We're in an age of remakes, revivals and re-imaginings. Nostalgia sells, and streamers are tapping into the comforting familiarity of the past.
The latest relic to get the reboot treatment? Heartbreak High.
Featuring a cast of diverse actors, thoughtful storylines and heaps of Aussie slang, Netflix's modern take on the 90s classic has become a hit both at home and overseas.
Just like the original, the new Heartbreak High is quickly amassing a cult following. It's also highlighting just how many other reboots have struggled to give audiences meaningful representation.
Hold up, there's a Heartbreak High reboot?
Yes — it's been over 20 years, but we're returning to Hartley High.
The original Heartbreak High was groundbreaking in the 90s for its depictions of working-class Greek, Italian, Lebanese and South-East Asian teenagers.
The 2022 remake goes further, introducing us to a new cohort of young Australians who are from First Nations communities, queer, neurodiverse and live with disability.
There's no Drazic this time around but plenty of friendships, romance and heartbreak sparked by the revelation of an "incest map" chalked on a school wall exposing the sexual relationships among students.
The series, released in mid-September, cracked Netflix's number one spot in Australia in its first week and entered the top 10 list in 45 other countries.
It's also creeping up Netflix's global leaderboard that's based on weekly hours viewed. It debuted on the list in 6th spot with 18 million hours viewed, before moving into 5th place the following week with 14 million hours.
It won't topple DAHMER: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which is way out in front with 299 million hours viewed this week.
But the middle of the field is looking more crowded, with Dynasty (44 million hours), Fate: The Winx Saga (26 million hours) and Cobra Kai (20 million hours) rounding out the weekly top 5.
What's everyone saying about it?
With the help of social media and the accessibility of streaming, Australia's Heartbreak High has found an international fanbase.
So far, the Heartbreak High hashtag has ticked over 201 million views on TikTok, with users celebrating its diverse casting and nuanced storytelling.
Heartbreak High's ability to navigate intersectional experiences with complexity and compassion has been likened to fellow Netflix series Sex Education, which tackles teens sexual hang-ups with a blend of sensitivity and humour.
"You can tell when a series is focusing on creating 'diversity' and when a series is focusing on telling inclusive, complex and authentic stories," says Whitney Monaghan, a media, film and journalism lecturer at Monash University.
"There’s usually a strong connection between diversity off-screen and on-screen representation, too.
"I do think we live in an era of unprecedented access to film and television. So I would not be surprised if viewers today are wanting more from their media."
It's bucking a trend found in other reboots
As other beloved series are brought back, their well-intentioned attempts at diversity are falling flat.
The Gossip Girl reboot "refreshingly centres black voices" to off-balance its very white source material, but Vanity Fair noted the show "stops short of engaging with resulting questions of status and power."
The Sex and the City revival, And Just Like That, diversified both its cast and writers' room, but its efforts still felt one dimensional. "It's not a win for diversity when the show casts four new 'leads' of colour who only prop up the white main characters," Elle wrote.
Even the Queer as Folk reboot was lacking. Some critics felt the new series felt "distant" due the lack of character depth, with the Boston Globe writing: "It's hard to see who they are beyond their labels and outlines." The show's since been cancelled after one season.
"The problem with aiming to 'diversify' a popular series is that it often leads to the representation of one dimensional, singular 'diverse' characters," says Dr Monaghan.
"These characters are often situated within stories and worlds that are not particularly diverse – largely cisgender, straight, white, middle-class – and we don't get access to the richness and complexity of their lives."
So how did Heartbreak High get it so right?
Carly Heaton, creative director of scripted content at Fremantle and Heartbreak High's executive producer, told ABC Radio she thinks the show is connecting with audiences because of the authenticity of the storylines and the research involved.
"Everyone's been a teenager, and we really did a deep dive into what those experiences were, and spent a lot of time with teens," she said.
"Our team – both the writing team and the rest of the production team – are all quite young and new and they bring a real array of experiences to the production."
Australian actor and writer Meyne Wyatt wrote Heartbreak High's fourth episode, Rack Off, and said the series wouldn't be as successful as it is "without its diversity, particularly the diversity of the writer's room."
"If Heartbreak High's success has highlighted anything, it's these are the stories and content people want to see. And even if they don't know it. Because generally people don't know what they want to see, until they see it," he tweeted.
"Diversity should be bare minimum, industry wide. It's demanded. From top to bottom. Casting isn't enough. It starts from the inception of the idea.
"You can't just flip things without doing the work and including our voices."
One of the many fan favourites is the character Quinni, played by autism advocate Chloé Hayden.
"The fact that there was a neurodivergent character was huge for me, I've never ever seen that before," she told ABC Weekend Breakfast.
"The only portrayals we've ever seen in the media is Sheldon Cooper [from The Big Bang Theory] and Rain Man, and What's Eating Gilbert Grape.
"So when someone sees Quinni and they see someone that looks quite typical, and they go 'well, you don't look like what my perception of autism is,' it confuses them.
"We're starting to see representation of the actual voices that we're representing – which is huge. Growing up there were autistic characters but I couldn't relate to any of them because it was neurotypical men who didn't know my story.
"No one is ever going to understand my lived experience like I can. Seeing actual autistic voices represented in the media as actually autistic people is massive.
"Young people need to see themselves represented and they're not going to get that out of an actor that doesn't know the story."
Where can I watch it?
All eight episodes of the new Heartbreak High reboot are now streaming on Netflix.
If you're keen to compare it with the original, or want to relive your youth and have Drazic grace your screen again, Netflix also has all seven seasons of the original Heartbreak High.
Looking for more teenage dramedies? Add Netflix's Sex Education to your watchlist immediately, along with Derry Girls, especially since the final season has finally been released in Australia.
For something heavier, try Euphoria on Binge.
