Season 1 of Netflix's teen drama-comedy series Heartstopper. January 20, 2021 it was announced that Netflix adapted the YA graphic novel Heartstopper as an eight-episode series.[1] It was released on Netflix on April 22, 2022.
Synopsis[]
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. When gentle Charlie and rugby-loving Nick meet at secondary school, they quickly discover that their unlikely friendship is blossoming into an unexpected romance. Charlie, Nick and their circle of friends must navigate the ever-relatable journey of self discovery and acceptance, supporting each other as they learn to find their most authentic selves.[2]
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Kit Connor as Nick Nelson
- Joe Locke as Charlie Spring
- William Gao as Tao Xu
- Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent
- Tobie Donovan as Isaac Henderson
- Jenny Walser as Tori Spring
- Sebastian Croft as Ben Hope
- Corinna Brown as Tara Jones
- Kizzy Edgell as Darcy Olsson
- Cormac Hyde-Corrin as Harry Greene
- Rhea Norwood as Imogen Heaney
- Stephen Fry as the voice of Headmaster Barnes
- Fisayo Akinade as Mr. Ajayi
- Chetna Pandya as Coach Singh
- Olivia Colman as Sarah Nelson
Recurring[]
- Araloyin Oshunremi as Otis Smith
- Evan Ovenell as Christian McBride
- Georgina Rich as Jane Spring
- Joseph Balderrama as Julio Spring
- Momo Yeung as Yan Xu
- Alan Turkington as Mr. Lange
- Ashwin Viswanath as Sai Verma
- Bradley Riches as James McEwan
Episodes[]
Production[]
Casting[]
On April 22, 2021, it was announced that Kit Connor and Joe Locke had joined the series' main cast.[3] On April 26, 2021, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Sebastian Croft, Cormac Hyde-Corrin, Tobie Donovan, Rhea Norwood were announced as the rest of the series' main cast.[4][5] On May 21, 2021, Jenny Walser had joined the series' main cast.[6]
In regards to the cast of Olivia Colman as Nick's mom, Patrick said how 'It was always the dream,’ Admitedly,they thought it'd be unlikely that Coleman would say yes. But in the end, Olivia squeezed in two days to film with Kit. Which culminated in ‘their scene when he’s coming out to her in the rehearsal she was just looking at Kit and his performance was so moving she just burst into tears and forgot her lines. It was a kind of amazing dream,’ said Patrick. ‘In being there with her on those days, she seemed to really respond to Kit and what he was doing in those scenes and to feel like the open communication between a mother and a son of that age, she said that was really lovely and nice to play.’[7]
On April 14, 2022, Kit Connor, revealed that he originally auditioned for the role of Charlie Spring on the LGBTQ+ romance, despite feeling he wasn't necessarily a good fit for the part.[8]
Filming[]
Shooting starts from Spring 2021 near London. The series is set in the South East of England.[9]
On Apr 2, 2021, Fiona, a film and TV editor mentioned how they had started on a new production (later revealed to be Heartstopper) where Stonewall training is mandatory, and included on the unit list is everyone’s pronouns (voluntary and with permission to include).[10]
On February 1, 2021, Alice reply to a Twitter user that the series will have time skips, but it will take place while the characters are at school and will end when Nick leaves high school to go to university.[11] On June 15, 2021, Sebastian Croft announced that he wrapped filming his scenes.[12] June 16, 2021, Tobie Donovan and Yasmin Finney announced that they also wrapped filming.[13][14] On June 17, Kizzy Edgell and Corinna Brown announced that wrapped filming.[15][16] On June 18, Alice announced that Cormac Hyde-Corrin and Jenny Walser were the first to wrap their scenes.[17] One the same day Rhea Norwood announced that she wrapped filming.[18] On June 24, it was announced that they wrapped the season filming.[19]
On June 23, 2021,it was confirmed that the searies had wrapped its innagural season and present were: producer Zorana Piggott, Executive Producer Patrick Walters, actor Kit Connor, creator Alice Oseman, actor Joe Locke, DOP Diana Olifirova and director Euros Lyn.[20]
On April 25, 2022, Alice also mentioned that if they get a second season they'll be moving into volume three of the Heartstopper web-comic. Which will hopefully allow them to dive deeper into darker themes like mental health. As well, as touching on the teacher romance between Mr. Ajayi who is already a character in the show and Mr. Farouk.[21]
Notes[]
- The series will be written by Oseman, who previously published YA novels.[1]
- Heartstopper is being directed by Euros Lyn.[1]
- The series is being casted by Daniel Edwards with Lucy Allen, Catherine Garlick and Tom Payne.
