description Summer Heights High Overview
Summer Heights High is an Australian mockumentary television series created by and starring Chris Lilley, first broadcast on the ABC in 2007. The eight-episode series is set in a fictional Melbourne public secondary school and follows three characters played by Lilley: troubled student Jonah Takalua, private-school exchange student Ja'mie King, and drama teacher Mr G. The show was a critical and ratings success in Australia and was distributed internationally on HBO.
help Summer Heights High FAQ
Who are the three main characters in Summer Heights High?
Chris Lilley plays private-school exchange student Ja'mie King, drama teacher Mr G and troubled student Jonah Takalua. The mockumentary follows all three through one term at the fictional Summer Heights High.
How many episodes of Summer Heights High were made?
The original ABC series consists of eight episodes first broadcast in Australia in 2007. It was conceived as a limited mockumentary rather than a multi-season school sitcom.
Are Ja'mie and Jonah featured in other Chris Lilley series?
Yes, Ja'mie returned in Ja'mie: Private School Girl, while Jonah later led Jonah from Tonga. Ja'mie had originally appeared before Summer Heights High in We Can Be Heroes.
Why has Summer Heights High become controversial?
Lilley's portrayal of Jonah uses brownface and an exaggerated Tongan stereotype, while the series also turns bullying, disability and school trauma into comedy. Those choices have prompted substantial criticism even though the show was a major Australian television success in 2007.
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