Ep 1. Episode 1

Summer Heights High season 1 episode 1, titled "Episode 1," serves as the first introduction to the world of Australian high school as created by comedian Chris Lilley. In this episode, viewers are introduced to three main characters portrayed by Lilley: Ja'mie King, Mr. G, and Jonah Takalua.

The episode starts with a fly-on-the-wall documentary-style approach, starting outside the school before moving into the hallways and classrooms. The first character viewers meet is Ja'mie King, a 16-year-old private school girl who has been "exiled" to public school for a term. Ja'mie is a self-absorbed and superficial girl who is confident in her status as a popular girl despite being in a new environment. She learns of an upcoming open mic night event and decides to audition despite not having any real talent.

Next, viewers meet Mr. G, a flamboyant and self-obsessed drama teacher who has high expectations for his classes and is preparing for auditions for his latest musical, which he plans to pump full of his own personal drama. He is shown rehearsing his performance and/or directing his students and the viewer also gets to see some of his team meetings that happen during the school day in preparation for the musical.

Finally, Jonah Takalua, a loud and misbehaving Year 8 student who is of Tongan descent is introduced. He disrespects the teachers, constantly breaks rules, and looks for every opportunity to get out of class, often feigning sickness. He is also shown engaging in defiant behavior during vandalism on a nearby street.

Throughout the episode, viewers also get to meet several supporting characters such as the principal Ms. Murray and the geography teacher Mr. Cameron. They add to the understanding of the school setting, introduce upcoming aspects of the plot, and help to further develop the main characters.

The episode ends with Ja'mie's audition in which she sings off-key with an overwhelming sense of entitlement, and Mr. G's traditional Australian-style song about a "drama teacher" during his audition, which prompts the students to leave in boredom and not clap.

Overall, Summer Heights High season 1 episode 1 manages to establish the main characters well and give a raw but humorous look into an Australian high school. The show relies heavily on the characters and their idiosyncrasies, with each character walking a fine balance between being extremely exaggerated and believable. The comedy is sharp, pointed and effective, poking fun at the idiosyncrasies that are prevalent in high school culture in general.