Television series

Heartbreak High

Name: Heartbreak High
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 2022
Cast: Ayesha Madon, James Majoos, Chloé Hayden, Asher Yasbincek, Thomas Weatherall

Coming-of-age

A high school mural outing everyone's sexual encounters turns one student into a social pariah. Sharp, funny, and genuinely kind about its characters' messy lives, Heartbreak High balances teen comedy with real emotional stakes. It's for anyone who remembers that adolescence is mostly survival and occasionally transcendent.

TVMaze rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like teen drama that treats school cliques and messy group chats with sharp, unembarrassed honesty, and you enjoy an ensemble where every character gets a messy inner life.

Skip it if you want a tidy, self-contained story, since this one sprawls across three seasons and its many subplots can feel loose and soapy at times.

What it asks of you: Each episode runs under an hour, so it's a binge that rewards letting several episodes stack up, with a loud, fast tone that trades quiet moments for constant noise.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Sex Education2019

A similarly warm-hearted dive into teenage sexuality that finds comedy and tenderness in the same moments. Smart without being preachy, explicit without being exploitative. It grows with its characters across seasons.

But Runs to four seasons, so a serious time commitment. The British setting and some characters' accents can feel distant if you're not in the mood for them.

Heartstopper2022

Radiant, confident storytelling about queer teens finding love and community. Like Heartbreak High, it trusts young people to be thoughtful and complicated. Genuinely joyful without being saccharine.

But Very sweet, almost aggressively so. If you want edge and darkness, this leans into warmth and sincerity.

Never Have I Ever2020

A teen girl navigates desire, friendship, and identity with a wicked sense of humour. Equally comfortable with explicit conversations and genuine emotional reckoning. Mindy Kaling's voice permeates every episode.

But The narration from the protagonist's therapist can feel gimmicky. Ends abruptly after season four, which will frustrate you.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Heartbreak High

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Please Like Me2013

Both centre a protagonist reckoning with the messy fallout of honesty—what happens when secrets become public and you have to live with the aftermath. Both find humour as a survival strategy, not a distraction.

A young man processes his mother's mental illness, his own sexuality, and the surreal difficulty of simply existing. Funny in a way that feels earned rather than performed—each laugh sits next to genuine grief. Australian television at its most inventive and emotionally intelligent.

But Wilfully strange narrative structure that jumps between timelines and contexts. The tone whipsaws between comedy and tragedy in ways that take adjustment. Not always linear, and doesn't apologise for it.

Ginny & Georgia2021

Mother and daughter navigate complicated lives in a new town. Doesn't shy away from how messy sexuality and identity actually are at sixteen, with room for real consequences and growth.

But Tries to juggle too many plot threads and can feel overstuffed. Some storylines land harder than others; not everything earns its airtime.

The Summer I Turned Pretty2022

Romance and self-discovery wrapped in a specific, nostalgic mood. Takes teen desire seriously while keeping a light touch. The first season especially captures how one summer can reshape everything.

But If you find love triangles exhausting, this will test your patience. The pacing can feel slow if you're not invested in the romantic entanglement.

Everything Sucks!2018

A one-season gem about high school misfits making a film. Genuinely funny, hugely affectionate toward its characters, and unafraid to let vulnerable moments sit. The title is a lie—it doesn't.

But Cancelled after one season, so no closure. Doesn't have the budget or reach of other teen shows, which some find liberating and others find frustrating.

Cruel Intentions1999

The template for sexy, vicious high school drama. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe have real chemistry, and the Dangerous Liaisons transplant to Manhattan actually works. Pure, unapologetic fun.

But Very much a 1999 film in its attitudes and moral calculus. The irony-as-character-development thing hasn't aged as well as the plot.

The Diplomat2023

A young queer Glaswegian navigates identity, family, and first love with remarkable honesty. Doesn't perform sadness—it lives in it, but with dark humour keeping things afloat. Deeply felt and funny at once.

But Only one season exists and the renewal is uncertain. The Scottish dialogue is thick enough that some scenes need subtitles, which isn't everyone's speed.

Eighth Grade2018

Bo Burnham's directorial debut captures the particular loneliness and confusion of adolescence. Elsie Fisher is luminous and uncomfortable in equal measure. Tender and excruciating, often in the same scene.

But Deliberately awkward in a way that some find uncomfortable to watch. The social media elements now feel dated, which softens its immediacy a bit.

SKAM2015

Both understand that adolescence is a crucible where small social moments carry enormous weight. Both refuse to infantilise their characters or soften the stakes. Both know that a mural, or a secret, or the wrong rumour, can irrevocably change someone's landscape.

A Norwegian series that became a cultural phenomenon by trusting its young characters completely. Each season follows a different character through real teenage crises—queerness, assault, mental illness, belonging. Raw and unguarded in ways most teen drama won't risk.

But Subtitled, and the original run ended at season four, leaving you chasing remakes in different languages if you want more. The portrayal of some issues is blunt enough to be hard to watch. It's not trying to comfort you.