Fantastic to see a scripted series reflecting the real Australia we live in now. Diverse and interesting. Perhaps shows like Home and Away and Neighbours would not be experiencing the domestic ratings losses they have been over the past few years if they made more attempts to have casts that reflect modern Australia.
Such a shame it isn’t airing how it’s designed to air. It’ll loose momentum every week.
I thought it was good. I’m definitely back next week but it’s going to be a tough ride suddenly having to stop for a week to see the “cliffhanger”.
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I know they’re 30 minutes eps, but how was it meant to air?
It’s a soap. So, over consecutive nights. It was meant to air 6pm weeknights on ABC before they changed their plans and now The Drum is there.
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I ended up watching all 16 eps on Iview so that says something lol
To me it wasn’t so much a soap as a 90s drama because of the working class setting.
It reminded me of early E-Street before it went stupid.
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ABC’s scheduling of Killing Eve for Friday nights at 8:30pm starting 19 April means that The Heights will take have to take a break for at least 2 months. Very strange decision. Will it return, and who wants to wait that long between episodes?
What a shame, Killing Eve is brilliant and I will definitely catch it on iView but it’s TV scheduling shouldnt come at the expense of first run Australian content - unless of course they’re going to put it on another night where it might have a better chance to be successful.
Show The Heights at 8pm and reduce Gardening Australia to 30 minutes.
There are heaps of better timeslots they could give The Heights than Friday nights. Surely it can be found a better night/timeslot. Although I’d just like it on air so I can iview it later 
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Returning Friday 5 July 209.
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The critically acclaimed ‘slice of life’ drama series returns to ABC and iview on Friday 5 July at 8.30pm with 14 new drama-filled episodes.
Picking up where we left off, viewers will be transported back into the lives of the Arcadia Heights residents as double episodes of The Heights return to ABC and iview from Friday 5 July at 8.30pm.
For new audiences, or for fans who would like to relive all the action, the first 16 episodes are now available to watch on ABC iview. From July 5, ABC iview will follow the broadcast strategy with two new episodes available each week. The complete series (30 episodes) will be available to binge on Friday 16th August.
ABC has dropped their strategy for the first half of the season of making all episodes available on iView when the first two episodes are broadcast.
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Series Final, episode number 30, scheduled for Friday August 16 9:00pm.
Just saw the final episode ! How sad, so many cliffhangers that will never be resolved.
hoping there’s a series two, then…
Wow. Did not expect it to be renewed but just read on TV tonight that it has been.
The Heights commissioned for a second season
Critically-acclaimed series The Heights will return to the ABC in 2020 with filming beginning this month in Perth, WA.
Produced by Matchbox Pictures and For Pete’s Sake Productions for ABC, The Heights , received major production investment from Screenwest and Screen Australia. NBCUniversal International Studios will distribute the series.
Announced today as a finalist in Drama Series Production of the Year category at the 19th Screen Producers Australia Awards, The Heights , season one, was a hit with critics and fans. The Guardian called it “a warm, complex and credible Australian soap opera,1” and an engaged and loyal viewer base unashamedly shared their praise on social media at #theheightstv.
Season two will continue to showcase the life-affirming, family-friendly storytelling audiences have come to expect. As the show continues its balance of heart, humour and truth, we’ll see favourite characters continue to pull together to triumph over whatever life throws at them.
Sally Riley, Head of Drama, Comedy and Indigenous for the ABC, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Matchbox Pictures and For Pete’s Sake Productions to bring a second series to ABC audiences. Season One was warmly embraced by critics and audiences for reflecting real, complex and diverse Australian stories. We look forward to seeing what’s in store for the characters during these 30 new episodes.”
Cast returning for The Heights Season Two include: Shari Sebbens ( The Sapphires, Thor: Ragn arok), Roz Hammond ( Muriel’s Wedding, The Dish, Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell and Thank God You’re Here ), Fiona Press ( Home and Away, San Andreas ), Dan Paris ( Neighbours ), Calen Tassone (Red Dog: True Blue, Black Comedy ), Saskia Hampele ( Neighbours, A Few Less Men ), Phoenix Raei ( Wentworth Prison, Romper Stomper, Australia Day ), Yazeed Daher (T he Hunting, Safe Harbour, Anzac Girls ) with newcomers from Season one – Bridie McKim, Mitchell Bourke, Koa Nuen, Cara McCarthy, Briallen Clarke and Carina Hoang, all returning.
Exciting new additions to the ensemble cast are Rupert Reid ( The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded, Blue Heelers, Winners and Losers, NCIS ) and Kelton Pell ( Three Summers, Gods of Wheat Street, Cloudstreet ) who was a regular in Season 1. Returning regular guests include Alex Williams ( Friday on My Mind, Brock, Underground: The Julian Assange Story ) and Asher Yasbincek ( Rams ).
The Heights was created in-house at Matchbox Pictures by Warren Clarke ( Mustangs FC ) and co-creator Que Minh Luu. The show is produced by Peta Astbury-Bulsara ( The Marriage of Figaro, Almost Midnight ) and Executive Produced by Debbie Lee for Matchbox Pictures and Sally Riley and Que Minh Luu for the ABC. Season Two will be directed by Karl Zwicky ( Home and Away, Neighbours, McLeods Daughters, Heartbreak High, Underbelly) , Renee Webster ( The Heights S1 , Marx and Venus, Itch ), and Tenika Smith ( Neighbours ), with Jub Clerc and Kelli Cross joining the team through this season’s The Heights director mentorship program.
Season one writers Romina Accurso, Hannah Carroll Chapman, Megan Palinkas, Peter Mattessi, Dot West and Katie Beckett are among those returning with newcomers Tim Williams, Nora Niasari, Nayuka Gorrie and Cassandra Nguyen joining the team, as the series continues to foster emerging writing talent.
Co-creator and Showrunner of the series Warren Clarke says of The Heights Season Two : “We’re excited to dive even deeper into the world of The Heights . We’ll see relationships strain and falter, friendships tested, and new love blossom as we continue to celebrate the varied and wonderful fabric of modern inner-city Australia and shine a light on the universal connections and commonalities that exist between us all.”
30 new episodes of The Heights Season Two will continue to deliver opportunities for industry newcomers, reflective of ABC’s unrivalled commitment to homegrown content that fosters Australian talent. The production is unique in casting and training many first-time actors, production crew, screenwriters, its ongoing new director mentorship program and its commitment to maintaining gender parity across the key decision makers and also the entire production.
Willie Rowe, CEO of Screenwest said “Screenwest is extremely proud to support season two of The Heights . The first season provided incredible opportunities for industry newcomers and seasoned practitioners, giving a huge boost to the WA television industry, with the series engaging over 100 local crew and casting 93 speaking and over 300 extras roles locally so we are very excited to see the series renewed in WA and for it to have growing impact on our Industry.”
1 Donna Lu, ‘The Heights review – finally a warm, complex and credible Australian soap opera ‘, The Guardian, February 22, 2019.
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Have we exported this to the UK yet?