GBH is gearing up for Season 15 of the Emmy award-winning High School Quiz Show (HSQS). And we are on the lookout for high school academic stars who will step up and join the battle of wits. Team registration is open through November 1. The hit show features teams vying against other schools to demonstrate their knowledge in math, history, science, literature, civics and current events.

Super Sunday, High School Quiz Show’s annual qualifying event, is November 5. Team members collaborate on a 50-question written quiz in an attempt to score high enough to make it into the bracket for the televised competition. 

Program taping is on the weekends of Jan. 20 and 27, and Season 15 launches on air Feb. 3. 

Before HSQS, the student stars who got all the attention were the athletes, recalled Hillary Wells, the program’s executive producer. “GBH wanted to embrace its commitment to education and the community and showcase academic achievement,” she said. “It seemed like such a win-win.” 

Win-win, indeed. The program is almost entirely supported by local corporate sponsors and most of the original staff are still with the beloved program. HSQS is so highly regarded around the state that participants usually include it on their professional resumes, said Wells. The program has had some surprising and dramatic moments, and even went viral, in 2013 when all the members of the Brookline team showed their love and appreciation for Nicolas Cage. 

Students who participate in HSQS usually represent a cross-section of the student body, said Wells. 

“They are often students who do not get a chance to shine in athletics band or drama,” said Joel Chamberlain, team coach for Canton High School. “For them, the experience of being part of Quiz Show is a memory they will always cherish.” 

Read about the show’s beginnings here.

High School Quiz Show is endorsed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and the Massachusetts PTA. Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance. Additional funding is provided by the Museum of Science, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Xfinity, UMass Amherst, Peabody Essex Museum and Subaru of New England.

High School Quiz Show can be seen on GBH 2, Saturdays at 6pm and on its YouTube channel. Register your team here.