| Genre: | Soap opera Drama |
| Creator: | Warren Clarke Que Minh Luu |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 60 |
| Executive Producer: | Debbie Lee Que Minh Luu Sally Riley |
| Producer: | Peta Astbury-Bulsara Warren Clarke |
| Cinematography: | Jim Frater |
| Editor: | Meredith Watson Jeffrey Peter Pritchard |
| Runtime: | 30 minutes |
| Company: | Matchbox Pictures For Pete's Sake Productions |
| Network: | ABC |
The Heights is an Australian television drama series which premiered on ABC on 22 February 2019.[1] In August 2019, the series was renewed for a second season of 30 episodes.[2]
The series is set in the inner‐city neighbourhood of Arcadia Heights. It explores the relationships between the residents of the Arcadia social housing tower and the people who live in the rapidly gentrifying community that surrounds it.[3]
The Heights is produced in Perth, Australia by Matchbox Pictures and For Pete's Sake Productions. It was created by Warren Clarke and Que Minh Luu.[5] The first season was written by 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. The first season was directed by James Bogle, Andrew Prowse, Renée Webster, and Darlene Johnson, and produced by Peta Astbury-Bulsara and Warren Clarke.[6]
Nayuka Gorrie was a writer on the second season.[7]
In the United Kingdom, the first season of The Heights began broadcasting on BBC One in June 2020, during the Doctors summer break.[8] The second season was shown directly after the conclusion of the first, with several episodes airing before their premiere on ABC.[9] In Ireland, RTÉ One began broadcasting double episodes of season one on 10 August 2020, as a summer replacement for Today with Maura and Daithi.[10]
Colin Vickery of the Herald Sun was unhappy with "the smart alec" at ABC who scheduled the episodes into one-hour blocks during the first season. He went onto praise the series, writing "This gritty little urban drama, with its strong multicultural cast, plays like an edgier version of Neighbours or Home and Away. I'm especially enjoying seeing Mad as Hells Roz Hammond in a serious dramatic role as mum Claudia Rosso."[11]
| Year | Association | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | AWGIE Awards | Best Script for a Television Serial | Hannah Carroll Chapman for Episode 26 | [12] | |
| Screen Producers Australia Awards | Drama Series Production of the Year | Matchbox Pictures and For Pete's Sake Productions | [13] | ||
| 2020 | Australian Directors' Guild Awards | Best Direction of a TV or SVOD Drama Serial | Renee Webster for Episode 15 | [14] | |
| Darlene Johnson for Episode 22 | |||||
| AWGIE Awards | Best Script for a Television Serial | Peter Mattessi for Season 2, Episode 7 | [15] | ||
| Megan Palinkas for Season 2, Episode 28 | |||||
| Romina Accurso for Season 2, Episode 29 | |||||
| Warren Clarke for Season 2, Episode 30 | |||||
| Equity Ensemble Awards | Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Heights S1 | [16] | ||
| 2021 | Australian Directors' Guild Awards | Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial episode | Tenika Smith for Season 2, Episode 24 | [17] | |
for "Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series": Marcus Graham, Shari Sebbens, Calen Tassone, Roz Hammond, Bridie McKim, Fiona Press, Mitchell Bourke, Dan Paris, Saskia Hampele, Phoenix Raei, Yazeed Daher, Carina Hoang, Koa Nuen, Cara McCarthy and Briallen Clarke