- On January 20, 2021, Daniel Edwards announced that he was casting the series, but website crashed immediately due to overcapacity.[22][23]
- On January 21, 2021, Alice announced on Twitter that people can also apply for the role of Tori, Harry, or Ben and that they are already far into the casting process with Nick and Tara.[24]
- On January 25, 2021, Daniel Edwards shared a casting alert for Elle on Twitter to reach as many Trans girls of colour and her role is the only role they are accepting applies for outside the UK.[25]
- 10,000 people took part in auditioning for the characters part.[4]
- On January 21, 2020, Netflix announced that the series will be released spring 2022.[26]
- On April 19, 2022, it was revealed that the official trailer had reached 2 million views on YouTube![27]
- On April 21, 2022 Patrick Walters mentioned how through luck and serendipity, he and Alice Oseman loved every actor in it. Kit Connor (who plays Nick] and Joe Loke [who plays Charlie] are just fantastic in the lead roles. So he thinks if they hadn’t found those actors, the show would not have worked at all.[28]
- On April 27, 2022, it was revealed that between the week of April 18 - April 24, 2022, the series was watched for 14.55 million hours in that week and was in the Top 10.[29]
Trivia[]
- On April 12, 2022, during that week’s episode of The Radio Times Podcast, Kelly-Anne Taylor sat down with Joe Locke to discuss his debut role in the Netflix coming-of-age series Heartstopper. The actor chatted about the show’s importance for the LGBTQ+ community and the fact that it celebrates people being “unapologetically different”. Locke also says that Heartstopper brings coming out stories to the “forefront” and lets LGBTQ+ characters be more than just “the quirky weird kids” or side characters for comic relief. He believes the show will make young people feel more comfortable seeing themselves on screen and that society has “moved on” to be more accepting for teenagers who don’t fit the norm.[30]
- On April 18, 2022, Sebastian Croft mentioned how it was about a year and a half ago when the audition came in. Croft also went onto say that it was "a really cool, young ensemble of people who I would have loved my sixth form experience at school to have been. We had an amazing time making it, and this was one of those ones where it wasn't just a job, it felt really important for the soul. It also felt like I grew as a person as well as an actor."[31]
- On April 19, 2022, the episode titles were revealed by the Netflix UK & Ireland Twitter account.[32]
- Also on this day, Patrick Walters said that making Heartstopper for Netflix has been a labour of love and has meant "Alice and I have been in constant conversation on WhatsApp throughout the past couple of years".[33]
- On April 20, 2022, The Netflix UK & Ireland Instagram account posted a promotional image where the Heartstopper cast recreated the iconic Friends milkshake photoshoot.[34]
- On April 21, 2022, Joe Locke revealed that got the role of Charlie through an open audition. He further revealed that Alice Oseman, the author of the graphic novels, really wanted to get as authentic casting as possible, so they did an open call and anyone could send in a self-tape.[35]
- After that, he got invited to a recall, and then another recall, which was when he started to think, ‘Oh, maybe this is something that might actually happen!’[35]
- When he first heard about the audition, he read the comics and admitedly just saw so much of himself in Charlie and so much of what his school experience was like. He also really wanted to be a part of the project because her felt like there are not many shows out there that depict the positives of growing up as a queer person.[35]
- When asked if he did anything celebratory once he found out he got the part, Locke said that, because it was the height of the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, he came came back to the Isle of Man, where he's from, and had to isolate for two weeks in the house. So it was just him and his dog! So once his agent rang him the next day and said he got it, he just ordered takeaway and FaceTimed with his mum to tell her the news.[35]
- What surprised him the most about being on set, was the fact that there are just so many people who do so many different jobs that you would never think of when you are watching something... In regards to the cast themselves, Locke said they had a really great atmosphere and the whole crew did an amazing job when it comes to creating an environment where there were never any disagreements on set. Thus, everyone got on really well![35]
- In regards to some of the qualities that Locke admires the most about Charlie was [Charlie's] quiet confidence. Even though he's a more extroverted person than Charlie, his character is definitely more confident than he is because he would have never joined a rugby team for someone he had a crush on or had the guts to ask someone if they liked him or if they wanted to kiss him![35]
