Mr. Young: Boy Genius and Buffed Best Friend Take on High School

Many teencoms involve kids doing adult things, such as running a fashion company (True Jackson, VP) or a toy company (Some Assembly Required).   Mr. Young (2011-2013), a Canadian series which sometimes appeared on Disney XD, has a kid becoming a high school teacher.

Adam Young (Brendan Meyer) is a boy genius who graduated from high school at age 9, completed college (and presumably graduate school) by age 15, and instead of taking a tenure-track position at a research university, became a science teacher at Finnegan High.  Go figure.









He's also an inventor, so there are some fantasy elements as he accidentally pumps a truth-serum gas into the school, or switches bodies with his students, or travels back in time.

His students include:
1. His goofy but surprisingly buffed childhood chum Derby (Gig Morton).
2. His crush Echo (Matreya Fedor).  Isn't there a rule about teacher-student romances?
3. The bully Slab (Kurt Ostlund), who becomes an ally.
4. His older sister Ivy

Rounding out the cast are various clueless teachers and parents, a crazy janitor reminiscent of Arvid on The Suite Life (Raugi Yu), a persnickety principal reminiscent of Moseby on The Suite Life (Milo Shandel), and some Disney Channel guest stars, including Ryan Ochoa, Nathan Kress, Brian Stepanek, and Peter Benson.

After three seasons, everyone graduates and goes on to Great Northern University, where Adam, coincidentally, has taken a professorship.  Were they expecting a spin-off?

The program was created by Dan Signer, who also inflicted A.N.T. Farm on us, so you know what it's about: sex.  Specifically heterosexual sex.  Adam and Derby wander around in tongue-lolling hetero-horny hysteria, and the plots are often about them trying to get with this or that girl.

Slab, however, expresses heterosexual interest only once, and he has some gender atypical-traits, like an interest in ballet and the ability to cry.

And there's a gay subtext bromance between Adam and Derby that often becomes physical.

No doubt unintentional.  But authorial intent is never necessary for a gay subtext.

It's not out on DVD, but episodes are available on youtube.

See also: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody  and A.N.T. Farm.