Bell added that they had thousands of applications from people just for the pilot, all of whom pledged to take time off work to re-stage their high school musicals, from Oklahoma to Annie.

“You watch two people re-introduce themselves to people they already know having shed the labels of high school, it’s electric,” Bell said. “We have people making amends, we have people that come out of the closet that were never able to tell anyone, people telling stories about why they were a bully in high school. It’s crazy beautiful, and it’s all about the human experience and I love it. I think I’m prouder of this than of anything I’ve ever done.”

The show was inspired by Bell’s own experience in theatre as a student. “The high school musical at my school was the most important thing. When we did Wizard of Oz, all the football nerds were on their knees as munchkins,” Bell recalls. “So all the math nerds and the mean girls, everybody was [there].”

In particular, Bell told Clarkson about the pivotal role that her high school teachers played in guiding her towards her career path. “I had two teachers, Miss Rashard and Mr Barnard, both of whom lit a match under my butt,” she said. “Miss Rashard especially, she was known as our drill sergeant, but I feel like it trained me to be a member of a theatre group.”

Kelly Clarkson and Kristen Bell just perfectly summed up why a good teacher is so important