- As for the overarching message of the show, Locke said that it’s all about accepting who you are, and not who the world wants you to be. Locke think the series shows that you can’t change yourself to fit in with society, so you should try to surround yourself with people who love you, accept you for you, and let you grow in ways that bring those great qualities in you out.[35]
- Also on this day Patrick Walters, who is the executive producer at production company See-Saw, said he first came across the queer comic in 2018 when Oseman launched a Kickstarter campaign from her bedroom to turn the series into a graphic novel, and immediately knew it was crying out for an on-screen adaptation...[36]
- On April 22, 2022, it was mentioned by Yasmin Finney and Joe Locke said that "Netflix have been really good in helping us come to terms with what the next few weeks might be like," he adds.[37]
- Also on this day Yasmin Finney told Revamp magazine that she's "just so happy and thankful Alice saw Elle in me. I’m so grateful to the whole Heartstopper cast and everybody involved.It was crazy stepping into this world; Alice Oseman’s universe that she’s been building since 2012. I wanted to make sure I was doing the best I could and making sure the representation was there in me. I really do relate to Elle, so by being myself on set and not acting in a way, the authenticity would be there..."[38]
- For 1883 magazine, Kit Connor talked about how in a world where shows like Euphoria and Gossip Girl thrive on pushing the boundaries, Heartstopper is on another spectrum. Rather than showing the themes and issues prevalent to young queer adults in a dark, gritty frame, Heartstopper approaches topics like homophobia and toxic masculinity in a deft way that never causes the audience to ever feel in danger. For Kit, Heartstopper serves as a beacon of light; a show where there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s queer teen love without all of the darkness, demonstrating that it’s the heartwarming and uplifting balm the world needs.[39]
- Also for this magazine, in regards to the Heartstopper fandom, it's been great to see the fandom respond so well to their casting. However, it does comes with a bit of pressure sometimes to try and live up to the expectations of these characters, but Locke think that the Heartstopper fandom is so supportive of everything that Alice does and trusts her vision so much that they put that trust in them too...[40]
- Also on this day Oseman mentioned how Oseman she wrote and executive produced the eight-episode series, which closely follows the first two volumes of the Heartstopper web comic. She mentioned how building the world of the comic for the screen proved to be an exciting endeavor for Oseman, but also a challenging one, especially when it came to finding young, skilled actors to bring the story to life. “We wanted young actors, we wanted to cast authentically, [and] we obviously needed talented people,” Oseman says. “So we knew it was going to be a difficult, difficult task. But somehow, they just found their way to us.” Eventually, they found their Nick and Charlie in newcomer Joe Locke and Kit Connor. Most of the process happened over Zoom, but the final audition was in person. It was when Oseman saw Locke and Connor together in the same room that sealed the deal. “They did the scene that leads up to the first kiss,” they recall. “We knew already that they were both really talented actors, but we had to know if the dynamic would work, if there was chemistry, and if they could carry the romance of Nick and Charlie. And they smashed it. It was just like Nick and Charlie had come to life in front of me.”[41]
- On April 23, 2022, Alice Oseman answer a fan's tweet by saying that it was definately intended to have the character of Isaac Henderson give aroace vibes.[42]
- Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy on this day, Oseman explained how she had to tweak the original story to accommodate the televised timeline and why Aled was ultimately cut from the series. She explained that, "When writing the show, one thing I had to do was kind of expand the story, because Heartstopper, being a graphic novel, is quite short, really. There's not a lot of story in there,"...[43]
- Also on this day, some BTS images of Nick and Charlie snow day were released.[44]
- On April 24, 2022, both Oseman and Walters talked about bring the show from its webcomic form into the silver screen, and one the things that were revealed was how the show has an intimacy coordinator on set. Oseman elaborated further by saying how "the intimacy coordinator would basically… The first thing he would do is, he would call them up, and discuss the scene a few days beforehand. And then when we were on set, ther e would usually be a rehearsal. If there was a kiss scene, there'd be a rehearsal of it earlier in the day, where they would do exercises, getting to know each other, and just getting physically comfortable with each other.Then they would practise the kiss, to make sure they knew exactly what they were doing. And then the intimacy coordinator, he would be there on set as well when we were filming the scene. So it was a really good process..."[45]
