From the first episode to the last, Heartstopper on Netflix understands and respects its young teen audience while encouraging discussion around its key themes, and I, for one, hope there is more to come. Heartstopper arrives on Netflix on April 22nd.
Based on Alice Oseman’s successful series of graphic novels, Heartstopper arrives on Netflix on April 22nd, and it’s nothing short of a heartwarming delight. However, before we discuss Heartstopper’s significance in the landscape of 12- to 15-year-old TV, let me take you back to an early evening event in 1994 that forever changed kids’ TV drama.
Byker Grove was a teatime drama that explored the lives of a group of kids in Newcastle Upon Tyne; Byker had been a pillar of Children’s BBC since 1989, alongside the long-running Grange Hill, tackling numerous social issues along the way. But, in 1994, Byker Grove would introduce a story that no other kids’ drama had dared to explore: a gay crush that would lead to a kiss on the cheek between a character named Noddy and his best mate, Gary.
The kiss was sweet and innocent, encapsulating the hidden feelings so many ’90s boys kept locked away from public view as they questioned their sexuality. But that one kiss on the cheek would spark a backlash that demonstrated the homophobia at the heart of British life, with over 10,000 complaints and a range of tabloid stories suggesting the BBC was trying to turn kids gay. I was seventeen the year that the kiss aired at 5 pm and had already suffered my fair share of homophobia, but it was clear that the Byker Grove kiss had changed the landscape of young teen drama forever.
Yasmin Finney and William Gao in Heartstopper ©Netflix/See-Saw
Since that kiss, a great deal has changed in the landscape of LGBTQ+ representation in teen TV dramas. However, despite a host of LGBTQ+ dramas aimed at an older adolescent audience, such as Love, Victor, Young Royals, Euphoria, and Sex Education, LGBTQ+ representation in shows targeting 12- to 15-year-olds has remained patchy, mainly consisting of characters who are quietly LGBTQ+ and do not openly express their identity. However, this is changing, and it is here where Heartstopper offers a significant leap forward in young teen drama.
Charlie (Joe Locke) is the only ‘out’ boy at his school and suffers his fair share of homophobic bullying and jibes from the other boys. As a result, the school art room has become a bolt hole when things get tough, with Mr Ajayi (Fisayo Akinade) offering lunchtime guidance and support. But Charlie is lucky to have supportive friends, from the free-spirited Tao (William Gao) to the transgender Elle (Yasmin Finney), who has just moved to the local girls’ school. However, even with this support, Charlie’s love life remains complicated, as his part-time boyfriend, Ben (Sebastian Croft), insists on a secretive relationship. But, on meeting the school rugby star Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), Charlie’s life is about to change forever.
Oseman’s books are packed to the brim with love, humour and charm, each volume rooted in the trials and tribulations of early teen life, from changing friendships to the first gentle sparks of love and desire. As you flip through each page, each conversation, inside joke and nervous fumble represents teenage life as it truly is: an exciting, daunting and confusing mosaic of experiences that sometimes make sense and often leave you baffled. In the safe hands of director Euros Lyn (Dream Horse), Heartstopper holds onto the vibrant storytelling and style of Oseman’s books. Throughout the series, Lyn celebrates the story’s comic-book roots through beautiful on-screen animation that reflects each character’s inner feelings.
No TV series ever achieves a five-star rating without five-star performances, and it’s here that Heartstopper truly excels. Joe Locke offers us a stunning central performance as Charlie, beautifully reflecting the journey and experiences of so many LGBTQ+ teens; Locke captures the nerves, longing and apprehension surrounding gay teenage life as he constantly doubts his strength and resilience. However, as the series progresses, Charlie’s confidence blossoms as we witness his journey from a mere boy to a proud young man. Equally transformative is Nick’s journey, who outwardly appears confident and brave yet inwardly feels insecure. Here, Kit Conner’s exploration of Nick’s bisexuality is an open and honest discussion that is more than welcome in a world where bisexuality remains clouded by harmful stereotypes.
Meanwhile, Gao’s Tao is brash, bold and intelligent, yet fearful of the future as he sees his friends moving apart due to new relationships and loves. He sees himself as Charlie’s protector, yet lacks someone to protect him. Then we have Ben, the secretive part-time boyfriend, played brilliantly by Sebastian Croft. Here we have a young man unwilling to accept his own feelings and emotions under peer pressure, yet happy to play with others’ feelings. Many young gay men will have met a ‘Ben’ at school, a boy who uses them to experiment but never ‘comes out’ or identifies as bisexual, curious or gay.
At this point, you may think Heartstopper is all about the boys, but trust me, it isn’t. Elle (Finney) helps young viewers explore the experiences of trans young people as she settles into her new girls’ school with all the fears of isolation and discrimination that come with such a monumental change. At the same time, Tara (Corrina Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) navigate their coming-out journey. This supportive cast displays genuine friendship and trust in every scene, the sparks between them lighting up the screen.
Heartstopper is a groundbreaking young teen drama that offers young viewers a safe, secure, and heartwarming exploration of teenage life, sexuality, and the complexities of belonging. From the first episode to the last, it understands and respects its young teen audience while encouraging discussion around its key themes, and I, for one, hope there is more to come.
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