turner, Denevity Perkins, and Darius Marcell. The series is produced by Brat and premiered on April 5, 2018 on Brat's YouTube channel.[1] It follows a group of high school students and concerns themes of bullying and teen relationships, including friendships, cliques and romances. The protagonist, Cassie, played by Ziegler, finds herself cast out of her childhood circle and seeks to re-establish those friendships, make new friends and negotiate social situations at school and in her community.[3][4]
| Total Eclipse | |
|---|---|
 Main characters of Total Eclipse | |
| Genre | Teen drama Comedy Fantasy |
| Created by |
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| Directed by | Jeff Jenkins[1] Chris Campbell[2] |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 41 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 8-17 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Brat |
| Release | |
| Original network | Brat on YouTube |
| Original release | April 5, 2018 - |
Plot
At Millwood High, Cassie is a pensive teenager who is ditched by her childhood friends Diana, Morgan and Jenna. To cope with their bullying, she dreams of a fantasy world where she is an astronaut on the moon, a fantasy that she and her friends had devised as children. Cassie is loyal to her friends even after some of them betray her. Diana is a dominating bully who embarrasses Cassie by publicly revealing copies of Cassie's private drawings. Morgan was Cassie's closest childhood friend, but they have grown apart because Morgan has come under Diana's influence. Kate is a newcomer from Boston who practices witchcraft. She becomes friends with Cassie. Their friendship is complicated when Kate believes that Cassie and Kate's older brother, Sam, are developing a romantic interest in each other, but their relationship does not progress romantically. Sam is an aspiring musician. Jenna has a crush on Sam and kisses him, but tells him to keep it a secret. Jenna's parents have a difficult marriage. Luca is a boy who also practices witchcraft, so he and Kate form a friendship, and later he develops feelings for her. Luca's interest in witchcraft is darker than Kate's.
In Season 2, Cassie and Sam briefly grapple with their crushes on each other, to Kate's dismay. Sam then has a brief flirtation with Jenna. Later, Morgan leaves Diana's group, and Kate distances herself from Luca and his darker witchcraft. Meanwhile, Jenna steals clothing from Luca's stepmother's store, which Cassie witnesses, and Cassie takes the blame for it.
In Season 3, the girls fantasize from time to time that they are superheroes. Luca offers to produce a song for Sam. Kate and Sam's ailing aunt Bonnie moves to live with them. After Bonnie dies, Cassie tries to help Sam and Kate cope with the death of their aunt, and Sam becomes closer with Cassie than before. Sam and Kate grieve at home for some time, and when they return to school they learn that Luca has taken credit for Sam's song. Sam confronts Luca, who later apologizes to Sam, and the two make amends. The history teacher, Ms. Dawson, takes out old frustrations by singling Cassie out, lying and changing test scores to undermine her academic career. Morgan joins the experimental film club to please her boyfriend Eli, but after he pressures her to choose between the film club and her other friends, she quits the club. Ms. Dawson befriends and manipulates Jenna to alienate her from the other girls, then tries to use her as a weapon against the other girls. Cassie, Diana and Morgan are suspended, supposedly for cheating in history and skipping Spanish, as the vice principal, Mr. Lane, believes Ms. Dawson, who is manipulating him romantically. Cassie and Diana rekindle their friendship through their efforts to reveal Ms. Dawson's unethical behavior. Morgan has an older sister named Jasmine who had been a classmate of Ms. Dawson. Jasmine helps Cassie and Diana discover and reveal Ms. Dawson's real identity and dishonesty, and Mr. Lane finally believes the girls and has Ms. Dawson removed.
Cast and Characters
Main Cast
- Mackenzie Ziegler as Cassie Randolph - She's shy the first season. Then she tries to make new friends, and reconnect with old ones as well. She can dance too.
- Lauren Orlando as Kate Parker - She is a very caring person. She tries to balance helping her friends, and do other things like magic or cooking.
- Johnny Orlando as Sam Parker - He is quiet for most of the first season while holding a crush on Cassie, but he never has had to courage to show her how strong he feels for her. Sam loves to write and play music on his guitar.
- Emily Skinner as Diana - The mean girl for the most of season one who eventually changes her outlook on life and rekindles her friendships with Cassie and Jenna.
- Nadia Turner as Jenna - A lovely and interesting girl who loves to draw and fantasize about superheroes. She has been boy crazy since the first episode of season one. Her parents fight all the time.
- Devenity Perkins as Morgan - A bit of a gossiper but caring at the same time. She likes to pretend to be an adult.
