One of the show’s most poignant storylines sees Nick question his sexuality - he’s unsure if he’s gay, bisexual or just really into this one guy. No matter what they go through, both characters always have a strong network of friends, supportive family members and empathetic teachers.Īnd, of course, they have each other. But what makes Nick and Charlie’s story so uniquely comforting is an undeniable undercurrent of hope. Heartstopper does have its serious moments there’s definitely angst, and later installments of the comic cover some heavier mental health-related topics. But when it’s featuring marginalized characters, you probably haven’t seen that as much as you think you have.” “I always think a trope is a trope for a reason,” Oseman says. In another swoony moment, Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) and Tara (Corinna Brown) - a lesbian couple who befriend Charlie and Nick - finally take their relationship public with a sweeping, spotlighted and impeccably soundtracked kiss at a party. Darcy, Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, and so many rom-com heroes that came before. In one scene, a drenched, disheveled Nick shows up to Charlie’s house in the rain, à la Mr. Nick and Charlie, along with the show’s other queer characters, are given the kind of pure, happy, marquee rom-com moments that, for far too long, have been reserved for straight couples. Queer romance and joy is, still, groundbreaking storytelling - and it’s exactly why Oseman’s comics resonated with so many readers. And even now, they add, “a lot of queer stories are still very serious or focused on trauma.”
“There’s a lot on TV now that has queer content, but it’s definitely for adults,” they say. Still, Oseman wishes there were more programs geared toward younger queer people. Growing up, they found solace in young adult novels, but when it came to hopeful queer television for teenagers, there wasn’t a lot that they could turn to. Seeing the characters they created materialize had a huge impact on Oseman, who has long seen and felt the gap on-screen when it comes to representation. It was just like Nick and Charlie had come to life in front of me.” “We knew already that they were both really talented actors, but we had to know if the dynamic would work, if there was chemistry, and if they could carry the romance of Nick and Charlie. “They did the scene that leads up to the first kiss,” they recall. It was when Oseman saw Locke and Connor together in the same room that sealed the deal. Most of the process happened over Zoom, but the final audition was in person. They found their Nick and Charlie in newcomer Joe Locke and Kit Connor ( Rocketman, His Dark Materials). But somehow, they just found their way to us.” “So we knew it was going to be a difficult, difficult task.
“We wanted young actors, we wanted to cast authentically, we obviously needed talented people,” Oseman says. Building the world of the comic for the screen proved to be an exciting endeavor for Oseman, but also a challenging one, especially when it came to finding young, skilled actors to bring the story to life.
Oseman wrote and executive produced the eight-episode series, which closely follows the first two volumes of Heartstopper. But I did and they really liked it, so I ended up writing the entire show.” “I’d never written a screenplay before, so I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll try. “They asked if I wanted to try writing the show,” recalls Oseman. In 2019, Hachette published the first of several volumes of the comic, and the same year, Heartstopper was optioned by See-Saw Films to be developed as a TV series. In 2018, Oseman opened a Kickstarter to self-publish a limited number of physical copies and raised $25,223 in just 24 hours. Their story resonated with millions of fans. Eventually, their bond turns romantic, and they stick by each other’s side as they cope with coming out, issues within their friend groups and bullying. They start texting, confiding in one another about pressures at school, and Nick even convinces Charlie to join the rugby team. The premise of Heartstopper is delightfully straightforward: Charlie, a neurotic, soft-spoken openly gay high school student, forms an unlikely friendship with Nick, a popular, gentle and - he assumes - straight athlete.