australian television information archive

Episode 1

Australia: Wed, Sept 05, 2007
Ratings: 1.220 million viewers (10th)
UK: Tue, June 10, 2008 (BBC3)
Ratings: 194,000 viewers

Over one term, a documentary crew films the everyday activities at an average Australian public high school. Three individuals stand out - Mr G, an ego driven drama teacher on a mission to change the face of drama education; Ja'mie King, a bitchy private schoolgirl on a student exchange, set to make her mark; and Jonah Takalua, a mischievous schoolboy from Tonga with the odds stacked against him. The only characteristic they have in common is they are all played by Chris Lilley. Hilarious, absurd and frequently shocking Summer Heights High reveals a world where small issues become huge, social groups are important, careers are built, young minds are moulded, hopes are shattered and dreams are realised.

With: Dale Simons as Boy 1, Ryan Hamer as Boy 2, Asolima Tauati as Leon, Iro Utaifeau as Joseph, Zach Fa'atoe as Thomas, Ofa Paul as Ofa, David Lennie as Doug Peterson, Tovia Matiasi as Rocky Takalua, Kristy Barnes-Cullen as Sarah Wheatley, Sam Albert as Lachlan, Vincent Chiang as Stuart, Peter Hearne as Mr James, Elida Brereton as Margaret Murray, Stanley Roach as Rodney Parsons, Caren Ruck as Meredith Cotton, Danny Alsabbagh as Toby, Kelly Dingeldei as Candice, David Venn as Matthew, Nicole Pascual as Chantelle, Lise Rodgers as Judith Welham, Jhyll Teplin as Jhyll King

"It's way less... not crap, but way less povvo than I thought it would be." - Ja'mie

"Teachers at my school are always going, 'Ja'mie, oh my God, you're the most likely to succeed' and stuff, because I'm like the smartest non-Asian in year 11… and I'm good at sport and everything that Asians can't do, so I'm such a good ambassador for the school." - Ja'mie

"Studies have shown that students from private schools are more likely to get into uni, and end up making a lot more money. While wife-beaters and rapists are nearly all public school educated. Sorry, no offence, but it's true." - Ja'mie

"Thank God you're here... Grandma's been raped" - Mr G

Episode 2

Wed, September 12, 2007
Ratings: 1.375 million viewers (8th)

When the head of the Drama Department goes on emergency leave, Mr G is put in charge. He appoints himself Director of Performing Arts and upsets other staff by flaunting his self-imposed authority. Ja'mie has her first day at Summer Heights High and is not impressed with the student assigned to show her around. She joins the popular girls and insults them with her views of public education. Jonah finds it difficult to stick to his Polynesian Pathways contract but reveals his secret desire to learn how to read.

With: David Lennie as Doug Peterson, Asolima Tauati as Leon, Iro Utaifeau as Joseph, Zach Fa'atoe as Thomas, Ofa Paul as Ofa, Clay Auimatagi and Luke, Kristy Barnes-Cullen as Sarah Wheatley, Maude Davey as Jan Palmer, Elida Brereton as Margaret Murray, Stanley Roach as Rodney Parsons, Danny Alsabbagh as Toby, Jessica Featherby as Holly, Kristie Coade as Jess, Alicia Banit as Kaitlyn, Nicole Joy Tan as Bec, Sally Kingsford as Ashley, Scott Louder as Paul Cameron, Emma Clapham as Brianna

"I don't want to be a bitch, but she's like the fugliest girl I have ever met in my life" - Ja'mie

"When I meet girls they're usually really threatened straight away right? So that I meet them and they're like 'Oh my God, she's so hot, I'm never going to be friends with her', and I go up to them and I'm like 'Hi! How are you going?' and they're really surprised I'm giving them the time of day" - Ja'mie

"I just don't want to be in classrooms where there's like no air conditioning, and like asbestos in the roof and stuff, and just crap desks and like skanky bogans everywhere" - Ja'mie

"Out in the outer suburbs, like, ugly people breed with other ugly people, right? So then they have really fugly kids, so that's why you look around at a public school and on average, no offence, but people are more fugly" - Ja'mie

"Just because I'm rich doesn't mean I'm a bitch" - Ja'mie

Episode 3

Wed, September 19, 2007
Ratings: 1.275 million viewers (7th)

A student tragedy inspires the theme for Mr G's new musical. The school principal has reservations but that doesn't stop him composing his latest masterpiece. Convinced a Year 7 boy has the hots for her, Ja'mie decides to date him. The other girls are shocked at first but are then convinced it's a serious relationship. Jonah agrees to a dare which backfires and jeopardises his chance to challenge his breakdancing nemesis at the Junior School Dance.

