'Heartstopper' Leads Streaming’s British-Based Queer Teen Romance Slate
For anyone who missed the Heartstopper train when the show swept the internet last spring, now is the time to hop on board. Heartstopper’s second season will be released this summer, followed by Red, White & Royal Blue, another queer rom-com page-to-screen adaptation that is sure to capture the hearts of the Heartstopper audience.
The first season of Heartstopper debuted on Netflix in April 2022. Season 1 followed Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor), two boys who form an unlikely friendship (Charlie is shy and has been bullied for being openly gay, Nick is the outgoing and presumed-straight captain of the rugby team) that soon turns to romance. The story also centers Charlie’s group of friends, who each have coming-of-age struggles and love stories of their own. The series was met with immediate acclaim by dedicated fans of the web comic and new viewers alike. Just a month after it premiered on Netflix, it was renewed for a second and third season.
In Season 1, Joe Locke and Kit Connor were joined by William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corrina Brown, Kizzy Edgell, and Olivia Colman as Nick’s mom. These cast members will reprise their roles in Season 2, along with several new additions. Alice Oseman, the creator of the original webcomic, will continue as writer of the show. Euros Lyn, the director of Season 1, will also return to direct Season 2.
