If you grew up in Australia during the late ’90s, chances are you watched teen drama Heartbreak High, which aired on Network Ten from 1994 to 1996 before moving to the ABC from 1997 onwards. And just as that series, set at fictional Hartley High, was a reimagining of 1993 film The Heartbreak Kid, so too does the new Netflix reboot reinvigorate the premise for an all-new generation of viewers.
While the school’s name and setting – the Sydney is quite a different show. Taking a leaf out of the book of – the Netflix comedy series set in a British high school – the revival of incorporates much more humour, particularly in the performance of Ayesha Madon, who plays social outcast Amerie and whose fall from grace drives much of the action. There is also a focus on gender, sexual identity and mental health issues, with the cast being one of the most diverse ever seen on Australian TV.
