ABC Kids 2018 Line Up

A Stellar Collection of Children's Programming in 2018

ABC will continue its commitment to Australian children by championing their voices and showcasing their stories through a slate of diverse and inclusive programming across its network.

On ABC ME, 2018 sees the premiere of The New Legends of Monkey. Inspired by the 16th Century Chinese fable Journey to the West, the 10-part half hour series follows a teenage girl and a trio of fallen gods on a perilous journey as they attempt to bring an end to a demonic reign of chaos and restore balance to their world.

The Award winning Nowhere Boys drama returns to production for its fourth and climactic final season. The gang return to unite to battle chaotic forces unleashed on Bremin, intent on dividing them. In another home-grown production, Grace Beside Me, we meet Fuzzy Mac, a 13-year-old girl who struggles with having one foot in the Indigenous realm of culture, Country – and spirits – and the other firmly planted in the world of a 21st century teenager.

Everyday Australian schoolkids are the stars of My Year 7 Life. Through a series of video diaries, these 10 and 11 year olds share firsthand accounts of the monumental changes impacting them as they make the transition from primary school to high school. It's both real and relatable.

Tough life lessons are learnt early in Teenage Boss, as we follow a mix of teenagers from a myriad of different backgrounds across Australia, take control of the family finances for a month, with some surprising (or perhaps not so surprising) results.

The insightful What It's Like series continues in 2018, providing a story-sharing platform for young people from groups who have previously been deprived of an equal space in the media landscape. It embraces diversity, inspires empathy, and encourages young marginalised voices to speak up.

Australian stories are also at the core of our preschool offering. Work is already underway for several new Australian animation series – including Bluey, a six-year-old cattle dog whose wild imagination turns ordinary moments into wild adventure; Strange Chores, a paranormal comedy about friendship and imagination; and Spongo, Fuzz and Jalapeña, three best mates in a town full of crazy contests and a friendship that breaks all the rules.

'Children are curious, they want to see their lives reflected on screen, and they want to laugh out loud. We have an incredible portfolio of new programmes lined up for them", said Michael Carrington, Head of Children's, ABC. 'We want to showcase the lives of Australian kids and their stories on their ABC and we're thrilled to be offering them inclusive content that is compelling, funny, and true to our distinct Australian culture."

Australian children and families trust the ABC to consistently deliver quality programming on devices and platforms of their choosing. Australian children can enjoy even more from the ABC across a variety of platforms. With the success of the ABC KIDS iview app and the ABC ME app, with over 2.5 million downloads, the introduction of family friendly podcasts and this announcement of world class content, the ABC remains committed to this goal.