The Role Of A Lifetime

Television ABC
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Cameras roll on new genre bending series

‘The Role Of A Lifetime’

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ABC, Screen Australia and Screen NSW are thrilled to announce production has commenced on a ground-breaking new five-part series, The Role Of A Lifetime.

Produced by Dreamchaser, the series will be fronted by television and radio favourite, Amanda Keller and will explore the challenges of parenting in the face of a rapidly changing world. Beloved actress Kate Ritchie and comedian Nazeem Hussain will be brought together to act out real life parenting scenarios, propelling them into immersive and unexpected factual explorations to guide us in raising resilient, happy children. Parenting author, educator and podcaster, Maggie Dent will provide insightful parental guidance throughout.

ABC Head of Factual Susie Jones says “This series highlights the ABC’s commitment to innovation by blending factual content with scripted comedy. We believe our audiences will find this series both highly engaging and entertaining, as well as informative and enlightening.”

Dreamchaser Executive Producer Debbie Cuell says “The Role Of A Lifetime is the first commission for Sparkle Pictures and Dreamchaser Studios Partnership, and I am thrilled to be launching with such an exciting genre bending Documentary series in partnership with the ABC.

“I am delighted to be able to bring together the talents of Kate Ritchie and Nazeem Hussain alongside Amanda Keller as host and Maggie Dent as our resident queen of parenting.”

Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth says “This series boldly explores the many contemporary and pertinent challenges facing parents today, while expertly blending factual and scripted comedy genres, with the help of Amanda Keller, Kate Ritchie, Nazeem Hussain and parenting expert Maggie Dent. We are pleased to support Dreamchaser in bringing The Role Of A Lifetime to the ABC to help guide and empower the parents of today.”

With more parents than ever facing burnout and children with anxiety increasing exponentially, the series will be an accessible and empowering call to arms, equipping millions of parents and caregivers with practical tips, tools and confidence for navigating The Role Of A Lifetime.

The Role Of A Lifetime will broadcast on ABC TV and ABC iview in 2025.

Production credit : Commissioned by the ABC. Produced by Dreamchaser. Major production investment from the ABC in association with Screen Australia. Financed with support from Screen NSW. Executive Producer: Debbie Cuell. ABC Commissioning Editor Julie Hanna. ABC Head of Factual Susie Jones.

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Nazeem was on The Project tonight and spent the last minute discussing the show with the panel.

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Amanda Keller will be good. Not sure about the rest of it. Give it a miss i think.

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Navigate The Role Of A Lifetime in ABC’s factual doco parenting series this February

Nazeem Hussain and Kate Ritchie standing chest-deep in water with items floating around them and framed photos on the wall behind.

ABC, Screen Australia and Screen NSW are thrilled to announce the genre-bending new five-part factual doco parenting series, The Role Of A Lifetime will premiere on Tuesday, 18 February at 8.30pm on ABC TV with all episodes available to stream on ABC iview.

The highly informative and entertaining series is hosted by television and radio favourite Amanda Keller, and starring award-winning actor, radio presenter and author Kate Ritchie alongside comedian, actor and television and radio presenter Nazeem Hussain as sitcom parents.

The Role Of A Lifetime will explore how to parent in the rapidly changing world using scripted comedy sketches featuring a sitcom family to play out the most current and urgent parenting challenges facing Aussie mums, dads and caregivers. Nazeem and Kate then explore these challenges in the real world with a wide range of experts, to guide parents through each parenting challenge.

From deciding when to give a tween an iPhone and navigating the always awkward birds-and-bees chat, to dealing with cyber-bullying and finding effective strategies for discipline. The Role Of A Lifetime combines the comedic talents of Amanda, Kate and Nazeem with an impressive ensemble cast including Heather Mitchell AM (Love Me, Fake) to bring to life these mind-boggling parenting dilemmas, where the action sparks a series of questions and issues around strategies for modern-day parenting.

Parenting author, educator and podcaster, Maggie Dent is also on hand to provide insightful parental guidance throughout, alongside a group of Aussie teens who will be given a platform to explore their opinions and insights on the topics.

With more parents than ever facing burnout and kids with anxiety increasing exponentially, the series is an accessible and empowering call to arms, equipping millions of parents and caregivers with practical tips, tools and most importantly, the confidence to smile while navigating the role of a lifetime.

