Heartbreak High is an Australian television programme created by Michael Jenkins and Ben Gannon that ran from 1994 to 1996 on Network Ten and 1997 to 1999 on ABC, for seven seasons. It was also partially funded from 1996 by BBC2, with some episodes airing in the UK ahead of their Australian release. The drama has been described as more gritty and fast-paced than many of its contemporaries, and follows the lives of students and staff at a multicultural Sydney high school.
The first five series were set at the fictional Hartley High and filmed in Maroubra Bay High School in Maroubra, New South Wales in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Series six and seven were set at the fictional Hartley Heights, and filmed in Warriewood in the Northern Beaches.
The show is a spin-off of the 1993 Australian feature film The Heartbreak Kid, which also featured Alex Dimitriades, Nico Lathouris, Doris Younane, Scott Major and Katherine Halliday as early versions of their Heartbreak High characters.
In 2020, Netflix produced a reboot, created by Hannah Carroll Chapman, which first aired in September 2022 and ran for three seasons, ending in March 2026. It was filmed in South Sydney Highschool, Maroubra.
Series synopsis Heartbreak High had its origins in the 1987 stage play The Heartbreak Kid, written by Richard Barrett and starring Gia Carides and Arky Michael. The play centred on Papa, a 22-year-old Greek-Australian teacher at an inner city school, who has an affair with her student, Nicky, and explored the restrictiveness of Greek culture, as well as ethnic tensions within Australian society. The play was first performed by the Griffin Theatre Company at the Stables Theatre in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, and adapted into the 1993 film The Heartbreak Kid, directed by Michael Jenkins and filmed in the inner suburb of Prahran, Victoria. Jenkins and producer Ben Gannon developed Heartbreak High as a spin-off of the film, with several cast members reprising their roles, reimagined in a Sydney setting.
The first series, which was initially centred on the Poulos family, consisted of 38 episodes and premiered on Network Ten on 27 February 1994. A second series of 14 episodes premiered on 21 May 1995, and began following a floating timeline, with the students established as being in their last school year and preparing for the HSC, but not sitting for their exams until the beginning of series five (after enduring several cast changes and with nearly two years passing in real time). A third series of 13 episodes premiered on 20 August 1995.
The show was axed after two years on Network Ten; however 26 more episodes were subsequently produced with funding from BBC2. They aired the first thirteen episodes in the UK from 26 March 1996 to 16 June 1996, then thirteen more episodes from 3 September 1996 to 3 December 1996. Network Ten eventually aired these episodes to meet their local drama quota in a late night timeslot from 5 August 1996 to 11 November 1996, splitting the 45-minute episodes into 23-minute parts, allowing two episodes to be aired weekly across four nights (Mondays to Thursdays). Although later (and international) airings of the episodes were screened in full, the show would continue to follow this soap opera formula in Australia when it was subsequently bought and revived by the ABC.
Series five first aired on BBC2 in the UK from 10 December 1996 to 14 October 1997, and in Australia on the ABC from 3 February 1997 to 19 June 1997, a total of 39 episodes. This series had the most significant cast change, with the majority of remaining cast members being phased out of the show within the first six episodes, and the show shifting focus from the Bordino family onto the Scheppers family. A new school year begins from the eighth episode onwards and continues in a floating timeline, with students in their last school year but not sitting for their HSC exams until midway through series seven (with over two years passing in real time).
Series six marked the debut of Hartley Heights, the student's new school location. The first 20 episodes of series six aired on the ABC from 23 June to 28 August 1997. After nearly a year of repeats, 20 more episodes aired from 1 July to 8 September 1998.
The seventh and final series first aired on BBC2 in the UK from 8 December 1998 to 9 November 1999, and in Australia on the ABC from 15 July to 1 December 1999, for a total of 40 episodes. The show was eventually cancelled as selling another series to foreign TV stations proved increasingly difficult. BBC2 had no interest in buying an additional series, due to scheduling delays a backlog of episodes had built up, and the program was forced to wrap up production.
Cast and characters Cast timeline Lighter colours denote recurring guest stars versus series regulars.
