Ja'mie: Private School Girl

Ja'mie: Private School Girl

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2013 (2013)
Founder	Chris Lilley
Headquarters	Sydney , Australia
Products	Television comedy series
Parent	Princess Pictures, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, HBO

Ja'mie: Private School Girl is an Australian mockumentary sitcom miniseries centered around an elite private girls' grammar school located in Sydney's prosperous North Shore. Created by and starring comedian Chris Lilley, the series maintains his distinctive mockumentary approach, focusing on the character Ja'mie King, who previously appeared in We Can Be Heroes and Summer Heights High. The narrative captures Ja'mie's concluding weeks of high school.

The production is a collaborative effort between Chris Lilley and Princess Pictures, in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and HBO. The show aired on ABC in Australia from 23 October to 27 November 2013, while HBO commenced broadcasting in the United States on 24 November 2013.

Development

Chris Lilley revealed his upcoming project via his Facebook account, with ABC confirming the six-part, half-hour comedy series slated for a 2013 release. On 8 September 2013, Lilley announced the series title and confirmed that Ja'mie King would be returning.

Production

The series was produced by Melbourne-based production company Princess Pictures alongside Chris Lilley, with support from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and HBO. Filming took place at Haileybury College, Melbourne.

Broadcast and reception

Private School Girl debuted on ABC1 in Australia on 23 October 2013 and later premiered on HBO in North America on 24 November 2013. In the United Kingdom, BBC Three began airing the series on 6 February 2014 at 10 pm.

The initial audience figures on ABC were strong, attracting 924,000 viewers but dropped to 575,000 by the fourth episode. Despite this decline, the series set new records on ABC iview, surpassing previous milestones held by Doctor Who.

Critical opinions were varied. Laurence Barber of The Guardian linked the falling Australian ratings to a lack of substantial character development, suggesting that Lilley's approach made it challenging for viewers to connect. Tim Goodman from The Hollywood Reporter critiqued the format on HBO, indicating it mainly appeals to devoted fans. In the UK, Rebecca Smith of The Daily Telegraph commended Lilley's comedic portrayal but cautioned that the show risked becoming monotonous.

Ja'mie King

The protagonist, Ja'mie King, portrayed by Chris Lilley, also appeared in his earlier works We Can Be Heroes and Summer Heights High. This series chronicles her final year at Hillford Girls Grammar School following her departure from Summer Heights High.

Mitchell

Mitchell Ward, enacted by Lester Ellis Jr., serves as Ja'mie's romantic interest. As a Year 10 student holding a rugby scholarship at Kelton Boys Grammar, he is described by Ja'mie as "totally quiche."

Prefects

The Prefects represent Ja'mie's popular circle at Hillford, recognized as the "quichest" girls—a term coined by Ja'mie meaning "a notch above hot." After being expelled due to an inappropriate performance during a school presentation, they later join Ja'mie at Blaxland College following a six-month time lapse.

• Madison Cartwright (Georgie Jennings) – Initially Ja'mie's closest friend and considered the most exemplary prefect. Their friendship deteriorates after Madison spends time with Mitchell, resulting in a breakup. They reconcile once Madison ends things with Mitchell due to his disrespect.
• Olivia Harrington (Georgia Treu)
• Imogen "Immy" Gallagher (Laura Grady)
• Morgan Courtier (Phoebe Roberts)
• Alexandria "Alex" Lupinski (D'arci Buckerfield)
• Isabella "Bella" Mansouri (Tayla Duyal)

Courtney King

Courtney (portrayed by Madelyn Warrell), the younger sibling of Ja'mie and a Year 11 student at Hillford, often endures Ja'mie’s verbal mistreatment, particularly about her participation in the choir. Alongside her friend Selena, she captures a video of Ja'mie's provocative dance performed with Mitchell.

Cody

Cody Bomhoff (played by Alex Cooper), known as Ja'mie’s "GBF" (Gay Best Friend), attends Kelton Boys Grammar and informs Ja'mie when Mitchell arrives. He shares dance lessons with her and assists in her rebellious style transformation in episode 5, also accompanying her on a visit to Kwami.

Additional characters

• Jhyll King (Jhyll Teplin) – Ja'mie’s mother, who frequently suffers from Ja'mie’s abusive behavior.
• Marcus King (Brad Brivik) – Ja'mie’s father, often subject to her manipulation; their relationship is notably difficult.
• Mandy Bryant (Monique Max) – Marcus’ assistant who supports Ja'mie’s party planning; an implied romantic involvement with Marcus is hinted at.
• Mr. Hayes (Wayne Perkins) – Deputy principal at Hillford Girls Grammar responsible for expelling Ja'mie and the Prefects after their inappropriate assembly performance.
• Ms. Welham (Lise Rodgers) – One of the principals at Hillford who holds a negative view of Ja'mie; she co-decides on the expulsion after the scandal harms the school’s reputation.
• Lauren Nikolov (Rose Flanagan) – A boarding student whom Ja'mie disparages; the animosity between them is mutual.
• Erin Walker (Brodie Dare) – Another boarder involved in dance and charitable activities; recipient of the prestigious Hillford Medal, much to Ja'mie’s frustration.
• Kwami Onwuatuegwu (Albert Mambo) – A Ugandan boy who communicates with Ja'mie via Skype; becomes part of a controversial incident leading to his removal from the King household and later appears in a video that results in Ja'mie's expulsion.
• Astrid O'Hara – Ja'mie's girlfriend following her expulsion at Blaxland College; their relationship is turbulent during Ja’mie's bisexual phase.
• Brianna (Emma Clapham) – A former friend from earlier series who has distanced herself due to lifestyle changes; Madison befriends her to antagonize Ja’mie.
• Emma (Sharley White) and Mel (Alice Stewart) – Previous members of Ja’mie's social circle; Madison aligns with them as part of a vendetta against Ja’mie.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Australian viewers

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominees and recipients	Outcome
2014	Logie Awards	Most Popular Light Entertainment Program	Ja'mie: Private School Girl	Template:Nom
		Most Popular Actor	Chris Lilley	Template:Won
		Most Outstanding Actor		Template:Nom

Home video releases

Series	Set information	DVD launch dates			Bonus content
		Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
Ja'mie: Private School Girl	Two discs Six episodes	5 August 2014	16 June 2014	28 November 2013	Deleted scenes Outtakes Behind-the-scenes documentaries