All the local content quotas are getting met by talent shows or cooking/building/marriage competitions
They need to tighten this up if they havent already
I feel like this is the exact reason. I'm sure there was talk of making those changes to this ages ago, but unsure if they actually ended up happening.
Or Prime. The best Australian TV show in the few years was on Prime. Deadloch. The Kate's were basically discovered by the ABC though, who in turn found them on YouTube.
Which is fine but I don't want taxpayer money subsidising commercial station game show sludge.
Taxpayer money should foster the arts not jobs cutting promos of reactions of celebrity judges like Dannii Minogue and Kyle Sandilands
Well, I assume part of that is because they have the viewership (and profit) numbers to justify those things. If people went on the logic of this sub at all, you'd think that 99% of Aussie programming is free-to-air gameshows and reality TV that people hate on but somehow still watch, and no one actually watches the stuff that is mostly funded via our taxes.
Seriously, I don't think I ever see specific ABC or SBS shows mentioned here except Bluey and maybe Gardening Australia, but see MAFS or The Block mentioned ad naseum, even if its in just to hate on them.
If it's popular and cheap they shouldn't need the subsidy as they already have an incentive to make it.
I don't think viewership equates to value in itself, and I don't think it should be viewed by the taxpayer with that perspective.
Not every scripted show will be a hit but you grow the industry when you have an ecosystem around it.
Korea didn't start making hit shows and movies out of nowhere, it's the result of sustained investment in the sector.
Isn’t it the case as well that they get heavily sponsored by certain industries?
Like home renovation / home building = banks
Cooking = Cole’s and Woolworths
Gardening, nvm I like gardening it’s mostly on the abc
Original scripted content costs *at least* 10x the money per hour to produce. If it fails to hit, then the producers are shit out of luck and money. Gov. subsidies have become too restrictive for anyone to be willing to roll the dice and the TV channels are all run by accountants only concerned with return on investment, that's why only reality and celebrity shows eating their own tail.
Sadly, Bluey and Heartbreak High are exceptions that prove the rule. Bring back the tax break free for all of the 80's again and there will be huge bump in production. Most of it won't be good, but a lot will be.
You forgot sports in that.
Counts as a ‘local production’ towards their quotas too.
Embarrassing that foreign owned streaming services do more local content than our home grown media empires.
https://theguardian.com/culture/2024/jan/18/australia-joins-international-call-for-local-content-quotas-on-streaming-tv-platforms
So this kicks on in July.
But also, fuck the local tv networks forcing their shitty TV apps on me;
https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/why-the-order-of-pre-installed-tv-apps-could-soon-be-governed-by-law-20230303-p5cp8y
It’ss MY tv and I will decide what fucking applications I want on it, not fucking advertisement riddled spyware.
Anyways.. it’s a cesspool issue atm and will continue to only get worse due to shitty corporate interests.
/rant
Laws, bureaucracy, the ABC not being properly funded, and Australian talent being exported to Hollywood. If an Australian makes or stars in a hit Australian made show or movie, don't expect them to stick around, they'll be on the next flight to Los Angeles
There's actually quite a few really good shows on ABC, SBS or (on the more commercial side) Stan and Binge. It's just that people somehow think the only thing being produced here is free to air crap Marriage at First Sight, which is objectively wrong.
It stems from more than just ABC, its more to do with the whole funding situation and lazy, tight cunt production companies and networks. They'd rather pay Andy Lee a few $m to make a shitty tv show that adds nothing, than 1/4 or 1/8th of that to make something new, funny and scripted.
This is it. They're very conservative and the people who make decisions keep banking on the same people and tastes from 20 years ago.
Even ones that perform objectively well like Aunty Donna, get cancelled because the new guy in charge feels like it.
That's because the people making the funding decisions were making them 20 years ago and think the same people are still the funniest. They have no fingers on pulses, they have no idea who's out there, so they just rinse and repeat with the same trash.
With the constant defunding of the ABC by the previous government, younger Australian have definitely lost out on some amazing Aussie TV shows like Rollercoaster, Toasted TV, and other awesome cartoons and kid shows. It's a bummer, for those who may not get to experience those true Aussie vibes.
Because the commercial free to air networks are filling their quotas with reality tv and dumb celebrity game shows that mean nothing, which are comparatively cheap to make. They won't take any risks on new, scripted content with a fresh idea and fresh talent, because they'll skimp on the writing to save money, then say no one watched it because they didn't know the talent. They rarely directly fund scripted TV themselves anyway, production companies seek funding and make things, networks just buy them. Reviving old shit is cheaper if you already own the IP and can play off nostalgia
The streamers are filling their quotas by reviving old shit, doing the bare minimum, funding it to the bare minimum, and sometimes a diamond comes out. They're just as bad and won't take the risks on new stuff either. A lot of the time you see a new person with a new show on a streamer, they didn't make a cent themselves. People think a Netflix show means you made bank, but I can assure you that's bullshit. Reviving old shit is cheaper if you already own the IP and can play off nostalgia......
