Heartbreak High has just had a 2022 woke reboot. This time screening on Netflix, following the film and 1994 series, which first screened on Network Ten. The eight episodes premiered on 14 September 2022.
The eight episodes is lead by Ayesha Madon as Amerie Wadia. She is a brash, working-class girl who becomes a pariah at Hartley High. Her friends include, James Majoos as Darren Rivers, a queer and non-binary student, Chloe Hayden as Quinni Gallagher-Jones, Darren's lesbian best friend who is autistic while there is a massive rivalry with Asher Yasbincek as Harper McLean.
It's woke but also great to see a full array of characters on display including Thomas Weatherall as Malakai Mitchell, a bisexual Bundjalung basketball jock new to Hartley, Will McDonald as Douglas “Ca$h” Piggott, an asexual eshay, drug dealer and food delivery driver, showing the hustle of gig workers delivering our nightly take aways.
The real star for me, was handsome AF Joshua Heuston as Dustin “Dusty” Reid, who also appears briefly on the latest Aussie series, Bali 2002.
Speaking of Bali 2002, there is a total buffet of Australian TV right now. Savage River (not great) on ABCTV and iview, this offering on Netflix and Fisk season two incoming on the ABC.
Also starring in the reboot, Gemma Chua-Tran as Sasha So, a Chinese-Australian lesbian student, Bryn Chapman-Parish as Spencer “Spider” White, the class clown and all round shit stir, Sherry-Lee Watson as Missy Beckett, Brodie Townsend as Anthony “Ant” Vaughn, Chika Ikogwe as Josephine “Jojo” Obah, Rachel House as Woodsy, Ben Oxenbould as Justin McLean, Harper's dad, Sandy Sharma as Huma Wadia, Amerie's mother while Maggie Dence as Nan, Ca$h's grandmother steals the scene in most scenes she is in.
From the 1994 series there are a few familiar faces, Scott Major as Peter Rivers, Darren's father, Isabella Mistry as Chaka Cardenes, who reprises her role as a Salvadoran-Australian and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor as Kurt Peterson.
Overall I really enjoyed the eight, easy to watch episodes.
Netflix has largely not featured much homegrown content, so it was refreshing to see the international stream go for gold with a local series with heart.
Tackling big issues, like race relations, sexuality, asexuality, bisexuality, teen dating, slut shaming and so much more. Yes it's woke, yes it is ideal world, beautiful people, however it is refreshing to see Australia deliver a less full on Eurphoria high school experience, but more realistic to Home & Away.
Here is hoping for a second season of the Sydney based series.
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