Ja’mie: Private School Girl—The Complete Series

jamie private school girl poster episode guide
7.5 Overall Score
Story: 7/10
Acting: 9/10
Visuals: 8/10

Lilley completely commits to the character

A little Ja'mie is good but a lot of Ja'mie is too much

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Welcome back to school!

Ja’mie King (Chris Lilley) is back and finishing up her last year at Hillford Girls Grammar.  With the Hillford Medal hanging the balance, Ja’mie just impress the judges, win the chance to perform at the presentation night, and achieve her dreams of being the best student at Hillford…and Ja’mie has no doubts that she can’t do it.

Ja’mie Private School Girl first aired on Australian’s ABC1 (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) beginning on October 23, 2013.  The serial aired in the U.S. on HBO in November of 2013 and has been released on DVD.

Chris Lilley has been developing the Ja’mie character for years and if you haven’t seen We Can Be Heroes or Summer Heights High, I recommend seeing them first before you jump into Ja’mie.  In the previous presentations of the character, Ja’mie was tempered with other character (also played by Lilley)…and that aspect really helped the character.

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Ja’mie and her yes-girls

To put it bluntly, Ja’mie is not a nice girl.  She’s hypocritical, cruel, jealous, and sometimes outright evil and blinded by her delusions of grandeur.  It was easy to take in small doses but here it is harder to deal with.  There are a lot of laugh out loud moments, but not nearly as many as We Can Be Heroes or Summer Heights High.

The fault can be placed on Lilley a bit as the series creator, but acting wise, Lilley is possibly at his best.  Without playing other characters, you can almost forget that Ja’mie is a man approaching forty years old (especially when you get to the creepy ending of the presentation night).  You buy that Ja’mie is this bratty girl who surrounds herself with yes-girls and yes-men who are “permitted” to worship her every action.

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Love…exciting and new!

The show also looks good.  The documentary style comedy is almost tapped out with it being used on so many shows nowadays.  All the shows have hired great supporting actors to fill the frame that aren’t distracting…and that is actually kind of hard sometimes for extras.  Here, the characters all have a real feel in a real world environment.

Ja’mie:  Private School Girl is for fans of Lilley and the character but also is a bit overkill.  You’ve probably known someone like Ja’mie, but maybe not to her level and revisiting high school could be tough if you were the one at Ja’mie’s mercy.  The show isn’t quite “quiche”, but it still is enjoyable.

Ja’mie:  Private School Girl—The Complete Episode Guide:

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Episode 1

Episode 1 Airdate:  10/23/13

It’s Ja’mie’s last year at Hillford Girls Grammar, and Ja’mie (Chris Lilley) is preparing for her last few months at school.  Ja’mie finds that her prefect dance is a bit too much for her principal who demands changes.  A new boy named Mitchell (Lester Ellis, Jr.) arrives and Ja’mie sets her eyes on him.  An opportunity for a house party pops up, and Ja’mie is planning to host what could be the best bash of the year.

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Episode 2

Episode 2 Airdate:  10/30/13

Things heat up between Ja’mie and her African friend Kwami Onwuatuegwu (Albert Mambo) when he sexts her .  Ja’mie works on her dance routine against her rival Erin Walker (Brodie Dare).  When Ja’mie gets alone time with Mitchell, a seductive dance could get Ja’mie into trouble when her sister Courtney (Madelyn Warrell) gets involved.

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Episode 3

Episode 3 Airdate:  11/06/13

Ja’mie works to improve her image at school and decides to bring her friend Kwami into her home.  Ja’mie introduces Kwami to the school and prepares for her Perfect Prefect Party.  When the boarders try to crash the party, Ja’mie finds it could be the perfect time to make her move on Mitchell.

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Episode 4

Episode 4 Airdate:  11/13/13

Ja’mie and Mitchell are officially going out.  When Mitchell changes his Facebook status to single, Ja’mie finds her friend Madison (Georgie Jennings) is going after him.  Ja’mie is suffering a big breakout and is considering not going back to Hillford Girls Grammar.

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Episode 5

Episode 5 Airdate:  11/20/13

Ja’mie is back at school and planning on being a rebel.  When her sister posts a Skype sexing episode with Kwami, Ja’mie’s future at Hillford are in jeopardy.  Mark-Up Day has arrived and the Hillford Medal judging committee could force Ja’mie into a corner.

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Episode 6

Episode 6 Airdate:  11/27/13

Presentation night has come and Ja’mie has plans for revenge against her being passed up for the Hillford Medal.  Ja’mie can’t be stopped and as a result her life will be changed forever!

Related Links:

We Can Be Heroes—The Complete Series

Summer Heights High—The Complete Series

Author: JPRoscoe View all posts by
Follow me on Twitter/Instagram/Letterboxd @JPRoscoe76! Loves all things pop-culture especially if it has a bit of a counter-culture twist. Plays video games (basically from the start when a neighbor brought home an Atari 2600), comic loving (for almost 30 years), and a true critic of movies. Enjoys the art house but also isn't afraid to let in one or two popular movies at the same time.

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