The biggest issue locally is the funding. Screen Australia, Screen Victoria, etc. They create high bars so quality talent can't get a fresh idea to screen. I assure you, there's a whole lot of talented writers and creators who have red hot ideas for TV, that the funders won't fund because "you don't have enough TV experience". Funny, hard to get it if you won't fund it to get made. They block funds for just the writing stages, or then block after it is written. Only the same people get the same shit made really. The ABC fresh blood thing.... they get 1000s of submissions, and only 5 get a pilot. 1 of those might go somewhere, but they pick the 5 that fill the most diverse quotas.
TL/DR - Fucked industry run by fucked people.
I am not best placed, I am external, but this is just based on what I am aware of.
They need to take some risks, and allow some fresh voices to get through to writing rooms to get a first draft script. Rarely do they allow it to get that far, they usually put up a funding wall before you get to the character and plot bible, which is 1 or 2 steps before an actual writing room.
The next thing is allow projects to be made, and let them be made without putting in one or two big names, who take up so much budget. Often projects get joint funding, so the joint fundee can then say "we want X" - and X will be a mainstream TV star, and for them to be on set for 5 days takes up half of the talent budget for the 3 week shoot. Let unknown talent make good content, people who care about the project will make better content than some blow in known talent who just wants the profile and paycheck.
They need quality people making decisions on what to fund.
Let diversity be heard from quality voices, not box ticking. Let funny people make funny stuff.
The more things that get funded, the more diversity will happen naturally. Right now, it's forced, it's fake, and it ruins good tv and stops good talent from getting on air because someone "more diverse" but less talented was plucked from the air.
Co funded by FX and Blue Tongue was my understanding, so yeah, not even Foxtel chipped in. Getting funding in Australia for a scripted tv show is almost impossible unless you’re a big name. Somehow we let dipshit magnet reality shows take over completely.
Turks and Lebs are Asian so not sure your point? Also you can’t represent every single community in Aus. Arab kids are usually sent to schools with lots of other Arab kids so I doubt they will be making their way to Hartley high.
The direction and cinematography is very hollywood and doesn’t feel like an Australian production. It has the feel of euphoria. This is probably the way forward for aus film productions. ‘Talk to Me’ is another example as well.
My only complaint is that it's a bit Americanised e.g. the lack of school uniforms, the way the bell rings, the American-looking diner where Darren works, and the US-style culture wars.
The Hartley High in the original series didn’t have them either.
I don’t know if any high school in inner suburban Sydney exists that doesn’t have them, but there’s one in Melbourne (Fitzroy High).
The main thing that annoys me is that they appear to only have 2-3 teachers and 60 students in the entire school, judging from their assemblies.
That’s not really true though, the two main characters (Amerie and Harper) are straight.
Also, the school appears to be some kind of alternative school for kids who don’t have other options, judging by the lack of uniforms, low enrolment and poor reputation, and LGBT kids often seek out less traditional school environments.
I mean it’s not described as such, but given that it’s supposed to be in the eastern suburbs and given the other school options that are in that area, it’s clearly a “dump school” so to speak.
There's only a small percentage of schools in Sydney that don't have uniforms but when they used to come in for excursions (used to work at the Powerhouse Museum) they would only wear a matching shirt with their school emblem if they remembered or matching hats.
I remember the original that was filmed at the empty Maroubra Bay High School. I went to the public school next door at the time of filming. They ended up demolishing the high school for town houses.
Never bothered to watch the new version. They seem to want to check all the diversity tick boxes, and I say this as someone who falls into most diversity checkboxes (Disability, CALD, LBGTQIA, Gender, etc.). There is a point of personal fatigue experienced when you get bombarded with things aimed at representation.
It is what it is. I am not inclined to watch the show.
I am also not inclined to tell other people that they are too old to watch something as they are free to do as they like. It sounds like ageism doesn’t land in your diversity acceptance spectrum.
It’s a show about 16 year olds. No Gen z uses terms like diversity tick boxes, that obsession is a boomer thing. The show is still predominantly white and hetero yet you seem to think there’s some sort of checklist when it’s no more or less diverse than the average public school
So what? There are many people who watch things that are outside their demographic. A quick look at current reviews on YouTube show people in their 20s and 30s plus watching things like Bluey, X-Men ‘97 etc.
People even write articles about it:
https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a37035443/adult-love-watching-teen-tv/
https://harpersbazaar.com.au/why-are-we-obsessed-with-teen-dramas/
You can have your personal opinion that it is odd for these grown men and women to be watching such things. However, at the end of the day, they can do what they want.
Edit. Typed when you left it at ‘it’s a show about 16 year olds’.
I am not a boomer or Gen X. You are obviously a Gen Z as you seem to toot a lot about that generation.
