Phoenix raei5/16/2023 ![]() It lends The Heights a believable familiarity – and perhaps the lasting power to rival its commercial counterparts. The pleasure in watching the series derives not necessarily from seeing your own story reflected on screen, but rather viewing something that approximates the lived experiences of most Australians. The series shines in its treatment of young people, who are navigating their identities, sexual orientation and sense of purpose, and in its varied depiction of family life, warts and all – single motherhood, separated parents, siblings who know exactly how to grind each other’s gears. ![]() “Our house prices would go up 20% if those towers weren’t there,” a relatively affluent character says to Leonie, adding when she senses she may have caused offence: “Don’t look at me like that. The Heights doesn’t baulk at addressing class issues – but in a manner not as overtly comedic but no less tongue-in-cheek than fellow ABC series Upper Middle Bogan. ![]() The soap – and it is a soap, with early storylines replete with an abandoned baby, a disputed will and an absconding daughter – is not perfect, but its ambition outshines its flaws. Photograph: Bohdan Warchomijįor a culturally diverse series, it feels a little on the nose to feature an apparently alcoholic Irish character who repeatedly laments the local pub’s closure – and there’s cliche to be found in the chronically overworked corporate lawyer, Leonie (Shari Sebbens), who keeps interrupting conversations with family to compulsively answer her ringing phone. Australia is large its people contain multitudes.Ĭarina Hoang as Vietnamese store-owner Iris. Considerations have been made of even the smallest detail: in one scene, ex-cop Pav (Marcus Graham) and his kids, who are not Asian, eat takeaway at the beach with chopsticks. There’s also credible storylines involving university student Sully (Koa Nuen), who works in his mother (Carina Hoang) Iris’s grocery store, and his Iranian friend Ash Jafari (Phoenix Raei). Teenager Sabine Rosso (Bridie McKim) has mild cerebral palsy, but this fact is just one facet of her life as a young woman grappling with incipient independence and life at a new school, while playing confidante to her single mother, emergency doctor Claudia (an excellent Roz Hammond). Perhaps that’s because The Heights doesn’t reduce characters’ identities to their component parts. The writing team is also predominantly female, and includes three Indigenous writers and three culturally and linguistically diverse writers.īut the show’s stats – while impressive – shouldn’t be taken as an end in themselves: in this case, at least, diversity makes for better, more believable TV. ![]() Photograph: Bohdan Warchomijīucking the trending for TV drama, in which individuals from non-European backgrounds, LGBTQI people and Australians with disabilities are chronically underrepresented, two-thirds of The Heights’ core ensemble are from diverse (Indigenous, disability, culturally and linguistically diverse) backgrounds, and more than half the speaking roles are female. Bridie McKim and Calen Tassone as Sabine and Mich in The Heights.
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