History Literature / PubertyBlues

'''''Puberty Blues''''' is a 1979 novel by Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette. It was adapted into film in 1981 by Creator/BruceBeresford and was made into a tv series in 2012.

!! This work provides examples of:

* AdaptationExpansion

* BittersweetEnding: In the series,[[spoiler: Debbie and Sue leave school, their families, and their boyfriends Gary and Woody, respectively, to travel together. After burying Bruce at sea, Gary realises that his gang of mates are going nowhere with drugs, crime and meaningless sex, and he also farewells his parents to hitchhike away to an uncertain future. Meanwhile, Yvonne has learned to stand up *somewhat* to her abusive husband, Ferris, but it's clear that he is still unfaithful, he has ended her affair with Graham (who actually cared for her) and she is still living a lonely life as a suburban housewife with not much of a life of her own.]]
* BoredomMontage: Sue gets one when Debbie [[spoiler: is sent to boarding school]]. Cue shots of her hanging around in her underwear, almost literally climbing the walls, and seeing how many grapes she can cram into her mouth at once.

-->David: How did you know it was me?

* DisappearedDad: [[spoiler: Ferris at the end of season one]].

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Bruce and Annie]].

* OnlyTheLeadsGetAHappyEnding: In the book - Debbie and Sue move beyond the Green Hills gang and go surfing and their parents are going very well. But they're the only ones. Cheryl has been kicked out of the gang and is spiraling out of control, and Gary's parents split and he turns to drugs. The series offers some more nuance for the main cast. Debbie, Sue and Gary get the BittersweetEnding (see above), while [[spoiler: Cheryl has more of a straightforward happy ending, moving in and being accepted by the Vickers family, having turned her life around and doing well at school with the hope of getting into university to study teaching.]]. Played straight with [[spoiler: Bruce, who dies of a heroin overdose]].
* OpenMindedParent: Sue's parents Pam and Roger Knight. They're not even annoyed when Sue comes home drunk. Pam even tells Judy that she doesn't like punishing Sue as it builds up resentment. She also gives Sue a copy of "The Joy of Sex" and encourages her to explore her sexuality with [[spoiler: Woody]].
* PapaWolf: Roger threatens to smash Danny if he's not a 'gentleman' to his daughter. In season 2, he very nearly does clobber [[spoiler: Woody, after he walked in on him having a "69" with Sue, but he is able to accept and tolerate Woody when he realises that Woody is actually a nice, decent boy who is treating Sue well.]]

* PassingNotesInClass

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: [[spoiler: in the final episode, a drunk Judy Vickers delivers a spectacular one to Mr Candy, calling him out as "disgusting" and a "child molester" for having impregnated his teenage student. She's completely accurate in every point.]]
* TeenDrama
* TeenPregnancy: [[spoiler: Cheryl]] in the first episode of Season 2. Later, [[spoiler: Vicky falls pregnant to her science teacher, and they are married]].

* ChildAbuse: Martin's adamant refusal for David to join Scouts seems strange, until he later sits down with David and alludes to having been sexually abused by a Scout leader.

** David: How did you know it was me?

%%* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Martin, he even gets caught later on.

* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland

* AlasPoorScrappy: [[spoiler: Bruce dies of a heroin overdose]].

* WhoWearsShortShorts: One of the first shots of the film is Roger Knight in short stubbies.

'''''Puberty Blues''''' is a 1979 novel by Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette. It was adapted into film in 1981 by BruceBeresford and was made into a tv series in 2012.

* YourCheatingHeart: Various examples among the adults. Ferris is cheating on Yvonne throughout the series, and she has a dalliance of her own in Season 2. Martin has an emotional affair with Annie, which Judy eventually finds out about, and retaliates by kissing another man at the Key Party in the final episode. Then of course, there's [[spoiler: Gary cheating on Debbie while she is at boarding school.]] The trope is averted with Roger, who refuses to cheat on Pam even when Ferris puts him up to it.

* Child Abuse: Martin's adamant refusal for David to join Scouts seems strange, until he later sits down with David and alludes to having been sexually abused by a Scout leader.

* BreakUpDemand: It's very common among the Green hills gang for couples to just walk up and say to the other partner. " You're dropped."

* TheSeventies: The novel was a novel about the seventies that came out in the seventies. The series is a glorious tribute to that era, complete with the music, clothes, hairstyles, and cars.

* Cloudcuckoolander: David has his moments. Not least when he is caught for having graffitied his neighbour's garage by painting his name in absolutely giant blue letters.
** "David: How did you know it was me?"

* OnlyTheLeadsGetAHappyEnding: Debbie and Sue move beyond the Green Hills gang and go surfing and their parents are going very well. But they're the only ones. Cheryl has been kicked out of the gang and is spiraling out of control, and Gary's parents split and he turns to drugs.
* OpenMindedParent: Sue's parents Pam and Roger Knight. They're not even annoyed when Sue comes home drunk. Pam even tells Judy that she doesn't like punishing Sue as it builds up resentment.
* PapaWolf: Roger threatens to smash Danny if he's not a 'gentleman' to his daughter.

* TheSeventies: The novel was a novel about the seventies that came out in the seventies.
* StepfordSmiler: Yvonne Hennesey is one of these.

* TeenPregnancy: [[spoiler: Cheryl]] in the first episode of Season 2.

The second season is currently broadcasting.

* AgeLift: Debbie and Sue are 13 in the novel, the film and the series understandably make them make them sixteen.

* OfCourseISmoke

* ParentalObliviousness: Constantly through the series the teenagers are smoking, drinking, doing drugs a d having sex ad the parents are none the wiser. And it's only Debbie's and Sue's parents who have some idea of what's going on,

* PottyEmergency: Roger really needs to go in a meeting and tries to pee in a vase while a commercial isnbeingnshown on the television. It's audible the second they turn the television off.

* AutoErotica