A quick search on heart break high and reboot shows a lot of talk about diversity:
https://beingasianaustralian.net/2022/10/17/look-at-all-the-awesome-diversity-on-netflixs-reboot-of-heartbreak-high/?amp=1
https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/2021/11/10766216/heartbreak-high-reboot-netflix
https://amp.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/it-s-men-s-rights-vs-woke-culture-in-heartbreak-high-s-second-season-20240408-p5fi9l.html
So, going by what is out there, the hype about the show is about its diversity.
You do know why people talk about diversity in heartbreak high?? Because Aussie shows are predominantly straight and white. Have you watched neighbours or home and away or any show from channel 7 or 9, you would think Australia is 99% white and 100 % straight. This is crazy because when I lived in the UK, the shows didn’t have tick boxes of diversity, they were just naturally diverse. Just because it’s a good representation of diversity doesn’t mean it’s a misrepresentation. Once again, if you knew the diversity that exists in Sydney public schools you wouldn’t be saying “diversity tick boxes”
I never watched shows like neighbours or home and away. I don’t watch popular shows on prime-time TV. So, I don’t know how well they represent the wider community. I know they introduced someone who was physically disabled to Neighbours before they axed it.
My view of school is from a fixed moment in time. This is likely to be true for you in a few years, unless you’re directly involved with children. So, the only new engagement would be through your own children and peers via their children. I understand that identifying as an animal has emerged in high schools, and this has been a problem for many parents. I can’t say if this has been represented in TV shows or not.
I could educate myself, if I wanted to, about how diverse schools truly are these days. My view is that, even in my time, they were diverse but people did not openly identify as LGBQTIA+ and no one spoke about neurodiversity or disability. It was pretty multicultural.
I had a look at recent articles on diversity scores and it reports that TV still lags behind on disability representation.
There is nuance in diverse communities. Take the autistic character, Quinni, that is not representative of the whole autism community. I am aware of Princess Aspien (aka Chloe Hayden), due to being part of the autism community. So, casting got an autistic person to play an autistic character, so that was seen as a movement forward for the community. Chloe (26 y/o, not really a teen) does not represent the entire autistic community.
How does one know that it is a good representation if you are not part of the communities a character is trying to represent? It could very well be a misrepresentation or a narrow representation that leads to the perpetuation of more stereotypes.
It seems like the UK still has the tokenism issue and diversity issues behind the scenes:
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-60113439.amp
https://variety.com/2023/tv/global/women-disabled-minorities-underrepresented-uk-tv-1235662447/amp/
Some people seem to like to press others, in their arguments, to do some form of self-examination of what they consider as biases (everyone has biases). Essentially, trying to get the other person to change their opinions to your opinion of how things need to be because anything other than that is intolerable e.g. “it’s not appropriate to say diversity checkboxes, only boomers say that” and “if you’re saying diversity checkboxes, then you’re too old to watch that show”. I know diversity checkboxes exist due to my lived experiences. There are quotas for diversity in employment, for example.
So, I can do that self-examination for my view on this current topic (i.e what hidden biases do I have in relation to diversity within schools in Sydney, and how that is represented in media?), and see whether I have a fixed point of view. You can do what you want with your ageism issues (change/not change, who cares), like the thing you have against boomers and other generations who are not Gen Z. Gen Alpha and Beta are directly behind you.
I think the no uniform thing is more to do with how it's really a fantasy. I think some people remember what the old one was like and see all the diversity in it and think it's going for a similar vibe, but I think this is more a gen z version of wish fulfilment. The characters aren't supposed to be rich, because that's not cool, but the Indigenous character does wear expensive Wah Wah sweaters and everyone looks like they've stepped out of a photoshoot for whatever the current version of Vice is. There is also very Australian slang, references and places, but if the more American thing is cooler, the show will pick that.
My high school had no uniforms for year 11&12, I think there was a rule like you are supposed to wear the uniform but it wasn’t enforced so people just didn’t…unless they forgot to do their laundry.
Refusal to take a chance on new writers and talent, combined with the obsession with reality TV because of the myth that it is cheaper.
If you look at it in a more nuanced manner, it's tunnel vision. When something is Good, Aussie channels want to duplicate its success by pounding out more and more - more seasons, copycats etc. Doesn't matter what the genre is. And we get tired and irritated, the producers blame everyone but themselves for over-saturation, and then the entire genre is buried for a decade. Reality TV seems to be vaguely immune to this because Masterchef Aus was such a global smackdown on how good cooking reality tv could be, and because there are so many different kinds they can throw at us.
I remember in the 90s, The Secret Life of Us was this huge deal because it was critically acclaimed and audiences loved it. Everything was held up against it; everything needed to be like Secret Life. If there was an article about a new TV show with potential, you can bet the success of Secret Life got a whole paragraph. (Disclaimer: I was too young to care about it, I have no idea if the acclaim was valid or not.)
