My 18 year old son and I curled up together for hours at at time in his bed with his laptop and almost peed ourselves laughing, as we watched episode after episode. And then watched them again.

Best episode is about Ja'mie's African foster kids. A must-see.

This late 60s/early 70s depiction of Baby-Boom-era high schoolers and their teachers was groundbreaking in several ways. First and foremost was the excellent multi-racial cast led by the late Lloyd Haines as the Obama-esque teacher Mr. Dixon. Second was the realistic (for Hollywood) depiction of teen problems of the era including attitudes about race, sex, and growing-up in general. And it wasn't afraid to show that the adults in the school had problems, as well as the kids, and didn't always have "the right answers."

Does anyone get reruns on cable or DVD? This is too good to be floating in the limbo of "beloved old TV series tied up in litigation over the re-release rights."

Cruel Summer no doubt was used. This sounds great. Thanks Heather

I saw this show on the BBC (here in the UK) a few months ago and absolutely loved it. I started watching it for the scathing jokes and ended up watching it because of its heart.

It would be easy to lambaste those who've criticised the show on this board as simply not having got it. And I think that would be a fair assessment, as they'd realise as the show progresses just how much Chris Lilley actually accomplishes here: both in terms of animating his characters with such life (i.e. I've met individuals just like each of those in the show, and Chris has got them down brilliantly--he has considerable talent for social observation) as well as in refusing to making just another vapid secondary school show.

All in all, a wonderful programme...I hope my native Americans end up appreciating it for what it's worth.

...and turn off cable.

I suffered through that show in its network run. Couldn't avoid it. It was "ironic" and "absurd." It was Jim Jinkins's attempt to talk about the craziness of grade school and high school, but it was all phony. To try to give the impression of different races without referring to real races, he colored the supporting characters green, blue and other Crayola colors, and never had them partake in ethnic activities, not even Italian dinners. It all taught "lessons," but how could kids use those lessons when everything was set in an absurd universe where everyone worshiped beets and an incompetent superhero named Quailman?

In this case, the Canadians did it better, with their live-action Degrassi High. It talked about real problems like AIDS, homophobia, drugs and suicide. On the plus side, it mostly aired on PBS in the States, and it never got Disneyfied. On the minus side, it aired on PBS, which meant that damn few people saw it.

I almost wish the Canadians would make a musical version of Degrassi, perhaps ending with a Columbine-like incident, and calling it High School Mis'rable. That would be a true reflection of high school and youth in America, not that sexless colorful crap playing in theaters now.

I'll be fascinated to hear how Summer Heights High goes down in the US. I loved it - it really does capture the brutality of high school, the humour is scathing, but it's not completely lacking in heart.