Head Start

Season

2001

Australia

7.6

A large banking corporation runs an ongoing competition to foster innovation, creativity and achievement for young Australians. Applicant's aged 18 to 21 submit projects in the arts, sports, science, business and community fields. Each winner receives a #20,000 grant to make the dream project a reality. They also get full board in a freshly renovated inner city warehouse with six other high achievers to keep them company. Living together in this hothouse environment opens the doors to hysteria, tears, innovative brainstorms and the odd flirtation with success. The successful seven are advised and directed by Garrett Quinn, a 40 year old former corporate high flyer who lost everything in the crash of '87. He now sees this job as a way of redeeming himself. Among this years' successful applicants are Loc Minh Vu, a Vietnamese internet programmer determined to set up a website to help refugees, Clare and Patrick Gormley a brother and sister combination from the country who are attempting to establish and market their own line of yabbies for the fresh food market. Basia Lem is a documentary maker striving to complete a film on the life of one of the country's pioneer female aviators. Seth Wallis and Kyle Richter, designer and promoter of a new automatic gear change prototype for bicycles, and Katherine Ingram, a classical piano prodigy who is putting together a recording of her own compositions. The series follows the trials and triumphs of this disparate group. We will see their personal lives collide as they try to make their mark on the world in their chosen fields. Along the way there will be casualties and successes, romance and heartache but nothing will dampen their spirit.

Episode List

S1 • E1

Make or Break

Pac Star Banking Corporation funds the youth oriented scheme called Head Start. The scheme allows five project winners to live rent-free in a renovated foundry, as they pursue their dream.

S1 • E2

Dischord

It's the first meeting at the Foundry as Garrett drills the new team on the rules and regulations of life at Head Start. There aren't many rules and they're pretty basic.

S1 • E3

Changing Views

Loc apologises to Clare for the damage to the yabby tanks, but Patrick isn't pleased and attempts to enforce his racist views.

S1 • E4

Winner Takes All

While at the velodrome for another series of bike trials, the boys encounter Terry who has developed a conspiracy theory as to why they were selected for the program instead of him.

S1 • E5

Making Music

Seth wants to try again with Katherine and asks Kyle for advice. Kyle reckons it's easy. Show interest in her project and make yourself indispensable to her.

S1 • E6

He Ain't Heavy

Growing dissent within the group forces Garrett to suggest a little bonding exercise aboard a sailing ship, which turns out to be more turbulent than he could have ever imagined.

S1 • E7

Business or Pleasure

Kyle's secret relationship with Allot's wife reaches boiling point when Basia confronts her greatest fear.

S1 • E8

Crash and Burn

Kyle becomes a willing participant in the relationship with John Allott's young wife Felice. She convinces Allott to give the boys a chance and then threatens to manipulate him and have Allott pull out if Kyle doesn't keep up the affair.

S1 • E9

Uppers & Downers

Basia's birthday rave offers the group a chance to relax and unwind, but when Basia finally decides to make her feelings known to Kyle, the night takes a turn for the worse.

S1 • E10

The Ties That Bind

Mounting a bike-a-thon for charity causes strain between Kyle and Basia, while Patrick arrives at a crossroad over his life in the city.

S1 • E11

Family and Friends

Things hot up at the Foundry when Garrett's daughter moves in. Loc realises the extent to which his site can help refugees.

S1 • E12

Interference

Basia films Amanda without her consent and becomes faced with a moral dilemma and Seth's romantic involvement with Skye puts pressure on his friendship with Kyle.

S1 • E13

To Market, to Market

Kyle finds himself in trouble as Skye tries to sabotage his partnership with Seth and Clare sets out to prove she can be successful without Patrick's help.

S1 • E14

Rat in the Ranks

Tension mounts between Skye and Garrett, resulting in a surprising revelation. Meanwhile, Clare and the Yabbies become overnight celebrities.

S1 • E15

Disconnected

Katherine hits the clubbing scene, and after playing some of her music for Basia she decides it's time to get her own music into some dance clubs.

S1 • E16

Tune In

Rod asks for exclusive rights to Clare's yabbies, and Katherine's transformed herself and found her music niche, but is unsure of her next step.