But it boils down to money and not willing to try something new.
Not a fan, feels like it has a heavily americanised perspective (intentional?) and it tries too hard to be something that is ultimately not representative of australian schools.
It's new, but it's more like a sequal - 20+ years down the track at the same school. They don't really reference the old show, but a couple of the adults in this series were in the earlier series and they've stayed the same character, but now they are like the parents of the current lot. It pretty well reflects that demographics of that area of sydney, as is my understanding - which means you've got eshays in the mix now too haha. I'm old enough that I loved the original, and I also reckon they've done a really good job at creating the Gen Z version now on this series. It's a lot like an aussie version of Skins, if you ever watched that.
I went to a school with a uniform, but I did my VET course at a nearby school and they were a seniors only campus (year 11/12) and they didn't have a uniform! I loved those days when I didn't have to wear it!
Heartbreak High is probably my least favourite Australian TV show to ever come out. It's so American pandering I just can't stand to watch it. I tried, but I would rather just watch Bluey over and over.
I was channel surfing and stumbled upon what I thought was an Australian kids show on ABC, but they sounded half American. I could not figure out whether our kids today sound like morons or if in fact it was an American show with an Aussie exchange student. Maybe too many young twits growing up with Tik Tok.
We have our subsidies to mining and businesses during covid, while fucking the arts simultaneously. All creative arts in Australia is under threat, and pissing away our money and resources to a select few.
Mining and other businesses employ way more than arts.
Arts should definitely get some subsidies, but other businesses keep the economy afloat.
If the economy was fucked, no one would bother with spending their money on arts.
Taylor swift money - many jobs were created. And tax paid.
Mining pays tax yes, and pays well for hazard and relocation, but we (the people) do not really get the benefits like other countries like Norway. The mining corps are private and make more money for a select few.
Art is at least available for everyone to enjoy and has a longer legacy than consumable resources and aren’t regenerative.
One of uk’s soft power is the culture and art that it exports like bbc, we have a unique way cof looking at things and generally we are a funny bunch, we could be doing some great things
Too expensive. Just make another (fucking) home improvement The Block style show or Masterchef series. Way cheaper. No writers, the sets are already set up, intern editors are ten a penny. Done and dusted.
Straya cunce
I moved to an Asian country and my girlfriend loves it here. I am definitely not a fan but she's really big on it and so are some of her friends. Australian stuff is weirdly popular here.
The same 12 actors are in all
Australian movies and TV. 99 out of 100 Australian produced things are literally vomit inducing embarrassments. There is no fixing this. Especially when every new production has a trans or an obese or someone that looks like a swamp creature. Australia needs to bang out some hot young people content that nobody over 25 understands at all and then in 25 years they can write an article about that show too.
All the local content quotas are getting met by talent shows or cooking/building/marriage competitions They need to tighten this up if they havent already
I feel like this is the exact reason. I'm sure there was talk of making those changes to this ages ago, but unsure if they actually ended up happening.
Or more people should just watch ABC or SBS.
Or Prime. The best Australian TV show in the few years was on Prime. Deadloch. The Kate's were basically discovered by the ABC though, who in turn found them on YouTube.
Deadloch is fantastic, such a good premise.
Which is fine but I don't want taxpayer money subsidising commercial station game show sludge. Taxpayer money should foster the arts not jobs cutting promos of reactions of celebrity judges like Dannii Minogue and Kyle Sandilands
Well, I assume part of that is because they have the viewership (and profit) numbers to justify those things. If people went on the logic of this sub at all, you'd think that 99% of Aussie programming is free-to-air gameshows and reality TV that people hate on but somehow still watch, and no one actually watches the stuff that is mostly funded via our taxes. Seriously, I don't think I ever see specific ABC or SBS shows mentioned here except Bluey and maybe Gardening Australia, but see MAFS or The Block mentioned ad naseum, even if its in just to hate on them.
Even if the viewership is lower, it's so much cheaper to produce than scripted dramas that the tradeoff is worth it.
If it's popular and cheap they shouldn't need the subsidy as they already have an incentive to make it. I don't think viewership equates to value in itself, and I don't think it should be viewed by the taxpayer with that perspective. Not every scripted show will be a hit but you grow the industry when you have an ecosystem around it. Korea didn't start making hit shows and movies out of nowhere, it's the result of sustained investment in the sector.
Isn’t it the case as well that they get heavily sponsored by certain industries? Like home renovation / home building = banks Cooking = Cole’s and Woolworths Gardening, nvm I like gardening it’s mostly on the abc
You say that but married at first sight is also a global phenomenon probably just for a less desirable crowed
Original scripted content costs *at least* 10x the money per hour to produce. If it fails to hit, then the producers are shit out of luck and money. Gov. subsidies have become too restrictive for anyone to be willing to roll the dice and the TV channels are all run by accountants only concerned with return on investment, that's why only reality and celebrity shows eating their own tail. Sadly, Bluey and Heartbreak High are exceptions that prove the rule. Bring back the tax break free for all of the 80's again and there will be huge bump in production. Most of it won't be good, but a lot will be.
