The Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) and Paramount+ have announced the new six-part series More Than This.
Written and co-created by teen actor Olivia Deeble, More Than This is the real, authentic and often raw story of five 17-year-old students and their teacher whose diverse worlds collide when they are thrown together into a Year 12 English class.
The series explores the unique challenges facing Australian teenagers as they come of age: social, family and school pressures, bullying, body image, relationships and sexuality.
More Than This was created by Deeble and co-created by Luka Gracie, an 18-year-old trans non-binary actor and filmmaker. They both star in the series alongside a talented cast including Kamil Ellis (Nowhere Boys), Ellmir Asipi (Neighbours), model/actor Josh Heuston (Dive Club), Oisin O’Leary (Little Lunch), Celine Ajobong (Mustangs FC), Tharanya Tharan (Mustangs FC) and newcomer Selena Brincat, along with theatre and television regular Bert Labonte as their teacher.
Deeble, who is best known for her roles on Little Lunch, Home and Away, and Disney feature film The Secret Society of Second Born Royals, began writing the series when she was 17 and completing Year 12 during Melbourne’s lockdown.
Deeble said: “I had auditioned for and watched hundreds of high school shows and they were all the same. None of them were telling anything near my truth or experience, so I wanted to make something authentic. I asked my friends what they would want to see on screen and the answer was ourselves: real teens and not shiny, airbrushed versions of teenagers played by 25-year-olds with adult bodies and adult confidence.
“I am really proud of More Than This. I feel like the characters, words and story are our own, and it is a realistic depiction of how Australian teenagers feel while still being a great series with a whole lot of characters you can fall in love with.”
More Than This will premiere on Paramount+ in early 2022.
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Top Image: Alex (Kamil Ellis), Leon (Ellmir Asipi), Charlotte (Olivia Deeble), Mr E (Bert La Bonte), Jamie (Luka Gracie), Zali (Selena Brincat)