Heartbreak High, Season 1 Episode 5, ‘Bin Chicken’

Judges' Comments

A contemporary adaptation of the original Heartbreak High, the scripts in this show are bold, ambitious and bolshy, yet ooze empathy. The stories and scripts lean into contemporary trends and issues, marking a major advance in how young people are represented on Australian screens. 

This particular script is sharply written, pushing and blending storylines, keeping themes moving throughout the scenes and character shifts, and leading strongly to the final scene. The characters are engaging, vital and relevant. Using an assured sense of thematic tone, the writer delivers a funny, poignant, honest and astute eye on the contemporary themes of consent, pleasure, responsibility and connection. There are no holds barred when it comes to character interactions, with plot and dialogue working synchronously to move us — in both sense of the word — through the episode’s action and emotion. We congratulate Thomas Wilson-White for a rollicking read and a courageous story ride.