The Heights

The heights is a refreshing take on the soap opera genre. The diversity feels real to Aussie living and hits home runs with brilliant performances and story writing.

Hi there Please let cast and crew how brilliant you all are. Recently seen 2 series in UK such a great drama with comedy and pathos used in equal quantity. I have cried loads at the end of the series 2 when Ryan died. The actors were all fantastic in the way they displayed thier emotions in this really sad scenario. Just praying that another series is recorded and BBC buy it. Whatever, it was an epic drama. Many thanks for this roux exoerienxe especially as it was during lockdown here. Kind regards Deborah Nelson UK 🇬🇧 xxxx

The ABC is Australia's public broadcaster with one hundred years of service providing news and entertainment across this vast island continent. 'The Heights' is a good fit in a great tradition of ABC serials like 'Blue Hills', 'Bellbird' and 'GP'. A light and entertaining 30 minute relationship drama series, it reflects the diverse life of multi-cultural inner city Australia. It may be a little 'nudging' for some still wedded to a 'white Australia' ethos. Maybe that was intended. Set in Perth, it could just as well be Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. After the first 10 episodes, I am finding it lots of fun to watch. The diversity of roles and the focus given to strong women and young people is very refreshing. For me, its best element is excellent writing. Thanks to: Hannah Carroll Chapman, Romina Accurso, Peter Mattessi, Megan Palinkas, Nick King, Clare Atkins, Niki Aken, Dot West, Magda Wozniak, Mithila Gupta, Tracey Defty-Rashid, Larissa Behrendt, Miley Tunnecliffe, Katie Beckett and Melissa Lee Speyer. Well done! And grateful thanks to developers Warren Clarke and Que Minh Luu.

Gritty and down-to-earth, almost kitchen-sink realism. Despite a cast of characters that feels like they've tried to check off every minority and ethnic group going, it doesn't feel laboured or forced. The show does a remarkable job of creating what feels like a community, where characters really can bump into each-other and have different connections via different people. It's essentially a soap opera, sure, but its an engaging one; not overly-directed tosh like Neighbours or most commercial network dramas. The writing is terrifically subtle, and with only occasional exceptions, spares us huge amounts of exposition. AND its funny. It almost feels like an attempt to follow-up Something in the Air, the last soap the ABC produced almost 20 years ago.

I'm only up to the ninth episode on iView but I really hope this show starts to grow its audience so they can justify a renewal. What were the ABC thinking by airing it on a Friday night? It would have done much better in the middle of the week. In the US they call it the 'Friday Night Death Slot' for a reason; people are less likely to turn on their TVs for a drama at the end of a long week.

Genuine credible characters depicting contemporary Australian lives