Netflix's Heartbreak High reboot is unlike any show you've seen on Australian TV before.

The characters of Netflix's Heartbreak High reboot have a way of charming you, even when they're breaking the rules, making mistakes, or as they'd probably describe it, being "extra".

Sitting across from me on a sunny Sydney afternoon were the show's three leads - Ayesha Madon, James Majoos and Chloé Hayden, and after only minutes in their presence, it was easy to see why. 

As we exchanged pleasantries before the interview, the trio admitted they were, as they joked, 'press junket virgins'. 

If they hadn't had told me, I wouldn't have picked it. 

Each of them exuded a natural, warm chemistry, and when they complimented me profusely, I - a millennial in the midst of an existential crisis who had earlier informed her colleagues she was uncharacteristically nervous to interview the supremely cool Gen Zers - it felt like they meant it.

There was major star power on that couch. Very soon, the whole world would see it.

Watch: The Heartbreak High trailer. Post continues below video.

The title of Heartbreak High will be familiar to any Australian of a certain age, but this is not your standard reboot.

It's designed to live alongside the beloved 90s series, rather than emulate it. It's a widening of the world, set in the same Maroubra high school but with new characters and storylines. Whether you've seen the original, this reimagining can stand on its own.

The series begins with Amerie, played by Madon, who finds support in outsiders Darren (Majoos) and Quinni (Hayden) after she is very publicly dumped by her longtime best friend, Harper (Asher Yasbincek), and is ostracised by the rest of the school after a sex map they put together in the stairwell is discovered.

Across the rest of the series, Amerie is determined to repair her reputation, while navigating love, sex, heartbreak and why the heck her bestie broke up with her.

All eight episodes of the Aussie series drop worldwide on September 14.

"I think we've only just come to the realisation that this is real," Hayden said of the series going off into the world.

"I don't think it's really sunk into any of us that this is actually a real thing, and a big thing."

Heartbreak High sits nicely alongside other Netflix series like Sex Education and Never Have I Ever, but with a uniquely Australian tone. It's about the highs and lows of high school and teenage life - told with sensitivity, a beautifully diverse cast, and of course, a good sense of humour.

Madon, Majoos and Hayden had a unique journey to this point. The three of them were pre-cast, meaning they were cast early and then worked with writers to flesh out their characters, in line with their own experiences and identities.

That's pretty rare in TV, especially for young actors like them.

"It was a privilege," Majoos said. They play Darren, a Queer, non-binary student who's unapologetically themself.

"It's so rare to be able to lend a voice to the writing of your character. It was so wonderful that the writing team were really open and they really cared about these characters and these stories, so it felt really special."

Image: Netflix.

The level of care is clear the deeper you get into the series. It features a large ensemble cast, but almost all the characters feel extremely well-rounded and true to real life.

"I think it's so incredibly obvious when you see the show and see these characters that it isn't someone who sat down in a conference room and said 'let's create this character'," Hayden said.

She stars as Quinni, who, like her, is autistic.

"Every single character has their own story and [the show] has our stories interlaced into every single part of it. Being pre-cast and being able to be such an intense part of the writing process, of fleshing out the characters, I think it's really, really clear that these characters hold so much truth in them."

She worked with the writing team to ensure the portrayal of autism through Quinni felt authentic.

"When I got the role, we had a lot of really, really big discussions with the writing team of like 'what does neurodivergent mean to Quinni?' and what is she like - is it low-key, like she never talks about the fact that she's neurodivergent, or are we going to make it a big part of her story?" she recalled.

"I knew I had input in it because there would be multiple times where I'd get calls from the writing team and they'd be like 'we want to do this' and I'd be like 'we can’t do that, that's not what autism is' and they'd be like, 'sick, you tell me what it is then'... with every single aspect, we really got to put ourselves into it. 

"As someone who has never seen myself represented on television before - and not just within disability, but with race and sexuality and gender identity - every single person is going to be able to see themselves in this, and it's because we had such a deep part in fleshing out our own characters."

Image: Netflix.

It's not just the cast that reflects what Australia looks like in the year 2022. That representation was also visible behind-the-scenes, which helped Madon feel confident that the writers would safely and accurately tell the story of a first-generation South Asian Australian like Amerie.

"For me, as a woman of colour, I obviously want to reflect as truthful a first-generation story as I can," she said. 

"A lot of the writing team were first-generation people of colour, and first-generation Indian people as well, so I took a backseat. Every person’s experience is different and I'm really happy to reflect whatever the writers' experience was. I think it's really beautiful to be collaborative in that way."

One of the most joyful parts of this series is the friendship between Quinni and Darren, which evolves without much apprehension to embrace Hartley's newest outcast, Amerie.

As both a duo and a trio, this becomes a beautiful depiction of supportive, understanding and kind relationships that will rival all your favourite TV friendships.

"The first thing Quinni thinks is like, 'I like her, she's nice'," Hayden laughed.

Darren took a bit more convincing, but after what is sure to become an iconic scene of the characters screaming atop a rooftop, they were on board.

Image: Netflix.

After all, outsiders embracing the school's newest outsider makes perfect sense, Majoos said.

"I think it's quite special, Quinni and Darren's characters are quite important in Amerie's journey," Madon agreed.

"There's something to be said about not being 'cool' in high school. I think a lot of the time the people who aren't 'popular' or 'cool' have this very niche emotional capacity to just be themselves, and be more secure in themselves than popular people are."

When we meet Amerie, she's obsessed with status. Through her friendship with Quinni and Darren, she sees what is more important.

"When she falls from grace and meets these two lovely characters, I think she's shown that there is so much more than just being cool and appearing a certain way, [like] being true to yourself and authentic and secure in yourself."

All three actors are in agreement, as is the thoroughly entertained journalist who sat across from them, Heartbreak High is a groundbreaking addition to Australian TV, championing acceptance above all else.

Plus, there's also the fact that it's just a really, really enjoyable watch. 

Heartbreak High premieres on Netflix on September 14.

Chelsea McLaughlin is Mamamia's Senior Entertainment Writer and co-host of The Spill. For more pop culture takes, recommendations and sarcasm, you can follow her on Instagram. 

Feature image: Netflix.