With: Asolima Tauati as Leon, Iro Utaifeau as Joseph, Zach Fa'atoe as Thomas, Ofa Paul as Ofa, Ashley Mclerie as Keiran, David Lennie as Doug Peterson, Kristy Barnes-Cullen as Sarah Wheatley, Maude Davey as Jan Palmer, Tovia Matiasi as Rocky Takalua, Joanne Stockdale as Nurse, Elida Brereton as Margaret Murray, Stanley Roach as Rodney Parsons, Peter Hearne as Mr James, Jessica Featherby as Holly, Kristie Coade as Jess, Alicia Banit as Kaitlyn, Nicole Joy Tan as Bec, Jansen Perrone as Sebastian

"She was into the boys in a big way. She was what the kids would call a 'slut'. Which is a terrible thing to say about someone who has just died, but apparently... there's no denying she was one" - Mr G

"He's made me feel less hot"- Ja'mie

Episode 4

Wed, September 26, 2007
Ratings: 1.235 million viewers (7th)

Mr G puts the students through a gruelling audition process for Annabel Dickson: The Musical. Ja'mie is dumped by her group of friends and passes out during a mediation session. And teachers are disturbed by the accusations that Jonah makes about his father, which they later discover are false.

With: Asolima Tauati as Leon, Iro Utaifeau as Joseph, Zach Fa'atoe as Thomas, Ofa Paul as Ofa, David Lennie as Doug Peterson, Kristy Barnes-Cullen as Sarah Wheatley, Maude Davey as Jan Palmer, Tovia Matiasi as Rocky Takalua, Stanley Roach as Rodney Parsons, Danny Alsabbagh as Toby, Jessica Featherby as Holly, Kristie Coade as Jess, Alicia Banit as Kaitlyn, Nicole Joy Tan as Bec, Sally Kingsford as Ashley, Michelle Zintschenko as Wendy Dean

"Guys, seriously, build a bridge and get over it" - Ja'mie

"If you had to choose below or above belly button, which direction would you head?" - Mr G

Episode 5

Wed, October 03, 2007
Ratings: 1.156 million viewers (11th)

Mr G takes severe measures to avoid including disabled students in his musical. Ja'mie goes on a hunger strike, blackmailing the school to let her put on a Year 11 Formal. When this fails, she is allowed to give a presentation to the school about the advantages of having a Formal. Jonah and his friends are forced to become mentors to a group of year seven students and an incident at the pool could have a serious impact on his future at Summer Heights High.

With: Asolima Tauati as Leon, Iro Utaifeau as Joseph, Zach Fa'atoe as Thomas, Ofa Paul as Ofa, David Lennie as Doug Peterson, Kristy Barnes-Cullen as Sarah Wheatley, Joseph Lotesto as Lucas, Billy-Joe Renegade as Rupert, Oliver Cowen as Elliot, Martin Lee as Kane, Stanley Roach as Rodney Parsons, Elida Brereton as Margaret Murray, Danny Alsabbagh as Toby, Kelly Dingeldei as Candice, David Venn as Matthew, Siwi Prasetyo as Diane, Jonathan Stewart as Jonathan, Jessica Featherby as Holly, Kristie Coade as Jess, Alicia Banit as Kaitlyn, Nicole Joy Tan as Bec, Sally Kingsford as Ashley, Scott Louder as Paul Cameron

"They've had a lifetime of being not good enough... surely they know it by now" - Mr G

"What sort of teaching environment has poo on the floor?" - Mr G

Episode 6

Wed, October 10, 2007
Ratings: 1.192 million viewers (10th)

Mr G's musical is in jeopardy when cast members quit after too much of Mr G's verbal abuse and tragedy strikes his pet chihuahua Celine. Ja'mie shocks her friends with a surprise Formal date. Jonah gets into an altercation with his breakdancing nemesis, Keiran, after he laughs at Jonah during a Polynesian themed assembly.

