Jonah from Tonga

Jonah from Tonga

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2014
Founder	Chris Lilley
Products	Television comedy series
Parent	Princess Pictures, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, HBO

Jonah from Tonga () is an Australian mockumentary sitcom miniseries created by comedian Chris Lilley, who also stars as the lead. The narrative centers on Jonah Takalua, a defiant 14-year-old boy of Tongan heritage living in Australia, portrayed by Lilley himself. This character originally appeared in Lilley's 2007 series Summer Heights High, where he was expelled by the series' end. In this follow-up, Jonah's father sends him back to Tonga to reside with his uncle in an effort to help him improve his behavior. The series attracted controversy due to its depiction of ethnic stereotypes and the use of brownface.

Consisting of six episodes, the production was a collaboration between Princess Pictures, Chris Lilley, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It aired on ABC1 in Australia, HBO in the United States, and BBC Three in the United Kingdom. In New Zealand, Māori Television initially broadcast the premiere in July 2017 but pulled subsequent episodes after public protests. The full series was briefly available for online streaming over a single weekend via BBC iPlayer and ABC iview before beginning a six-week television run on ABC1 and BBC Three—a notable first for a major Australian television project. Despite this milestone, the show experienced poor viewership ratings on both ABC and BBC. Although plans were made for theatrical screenings accompanied by Q&A sessions, these events were ultimately cancelled, with refunds issued and promotional websites taken down.

Production

On 27 November 2013, Chris Lilley revealed that Jonah Takalua would return in a new series titled Jonah from Tonga, scheduled for release in 2014. The series was developed by Melbourne-based Princess Pictures alongside Lilley himself, in cooperation with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and HBO. Filming partly occurred at The Grange P-12 College, located in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

Characters

Jonah's family

• Chris Lilley reprises his role as Jonah Takalua, the rebellious protagonist first introduced in Summer Heights High.
• Tama Tauali'i portrays Moses Takalua, Jonah’s younger brother and gifted vocalist who is part of the Fobba-licious group.
• Isaia Noa plays Rocky Takalua, Jonah’s father; this role was previously filled by Tovia Matiasi.
• Linda Horan appears as Aunty Grace, Jonah’s caring aunt.
• Jane Reupena-Niko acts as Melody, Jonah’s cousin and romantic interest.
• Eigawe Hunt is Mary Takalua, Jonah’s sister who often becomes the target of his teasing.
• Tevita Manu portrays Uncle Mamafu, who refuses to allow Jonah to stay with him in Tonga.

Holy Cross High School staff

• Doug Bowles takes on the role of Mr Joseph, Lazarus House teacher struggling to control Jonah; he retires after school officials deem the program ineffective.
• Uli Latukefu plays Mr Fonua ("Kool Kris"), a youth worker encouraging Fobba-licious to participate in the Feel Da Beat competition.
• Meaghan Butler features as Miss Hunt, a well-liked young educator.
• Dorothy Adams portrays Sister Monica, the school administrator responsible for managing the sick bay.

Other school students

• Jason Moleli, Lafaele Tauli'i, Tana Laasia, Ilanna, and Peggy appear as members of Fobba-licious.
• Bryce Padovan plays Graydon, Mary’s boyfriend and school captain who serves as Jonah’s adversary.

Garingal Juvenile Justice Centre

• Belinda Sharp acts as Therese Cooper, an officer at the Juvenile Centre.
• Mose Mose portrays Kevin, Jonah’s cellmate.
• Braydan Pittman (rapper 'SESK') appears as Jarrod, an Aboriginal detainee who frequently antagonizes Jonah.

Reception

The show garnered a variety of responses, with notable criticism directed at its depiction of Tongans and Lilley's application of brownface makeup. It was met with disapproval from the Tongan community in Australia, and several organizations in the United States publicly opposed HBO's choice to broadcast the series. Morgan Godfery from The Guardian identified Takalua as Lilley's "most charming character," yet contended that Polynesians ended up as "collateral damage" amid his commentary on racism, comparing the program to a "modern minstrel show" for certain audiences. Giles Hardie of The New Daily described the series as "blatantly racist," targeting multiple ethnic groups, though he recognized Lilley as one of the few comedians who compel society to face uncomfortable truths and engage in self-reflection, suggesting that the show confronts rather than reinforces stereotypes.

In 2017, Māori Television in New Zealand decided not to proceed with airing the series after its board cited concerns about reinforcing harmful Pacific Islander stereotypes. The creators behind the 2004 ABC documentary Our Boys noted that Lilley drew inspiration for the character Jonah from their production. An individual featured in Our Boys reported feeling "embarrassed, full of hate, angry and exploited" by the portrayal of Jonah, which they considered "racist" and based on themselves. Additionally, the director of the series and a teacher at Canterbury Boys High School expressed that the character exploited Tongan students whom Lilley had encountered following their viewing of Our Boys on television.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date (ABC1)	Australian viewers

Home video releases

Series	Set information	DVD launch dates		Bonus content
		Region 2	Region 4
Jonah from Tonga	2-disc set Contains 6 episodes	16 June 2014	28 May 2014	Deleted scenes included Outtakes and bloopers Behind-the-scenes documentaries

Awards and nominations

Year	Award event	Category	Nominee(s)	Outcome
2015	Logie Awards	Most Popular Actor	Chris Lilley	Nominated