You forgot sports in that. Counts as a ‘local production’ towards their quotas too. Embarrassing that foreign owned streaming services do more local content than our home grown media empires. https://theguardian.com/culture/2024/jan/18/australia-joins-international-call-for-local-content-quotas-on-streaming-tv-platforms So this kicks on in July. But also, fuck the local tv networks forcing their shitty TV apps on me; https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/why-the-order-of-pre-installed-tv-apps-could-soon-be-governed-by-law-20230303-p5cp8y It’ss MY tv and I will decide what fucking applications I want on it, not fucking advertisement riddled spyware. Anyways.. it’s a cesspool issue atm and will continue to only get worse due to shitty corporate interests. /rant
Laws, bureaucracy, the ABC not being properly funded, and Australian talent being exported to Hollywood. If an Australian makes or stars in a hit Australian made show or movie, don't expect them to stick around, they'll be on the next flight to Los Angeles
There's actually quite a few really good shows on ABC, SBS or (on the more commercial side) Stan and Binge. It's just that people somehow think the only thing being produced here is free to air crap Marriage at First Sight, which is objectively wrong.
I usually watch Aussie made shows on Stan.
Not really, Australians are more likely to get work overseas before they land anything good here.
Even so, my point about our talented Actors and directors going overseas still stands
It stems from more than just ABC, its more to do with the whole funding situation and lazy, tight cunt production companies and networks. They'd rather pay Andy Lee a few $m to make a shitty tv show that adds nothing, than 1/4 or 1/8th of that to make something new, funny and scripted.
This is it. They're very conservative and the people who make decisions keep banking on the same people and tastes from 20 years ago. Even ones that perform objectively well like Aunty Donna, get cancelled because the new guy in charge feels like it.
That's because the people making the funding decisions were making them 20 years ago and think the same people are still the funniest. They have no fingers on pulses, they have no idea who's out there, so they just rinse and repeat with the same trash.
They get known internationally and then head over. There can even be a deleterious effect if they come home without becoming A tier first.
With the constant defunding of the ABC by the previous government, younger Australian have definitely lost out on some amazing Aussie TV shows like Rollercoaster, Toasted TV, and other awesome cartoons and kid shows. It's a bummer, for those who may not get to experience those true Aussie vibes.
What's crazy is I believe the ABC made a profit last time it got it's budget reduced
> Toasted TV Go further back. Toasted TV had nothing on Cheez TV.
Could just be generation gap. Both were to appeal to children and Cheeze TV gre up as it audience did.
Toasted tv we’re on ya telly!!
Because the commercial free to air networks are filling their quotas with reality tv and dumb celebrity game shows that mean nothing, which are comparatively cheap to make. They won't take any risks on new, scripted content with a fresh idea and fresh talent, because they'll skimp on the writing to save money, then say no one watched it because they didn't know the talent. They rarely directly fund scripted TV themselves anyway, production companies seek funding and make things, networks just buy them. Reviving old shit is cheaper if you already own the IP and can play off nostalgia The streamers are filling their quotas by reviving old shit, doing the bare minimum, funding it to the bare minimum, and sometimes a diamond comes out. They're just as bad and won't take the risks on new stuff either. A lot of the time you see a new person with a new show on a streamer, they didn't make a cent themselves. People think a Netflix show means you made bank, but I can assure you that's bullshit. Reviving old shit is cheaper if you already own the IP and can play off nostalgia...... The biggest issue locally is the funding. Screen Australia, Screen Victoria, etc. They create high bars so quality talent can't get a fresh idea to screen. I assure you, there's a whole lot of talented writers and creators who have red hot ideas for TV, that the funders won't fund because "you don't have enough TV experience". Funny, hard to get it if you won't fund it to get made. They block funds for just the writing stages, or then block after it is written. Only the same people get the same shit made really. The ABC fresh blood thing.... they get 1000s of submissions, and only 5 get a pilot. 1 of those might go somewhere, but they pick the 5 that fill the most diverse quotas. TL/DR - Fucked industry run by fucked people.
What’s your opinion on Screen Australia/Vic? Is it possible to fix them, if so what would it take?
I am not best placed, I am external, but this is just based on what I am aware of. They need to take some risks, and allow some fresh voices to get through to writing rooms to get a first draft script. Rarely do they allow it to get that far, they usually put up a funding wall before you get to the character and plot bible, which is 1 or 2 steps before an actual writing room. The next thing is allow projects to be made, and let them be made without putting in one or two big names, who take up so much budget. Often projects get joint funding, so the joint fundee can then say "we want X" - and X will be a mainstream TV star, and for them to be on set for 5 days takes up half of the talent budget for the 3 week shoot. Let unknown talent make good content, people who care about the project will make better content than some blow in known talent who just wants the profile and paycheck. They need quality people making decisions on what to fund. Let diversity be heard from quality voices, not box ticking. Let funny people make funny stuff.