S1 • E17

The Cold Hard Facts

The romance between Rod and Clare is now in full swing. Loc however isn't won over by Rod and suspects his business dealings will be detrimental to Clare and the yabby business.

S1 • E18

Seeing Is Believing

When Clare turns up at Rod's house unexpectedly she is faced with the truth about Rod. Devastated, she makes a choice that will affect both her and Patrick's future.

S1 • E19

Comings & Goings

Amanda is taken to hospital as it looks as if her cancer has reached its final stages. She leads Basia to some old footage of her time in Papua New Guinea - none of which makes sense.

S1 • E20

Uncharted Territory

Amanda finally tells Basia the full story behind her solo flight from Bangkok to Darwin. The confession is recorded on film and Amanda makes Basia promise to make the truth public.

S1 • E21

Out of the Blue

Loc's ex-girlfriend Leticia turns up at the Foundry in need of his help. Her family has fallen victim to terrorisation, receiving abusive phone calls, letters, even bricks thrown through their windows.

S1 • E22

Conviction & Eviction

Bob Deacon from the bank drafts a retraction that Loc is obliged to sign if he wishes to continue on at Head Start. Loc objects to signing as he feels there's a principle at stake.

S1 • E23

Fighting Back

Head Start has a new recruit, fashion designer Jade Matu. She's fiercely ambitious, and not afraid to rub the gang the wrong way.

S1 • E24

The Straight and Narrow

Jade's brother Kit is on parole and he's caught on camera stealing cash from the Foundry.

S1 • E25

Wheels and Deals

Garrett is furious upon discovering that Kyle and Seth have been rejected by the Bicycle Association and didn't tell him. The boys argue that they're busy working on something big.

S1 • E26

Crackerjack

TJ, a good friend of Patrick's comes to town. He's the gun Gunning Apprentice about to race in the Country Cup on a horse named Crackerjack.

S1 • E27

Show & Tell

Jade decides to sell her fashion range at the local markets. Katherine joins her, keen to get out of the recording studio for a while.

S1 • E28

Double Trouble

Posy moves into the Foundry much to Basia's distress. She and Basia lock horns. Kyle is left juggling a near impossible situation - to keep both his pregnant ex-girlfriend and his current girlfriend happy.

S1 • E29

To Be or Not to Be

With a week before Katherine's debut single is released, Jordan is busy preparing a publicity campaign.

S1 • E30

Hanging Out to Dry

Kyle decides it would be best if he and Posy (Lara Cox) move out of the Foundry and into their own place.

S1 • E31

Get the Picture

Patrick becomes increasingly concerned about Jordan's hold over Katherine.

S1 • E32

Breaking Out

Katherine's riding high, fuelled by the excitement of a publicity tour, a relationship with Jordan, and a growing reliance on amphetamines.

S1 • E33

The Final Cut

Aaron (Charlie Claussen) gets a fantastic opportunity to landscape a high-rise balcony for wealthy clients, Malcolm (Yves Stenning) and Anna (Elizabeth Maywald).

S1 • E34

Street Cred

While teeing up deliveries for his yabby export business Patrick has a run in with a street kid, Lee.

S1 • E35

Subterfuge

While earning extra money videoing a kid's birthday party, Basia inadvertently catches a car thief on film. She discovers the owner of the car to be the TV personality Steven Perry (David Roberts).

S1 • E36

First Impressions

Katherine arrives back unexpectedly from her promotional tour. Although rundown, she convinces everyone that the tour was a success and she's merely having a few days off.

S1 • E37

Nothing Is What It Seems

Katherine finds it harder and harder to fit back into life at Headstart. Pressure from Garrett and a perceived lack of support from Patrick coupled with a mugging, send Katherine over the edge.

S1 • E38

Get Your Own Way

Faced with the prospect of leaving Head Start, Kyle and Seth struggle to agree where best to invest their money.

S1 • E39

Bars & Tenders

Patrick's yabbie export business is thrown into jeopardy when his stock becomes the victim of vandalism. When he investigates he discovers that the vandalism is the work of an extortion ring.

S1 • E40

New Beginnings

Katherine's hand is injured in an attack on Patrick's property, causing him to decide to pack it all in and return to the country. Hector, Aaron's father, tries to convince Aaron to accept the landscaping job, however, Aaron refuses.