The Heights

Gritty and down-to-earth, almost kitchen-sink realism. Despite a cast of characters that feels like they've tried to check off every minority and ethnic group going, it doesn't feel laboured or forced. The show does a remarkable job of creating what feels like a community, where characters really can bump into each-other and have different connections via different people. It's essentially a soap opera, sure, but its an engaging one; not overly-directed tosh like Neighbours or most commercial network dramas. The writing is terrifically subtle, and with only occasional exceptions, spares us huge amounts of exposition. AND its funny. It almost feels like an attempt to follow-up Something in the Air, the last soap the ABC produced almost 20 years ago.

I'm only up to the ninth episode on iView but I really hope this show starts to grow its audience so they can justify a renewal. What were the ABC thinking by airing it on a Friday night? It would have done much better in the middle of the week. In the US they call it the 'Friday Night Death Slot' for a reason; people are less likely to turn on their TVs for a drama at the end of a long week.