- Darius Marcell as Spencer - He is so much talent. at 1-3 seasons he had a crush on Jenna, but he moved on to Morgan. But Spencer later found out that Morgan got back with Eli.
- Mike Lane as Mr. Lane (seasons 1-3) He was originally the school’s guidance counselor but in season 2 became the vice principal. He dated Ms. Dawson in season 3 but they broke up when Cassie and the girls exposed Ms. Dawson for her true colors. Mr. Lane has many quirks as he owns lots of cats and sometimes calls students their own nicknames (ex: he called Cassie “Casserole” in season 1)
- Bryce Xavier as Scott (seasons 2-3) He is class president. Jenna used to date him, but due to Ms. Dawson’s influence on Jenna, she broke up with him.
Recurring Cast
- Lilia Buckingham as Autumn Miller (seasons 1-2)
- Dominic Kline as Brayden (season 1)
- Logan Pepper as Luca (seasons 2-3)
- Samuel Parker as Eli (seasons 2-4)
- Steffan Argus as Julian (season 2)
- Lisa Maley as Ms. Dawson (season 3)
- Analesa Fisher as Anna (season 4)
- Isaak Presley as Axel (season 4)
- Lisette Alexis as Belle (season 4)
Production
On March 12, 2018, Brat announced the series.[1] Production for season 1 took place in Los Angeles that month. The show premiered on April 5, 2018. A second season of the series premiered on September 6, 2018.[2][5] The third season of the series premiered on March 21, 2019.[6] Forbes reported that Total Eclipse and another Brat show, Chicken Girls, helped the network accumulate a "loyal audience" of 15 million unique viewers in three months that "the company is beginning to monetize by moving into advertising in 2019".[7]
In 2018, Brat released a special YouTube movie titled Brat Holiday Spectacular co-starring Ziegler as Cassie, Skinner as Diana, and other characters from Total Eclipse, that has been viewed more than 5.5 million times as of May 27, 2020.[8]
The show’s fourth season premiered on September 5, 2019. On March 11, 2020, it was announced that filming had begun on season 5.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 10 | April 5, 2018 | June 7, 2018 | ||
| 2 | 11 | September 6, 2018 | November 22, 2018 | ||
| 3 | 10 | March 21, 2019 | May 23, 2019 | ||
| 4 | 10 | September 5, 2019 | November 7, 2019 | ||
| 5 | TBA | 2020 | TBA | ||
Season 1 (2018)
This season, each episode is named after a phase of the moon.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Moonrise" | April 5, 2018 | |
| Cassie’s world is shaken up by a new arrival in Millwood. | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "New Moon" | April 12, 2018 | |
| When their class is assigned a group project, Cassie sees an opportunity to get closer to Kate. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Waxing Crescent" | April 19, 2018 | |
| Embarrassed by an old photo, Diana vows to get revenge. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | "First Quarter" | April 26, 2018 | |
| It’s party night at Diana’s, but not everyone is in for a good time. | ||||
| 5 | 5 | "Waxing Gibbous" | May 3, 2018 | |
| Cassie deals with the aftermath of the party, but she’s not the only one upset with Diana. | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Full Moon" | May 10, 2018 | |
| When Kate casts a love spell, the girls’ relationships start to change. | ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Waning Gibbous" | May 17, 2018 | |
| Sam and Kate invite friends over on the same night. | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "Last Quarter" | May 24, 2018 | |
| Brayden sets his sights on a new crush. | ||||
| 9 | 9 | "Waning Crescent" | May 31, 2018 | |
| The girls prepare for the upcoming talent show. | ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Moonset" | June 7, 2018 | |
| At the talent show, not all of the drama stays on stage. | ||||
Season 2 (2018)
Scott, Luca, Eli, and Julian are introduced this season.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Thangs" | September 6, 2018 | |
| With school back in session, the girls are assigned new extracurriculars. Mr. Lane assigns Cassie dance as her extracurricular to get her out of her comfort zone. Diana decides that she is going to date Scott, who has returned from the summer looking better than ever. When Kate realizes Brayden doesn't know that they are broken up, she must take matters into her own hands. | ||||
| 12 | 2 | "Solar Eclipse" | September 13, 2018 | |
| Secrets are revealed during the Solar Eclipse when Sam invites Cassie over to watch the eclipse together. Meanwhile, with Diana and Morgan being kicked off the cheerleading squad, they are forced to find new extra-curriculars. | ||||