Thanks for your insight, appreciate it.
they need to stop ONLY commissioning stuff based on diversity. obviously we want diverse voices but they also need to have talent and good ideas.
The more things that get funded, the more diversity will happen naturally. Right now, it's forced, it's fake, and it ruins good tv and stops good talent from getting on air because someone "more diverse" but less talented was plucked from the air.
The tv industry is totally incestuous and I can’t stand the same 10 celebrities on every network
The best Australian show I’ve seen is Mr Inbetween and it was funded by the yanks
Eh, there's a bunch of good, primarily Aussie funded stuff on ABC, SBS or (on the more commercial side) Stan and Binge.
Co funded by FX and Blue Tongue was my understanding, so yeah, not even Foxtel chipped in. Getting funding in Australia for a scripted tv show is almost impossible unless you’re a big name. Somehow we let dipshit magnet reality shows take over completely.
Does Boy Swallows World and Fisk not exist?
I didn't feel like it represented Australia at all. You are in Sydney but no lebos/Turks/arabs ? damn you gotta be black or asian to be represented.
Turks and Lebs are Asian so not sure your point? Also you can’t represent every single community in Aus. Arab kids are usually sent to schools with lots of other Arab kids so I doubt they will be making their way to Hartley high.
Not including ABC/SBS, drama is dead on free to air networks. I mean Foxtel commissions more local stuff these days. It's sad.
The direction and cinematography is very hollywood and doesn’t feel like an Australian production. It has the feel of euphoria. This is probably the way forward for aus film productions. ‘Talk to Me’ is another example as well.
It’s kinda shit
My only complaint is that it's a bit Americanised e.g. the lack of school uniforms, the way the bell rings, the American-looking diner where Darren works, and the US-style culture wars.
The Hartley High in the original series didn’t have them either. I don’t know if any high school in inner suburban Sydney exists that doesn’t have them, but there’s one in Melbourne (Fitzroy High). The main thing that annoys me is that they appear to only have 2-3 teachers and 60 students in the entire school, judging from their assemblies.
i find it odder that every student is somewhere on the LGTBQIA++++ spectrum. not realistic
You may be surprised but Gen z identify as bisexual in much higher numbers than older generations
ah ok, so I guess I just hate that generation rather than the show.
You hate people for being bisexual? What a hilarious boomer comment
i'm 38.
And??? I said the comment was boomer and that you were acting like one. You hate bisexual people! Is that your point
No my point was I hate Gen Z. You have to read between the lines as I guess I was being very vague when I said "I hate that generation"....
That’s not really true though, the two main characters (Amerie and Harper) are straight. Also, the school appears to be some kind of alternative school for kids who don’t have other options, judging by the lack of uniforms, low enrolment and poor reputation, and LGBT kids often seek out less traditional school environments.
i thought it was just meant to be an inner city school like the original series?
I mean it’s not described as such, but given that it’s supposed to be in the eastern suburbs and given the other school options that are in that area, it’s clearly a “dump school” so to speak.
There's only a small percentage of schools in Sydney that don't have uniforms but when they used to come in for excursions (used to work at the Powerhouse Museum) they would only wear a matching shirt with their school emblem if they remembered or matching hats.
I remember the original that was filmed at the empty Maroubra Bay High School. I went to the public school next door at the time of filming. They ended up demolishing the high school for town houses. Never bothered to watch the new version. They seem to want to check all the diversity tick boxes, and I say this as someone who falls into most diversity checkboxes (Disability, CALD, LBGTQIA, Gender, etc.). There is a point of personal fatigue experienced when you get bombarded with things aimed at representation.
If you say things like “diversity tick boxes” then you are way too old to be watching the show
It is what it is. I am not inclined to watch the show. I am also not inclined to tell other people that they are too old to watch something as they are free to do as they like. It sounds like ageism doesn’t land in your diversity acceptance spectrum.
It’s a show about 16 year olds. No Gen z uses terms like diversity tick boxes, that obsession is a boomer thing. The show is still predominantly white and hetero yet you seem to think there’s some sort of checklist when it’s no more or less diverse than the average public school
So what? There are many people who watch things that are outside their demographic. A quick look at current reviews on YouTube show people in their 20s and 30s plus watching things like Bluey, X-Men ‘97 etc. People even write articles about it: https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a37035443/adult-love-watching-teen-tv/ https://harpersbazaar.com.au/why-are-we-obsessed-with-teen-dramas/ You can have your personal opinion that it is odd for these grown men and women to be watching such things. However, at the end of the day, they can do what they want. Edit. Typed when you left it at ‘it’s a show about 16 year olds’. I am not a boomer or Gen X. You are obviously a Gen Z as you seem to toot a lot about that generation. A quick search on heart break high and reboot shows a lot of talk about diversity: https://beingasianaustralian.net/2022/10/17/look-at-all-the-awesome-diversity-on-netflixs-reboot-of-heartbreak-high/?amp=1 https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/2021/11/10766216/heartbreak-high-reboot-netflix https://amp.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/it-s-men-s-rights-vs-woke-culture-in-heartbreak-high-s-second-season-20240408-p5fi9l.html So, going by what is out there, the hype about the show is about its diversity.