Network Ten years (1994–96) Original cast members Alex Dimitriades as Nick Poulos (series 1, episodes 1–38) A popular and athletic 17-year-old Greek-Australian student at Hartley High. He is the central character of the show's first series, which chronicles his relationship struggles with Jodie Cooper, including his family's concerns when the two start having sex, the death of his mother in a car crash, and Jodie's infidelity while she is away on tour in Melbourne. Midway through the series, he cheats on Jodie with Danielle, briefly alienating themselves from their friend group; however, their relationship fizzles out, and he and Jodie get back together. After moving in with his aunt and uncle when his father leaves for Greece, Nick recklessly pursues a boxing career, eventually dying in the ring from a brain aneurysm in episode 38. The character is based on Nick Polides from the 1993 film The Heartbreak Kid, also played by Dimitriades, and Nicky Polidis from the 1987 play of the same name, originally played by Tony Poli. Dimitriades left Heartbreak High over a pay dispute with Network Ten. The writers wanted Nick to exit the show quietly by returning to Greece; however, the network threatened to pull the show off air if the character wasn't killed off in a dramatic fight sequence. Dimitriades later appears in an easter egg in episode 206, when his photograph is shown in a portfolio to Drazic and Marco. Sarah Lambert as Christina Milano (series 1, episodes 1–26) The new English and History teacher at Hartley. Christina is 22-years-old, Italian-Australian and engaged to businessman Marco Rossi. Early into the series, she moves out of her parents’ home into an apartment with Yola, and ends her engagement to Marco. She briefly dates drama teacher Phil North, before meeting Mack Winston, a philanthropist known for his work with underprivileged children in Indonesia. In episode 26, she leaves Hartley to move away with him. The character is partially based on Christina Papadopoulos from The Heartbreak Kid, played by Claudia Karvan, and Papa from the 1987 stage play, originally played by Gia Carides; however, the romance with Nick was dropped for this adaptation. Katherine Halliday as Rosette "Rose" Malouf (series 1–2, episodes 1–49) A Lebanese-Australian student, aspiring lawyer and editor of the school newspaper. Midway through the first series, she develops a crush on her drama teacher Phil North, before becoming romantically involved with Vietnamese student Jack. Her father Frank disapproves of their relationship, and briefly kicks her out of the house when she falls pregnant with Jack's baby. Towards the end of the first series, Rose gives birth prematurely at school to a daughter, Tess. In series two, Rose briefly dates Con, before accepting Jack's marriage proposal and transferring to his school in episode 49. Halliday previously appeared as Maria in The Heartbreak Kid. Salvatore Coco as Costa "Con" Bordino (series 1–4, episodes 1–71, guest star in series 5, episode 94) Nick's cousin and best friend. Born to a Greek mother and Italian father, Con is a popular and charismatic student, usually seen driving a convertible or on his mobile phone making business deals. He becomes Jodie's manager, and early episodes of the series focus on his struggles to kickstart her music career. Later, he becomes co-owner and manager of The Shark Pool, the group's primary hangout, and hires many of his school friends to work for him. Con initially harbours a crush on Chaka, before dating Greta Stewart, an older television executive, and having a fling with Lucy's mother Jacqui. In subsequent seasons, he becomes romantically involved with Rose and Katerina. Con leaves Hartley for a student exchange program in Santa Monica, California in episode 71. He returns in episode 94, revealing that he has dropped out of school to enter the real estate business, and married Stephanie, the daughter of his American boss. Con is based on the character of the same name from The Heartbreak Kid, played by Fonda Goniadis, and the 1987 stage play, originally played by Arky Michael. Emma Roche as Danielle Miller (series 1–4, episodes 1–91) The only girl on Hartley's soccer team and Rose's best friend. She has been in a relationship with Steve for 18 months, they break up midway through the first series after she cheats on him with Nick. Her family life is the focus of several episodes, including when her 15-year-old sister gets pregnant and has to have an abortion, and her mother's brief relationship with Southgate after divorcing her father. In series three, she and Steve eventually reconcile, and she is devastated by his accidental death in series four. Danielle develops an addiction to amphetamines, and is briefly expelled from the school before breaking the habit. She then becomes romantically involved with Declan. Danielle develops a passion for journalism after taking Vic Morris' media class, and in several episodes considers leaving school to pursue a career as a television reporter. She eventually leaves Hartley in episode 91, just weeks before her HSC exams, to accept a job at a community television station in Wollongong. Corey Page as Steve Wiley (series 1–3, episodes 1–65) A rugby player on Southgate's team and Danielle's boyfriend, who he breaks up with midway through the first series. When he is abandoned by his parents during their divorce, Steve discovers he's adopted, and after a brief period of homelessness, moves into the warehouse with Jodie and Rivers. Later, he begins dating Lucy, a wealthy student from another school, before reconciling with Danielle. After taking Vic Morris' media class, Steve develops an interest in photography. While taking photographs at the beach, Steve accidentally falls off a cliff and dies. His body is found by police in episode 66, devastating his friends. Steve is based on the sole Anglo-Australian character of the same name in the 1987 stage play The Heartbreak Kid, originally played by Franco Serafin. Page left Heartbreak High to pursue his acting career in Los Angeles after it was axed by Network Ten. He was unavailable to film his final scenes when the show was picked up by BBC2, so his character is killed offscreen. Doris Younane as Yola Fatoush (series 1–2, episodes 1–52) Hartley's guidance counsellor and substitute English and History teacher. Yola is 30-years-old and Lebanese-Australian, portrayed as being very modern and open-minded, easily assimilated into Australian culture. She shares Christina and Graham's progressive views, which occasionally puts them at odds with the more conservative Southgate. Early into the series, Christina moves into her apartment, and the two briefly fall out when Yola becomes involved with Marty, a married man. In series two, Yola becomes romantically involved with Senior Constable Joe Lawrence, eventually falling pregnant to him. Later, she is devastated when he is shot to death, bringing her closer to Southgate. In episode 52, Southgate offers her a position at a school in rural Yanderra, and the two are seen kissing as they drive away from Hartley.