- Also on this day Tobie Donovan said in a tweet how he "would like to personally thank the team of people who had to set up that monopoly board the exact same after every take..."[46]
- Moreover, Oseman said that the main thing for her was expanding the stories of the supporting characters, particularly Tao, Elle, Tara and Darcy. Because they and Nick and Charlie are like the “Main 6,” but in the comics there’s just not room to give them big storylines. They’re such beloved characters by the fans, like the fans just adore them, but honestly they don’t have a lot of page time. So the show was really the perfect opportunity to expand their stories and see a bit more of them than we do in the comics.[47]
- On April 25, 2022, Sebastian Croft said that “I found out about Heartstopper when I heard about the first audition. I’m super dyslexic, but went and got the book and knew there was no way I was going to finish it, but within a couple of hours I had finished the first book. On the same day I went back and bought the second and third (editions). It’s very rare that I’d had a really strong connection with the original text and knew I had to be a part of it. It felt so different, so honest and really liberating knowing that Heartstopper existed in the world. This is the kind of stuff I want to be a part of and I wish I had it when I was at school.” [48]
- It was also revealed that with te debut of Netflix’s Heartstopper, it was actualy the talk of Twitter over the weekend, catapulting over the competition and landing in the No. 1 spot on Variety’s Trending TV chart for the week of April 18 to 24. The series pulled in 929,000 engagements with its eight-episode debut, as viewers zipped through the 30-minute installments.[49]
- Also on this day Alice Oseman admitted to having to chop a fan-favourite scene, despite knowing that it would probably disappoint some hardcore fans. According Oseman, "[t]here is a scene in volume one where Nick and Charlie are play-fighting over a piece of homework...I just felt like it didn't quite work narratively because we had to slightly slow down the romance of Nick and Charlie, just to make it work in a TV show."[50]
- It was further revealed that the soundtrack for the first season was receiving much acclaim by fans and critics alike.[51]
- On April 28, 2022, Baby Queen, whose real name is Arabella Latham was joined on stage by Joe Locke (who plays main character Charlie Spring) as well as series regulars Yasmin Finney (Elle Argent), Sebastian Croft (Ben Hope), Corinna Brown (Tara Jones), Tobie Donovan (Isaac Henderson), Kizzy Edgell (Darcy Olsson) and Jenny Walser (Tori Spring). Oseman was also present for the gig, but they didn't join the cast on stage.[52]
- Connor and Locke were also asked on this day what was the biggest challenge and motivation in taking on these roles and telling this story. To which Connor said that, “[o]ne of the biggest motivations is the lack of representation for bisexual characters, especially male bisexual characters. There really aren’t that many [on screen]..."[53]
- On April 29, 2022, news came out that an avid Heartstopper fan used Nick's coming out scene in the LGBT+ Netflix drama to open up to her parents about being queer.[54]
- On May 1, 2022, a post on Instagram was released that showcased from comic to screen🍂.[55]
- Also on this day, Walters revealed that the recurring bird motifs seen throughout the first season are actually a pair of lovebirds made to pay homage to Nick & Charlie.[56]
- On May 2, 2022, since the series included a pitch-perfect soundtrack featuring numerous alt-pop hits, as a result, many of these songs received massive boosts following their inclusion in the show.[57]
- Also on this day, Netflix UK revealed the books Isaac was seen reading throughout the first season.[58]
- Regarding trans representation Finney said that, "There's so much that I want to do. And it's not just trans roles that I want to play. I can't highlight that enough. I feel like I've kind of done my bit, I've played trans characters, and I feel like every trans story that I'm gonna get is valid, because I think every trans story is beautiful. But I think if we really want to implement change, we have to start seeing trans actors and actresses playing cis roles and just roles that don't highlight their sexuality and gender orientation. And hopefully, I'll get something like that this year..."[59]
- On May 3, 2022, Netflix released their official top 10 count for the week between April 25 and May 1, and Heartstopper was the fifth most watched show (in English) on the plaftorm, with almost 24 million hours viewed![60]
