USA's Upcoming Show 'Dare Me' Puts A Dark Spin On High School Cheerleading

Can there ever be too many high school mystery dramas? In my humble opinion, the answer is no. Luckily, fans have another dark teen series coming to TV soon: USA's show Dare Me is about a high school cheerleading squad's problems that go far beyond messed up routines and ugly uniforms — it looks like it's going to get pretty twisted pretty quickly.

Dare Me is based on the bestselling novel of the same name Megan Abbott, who is also writing and producing the show. Here's the official synopsis of the upcoming series:

The series dives into the cutthroat world of competitive high school cheerleading. It follows the fraught relationship between two best friends (Herizen Guardiola and Marlo Kelly) after a new coach (Willa Fitzgerald) arrives to bring their team to prominence. While the girls’ friendship is put to the test, their young lives are changed forever when a shocking crime rocks their quiet suburban world. Part coming-of-age story, part small-town drama, part murder mystery, Dare Me exposes the physical and psychological extremes that some young women are willing to endure in order to get ahead.

Dare Me sounds like the best kind of sports show with a little bit of Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars thrown in. The trailer begins with one character saying, "There’s something dangerous about the boredom of teenage girls," which seems to sum up the intrigue of the show. You can check out the trailer below:

At the end of the video, a character says, "There’s a price for everything. This is how you become strong." Based on the dark, noir-esque tone of the trailer, it seems like these cheerleaders will be paying quite a big price to gain their strength.

Dare Me also stars Paul Fitzgerald (Younger), Zach Roerig (The Vampire Diaries), Rob Heaps (Imposters), Alison Thornton (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce), Adrian Walters (The Handmaid's Tale), and Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale).

The show will follow in the footsteps of other teen dramas before it by combining the trials and tribulations of high school life with the intensity of high-stakes crime, all set against the backdrop of a sleepy Midwestern town. "Megan Abbott’s voice brings a fresh perspective to USA Network, with a gripping, female-focused story that combines the ultra-competitive world of high school cheerleading with the secrets of a seemingly-perfect small American town,” USA president Chris McCumber explained in a statement.

Dare Me premieres on Sunday, Dec. 29, at 10 p.m. ET on USA.