Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1990s Television
    1990s Television Drama Shows H 3 Mins Read

    Heartbreak High

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 9 4 – 1 9 9 9 (Australia)
    210 x episodes

    This teenage drama set in Hartley High School – a (fictional) rough multi-racial inner-city high school in Sydney, Australia – skilfully combined the hip and the gritty (something like an Oz version of Byker Grove).

    The Network Ten series was based on a 1993 movie called The Heartbreak Kid (based on a 1986 stage play of the same name), with Alex Dimitriades reprising his lead film role as Nick, a teen heartthrob from a Greek family who was trying to come to terms with the loss of his mother in a car accident.

    Other major characters were Jodie (Abi Tucker), who came from a broken home and was a talented singer, ambitious to develop a career in the music industry; Rivers (Scott Major) – a disruptive, racist figure among the students; Nick’s car-part selling cousin Con (Salvatore Coco) who provided a comic focus; eye-brow ringed rollerblade bad-boy Drazic (Callan Mulvey); Steve (Corey Page), who found out that he was adopted and set out to find his birth mother; runaway Mai (Nina Liu); Katerina (Ada Nicodemou); and Danielle (Emma Roche) who had an affair with Nick after he broke up from a longer relationship with Jodie.

    Among the teachers, the key characters were Yola Futoush (Doris Younane), the school counsellor who helped the students overcome problems; and Bill Southgate (Tony Martin), a conservative authoritarian figure against whom the students rebelled.

    In the second block of episodes, the cast was joined by Vic (Ernie Dingo), an Aboriginal teacher in media studies. Popular with the students, he taught them about more than the content of the official curriculum.

    Showing teens facing universal problems – sex, love and loss – Heartbreak High took a realistic tone, often interweaving social problems such as racism, teenage pregnancy, alcohol abuse, gay-bashing, and abortion into storylines where plot points could not be neatly wrapped up at the end of each episode.

    After the students graduated, the show continued to follow them, with the school setting switching to focus on the Poulos family and the Shark Pool hangout.

    Heartbreak High did very well in the ratings battle down under, attracting 70% of the youth audience in Australia. The series moved from Channel 10 to the ABC for the last two seasons, and like many Australian TV shows, a strong international audience kept it on air during its last legs.

    Original music for the series was composed by Todd Hunter (sometimes in partnership with Johanna Pigott), best known as a member of the rock group Dragon.

    The series also featured Australian artists, including Baby Animals, Died Pretty, Hoodoo Gurus, and INXS.

    Nick Poulos
    Alex Dimitriades
    Jodie Cooper

    Abi Tucker
    Peter Rivers

    Scott Major
    Costa ‘Con’ Bordino

    Salvatore Coco
    Matt Logan

    Vince Poletto
    Kurt Peterson

    Jeremy Lindsay Taylor
    Bogdan Drazic
    Callan Mulvey
    Anita Scheppers
    Lara Cox
    Danielle Miller
    Emma Roche
    Katerina Ioannou
    Ada Nicodemou
    Ryan Scheppers
    Rel Hunt
    Sam Robinson
    Kym Wilson
    Stella Ioannou
    Peta Toppano
    Vic Morris
    Ernie Dingo
    Maria Costello
    Elaine Lee
    Jeff Scheppers
    Andrew McFarlane
    Phil North
    Peter Phelps
    Suzie Miller
    Belinda Giblin
    Karen Cooper
    Joy Smithers
    Jack Tran
    Tai Nguyen
    Ruby
    Jan Adele

    Related Posts

    • Degrassi High
      Degrassi High
      1 9 8 9 - 1 9 9 1(Canada) 28 x 30 minute episodes This third series in the Degrassi…
    • ABC After School Specials
      ABC After School Specials
      1 9 7 2 - 1 9 9 7 (USA) 60 minute episodes Premiering on 4 October 1972, ABC After School Specials were…
    • Take That
      Take That
      1 9 5 7 - 1 9 5 9 (Australia) 70 x 15 minute episodes Australia’s first TV sitcom and…
    • Lucky Starr
      Lucky Starr
      Australian entertainer Lucky Starr was born Leslie William Morrison on 29 December 1940. His father was a motor mechanic and his…
    • Skirts
      Skirts
      1 9 9 0 (Australia) 40 x 50 minute episodes A short-lived, equality-themed quality police drama from Roger Le Mesurier and…
    • Bananas in Pyjamas
      Bananas in Pyjamas
      1 9 9 2 - 2 0 0 1 (Australia) 304 x 5 minute episodes "Bananas in pyjamas are coming down…
    • Glenview High
      Glenview High
      1 9 7 7 - 1 9 7 8 (Australia) 39 x 60 minute episodes Glenview High was an Australian drama series…
    • Haunted School, The
      Haunted School, The
      1 9 8 6 (Australia/France) 8 x 30 minute episodes This eight-part Australian series revolved around Fanny Crowe (All Creatures Great…

    Australia
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleG.P.
    Next Article Colbys, The

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • Wildside
      Wildside
      1 9 9 7 - 1 9 9 9 (Australia) 60 x 50 minute episodes This ABC drama series went into…
    • Off The Dish
      Off The Dish
      1 9 8 6 (Australia) 30 minute episodes Debuting in January 1986, this kid's afternoon magazine-style TV series was produced by…
    • Dolphin Cove
      Dolphin Cove
      1 9 8 9 (Australia) 8 x 60 minute episodes Michael Larson (Frank Converse) is a research scientist based in Los…
    • Glenview High
      Glenview High
      1 9 7 7 - 1 9 7 8 (Australia) 39 x 60 minute episodes Glenview High was an Australian drama series…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.