Netflix has partnered with Fermantle Australia to develop a reboot of 1990s teen drama Heartbreak High, according to Deadline. Premiering in 2022, the series will be executive produced by the Dutch production company NewBe’s founder/CEO Jeroen Koopman (High School Girls, Misfit) and Chris Oliver-Taylor (Glitch, Wanted) and Carly Heaton (Secret City, The End) of Fermantle.
According to Deadline, the late Ben Gannon (Head Start, Wildside) created the series as a spinoff of the 1993 film, The Heartbreak Kid, starring Alex Dimitriades (Head On, Ghost Ship) and Claudia Karvan (Love My Way, Daybreakers). The show centered on the lives of students attending the fictional Hartley High in a diverse neighborhood of Sydney. It was praised for tackling more serious topics than similar shows at the time. The series featured a shuffling roster of regulars and guest stars including Sarah Lambert (Lambes of God, Love Child), Katherine Halliday (Heaven’s Burning, Blue Heelers), Salvatore Coco (Bootmen, Underbelly), Scott Major (Neighbours, Scams Incorporated), Corey Page (Dead Man on Campus, The City), Doris Younane (McLeod’s Daughters, Measure for Measure), and Emma Roche (Fully Booked).
According to Deadline, the series also launched the careers of Simon Baker (The Mentalist, The Devil Wears Prada) and Callan Mulvey (Outlaw King, Captain America: The Winter Soldier). The show ran for seven seasons from 1994-1999 on Network Ten.
“The new Heartbreak High is for young people in Australia today to feel seen — showcasing their stories, senses of humor and aesthetics to the world, and reminding everyone that they are much, much cooler than us,” Netflix’s Director of Originals – Australia Que Minh Luu said. “It’s also for the 90s kids, fans of the original series who remember what it’s like to feel understood by a TV show,” Minh Luu stated.
According to Deadline, all 210 episodes of the original series are available to stream on Netflix.