Ahonaho High

Ahonaho High, known as Ahonaho Junior High for the first two seasons and seasons five and six, is an Arolan teen drama series that premiered on CTV on October 23, 2015.

The series revolves around a group of middle and high school students in the fictional Ahonaho suburb. The series takes place in two schools in the suburb, Koivupelto Junior High School and Haisulehto High School. Each episode tackles school events and issues such as bullying, crushes, friendship and backstabbing.

Ahonaho High is the most successful drama series for CTV since the channel’s flagship soap opera, Glory in our Fatherland, ended in 2009.

Premise
The first two seasons of Ahonaho High revolves a middle school student Cerise Salmela (Aria Gurtchev) and her friends, as they navigate major challenges in the way and learn how to move on and grow up. However, things take a turn as they start high school in Haisulehto (season 3) and the events they face get more climatic and dramatic as they advance into graduation and part ways.

In season 5, Cerise’s younger sister Lani (Scarlett Gurtchev) starts junior high school at Koivupelto and has formed a squad of newfound friends.

Students

 * Aria Gurtchev as Cerise Salmela (seasons 1-4, recurring seasons 5-6)
 * Scarlett Gurtchev as Lani Salmela (recurring season 2-4, seasons 5-8)
 * Anttoni Honkanen as Jeremy Olausson (seasons 1-4)
 * Rachel Waris as Ava Laitinen (seasons 1-4, recurring season 7)
 * Elina Koponen as Kyra Kokko (seasons 5-8)
 * Alex Kivi as Chandler Siltala (seasons 5-8)

Adults

 * Stanford Saarela-Jenson as Arnold Somerkoski (seasons 1-2, recurring season 4): Cerise and her friends’ teacher at Koivupelto Junior High who gives them life lessons
 * Nina Kapanen as Michelle Hakala (seasons 3-4, recurring seasons 6-8): A witty but thoughtful English teacher who Cerise befriends. In later seasons, Hakala becomes a counsellor in the After-School Program by guiding Lani.
 * Peter Lloyd as Horace Laurila (season 1, recurring seasons 2, 5-7): The authoritarian principal of Koivupelto Junior High who dislikes parties. In season 5, Laurila becomes the superintendent of the Ahonaho School Board.

Production
Ahonaho High was conceived in late 2013 by Ralf Ikonen, recalling shared past experiences of his adult daughter and with some inspiration from the Canadian teen drama franchise. Production commenced in May 2014 and season one was officially completed and wrapped up in March the following year. The first season of Ahonaho High premiered on Friday, October 23, 2015 on CTV at 4.00pm. Subsequent episodes would premiere on select Fridays at 4.30pm thereafter.

After the first four seasons were broadcast, CTV moved the series to CTV All Access (now Paramount+) for the next few seasons. All 12 season five episodes premiered on February 4, 2019. Production on the seventh and eighth seasons were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Arola, which impacted principal photography. In August 2020, after filming wrapped on the seventh season, creator Ralf Ikonen affirmed that the eighth season would be the last, set to premiere on June 13, 2022. The eighth season will also be the first to premiere on CTV's new sister channel CTV2.

Ahonaho High was made available on CTV.com a day after each episode premiered from October 24, 2015. The first four seasons, subtitled Arc 1 in international markets, were made available on Netflix worldwide on October 29, 2018.