What is Heartbreak High?
Heartbreak High is an Australian teen drama franchise set at Hartley High, a school in Sydney. The original series ran from 1994 to 1999, and a Netflix reboot premiered in 2022.
The original series grew out of the 1993 film The Heartbreak Kid. It was praised for showing multicultural, working-class teenagers in Sydney facing realistic issues such as racism, family problems and relationships.
It starred actors including Alex Dimitriades, Callan Mulvey and Abi Tucker, and it was sold to many countries, becoming especially popular in Europe.
Netflix reboot
The 2022 Netflix series follows a new group of students, starting with Amerie, whose friendship falls apart after a scandal at school. It was praised for its diverse cast and frank treatment of sex education and identity.
The reboot won an International Emmy Award and was renewed for further seasons, introducing Hartley High to a new generation of viewers around the world.
Ayesha Madon stars as Amerie, alongside James Majoos, Chloe Hayden, Thomas Weatherall and Asher Yasbincek. The show is filmed in Sydney and uses Australian slang freely, which became part of its appeal for international audiences.
Did You Know?
Chloe Hayden, who plays Quinni, is an autistic actor and advocate whose casting was widely praised.