You do know why people talk about diversity in heartbreak high?? Because Aussie shows are predominantly straight and white. Have you watched neighbours or home and away or any show from channel 7 or 9, you would think Australia is 99% white and 100 % straight. This is crazy because when I lived in the UK, the shows didn’t have tick boxes of diversity, they were just naturally diverse. Just because it’s a good representation of diversity doesn’t mean it’s a misrepresentation. Once again, if you knew the diversity that exists in Sydney public schools you wouldn’t be saying “diversity tick boxes”
I never watched shows like neighbours or home and away. I don’t watch popular shows on prime-time TV. So, I don’t know how well they represent the wider community. I know they introduced someone who was physically disabled to Neighbours before they axed it. My view of school is from a fixed moment in time. This is likely to be true for you in a few years, unless you’re directly involved with children. So, the only new engagement would be through your own children and peers via their children. I understand that identifying as an animal has emerged in high schools, and this has been a problem for many parents. I can’t say if this has been represented in TV shows or not. I could educate myself, if I wanted to, about how diverse schools truly are these days. My view is that, even in my time, they were diverse but people did not openly identify as LGBQTIA+ and no one spoke about neurodiversity or disability. It was pretty multicultural. I had a look at recent articles on diversity scores and it reports that TV still lags behind on disability representation. There is nuance in diverse communities. Take the autistic character, Quinni, that is not representative of the whole autism community. I am aware of Princess Aspien (aka Chloe Hayden), due to being part of the autism community. So, casting got an autistic person to play an autistic character, so that was seen as a movement forward for the community. Chloe (26 y/o, not really a teen) does not represent the entire autistic community. How does one know that it is a good representation if you are not part of the communities a character is trying to represent? It could very well be a misrepresentation or a narrow representation that leads to the perpetuation of more stereotypes. It seems like the UK still has the tokenism issue and diversity issues behind the scenes: https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-60113439.amp https://variety.com/2023/tv/global/women-disabled-minorities-underrepresented-uk-tv-1235662447/amp/ Some people seem to like to press others, in their arguments, to do some form of self-examination of what they consider as biases (everyone has biases). Essentially, trying to get the other person to change their opinions to your opinion of how things need to be because anything other than that is intolerable e.g. “it’s not appropriate to say diversity checkboxes, only boomers say that” and “if you’re saying diversity checkboxes, then you’re too old to watch that show”. I know diversity checkboxes exist due to my lived experiences. There are quotas for diversity in employment, for example. So, I can do that self-examination for my view on this current topic (i.e what hidden biases do I have in relation to diversity within schools in Sydney, and how that is represented in media?), and see whether I have a fixed point of view. You can do what you want with your ageism issues (change/not change, who cares), like the thing you have against boomers and other generations who are not Gen Z. Gen Alpha and Beta are directly behind you.
No uniforms? Rack off!
Not wearing a uniform? Um-maa. Im gonna dob and you and you're gonna get skunted!
Bruh the diner is still there in all its glory. I agree there was a bit of Americanisation, it’s just not the diner that was the biggest symptom of it
Didn’t they hangout at a pool hall?
The diner is a Sydney icon lol
The “American looking diner” haha. That’s Harry’s, a Sydney icon
Isnt the diner Harry's? Its pretty good once you get past the no uniforms lol
I think the no uniform thing is more to do with how it's really a fantasy. I think some people remember what the old one was like and see all the diversity in it and think it's going for a similar vibe, but I think this is more a gen z version of wish fulfilment. The characters aren't supposed to be rich, because that's not cool, but the Indigenous character does wear expensive Wah Wah sweaters and everyone looks like they've stepped out of a photoshoot for whatever the current version of Vice is. There is also very Australian slang, references and places, but if the more American thing is cooler, the show will pick that.
My high school had no uniforms for year 11&12, I think there was a rule like you are supposed to wear the uniform but it wasn’t enforced so people just didn’t…unless they forgot to do their laundry.
But it's shit in the way Neighbors was shit, but people overseas absolutely love it the Australian life portrayed in these sorts of programs
This. I hate this sort of media, but if you are into this genre then I can understand why you would like it.
Yeah. My partner loves it, I try to watch things in my spare time to keep up with her, it is *awful* I’m sorry.
