Real or Fake? 20 memorable high schools from movies and television

I grew up disliking Valley High School. I wanted to play for a coach like Norman Dale. And I thought you had to come from major wealth in order go to a school like West Beverly Hills.

I also thought every high school was real, but obviously that is not the case.

Below are 20 of the most memorable high schools in either a movie or television series. See if you can figure out which are real and which are fictional.

Did we miss one? Bring the chat to twitter. Tweet @SMontoyaMP


1. Bayside - Saved by the Bell Be-b-be-be-beat, go Bayside! The Southern California High School was home to Zack, Kelly, Slater, Screech, Lisa, Jessie and Mr. Belding. The Tigers seemed to always beat rival Valley in sports.

Is Bayside High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. Unfortunately for Tigers fans, Bayside and its rival Valley are purely the creation of executive producer Peter Engel.

2. Polk High School - Married with Children


Al "four touchdown" Bundy often referred back to his "glory days" at Polk High School. We're still wondering if he really scored four touchdowns in the Chicago 1966 city championship, including the game winner.

Is Polk High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. Al Bundy will always be a legend ... but not in real life.

3. Dillon Panthers - Friday Night Lights (Television show)


Coach Taylor had a lot to deal with during his time at Dillon High in Texas. He lost his QB1, had a running back who ran his mouth and a star player who was an alcoholic. But the coach made the Panthers into a powerhouse before leaving to East Dillon. Always remember, 'Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.'

Is Dillon High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. Though the book is based on a real school, Dillon is made up.

4. T.C. Williams - Remember the Titans


Coach Herman Boone had the task of getting a racially divided team to play together at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. In the end, Julius Campbell, Sunshine Bass and Gerry Bertier came together as a team.

Is T.C. Williams High School real or fictional?
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Real. Denzel Washington, Donald Faison, Kip Pardue and others were depicting real-life members of the T.C. Williams (Alexandria, Va.) squad.

5. Hickory - Hoosiers At first, coach Norman Dale seemed a little tough on the kids at Hickory High School. But in the end, the little school led by Jimmy Chitwood took home the 1952 Indiana state title.

Is Hickory High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. Though roughly based on the Milan (Ind.) team that won the 1954 state title, Hickory High does not exist.

6. West Beverly Hills - 90210 If you watched the original Beverly Hills 90210 or the remake, it sure seemed like you needed to come from wealth to go to West Beverly Hills High. Is it just me, or were you jealous of Steve Sanders' corvette?

Is West Beverly High real or fictional?
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Fictional. There is a real school called Beverly Hills (Calif.), but its counterpart to the West is entirely fictitious.

7. T.L. Hanna - Radio


Coach Harold Jones allows Robert "Radio" Kennedy to help the football team out. Radio is still a member of the Yellowjacket program.

Is T.L. Hanna High School real or fictional?
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Real. Cuba Gooding Jr. depicts real-life hero Robert "Radio" Kennedy from Hanna (Anderson, S.C.).

8. J.P. Wynne - Breaking Bad

Do you look at your chemistry teacher as if he may be Walter White? Between creating meth and dealing, White taught chemistry at J.P. Wynne High School.

Is J.P. Wynne High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. J.P. Wynne, and its famed chemistry department, are totally fake.

9. West Canaan - Varsity Blues


There was a lot of pressure on Jonathan "Mox" Moxon as he had to step in at QB for injured Lance Harbor at West Canaan. Once Coach Bud Kilmer left the team, Mox, Billy Bob, Tweeder and the rest of the crew rolled to a victory. It's not rare in today's high school football to see five wide receivers, like in the clip above.

Is West Canaan real or fictional?
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Fictional. The school is fake, but James Van Der Beek's emotion? 100 percent real.

10. Ridgemont - Fast Times at Ridgemont High Have you ever had a teacher like Mr. Hand? Or met a student like Jeff Spicoli? Well things were good at Ridgemont High, especially after Charles Jefferson helped Ridgemont beat their rival Lincoln on the football field.

Is Ridgemont High real or fictional?
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Fictional. The school is made up, but is based on writer Cameron Crowe's real-life experiences as an undercover journalist at Clairemont (San Diego).

11. Beacontown Beavers - Teen Wolf


We haven't heard or seen any high school players turning into wolves around the country lately, but the Beavers basketball team got a huge boost when Scott Howard unleashed Teen Wolf. Even when Howard wasn't the wolf, he still was able to hit two free throws to win while locking up his relationship with Boof.

Is Beacontown High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. Hate to say it, but Beacontown is as fake as Michael J. Fox's wolf makeup.

12. Carlmont High School - Dangerous Minds


Admit it, when you hear "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio you start to sing along. I also think of how LouAnne Johnson changed the culture at Carlmont High School.

Is Carlmont High School real or fictional?
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Real. Carlmont (Belmont, Calif.) and former U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson are both very real.

13. Bel-Air Academy - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air


I wonder what high School Will would have attended in West Philadelphia? Whatever high school it would have been, they missed out getting one heck of a basketball player in Will Smith. Bel-Air Academy got one of those lucky transfers. Proof of his skills in the video.

Is Bel-Air Academy real or fictional?
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Fictional. Despite the snazzy uniforms and prestigious alums like Carlton Banks, the school is fake.

14. Permian - Friday Night Lights (Film)


The story of the 1988 Permian Panthers ended in a defeat to Dallas Carter in the state finals. I still wonder what would have happened to James "Boobie" Miles if he did not get injured. Football is a game of inches.

Is Permian High School real or fictional?
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Real. The West Texas school Permian (Odessa) was the subject of H.G. Bissinger's book of the same name.

15. William McKinley - Numerous William McKinley High School is a popular fictional high school name. For the current TV viewers, you may recognize the name from "Glee." It was also the high school in the television shows "The Wonder Years" and "Freaks and Geeks," and the movie "Final Destination 3," to name a few.

Is McKinley High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. Though a popular school name in real life, McKinley seems to be the go-to name for fake high schools.

16. Eastside - Lean on Me


Eastside needed a major shakeup to get back on the right track. The school ended up hiring the right man in Principal Joe Louis Clark. Who remembers the Eastside school song?

Is Eastside High School real or fictional?
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Real. Principal Joe Clark (perhaps with his trademark baseball bat) patrolled the halls of Eastside (Paterson, N.J.) in real life.

17. Rydell - Grease I would have been one of the cool kids if I was a member of the T-Birds at Rydell High School. That means I would have known Danny Zuko. One of the classic movies of all time featured Rydell High.

Is Rydell High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. Rydell and its musical campus are unfortunately fake.

18. Richmond - Coach Carter


The story is based on coach Ken Carter, who wanted to focus first on academic achievements before skills on the hardwood. Eventually Carter got his alma mater to focus on classwork while making a run in the playoffs. Coach Carter's speeches would have me fired up.

Is Richmond High School real or fictional?
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Real. Richmond (Calif.) and disciplinarian Carter are both real.

19. East Great Falls High School - American Pie Who were you more like in high school, Jim, Kevin, Oz, Finch, or Stifler? The Class of 1999 will always be remembered at East Great Falls. And hey, we have got to see their 10-year reunion.

Is East Great Falls High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. The Stiffmeister and company got into all sorts of trouble at a fake school.

20. Oakbridge High School - Hangin' With Mr. Cooper


When Mark Cooper retired from the Golden State Warriors, he landed a job at Oakbridge High School. Although you would think Mr. Cooper would be the basketball coach, he only had a little run at coach as he was passed over for the job.

Is Oakbridge High School real or fictional?
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Fictional. The students may have loved hangin' with Mr. Cooper, but they were hangin' at a fake high school.