| 13 | 3 | "The Princess Needs A Prince" | September 20, 2018 | |
| Diana focuses her campaign on an old flame. At the same time, Jenna helps Scott with his campaign and Morgan starts doing the morning announcements with Eli. | ||||
| 14 | 4 | "Meet Cameron" | September 27, 2018 | |
| Diana resorts to dirty tricks to sway the class election. Also, Eli invents a way for him and Morgan to learn about all the latest gossip at school. | ||||
| 15 | 5 | "Happy Birthday" | October 4, 2018 | |
| Cassie gets a surprise gift from an unexpected person for her birthday when Sam fails to be a good boyfriend on her special day. Meanwhile, Diana faces the consequences of framing Scott. | ||||
| 16 | 6 | "A Pretender to the Throne" | October 18, 2018 | |
| Diana faces punishment for her bad behavior, and Kate goes to the dark side. Jenna attends a banquet with Scott and Diana. | ||||
| 17 | 7 | "Optional Compliment" | October 25, 2018 | |
| Cassie makes a choice between Kate and Sam, when she finds flaws in her relationship with Sam. Diana tries to befriend Morgan again, but it comes at the cost of Morgan's newfound friendship with Eli. | ||||
| 18 | 8 | "Coffeeshopwork" | November 1, 2018 | |
| Kate tries to pull away from Luca and his dark magic. Cassie must deal with a new dynamic after Diana joins Magic Moves. | ||||
| 19 | 9 | "New Partners" | November 8, 2018 | |
| Cassie finds out about Jenna’s shoplifting, and Sam is heartbroken over his breakup with Cassie. Meanwhile, Cassie and Julian work to define their relationship just as Diana becomes Julian’s new dance partner. | ||||
| 20 | 10 | "Blackmail" | November 15, 2018 | |
| When Kate is accused of stealing and fired from her job, Jenna is blackmailed about the shoplifting, and Cassie takes the blame to save Jenna. | ||||
| 21 | 11 | "Find Your Voice" | November 22, 2018 | |
| The night of the Winter Formal, Cassie takes the blame for Jenna, Diana shows up with an unexpected date, Morgan re-evaluates her feelings for Eli. At the end of the episode, Jenna reveals that she still dreams about her fantasy of being a superhero. | ||||
Season 3 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1 | "Millwood Chronicles" | March 21, 2019 | |
| A new term at Millwood High begins and so does fresh drama. Cassie, Diana, and Kate find themselves at the end of their fantasies, as Jenna’s childhood superhero fantasies return. | ||||
| 23 | 2 | "Learning to Fly" | March 28, 2019 | |
| Cassie discovers an unexpected enemy at school. Meanwhile, Gretchen asks Kate to attempt to befriend Luca and Diana deals with problems with Julian. | ||||
| 24 | 3 | "Experimental Film Club" | April 4, 2019 | |
| The balance of power continues to shift at Millwood High. Cassie is convinced that Ms. Dawson is out to get her while Kate helps Morgan impress Eli’s experimental film club with a film of her own. | ||||
| 25 | 4 | "Watch Your Back" | April 11, 2019 | |
| Jenna falls under Ms. Dawson's threatening influence, just as she faces growing issues with Scott. Kate and Luca begin to bond with each other. | ||||
| 26 | 5 | "X-Ray Eyes" | April 19, 2019 | |
| Cassie and Diana form an unexpected alliance while Sam and Luca work on a song. Jenna receives advice from Ms. Dawson about her relationship with Scott. | ||||
| 27 | 6 | "Thin Ice" | April 25, 2019 | |
| Cassie and Diana try to save Jenna from Ms. Dawson's grasp while Sam confronts Luca about his relationship with Kate and Morgan deals with problems juggling between her friends and Eli’s friends. | ||||
| 28 | 7 | "Teacher Knows Best" | May 2, 2019 | |
| Jenna is drawn ever closer into Ms. Dawson's clutches, despite Spencer's warnings. Meanwhile, Eli gives Morgan an ultimatum that could change everything | ||||
| 29 | 8 | "Bad Spell" | May 9, 2019 | |
| Kate has an unusual way of dealing with her Aunt Bonnie's passing. Meanwhile, Cassie and Diana work as a team to uncover Miss Dawson's past. | ||||
| 30 | 9 | "We Could Be Heroes" | May 16, 2019 | |
| Cassie and Diana reveal startling new evidence about Miss Dawson's past, but this evil teacher isn't going down without a fight. | ||||
| 31 | 10 | "Hanging Up The Cape" | May 23, 2019 | |
| Sam confronts Luca about the stolen song. Morgan, Cassie, and the girls band together for a last ditch effort to release Jenna from Miss Dawson’s evil grasp. Morgan reveals her fantasy of being a grown-up. | ||||
Season 4 (2019)