- Also on this day, Scott Bryan realized that the Buzzfeed quiz he made around five years earlier,the show used itwhen Nick Nelson starts googling to figure his sexuality on the show.[61]
- On May 4, 2022, Oseman revealed that it had been one year since they shot the photo booth scene, and that she actually wasn’t expecting this scene to be a fan favourite.[62]
- On May 5, 2022, Heartstopper reached number 2 in the UK for Netflix Top 10 List.[63]
- Also on this day Yasmin Finney revealed that she was left "speechless" by the initial casting call for the series.[64]
- Orla released the music sheet for her song "Why am I like this?", which was one of the songs used in the first season.[65]
- Furthermore, the soundtrack for the series was praises stating how it was "Timed beautifully to some of the show’s most tender moments, Heartstopper’s music manages to resonate deeply with both its young Gen Z audience and its older, nostalgic queer viewers alike".[66]
- On May 6, 2022, Locke mentioned that he was picked out of 10,000 teenagers for the role, and that Heartstopper is an optimistic alternative to Euphoria.[67]
- On May 9, 2022, Locke mentioned when it comes to the queer teen coming-of-age story, he always saw it as a "little show" with “a small budget,” he explains. But "when all the buzz started coming, we're like, 'Whoa, we did not expect this.'"[68]
- Also on this day it was revealed that Netflix viewers continue to fall for “Heartstopper” long after its April drop on Netflix. For the third week in a row the series topped Variety’s Trending TV chart, earning nearly 600,000 more engagements for the week of May 2 to 8, 2022.[69]
- On May 10, 2022,in Season 2Connor said he'd love to see Connor Jessup from Locke & Key, who is very keen to be involved. Whereas Locke said he'd love to have Jennifer Coolidge play Charlie's grandmother. But he also wants a scene with Nick’s mom so he can work with Olivia Colman.[70]
- On May 13, 2022, Orla gartland, who sang the song "Why Am I Like This?" featured on the Season 1 soundtrack, revealed that for a limited time,a pastel-inspired run of the "why am I like this?" cap was released.[71][72]
- On May 14, 2022, Joe Locke revealed that he was stunned, to say the least, when he saw that a clip from the Netflix hit appeared on Gogglebox.[73]
- On May 16, 2022, “Heartstopper” was the top show on Variety’s Trending TV chart for the week of May 9-15, extending its winning streak to four straight weeks. The Netflix series pulled in 256,000 engagements (down 57% week-over-week).[74]
- According to the creative team behind the show, this is completely intentional to have Nick surrounded by lighting that looked like bisexual flag. “I remember telling Diana [Olifirova], our amazing cinematographer, ‘If you can just bathe Nick in the colors of the bisexual flag as much as possible, that would be really appreciated,’” executive producer Patrick Walters tells Tudum. “And, by gosh, she really rose to that challenge. Those colors are everywhere.”[75]
- On May 19, 2022, a five-year-old border collie from Snodland has burst onto the small screen, starring as Nellie Nelson in Netflix's Heartstopper. Echo landed the role of Nellie in the heart-warming LGBTQ+ teen series and now has fan clubs across the country and is recognised when out for his walks.[76]
- On May 20, 2022, after the two season reneweal announcement was revealed, Corinna who portrays Tara joked that she'd have to get on with practicing her french. To which Joe revealed that she was to re-do the scene where she speaks French in ADR.[77]
- The intimacy coordinator for the series also revealed that, “Beforehand I would see the actors, we’d play a couple of games to get them relaxed, have a bit of fun, get themselves back into their bodies and really come into their character rather than their personal self. “And then we’d block through where they were happy to be touched, how long would that kiss be, is there tongues, is there no tongues, what’s the quality of this moment?"[78]
- On May 22, 2022, when it comes to Season 2, "in terms of, I suppose what I'd like to see for Nick, I think just the strengthening Nick and Charlie’s relationship".[79]
- On May 23, 2022, “Heartstopper” claimed the top spot on Variety’s Trending TV chart for the week of May 16 to 22, marking the fifth consecutive time that the Netflix series has landed at No. 1.[80]
- On May 30, 2022, it was revealed that "Dance with Me" from Heartstopper was nominated for Best Musical Moment at the MTV Awards.[81]
- On June 5, 2022, the cast of Netflix's Heartstopper celebrated after they won with "Dance With Me" for Best Musical Moment at the 2022 MTVAwards![82]
Gallery[]
Images[]
1 Million Views on Trailer
Titles Revealed
100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes
Colors of You Song Promotional Image
