Rumors

Rumors was a dramedy-mystery television series, created by Mark Cherry. American Scream is the sequel to this show, with American Rumors majorly linking the two shows even further.

Plot
The "normal" university life for a group of close-knit students takes a dark turn when one of their closest friends mysteriously commits suicide. Now while trying to deal with their own hectic problems and romantic lives, each turn brings on a new mystery and more dark and twisted events to come; all connected to the suicide whilst they start to get texts from Anonymous. Life behind closed doors is about to be revealed as everyone has a naughty secret.

Season 1 (2009-2010)
Season 1 began airing on April 10th 2009 and featured a total of 10 episodes. The show opens with the mysterious suicide of a college student Conner Gibbins on a beautiful day in the University of Manchineel's swimming pool. Conner, who narrates the show from the afterlife, had five close friends: Michelle Layer, the seemingly perfect student cheating on tests and struggling to save her relationship; Andrew Robbins, who has an unhealthy obsession with a boy; Melony Hopper, the shoplifting lunatic which has just come out and wants love, who finds it in the form of her new roomate, Jessica Delfino, who has a secret of her own; Amber Corner, the materialistic model who cheats on her boyfriend, Richard Brown, which is taking steroids to win races. While trying to be good students, the five friends also try to find out why their friend committed suicide. The discovery of a blackmail note among his belongings, a therapy session tape in which he admits his real name was Melvin, and an empty mobile phone which really make them wonder about the mystery surrounding their deceased friend. They start receiving mysterious blackmail and threats to help this 'Anonymous' commit murders and act of violence. In the Season finale, they find out that this mysterious figure is the guidance Councillor of the University called Bob Stoaker, however he gets burned alive in one the mansions in a pretty town called Daphne with the students in the same room. Before the police go into the mansion, the students see another mysterious figure on the roof of another mansion which leads them to expect the mystery is far from over.

Season 2 (2010-2011)
Season 2 began airing on April 10th 2010 and featured a total of 10 episodes. After discovering Anonymous, the students continue to move on with their lives. They all start going to a drama club to which acts like therapy and meet multiple new people like: Mary Hodgson, Alice Barley, Mike Henderson and Jimmy Walker. Michelle, whose boyfriend got killed by Anonymous, is not coping well with being a mourner, and is unknowingly dating Bob Stoaker's son, George Fields. Andrew, still searching for love after breaking up with his stalking victim Mark Wex, ends up tangled with his ex-boyfriend, Karl Mayer, who is now dating the universities hussy, Ed Ferrara. Melony tries to kick boots a singing career with one of Jessica's friend Anthony, however jealously of Anthony being better at singing than her leads to a big fight. Meanwhile she is also becoming more and more suspicious of Jessica's secret phone calls in the middle of the night. Amber tells Richard about her affair a few months ago and Richard revels he also had an affair after discovering Amber's affair months ago. Richard then proposes to Amber to make her become faithful to him however Amber says no saying she never wants to be married because of her divorced parents; this deeply upsets Richard and he runs off. While managing their busy lives, the students cannot help but keep on trying to figure out more information about Conner's suicide and the mysterious figure. When they come close to discovering more about Conner's empty phone by a girl called Bonnie hacking it they start receiving threats from Anonymous once more, again making them help murder people and create scenarios. They also start to come up with suspects on who the new figure is and narrows it down to someone close to them. When they set up a new plan to get rid of this new Anonymous by bringing all the evidence of Conner's mystery to the police (which Anonymous told them not to do), they get arrested. Someone hours before hand had handed in security footage of all of them helping murder multiple people. When they try to explain no one believes them. Before the season is over however, the mysterious figure is seen on the phone to someone saying 'They're all in jail', then lifting down the hood it is revealed that Anonymous is Alice Barley from the drama school.

Season 3 (2011-2012)
Season 3 began airing on April 10th 2011 and featured a total of 10 episodes aside from the pre-season special recap/preview show, "Time to Come Clean". When the season premieres, six months have occurred since the students has gone to prison for the multiple murders of Anonymous' victims. Multiple flash backs of the six months is shown through out the season. Amber is shown to be in the same prison cell as Richard, they discuss things and make up. Andrew is starting to become insane and is locked up in an insanity ward where he revelas his dark past of stalking. Melony gets constant visits from her girlfriend Jessica, but she never talks to her. This is because (shown in a flashback) it is shown that Jessica reveals her naughty secret of being an FBI agent trying to figure out Conner's suicide. When Melony finally starts talking to Jessica again she tells her everything to do with Anonymous and Jessica starts digging around - getting a lead to the small town of Daphne. Michelle is still trying to be a successfull student and is always at the prison libary catching up on work, however she is distracted by a guard and they develop a secret relationship. In the Summer finale of Season Three (episode 7) Anonymous forces them to escape the prison and stay at a hotel in Daphne, the students are unsure why Anonymous is helping them. No one in Daphne knows them so the students are again forced by Anonymous to start completley new lives, whilst still getting texts and threats from Anonymous to keep on doing what theyre doing. When Jessica recognizes Melony in Daphne and Jessica says she knows who Anonymous is, Anonymous gets angry and tries to kill Melony, this is when Jessica kills Anonymous (Alice) and phones the FBI. Meanwhile, Amber and Richard and in the hotel. When Richard goes for a jog, this cloaked figure rapes Amber in the hotel bedroom. When the FBI turn up the students explain everything to them, they notice Amber is not there however and rush in to the hotel to discover Amber trying to hang herself with a piece of rope.

Season 4 (2012-2013)
Season 4, the final season of the series, began airing on April 10th 201, and featured a total of 10 episodes. With all the students in their final year in university a major truth it uncovered. With Amber getting rapped, she conceals a real pregnancy and has problems with Richard. Richard, worried about Amber refuses not to be with her at every moment, resulting in himself becoming depressed. Andrew, taking tablets and therapy for his revealed past becomes obsessed with Scott and starts stalking him. Michelle, finding out about Andrew's stalking behaviour seals with the deal with Scott by proposing to him. As the students return to University, Edie is back and tries to secure her relationship with Jessica, and subsequently has an affair with Mary. The cloaked figure (Melvin i.e. Anonymous 3#) does not blackmail anyone, instead kills people around the five main students, until Melvin kills Andrew for some unknown reason found out in Season One of Rumors: Devious Maids. In the finale, when Amber is giving birth the cloaked figure stands up and shows his face. None of them know who he is but Melony, she recognizes some similar features to Conner's face. The cloaked figure is revealed to be named 'Melvin' and is Conner's new alter ego. Melvin killed Conner's old alter ego by killing Conner's fake his own death by numbing Darren's entire body, and throwing himself out of the top floor of the swimming pool whilst ringing the police on an empty phone moments before to come urgently to the swimming pool. Melvin ordered Bob Stoaker and Alice Barley to preform all the dirty work of the murders whilst he sent the messages to the students, originally because they came close to discovering his unhealthy life swap and his murders in the past. But then it turned into a game for him, starting rumors and arguments across the group. When Melvin tries to grab the baby Amber screams at him, Richard calls for help and within a second Melvin jumps out the window, killing himself.

Origins Mark Cherry initially had pitched the series to Genesis. However, Jaba Uchu Pictures was the only other network to accept Cherry's offer, although they initially weren't satisfied with the name, suggesting titles like Secrets or Liars.

Opening credits
The show's opening credits contain references to famous murders and the show's theme is composed by Danny Elfman.

Broadcasting
Since its Jaba Uchu Pictures premiere, Rumors has been ironically broadcasted by the Genesis network.