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15 11 2017 - Media release

Teenagers take charge of family budgets in new ABC ME doco

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Teenage Boss

Screen Australia, in association with Create NSW, have announced production funding for Teenage Boss, an observational documentary series from McAvoy Media that teaches Australian teenagers about the value of money and the importance of financial literacy.

The 15 x 26-minute series commissioned by ABC ME is based on Norwegian public broadcaster NRK’s successful international format. Each week a teenager assumes responsibility for their family’s budget for a month, provoking debate between the teens and their families around financial priorities.

Australian teenagers on average spend close to $400 on themselves every month. Teenagers are super-consumers, and in many Australian families, money issues are at the core of conflicts between teenagers and parents.

Findings from the PISA report (Programme for International Student Assessment) released in May 2017, show that since 2012, the level of financial literacy of Australian teenagers has been consistently falling. Coupled with the current high cost of living, rising house prices in Australia’s major cities and low wage growth, today’s teenagers face enormous challenges.

Teenage Boss will address these issues by speaking directly to Australian teenagers and their families about financial management, and teach teens how to spend money in a considered and sensible way.

John McAvoy (Kings Cross ER) and Simon Steel (Outback Coroner) are executive producers for McAvoy Media, with Matt Tomaszewski (Great White Matrix) as producer/director.

Australia-wide casting of teenagers and families is underway and will be diverse across socio-economic, single/dual income/parent families and cultural backgrounds. Star maths teacher and numbers whiz Eddie Woo will be their mentor. Filming will commence in November and the series will air on ABC ME in 2018.

Executive Producer John McAvoy said: “In the current climate a series like Teenage Boss has never been more important or relevant.  And it will be anything but predictable as 15 teenagers take over their family’s finances for a month. Anything can happen, with plenty of lessons and laughs along the way.”

Liz Stevens, Senior Manager for Documentary at Screen Australia said: “We are thrilled to support an Australian children’s documentary series that takes an entertaining approach to the issues surrounding financial literacy as it provides teens with a real understanding of money matters.”

Production Credit: A McAvoy Media production for the ABC. Principal production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Create NSW.

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Media enquiries

Maddie Walsh | Publicist

+ 61 2 8113 5915  | [email protected]

Ted Rose | Senior Publicist

+ 61 2 8113 1091  | + 61 456 558 679 | ted.rose@screenaustralia.gov.au

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