ABC Australia is shining a spotlight on nature with three new live-action series that it unveiled at its 2023 upfront presentation today. 

Teen-centric drama The Disposables is about a young refugee in Sydney searching for her missing father and facing off against a mysterious plastic-eating monster. This project from local studios Photoplay Films and Dragonet Films touches on the refugee crisis and the importance of recycling.

Packaged as a 30 x two-minute vertical series for TikTok, and also as a one-hour special for ABC ME and ABC iview, the project received funding from Screen Australia in August as part of US$1.3-million online content investment initiative. Karen Radzyner (Photoplay), Renny Wijeyamohan (Open Door Films) and Margaret Ross (ABC Australia) are on board as producers. 

Wildlifers! (pictured) stars two 14-year-olds who must put aside their differences and work together to film animals for their documentary internship. Canberra’s WildBear Entertainment, in a rare kids content foray, is producing the project in association with the ABC, Screen Australia and Film Victoria.

And finally, on the factual side, Gardening Australia Junior ages down the concept behind the ABC’s adult-skewing series Gardening Australia. Original host Costa Georgiadis will also feature in this spinoff providing kid-friendly tips on how to grow the perfect garden. The show is an ABC original production, with Bryson Hall tapped to produce with supervising producer Natalie Robinson-Hurst.  

These new greenlights will join series like Turn Up The Volume and Crazy Fun Park (both launching in 2023) in the ABC’s kids and teen live-action lineup.