X

'Heartstopper' Fans, Rejoice: Netflix Finally Reveals Plans for More Seasons

Plus: Check out these fun tidbits about Netflix's acclaimed romance, from how to read the web comic online to how to spot author Alice Oseman's cameo.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Gael Cooper
5 min read
heartstopper

Rugby star Nick (played by Kit Connor, left) and gentle Charlie (Joe Locke) make for an unexpected couple in Heartstopper.

Netflix

Heartstopper is a touching, buoyant coming-of-age romance that hit Netflix on April 22. As of May 20, the British series still has a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer, and "universal acclaim" on CNET sister site Metacritic. And now, there's great news for fans. 

Heartstopper renewal news

The show has been renewed for two more seasons, Netflix tweeted Friday. 

"To those who have fallen in love with Nick and Charlie, cried watching Alice Oseman's magical story brought to life, or felt represented for the first time on-screen, I am elated to announce ... Heartstopper has been renewed for TWO MORE SEASONS!" the tweet reads.

A representative for Netflix did not respond to a question about when season 2 might be available, but it's unlikely a date has been nailed down this early. 

Executive producer Patrick Walters said earlier in an interview with Pink News that there's much more story to tell.

"Given there are more books in the series, there's more source material to adapt," Walters said. "Alice and I are getting our thinking caps on and starting to think ahead now."

What is Heartstopper?

Heartstopper is about out gay high school student Charlie (Joe Locke), who develops a relationship with a most surprising classmate -- rugby player Nick (Kit Connor). The show's gay, bisexual and trans characters  struggle with bullies, friends, family and growing up, but the show tackles all themes in a positive, often humorous way. Heartstopper eschews cliches, and as many critics note, it watching it just makes you feel good.

UK publication The Guardian calls Heartstopper "possibly the loveliest show on TV," with critic Rebecca Nicholson noting that "by the end of its zippy eight episodes, it leaves the sensation of being on the receiving end of a solid hug."

If you've given Heartstopper a chance to stop your heart recently, you might appreciate these facts about the show.

Warning: Spoilers for Heartstopper ahead.

Good luck getting your hands on the graphic novel

heartstopper-book-crop

You can buy the show in four graphic novels, or read it online.

Amazon

Before Heartstopper the Netflix series there was Heartstopper the graphic novel and web comic by English author Alice Oseman. There are four collected volumes of the web comic put into graphic novel form, with the first published in 2018, the second in 2019, the third in 2020 and fourth in 2021. 

If you want to acquire the graphic novels, you may have to hunt around. The show has certainly made them more popular. My local library has more than a month's wait to check out a copy, and as of May 1, Amazon was listing a May 23 shipping date for the first volume. Check your local bookstore, Target or Barnes & Noble if you want the printed books and don't want to wait.

You can read the web comic online

But if you'd like to read the web comic, you can do that right now. Oseman notes it's available on Tumblr, Tapas or Webtoon. And you can buy the graphic novel as an e-book, such as for Amazon's Kindle.

The actor who plays Nick tried out for Charlie

Once you see the show, it's hard to imagine anyone but Kit Connor playing rugby player Nick, or anyone but Joe Locke playing Charlie. Yet those roles could've been shaken up. Connor actually first auditioned to play Charlie, not Nick. He says he knew he didn't fit Charlie's physical description, but couldn't resist going for the part because he loved the role.

"I thought, 'There's no chance I'm going to get it,' because physically there's nothing about me that could fit this character," Connor said. "But then luckily there was Nick that I could sort of slot into quite well."

The author gets a cameo

Alice Oseman, creator of Heartstopper, gets a cameo in the very final episode, as a passenger on the train Nick and Charlie are on. Don't blink or you might miss her. But if you spot Oseman, you might notice that she's drawing -- and she's actually drawing Connor and Locke, as the two actors were sitting just across the aisle.

"I was drawing them," Oseman revealed in a social media update, even sharing the drawing.

There's also a novel about Charlie's sister

A favorite minor character for many is Charlie's sister, Tori, played by Jenny Walser. Believe it or not, Tori actually got her chance in the spotlight first. Oseman's first novel, Solitaire, published in 2014, follows Tori and a fellow student as they investigate a pranks war at their school. And if you read it, you'll learn a major fact about Charlie that's not disclosed in the Netflix show.

heartstopper-tori-crop.png

Want to know more about Charlie's scene-stealing sister, Tori? There's a whole novel about her.

Netflix

Nick's mom is the Queen

Nick's mother doesn't appear in Heartstopper much, but when she does, fans of British shows are bound to recognize her. Yes, Nick's mom (OK, OK, "mum," because England) is played by Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman. Yes, she played Queen Elizabeth II in the two most recent seasons of The Crown on Netflix. Radio Times reports that producers were stunned when Colman accepted the role, and kept her participation secret until the show premiered.

olivia-colman-heartstopper-crop.png

God save the queen: That's Olivia Colman as Nick's mom. Er, mum.

Netflix

His headmaster's famous voice

There's another famous person in the Heartstopper cast, but this time, viewers never see his face. Legendary British actor and comedian Stephen Fry provides the voice of Headmaster Barnes, who runs Truham Grammar School, the boys' school in the series.

What's with the animation?

The show is a live-action drama, but at certain emotional moments, brief animated elements -- leaves, flowers, lightning bolts -- add a little something. The images have the distinct style of Oseman's art. Executive Producer Patrick Walters told Pink News the crew called these "Heartstopper moments." 

"I love it," said Walters. "Hopefully it gives you goosebumps and makes you lean in when those moments happen."

Did you spot the Game of Thrones actor?

Sebastian Croft plays Ben, and it's probably fair to say Ben is no one's favorite character, thanks to how he treats Charlie. But Croft himself played a much beloved character, a young Ned Stark on Game of Thrones.

Follow the cast on social media

Want more from the actors who star in Heartstopper? Here are ways to follow them on social media, via Netflix's Tudum blog.

Follow Joe Locke, who plays Charlie, on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow Kit Connor, who plays Nick, on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow Yasmin Finney, who plays Elle, on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow William Gao, who plays Tao, on Instagram.

Follow Tobie Donovan, who plays Isaac, on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow Corinna Brown, who plays Tara, on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow Kizzy Edgell, who plays Darcy, on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow Sebastian Croft, who plays Ben, on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow Rhea Norwood, who plays Imogen, on Instagram and Twitter.

New Movies Coming in 2023 From Marvel, Netflix, DC and More

See all photos