Hannifah Mohammad for GAY TIMES Magazine

Heartstopper has been renewed for a second and third season by Netflix less than a month after its release.

Based on the beloved webcomic and graphic novel of the same name from Alice Oseman, the queer teen drama follows Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), a “high-strung, openly gay overthinker,” and Nick (Kit Connor), “a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player”.

As their friendship blossoms into romance, Charlie and Nick, as well as their circle of friends, try and navigate the “ever-relatable journey of self discovery and acceptance, supporting each other as they learn to find their most authentic selves.”

Heartstopper was met with critical acclaim as soon as the first season arrived on Netflix, with viewers watching 23,940,000 hours of the show during its first full week on the platform.

Fans of the series can expect to see more of it, as the streaming giant has now confirmed that a second and third instalment are in the works.

On 20 May, Netflix took to Twitter to confirm the news: “To those who have fallen in love with Nick & Charlie, cried watching Alice Oseman’s magical story brought to life, or felt represented for the first time on-screen, I am elated to announce…

“Heartstopper has been renewed for TWO MORE SEASONS!”

The show has been praised for its representation of the LGBTQ+ community and putting queer storytelling at the forefront.

In an interview with GAY TIMES, Oseman said it was important for their charming graphic novel – which has garnered a devoted following since it first launched in 2017 – to teach readers “about the issues and tensions that young LGBTQ+ people face”.

“It’s through stories like this that straight and cis people can improve their empathy,” they explained.

“I’ve had so many people reach out to me saying, ‘It’s so nice to see someone like me in this comic just falling in love and having a cute little romance’, but also from people saying, ‘Nick’s journey has helped me come to terms with being bisexual’, and stuff like that. For me, that’s the most wonderful thing.”

You can watch the trailer for season one of Heartstopper below or by clicking here.