After its premiere last fall, High Potential quickly became a favorite among viewers and has found continued success amid the 2025 TV schedule. With that, the series received an early Season 2 renewal. The network murder mystery even hit an impressive ratings benchmark, as it became ABC’s biggest new series since The Conners launched in 2018. Lead actress Kaitlin Olsen is certainly a big reason for the show’s success, and showrunner Todd Harthan recalled the moment he knew they had TV gold.
On High Potential, Olson plays Morgan Gillory, an intellectually gifted cleaning woman who becomes a police consultant. The role is a sharp departure from Sweet Dee, the actress' character on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But, honestly, I can’t imagine anyone else playing Morgan. During a panel at the Deadline Contenders Television event, Todd Harthan recalled watching Olson performing a dramatic scene for studio and network executives:
It was a scene where Kaitlin was coming in and really unloading on the cops because they were moving a mother from basically one side of the crime board to the suspect side. She lost it and she hadn’t slept in a couple days.
I'd imagine that as an actor, performing such a scene on set would be nerve-wracking enough. However, the notion of having to perform it around a bunch of executives who have the power to cancel the show in an instant seems terrifying. However, Todd Harthan didn’t seem to be worried, as he explained how he had a feeling that the show was going to be a hit:
I remember watching what she did over and over and over again, and that’s the moment where I realized there’s nothing we can’t throw at her, nothing she can’t do. I went, ‘I think we’re going to be doing this for a while.’
Although the show is obviously still very early in its run, the EP's instincts have proven to be correct thus. High Potential became an instant hit and was one of the first shows on ABC to be renewed for the 2025-26 season. Obviously, the entire cast is talented, but Olson is the reason why the network drama is so great. It's ironic that Olson initially didn't even want to join HP, but I'm sure glad she ended up signing on!
All the while, Olsen has also been praised by Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich, who said he would be “disappointed” if she isn’t nominated for an Emmy sometime down the line. The FYC campaigns have already started, and considering the positive reactions and ratings buzz surrounding the show, it would certainly be surprising if it doesn’t nab at least a few nominations.
Season 1 of High Potential has already aired its cliffhanger-infused finale, so fans are going to have to wait months for new episodes. Considering how great Kaitlin Olson and co. have proven to be, though, I'm sure Season 2 will be worth the wait. I also hope Olsen continues to bring her A-game and help keep this show going for years to come. For now, stream the first season using a Hulu subscription.
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