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First look:

Nazeem also posted BTS photos from the shoots

https://www.instagram.com/p/DFE9lavv3ce/?img_index=6&igsh=MXhkNXViaGtnbmdlNA==

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Episode 1

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Tuesday 18 February 8.30pm

At the Maliks, 10-year-old Jack (Kaspar Frost) agitating to get a smartphone. Mum (Kate Ritchie) and Dad (Nazeem Hussain) are stalling, but the pressure is growing.

In the real world, Kate meets cognitive neuroscientist Mark Williams, who believes smartphones are sapping kids’ ability to pay attention.

Psychologist Jocelyn Brewer says teaching a child to use a phone is like teaching them to swim.
Social media content creator Tom Ford asks a group of older teens when they got their first smartphone.

Kate and Naz meet psychologist Jo Lamble, who believes the way to gauge if a child is ready for a smart phone is to ask them questions relating to social maturity, critical thinking, and safety skills.

Meanwhile, back at the Maliks’, Mum and Dad catch Abbie (Kira McLennan) wagging school. It turns out Abbie’s being bullied online.

Naz meets former educator Rachel Downie, creator of Stymie, an online platform where kids report bullying. Naz is shocked when he reads some Stymie notifications.

In the Moral Dilemma, the show asks, ‘Would you snoop through your child’s phone?’ 67% of respondents say they would.

Finally, a surprise for Jack. A new phone! But his joy is short-lived. It’s as basic as they come – it only does calls and texts.

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In February The Role of a Lifetime sees Amanda Keller and an ensemble of comedians explore parenting dilemmas alongside sketches featuring Kate Ritchie and Nazeem Hussain.

“It’s a great example of how the ABC supports companies to come up with original formats. This one is one of the most innovative shows I’ve seen in a long, long time in terms of those hybrid formats. There’s a bit of scripted comedy, a bit of factual entertainment, there’s pure documentary, a bit of interview. It really is a great example of that innovation of form. The brains behind this one is Debbie Cuell who produced Old People’s Home as the show runner,” Collins explains.

“It has some really tough conversations about parenting, and how tough it can be, but also some really relatable facts and some useful information for parents as they go on that journey.”

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Episode 2

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Tuesday 25 February 8.30pm

Kate and Naz tackle Boundaries, Rebellion, Discipline and Online Gaming.

At a gaming venue, Naz meets psychologist Brad Marshall who explains how the gaming industry uses “persuasive design” to keep kids addicted.

Naz then meets Evolutionary Biologist Michael Kasumovic who talks about the positive aspects of gaming.
Gaming expert Gemma Driscoll webchats with Naz and offers suggestions to kids looking to build a career in the gaming industry.

Kate and Naz then take the gaming debate to the streets, asking people if they would encourage their child to pursue a career in gaming. The results from the street and the ABC straw poll are surprising.

Naz meets psychophysiologist Daniel Hermans at a skatepark. Daniel explains that risk-taking in kids is normal and is essential for developing skills for adulthood.

However, not all risk-taking is good, as evidenced by the tragic number of teenage car accidents. The Australian government recognizes this, hence its laws for P-plate driving teenagers.

The social media phenomenon “Post and Boast” is then explored by eSafety Commissioner Julie Grant.
Finally, Kate meets up with psychologist Marie Yap. With the background of Barker College cadets, Marie explains why discipline is important.

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Episode 3

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Tuesday 4 March 8.30pm

This genre-bending series tackles some of the biggest problems facing Australian families today. From teens’ sometimes-fraught search to find their tribe, to the all-pervasive effect of social media on children.

When we meet the Malik family in this episode, Jack decides he no longer wants to join Dad at Saturday Jujitsu class. He’d rather be off playing basketball with his mates.
In the real world, Kate Ritchie (Mum) meets educator, Bec Sparrow. Bec explains that there are two types of popularity: status popularity and likeable popularity. The former is not healthy. Parents need to steer their teens towards people who make them feel safe.
Then Kate joins a group of gender diverse people who found a lifeline online.

Next, we move on to influencers. After meeting Dr Hannah Jarman, who believes exposure to online influencers is affecting teenagers’ body image, Naz hits the gym to find out why more boys are feeling pressure to look buff.