Axel, Anna, and Belle are introduced this season.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 1 | "Future Self" | September 5, 2019 | |
| Morgan always fantasized about her life as a grown-up, but with another semester under everyone's belt -- that fantasy is quickly proving to be much more challenging than anyone could have anticipated. | ||||
| 33 | 2 | "Brownie Points" | September 12, 2019 | |
| Jenna obsesses over Axel, but this Millwood Casanova has other plans | ||||
| 34 | 3 | "One Turkey Sandwich" | September 19, 2019 | |
| Diana just can't seem to catch a break, Kate continues to reel from the brownie fallout, and Sam decides to explore other opportunities for his future beyond high school. | ||||
| 35 | 4 | "Breakout" | September 26, 2019 | |
| Jenna continues to vie for Axel's attention, but his roving eye has all the girls at Millwood questioning his intentions... | ||||
| 36 | 5 | "Ditch Day" | October 3, 2019 | |
| Tea begins to boil as Diana ditches school... with someone else's boyfriend? | ||||
| 37 | 6 | "Bonding" | October 10, 2019 | |
| Kate invites the girls over for her birthday party. What promises to be a fun bonding experience among friends turns out to be anything but... | ||||
| 38 | 7 | "Lights Out" | October 17, 2019 | |
| Morgan accidentally causes a power outage, putting Millwood and all its students in the dark. But, when Cassie & Axel are forced to share a room together and Kate & Diana must do the same, this power outage brings some long-held issues to the light. | ||||
| 39 | 8 | "Millwood Casanova" | October 24, 2019 | |
| It’s all coming together for the girls at Millwood as the truth about Axel becomes increasingly obvious... Meanwhile, far from Millwood - Sam gets the opportunity of a lifetime. | ||||
| 40 | 9 | "Sam’s Jam" | October 31, 2019 | |
| Diana, Cassie, and Jenna are desperate for the truth about Axel’s true intentions... meanwhile, Sam’s time in the spotlight has earned him a little extra attention back home. | ||||
| 41 | 10 | "Come With Me" | November 7, 2019 | |
| It’s the season finale of Total Eclipse, but the drama is just heating up. Diana, Kate, and Jenna get some extra dirt on Axel that could change things between them forever. Meanwhile, Sam has a major question for Cassie... | ||||
Reception
Forbes reported that Total Eclipse and Brat’s most popular show, Chicken Girls, helped the network accumulate a "loyal audience" of 15 million unique viewers in three months that "the company is beginning to monetize by moving into advertising in 2019".[9]
| Season | Number of views
(first episode) |
Number of views
(last episode) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6,975,429 | 5,574,208 |
| 2 | 3,640,512 | 2,271,121 |
| 3 | 2,517,658 | 1,669,853 |
| 4 | 1,851,014 | 1,199,425 |
References
- Holloway, Daniel; Holloway, Daniel (March 12, 2018). "Digital Network Brat Orders Series Total Eclipse With Mackenzie Ziegler, Lauren Orlando". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- "Brat Unveils Fall Slate Featuring More Chicken Girls, Competition Series 'Talent Show' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- Jagota, Vrinda. "Mackenzie Ziegler Wants You to Be Unapologetically Positive", Paper, May 7, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2019
- Faughnder, Ryan. "Chicken Girls maker Brat raises $30 million to produce online shows for teens", Los Angeles Times, July 18, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2019
- Brat. "Total Eclipse – Season 2 – Ep. 1: "Thangs"". Retrieved February 10, 2019 – via YouTube.
- Hipes, Patrick; Hipes, Patrick (December 7, 2018). "Brat Expands Slate With New Original Series, Renewals for Winter Launch". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- Robehmed, Natalie. "Poised to Monetize, Digital Studio Brat Seeks Ad Dollars In Teens", Forbes, December 12, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2019
- Weiss, Geoff. "Fresh Off Highly-Viewed Holiday Film, Tween Studio ‘Brat’ Unveils Latest Series", Tubefilter, January 3, 2019; and Brat "Brat Holiday Spectacular", YouTube, December 21, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2019
- Robehmed, Natalie (December 12, 2018). "Poised to Monetize, Digital Studio Brat Seeks Ad Dollars In Teens". Forbes. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
External links
- Season 1 playlist on Brat's YouTube channel
- Season 2 playlist on Brat's YouTube channel
- Season 3 playlist on Brat's YouTube channel
- Season 4 playlist on Brat's YouTube channel