Massachusetts students go head-to head in a battle of the brains

Season premieres February 8 at 6pm on WGBH 2

BOSTON (January 21, 2020) – High school students from across Massachusetts will go head-to-head in a battle of the brains on the season premiere of High School Quiz Show®, WGBH’s televised academic tournament, on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 6pm on WGBH 2. Boston media personality Billy Costa hosts as 17 teams face quick-fire questions in subjects including math, current events, science, literature and history. The winner of the single-elimination bracketed competition will be named the High School Quiz Show Massachusetts State Champion.

The schools competing on High School Quiz Show earned the highest scores on an written quiz at WGBH’s “Super Sunday” qualifying event at WGBH studios in Brighton, MA in October. The Season 11 bracket includes last year’s defending champion, Boston Latin School, and three schools competing for the first time -- Salem Academy Charter School, Taunton High School and Waltham High School.

“At its core, High School Quiz Show is a celebration of statewide academic achievement, the dedication of educators and of course, the hard work of the students,” said executive producer Hillary Wells. “From classmates to parents to anyone who loves the chance to test their knowledge, we hope that fans will tune in, play along at home and cheer on their favorite teams.”

These are the schools that have secured their spot in the tournament:

  • Acton-Boxborough Regional High School
  • Andover High School
  • Arlington High School
  • Belmont High School
  • Boston Latin School
  • Brookline High School
  • Lexington High School
  • Mansfield High School
  • Needham High School
  • Salem Academy Charter School
  • South High Community School (Worcester)
  • Taunton High School
  • Waltham High School
  • Wellesley High School
  • Whitman-Hanson Regional High School

The premiere episode is the first ever High School Quiz Show Wild Card match, with Tantasqua Regional High School of Fiskdale, MA and Weston High School facing off in hopes of claiming the 16th and final spot on the Season 11 High School Quiz Show bracket.

Tickets to join the High School Quiz Show studio audience are free. Tapings take place on Saturday, January 25, Sunday, January 26, Saturday, February 1 and Sunday, February 2. View the match-ups, times and RSVP online.

High School Quiz Show airs Saturdays at 6pm and repeats Sundays at 10am and 5pm on WGBH 2. Episodes can also be streamed at WGBH.org and on YouTube. Longtime fans of the program can expect a fresh look and feel with a new logo, set, banners and colors and more.

High School Quiz Show is endorsed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts PTA. Questions on the show are aligned with the Massachusetts high school curriculum standards in subjects that include literature, history, civics, science and math, as well as current events, and general knowledge. Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance. Additional funding is provided by the Museum of Science, Massachusetts Teachers Association, University of Massachusetts Amherst, XFINITY from Comcast, Subaru of New England, and Emerson College.

For more information, visit highschoolquizshow.org or follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur, Molly of Denali and more than a dozen other primetime, lifestyle and children’s series. WGBH’s television channels include WGBH 2, WGBX 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH TV productions focusing on the region’s diverse community include Greater Boston, Basic Black and High School Quiz Show. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s Local NPR®; 99.5 WCRB Classical Radio Boston; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® Station. WGBH also is a major source of digital content and programs for public radio through PRX, including The World and Innovation Hub, a leader in educational multimedia with PBS LearningMedia™, providing the nation’s educators with free, curriculum-based digital content, and a pioneer in services that make media accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired audiences. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at wgbh.org.
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