Meanwhile, Kate meets Dr Jasmin Fardouly, who studies social media’s effect on body image. Kate answers questions about her own body image then, after scrolling social media pics, answers the same questions as before. Her scores plummet, and she is reduced to tears, as she reflects on the effect such images could have on her own daughter.

A second experiment – with teen girls editing their selfies to attract more likes on social media – exposes a dangerous narrowing of beauty ideals.

The rest of the episode deals with eating disorders. Dr Stephaine Damiano from Butterfly Foundation reveals the youngest caller to their helpline was a 6-year-old girl, while dietitian Alex Rodriguez shares his story of an adolescence plagued by severe eating disorders.

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Nazeem was on Fifi, Fev and Nick on Fox this morning to talk about the show.

With Kate taking an indefinite break from radio and social media, it’s Nazeem who is doing most of the promotions.

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Episode 4

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Tuesday 11 March 8.30pm

Kate and Nazeem tackle Sex and Relationships.

Naz meets Dr Jennifer Power to find out how teen sex has changed since ‘back in the day’. Jennifer explains the internet is not all bad when it comes to sex education. But warns about the dangers of sexting.

Naz then meets Maree Crabbe, project director of a violence protection initiative. Maree shares her concerns about the aggressive & sexist nature of popular porn, highlighting dangerous sexual practices such as strangulation.

Social media content creator Tom Ford chats with a group of 16–17-year-olds about how their parents handled the sticky topic of sex education.

Consent is addressed by Body Safety Australia sexologist Lauren French when Kate asks the question: how young is too young to teach our kids about navigating this important issue.

And what if your 16-year-old wanted their romantic partner to sleep over? Kate and Naz take this moral dilemma to the streets to find out what Australia thinks.

Toxic masculinity comes under fire when Naz meets Sociologist Steve Roberts. Who demonstrates how social media platforms target teenage boys with extreme ‘Alpha Male’ content.

To find out about positive masculinity Naz meets Ryder Jackson, principal facilitator of ‘Tomorrow Man. Ryder shares tips on how teen boys can embrace their softer side and still be a man.

Kate explores “ghosting” with teen expert Bec Sparrow. Together they discuss how social media gives rise to cancel culture and the impact it’s having on young girls.

And finally, Kate sits down with clinical psychologist Jo Lamble. Who shares her conflict resolution tips both teenagers and their parents can use.

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Episode 5 - Final

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Tuesday 18 March 8.30pm

The final episode explores topics that impact today’s teens more than any previous generation. From the terrifying rise of anxiety and depression to the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence and the scourge of deep fake technology.

The final episode of The Role of a Lifetime is an emotional rollercoaster. From the rise of anxiety and depression to the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence and the scourge of deep fake technology, it’s a hard-hitting episode.

We join our sitcom family, the Maliks, with plans underway for Nan’s 66th birthday bash, and 15-year-old Abby worrying about her new part time job.

This leads into an exploration of teen anxiety. Kate meets Aliaz Werner-Seidler from Black Dog Institute, who has been running a long-term study into adolescent mental health.

Naz visits an unusual playground where kids engage in ‘risky play’, which can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety as they get older.

One of the best ways to stem the tide of anxiety is good quality sleep. However, that’s something many teens just aren’t getting, thanks to the use of digital devices before bed.

To show how, Naz takes part in a sleep experiment at Monash University. The blue light emitted by all electronic devices interferes with the production of melatonin, the hormone which helps us fall asleep naturally.

Back at the Maliks, things are getting weird. Nan wants Dad to help remove a ‘dick pic’ from her cloud, while Jack’s been spooked by watching videos posted by an ‘alienologist’.

Kate meets media literacy expert Tanya Notley, who spends her time teaching people the art of spotting fake news in their feeds.

Kate then talks to online safety expert Kirra Pendergast, and is shocked to learn how parents unwittingly provide information about their children, which can be used to evil ends.

Maggie Dent champions today’s teens as a clever generation full of fire and passion. And we go out with Nan’s birthday bash in full swing, much like the penis that suddenly appears on the live photo feed on the TV. Nan’s dick pic has come back to haunt her.