With: Asolima Tauati as Leon, Iro Utaifeau as Joseph, Zach Fa'atoe as Thomas, Ofa Paul as Ofa, Askley McLerie as Keiran, Lucian Clifforth as Liam, David Lennie as Doug Peterson, Tovia Matiasi as Rocky, Kristy Barnes-Cullen as Sarah Wheatley, Maude Davey as Jan Palmer, Trevor Butler as Trevor, Stanley Roach as Rodney Parsons, Elida Brereton as Margaret Murray, Danny Alsabbagh as Toby, Kelly Dingeldei as Candice, David Venn as Matthew, Belinda Jenkin as Eleanor, Jessica Featherby as Holly, Kristie Coade as Jess, Alicia Banit as Kaitlyn, Nicole Joy Tan as Bec, Sally Kingsford as Ashley, Brigid Gallacher as Tamsin

"I'm being reasonable, you're the one who's not giving me what I want" - Mr G

Episode 7

Wed, October 17, 2007
Ratings: 1.307 million viewers (7th)

Mr G resigns when he's demoted from his position, and stalks the school. Ja'mie organises a fashion parade for AIDS, but is actually raising money to buy her way out of overspending on the Year 11 Formal. After the school bans Jonah from breakdancing, his father threatens to send him back to Tonga if there is any more trouble.

With: Asolima Tauati as Leon, Iro Utaifeau as Joseph, Zach Fa'atoe as Thomas, Ofa Paul as Ofa, Askley McLerie as Keiran, Lucian Clifforth as Liam, David Lennie as Doug Peterson, Tovia Matiasi as Rocky, Kristy Barnes-Cullen as Sarah Wheatley, Maude Davey as Jan Palmer, Stanley Roach as Rodney Parsons, Elida Brereton as Margaret Murray, Danny Alsabbagh as Toby, Nicole Ellis as Lucy, Jessica Featherby as Holly, Kristie Coade as Jess, Alicia Banit as Kaitlyn, Nicole Joy Tan as Bec, Brigid Gallacher as Tamsin, Scott Louder as Paul Cameron, Jhyll Teplin as Jhyll King

"When I said I was going to plan a Formal, I didn't realise that you guys would be too povvo to pay for it... like, no offense" - Ja'mie

"The dress up theme is AIDS, so come dressed as an AIDS related thing, like a doctor, a nurse, a patient or an African" - Ja'mie

"I've done heaps of this kind of stuff before and the key thing is to make people feel really guilty... Going with the AIDS thing means that people are more likely to give money, 'cause they're gonna feel really bad. Like, if I just said it was for the Formal, like they wouldn't care. D'you know what I mean?" - Ja'mie

"Shoot me for wanting to dream, shoot me for giving the kids something to aspire to. I'm bloody resigning. I'm so sick of it. Shove it up your ass Margaret" - Mr G

Episode 8 (finale)

Wed, October 24, 2007
Ratings: 1.512 million viewers (2nd)

It is nearly the end of the school term at Summer Heights High and the curtain rises on "Mr G: The Musical - An Arena Spectacular". Ja'mie is dumped by Tamsin just hours before the school Formal starts because Ja'mie isn't a lesbian. Jonah is forced to face the school principal in a meeting that changes his future forever.

With: Asolima Tauati as Leon, Iro Utaifeau as Joseph, Zach Fa'atoe as Thomas, Ofa Paul as Ofa, Askley McLerie as Keiran, Lucian Clifforth as Liam, David Lennie as Doug Peterson, Tovia Matiasi as Rocky, Kristy Barnes-Cullen as Sarah Wheatley, Maude Davey as Jan Palmer, Stanley Roach as Rodney Parsons, Elida Brereton as Margaret Murray, Danny Alsabbagh as Toby, Kelly Dingeldei as Candice, Belinda Jenkin as Eleanor, Jessica Featherby as Holly, Kristie Coade as Jess, Alicia Banit as Kaitlyn, Nicole Joy Tan as Bec, Sally Kinsford as Ashley, Jansen Perrone as Sebastian, Emma Clapham as Brianna, Nicole Pascual as Chantelle, Scott Louder as Paul Cameron, Jhyll Teplin as Jhyll King

"No offence Holly, but you look borderline emo in that" - Ja'mie

"I hope tonight's Formal has taught you guys that just because you go to a public school and you're povvo, it doesn't mean that you can't have a good time. D'you know what I mean? Seriously, like, stop worrying about money, get over it and just have an amazing time!" - Ja'mie

"I'd rather be a paedophile than a lesbian. Seriously" - Ja'mie