History of Heartbreak High in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 25, 2026

Heartbreak High is an Australian television drama created by Michael Jenkins and Ben Gannon, airing from 1994 to 1999 across Network Ten and ABC. Partially funded by BBC2 from 1996, some episodes were broadcast in the UK before Australia. The show portrays the lives of a diverse group of students and staff at a multicultural high school in Sydney, distinguished by its gritty and fast-paced style compared to other shows of its time.

1987: Premiere of 'The Heartbreak Kid' Stage Play

In 1987, Richard Barrett's stage play, 'The Heartbreak Kid' which starred Gia Carides and Arky Michael, premiered at the Stables Theatre in Darlinghurst, New South Wales. The play focused on a Greek-Australian teacher's affair with her student.

1993: 'The Heartbreak Kid' Film Adaptation

In 1993, 'The Heartbreak Kid' stage play was adapted into a film directed by Michael Jenkins, filmed in Prahran, Victoria. Jenkins and Ben Gannon later developed Heartbreak High as a spin-off from this film.

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1993: Release of 'The Heartbreak Kid' film

In 1993, the Australian feature film 'The Heartbreak Kid' was released, which served as a basis for the Heartbreak High series. The film featured early versions of characters later seen in the show, played by Alex Dimitriades, Nico Lathouris, Doris Younane, Scott Major, and Katherine Halliday.

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February 1994: Premiere of First Series

On 27 February 1994, the first series of Heartbreak High, consisting of 38 episodes and centered on the Poulos family, premiered on Network Ten.

1994: Release of "Heartbreak High: The Album"

In 1994, "Heartbreak High: The Album" was released, featuring music from various artists including Kulcha, Motiv8, Culture Shock, and Hunters & Collectors. Four different editions of the album were produced, including Australian, European, French, and German editions. The album was also released on cassette in Australia.

1994: Heartbreak High Series Debut

In 1994, Heartbreak High, an Australian television program created by Michael Jenkins and Ben Gannon, first aired on Network Ten.

May 1995: Premiere of Second Series

On 21 May 1995, the second series of Heartbreak High, consisting of 14 episodes, premiered. The series began using a floating timeline, with students preparing for their HSC exams.

August 1995: Premiere of Third Series

On 20 August 1995, the third series of Heartbreak High, consisting of 13 episodes, premiered.

March 1996: UK Airing on BBC2

From 26 March 1996 to 16 June 1996, BBC2 in the UK aired the first thirteen episodes of Heartbreak High after the show was axed by Network Ten.

June 1996: First BBC2 Airing Ends

On 16 June 1996, the first thirteen episodes of Heartbreak High finished airing on BBC2 in the UK.

August 1996: Network Ten Re-Airs Episodes

From 5 August 1996 to 11 November 1996, Network Ten aired the BBC2 funded episodes of Heartbreak High in a late-night timeslot, splitting the 45-minute episodes into 23-minute parts to meet local drama quotas.

September 1996: Second BBC2 Airing Begins

From 3 September 1996 to 3 December 1996, BBC2 in the UK aired thirteen more episodes of Heartbreak High.

November 1996: Network Ten Ends Re-Airing

On 11 November 1996, Network Ten stopped airing the BBC2 funded episodes of Heartbreak High in a late-night timeslot.

December 1996: Series Five Airs on BBC2

From 10 December 1996 to 14 October 1997, series five of Heartbreak High aired on BBC2 in the UK.

December 1996: Second BBC2 Airing Ends

On 3 December 1996, the airing of thirteen episodes of Heartbreak High finished on BBC2 in the UK.

1996: Partial Funding from BBC2

In 1996, Heartbreak High received partial funding from BBC2, with some episodes airing in the UK before their Australian release.

February 1997: Series Five Airs on ABC

From 3 February 1997 to 19 June 1997, series five of Heartbreak High aired on the ABC in Australia.

June 1997: Series Five Ends on ABC

On 19 June 1997, series five of Heartbreak High finished airing on the ABC in Australia. This series featured a significant cast change, phasing out many cast members within the first six episodes and shifting focus to the Scheppers family.

August 1997: First Half of Series Six Airs

From 23 June to 28 August 1997, the first 20 episodes of series six of Heartbreak High aired on the ABC. This series marked the debut of Hartley Heights as the new school location.

October 1997: Series Five Ends on BBC2

On 14 October 1997, series five of Heartbreak High finished airing on BBC2 in the UK.

1997: "Heartbreak High: Music from the ABC TV Series" Album Release

In 1997, "Heartbreak High: Music from the ABC TV Series" was released. It featured various artists, including Human Nature, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, and Christine Anu.

1997: Move to ABC

In 1997, Heartbreak High moved from Network Ten to ABC for its remaining series.

September 1998: Second Half of Series Six Airs

From 1 July to 8 September 1998, the remaining 20 episodes of series six of Heartbreak High aired on the ABC, following nearly a year of repeats.

December 1998: Series Seven Airs on BBC2

From 8 December 1998 to 9 November 1999, the seventh and final series of Heartbreak High aired on BBC2 in the UK.

November 1999: Series Seven Ends on BBC2

On 9 November 1999, the seventh and final series of Heartbreak High finished airing on BBC2 in the UK.

December 1999: Series Seven Ends on ABC, Show Cancelled

From 15 July to 1 December 1999, the seventh and final series of Heartbreak High aired on the ABC in Australia. The show was cancelled due to the difficulty of selling another series to foreign TV stations, and BBC2's lack of interest.

1999: Series Finale on ABC

In 1999, Heartbreak High concluded its run on ABC after seven series.

2009: Series Repeated on ABC3

From 2009 to 2010, ABC3 repeated the Heartbreak High series in Australia.

2010: Series Repeated on ABC3

From 2009 to 2010, ABC3 repeated the Heartbreak High series in Australia.

October 2011: DVD Release of Season 1 (First Half)

On 5 October 2011, Umbrella Entertainment released the first 26 episodes of the first season of Heartbreak High in Australia as a DVD box set.

March 2012: DVD Release of Season 1 (Second Half) and Season 2

On 7 March 2012, Umbrella Entertainment released the last 13 episodes of the first season, along with every episode of the second season of Heartbreak High, as a second DVD box set.

June 2012: DVD Release of Season 3

On 6 June 2012, Umbrella Entertainment released the season three DVD box set of Heartbreak High.

November 2020: Netflix Streaming Release

On 27 November 2020, all seven seasons of Heartbreak High were released worldwide on Netflix, with the exception of France, Belgium, and French-speaking territories, where it is available on myTF1.