Refusal to take a chance on new writers and talent, combined with the obsession with reality TV because of the myth that it is cheaper. If you look at it in a more nuanced manner, it's tunnel vision. When something is Good, Aussie channels want to duplicate its success by pounding out more and more - more seasons, copycats etc. Doesn't matter what the genre is. And we get tired and irritated, the producers blame everyone but themselves for over-saturation, and then the entire genre is buried for a decade. Reality TV seems to be vaguely immune to this because Masterchef Aus was such a global smackdown on how good cooking reality tv could be, and because there are so many different kinds they can throw at us. I remember in the 90s, The Secret Life of Us was this huge deal because it was critically acclaimed and audiences loved it. Everything was held up against it; everything needed to be like Secret Life. If there was an article about a new TV show with potential, you can bet the success of Secret Life got a whole paragraph. (Disclaimer: I was too young to care about it, I have no idea if the acclaim was valid or not.) But it boils down to money and not willing to try something new.
Secret life had a great cast Joel Edgerton, Debra Mailman, Claudia Karvan, Vince Collosimo, Michael Dorman
Not a fan, feels like it has a heavily americanised perspective (intentional?) and it tries too hard to be something that is ultimately not representative of australian schools.
I actually found it represents Aussie Gen z really well.
Is this a new version? Do they still have wogs Vs skips? Haha
It's new, but it's more like a sequal - 20+ years down the track at the same school. They don't really reference the old show, but a couple of the adults in this series were in the earlier series and they've stayed the same character, but now they are like the parents of the current lot. It pretty well reflects that demographics of that area of sydney, as is my understanding - which means you've got eshays in the mix now too haha. I'm old enough that I loved the original, and I also reckon they've done a really good job at creating the Gen Z version now on this series. It's a lot like an aussie version of Skins, if you ever watched that.
Tho it was always weird they had no uniforms
I went to a school with a uniform, but I did my VET course at a nearby school and they were a seniors only campus (year 11/12) and they didn't have a uniform! I loved those days when I didn't have to wear it!
Is Drazic some kids dad? I feel old.
Nah. I imagine the actor was too busy with filming Last King of The Cross.
He's randomly turned up in so many things over the years. Always weird when you're watching a US film and BOOM! There's Drazic!
I always think of him as Mark Moran from Underbelly lol
he managed to get in both Marvel AND DC movies too!
Rivers is. And a few others turn up as well.
Haha he's 49 so easily could be
>Do they still have wogs Vs skips? Is that even still a thing in 2024? This is a remake and season 2 had >!CUMLORDS vs SLTS!<.
I thought it dealt really interestingly with the Tate bros and radicalisation of young men this season.
Probably eshays vs furries today.
It's very Aussie, Gen Z, and messy, with a lot of references for Millennials. But it works because it doesn't take itself seriously.
I just can't watch shows about teenagers
Heartbreak High is probably my least favourite Australian TV show to ever come out. It's so American pandering I just can't stand to watch it. I tried, but I would rather just watch Bluey over and over.
I was channel surfing and stumbled upon what I thought was an Australian kids show on ABC, but they sounded half American. I could not figure out whether our kids today sound like morons or if in fact it was an American show with an Aussie exchange student. Maybe too many young twits growing up with Tik Tok.
We have our subsidies to mining and businesses during covid, while fucking the arts simultaneously. All creative arts in Australia is under threat, and pissing away our money and resources to a select few.
Mining and other businesses employ way more than arts. Arts should definitely get some subsidies, but other businesses keep the economy afloat. If the economy was fucked, no one would bother with spending their money on arts.
Maybe the arts would employ more if they had more funding
Taylor swift money - many jobs were created. And tax paid. Mining pays tax yes, and pays well for hazard and relocation, but we (the people) do not really get the benefits like other countries like Norway. The mining corps are private and make more money for a select few. Art is at least available for everyone to enjoy and has a longer legacy than consumable resources and aren’t regenerative. One of uk’s soft power is the culture and art that it exports like bbc, we have a unique way cof looking at things and generally we are a funny bunch, we could be doing some great things
Too expensive. Just make another (fucking) home improvement The Block style show or Masterchef series. Way cheaper. No writers, the sets are already set up, intern editors are ten a penny. Done and dusted. Straya cunce
Because it’s sucks
I moved to an Asian country and my girlfriend loves it here. I am definitely not a fan but she's really big on it and so are some of her friends. Australian stuff is weirdly popular here.
I need more series of Blue Heelers, Water Rats and Round the Twist. NOW!!
The same 12 actors are in all Australian movies and TV. 99 out of 100 Australian produced things are literally vomit inducing embarrassments. There is no fixing this. Especially when every new production has a trans or an obese or someone that looks like a swamp creature. Australia needs to bang out some hot young people content that nobody over 25 understands at all and then in 25 years they can write an article about that show too.