Fertile field of teen angst
Fourteen has been without a doubt the worst year in Alex King's life, so when the day of his 15th birthday dawns he is determined to make a fresh start and to finally win over Nicola, the girl of his dreams.
But with rising horror Alex realises what he has woken up to is not a new start - he is repeating the humiliations of his 14th year.
This "Groundhog Day" scenario is acted out in ABC3's new show, Worst Year of My Life, Again! And with its slapstick humour and touch of fantasy, it is tipped to be a big success.
Made by Reflective Pictures and the Australian Children's Television Foundation, it will launch in both Australia and the UK and is talked of as being the successor to Round the Twist, the Logie-winning, Paul Jennings series which still shows around the world.
The foundation's head of development and production, Bernadette O'Mahony (Mortified, Lockie Leonard), is co-executive producer/ producer of the Worst Year series along with Ross Allsop (The Doctor Blake Mysteries).
She worked on the third season of Round the Twist and believes in sophisticated storytelling with a sense of humour.
"I think kids want good stories that they can relate to and with a fun way of dealing with issues they are confronting," O'Mahony said.
"We were looking for another comedy series along the lines of Round the Twist and the concept for this came to us from British writer Mark Brotherhood. I asked Ross if he would like to produce a kids' series and then we put Mark together with four Australian writers and developed the whole series."
Ned Napier plays Alex and I met the then-Year 12 student on set last year during the making of Worst Year of My Life, Again! Several scenes were being filmed at an aquatic centre in suburban Melbourne and in one Alex has to roll down a steep slope to the pool below trapped in a Zorb ball, a man-size, clear inflatable globe.
It was Napier's first role in a TV show and he says at first he was excited by the chance to do some of his own stunts but quickly found there were downsides.
"I had practised inside the Zorb ball in the park and I thought this is easy," he laughed.
"Then we started filming in a little pool - I had to pretend there was a bee in the Zorb with me and go a bit crazy - but being in the water there was no traction, so the ball was spinning and I was running as fast as I could.
"Finally because there was going to be two to three hours of shooting me in the ball I said I'm sorry I am going to need a stunt double because I am drenched in sweat.
"I also had to have a skateboarding double. They tried to give me a lesson and I stood on the board and fell straight off. Luckily I am a rugby player, so I am used to falling over."
Like Napier, most of the cast was making their first TV show.
More than 200 teens were interviewed for the lead roles of Alex, his English friend Simon Birch (Laurence Boxhall) and the girl-next-door, Maddy Kent (Tiarnie Coupland).
Because of their inexperience a drama coach was appointed. Award-winning actress Alison Whyte (Satisfaction, Frontline) took the role and was a big success with her charges.
"She keeps everyone's morale really high," Napier said. "She is wonderful to have on set. Sometimes I am so low on energy and the other day she just handed me a Milo and said, 'Ned, you are doing great, keep it up'."
Napier hopes to make a career in acting but he has a back-up plan - to be a fireman.
"But I am only going to be a fireman if everything goes terribly wrong - unless, of course, it is Jesse Spencer in Chicago Fire."
'I think
kids want good stories that they can relate to and with a fun way of dealing with issues they are confronting.'
