First Day (TV series)

First Day

Company type	Television drama series
Industry	Entertainment, Television
Founded	March 30, 2020 (2020-03-30)
Headquarters	Adelaide , Australia
Products	Drama series
Parent	Epic Films, Kojo Entertainment, South Australian Film Corporation, Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF)

First Day is a drama series from Australia that debuted on ABC Me on 30 March 2020. The show is an expansion of a 2017 short film sharing the same title, revisiting key aspects of its original narrative. Production took place in Adelaide, South Australia, featuring settings such as Marryatville High School and Mercedes College. The series was developed by Epic Films and Kojo Entertainment, in collaboration with the South Australian Film Corporation and the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF).

Julie Kalceff served as both writer and director for the series, which stars Evie Macdonald portraying Hannah Bradford, a twelve-year-old transgender girl encountering the complexities of high school while managing her gender identity. Central topics explored include self-identity, acceptance, and transgender rights. Funding was primarily provided by the Australian Government alongside Screen Australia. Executive production credits include Jan Stradling from ABC and Bernadette O'Mahony representing ACTF. The second and concluding season aired in March 2022.

Both the series and its originating short film garnered widespread praise for their authentic transgender representation. The short film received diversity honors at MIPCOM and won the Prix Jeunesse Gender Equity Prize in 2018. The full-length series earned several awards during 2020 and 2021, such as a GLAAD Media Award and an International Emmy Kids Award. Following its release on Hulu, it gained significant recognition within the United States.

Premise

Twelve-year-old Hannah Bradford is a transgender girl transitioning from primary school to high school, facing the challenges of social acceptance and self-exploration as she publicly embraces her female identity for the first time. She forms friendships with Olivia, Jasmine, and Natalie, initially keeping her transgender status confidential. Hannah endures bullying from Isabella, a former classmate who threatens to reveal her past identity and ridicules her previous name. At home, Hannah is supported by her protective parents, Amanda and Steve, whose protective instincts sometimes lead to family conflicts. As her identity becomes known at school, Olivia and Natalie stand by her side, while Jasmine withdraws their friendship.

In the second season, Hannah returns to school aiming for class captain against Jasmine. She faces ongoing microaggressions and derogatory remarks as classmates continue to label her as the "transgender kid." Experiencing feelings of isolation, she initiates a social club for LGBTQIA+ students. Additionally, Hannah supports her friend Josh through his own gender identity journey and explores romantic interests when she develops feelings for fellow student Billy.

Main

• Evie Macdonald portrays Hannah Bradford, a self-assured twelve-year-old transgender girl with a passion for taekwondo

Supporting

• Joanne Hunt as Amanda Bradford, Hannah’s mother
• Brenna Harding as Ms. Fraser, Mathematics teacher and homeroom advisor at Hannah’s high school
• Anthony Brandon Wong as Mr. Nguyen (season 1), principal of Hillview High School
• Pete Ferris as Mr. Reynolds (season 2), successor principal of Hillview High School
• Mark Saturno as Steve Bradford, father of Hannah
• Ethan Gifford as Jack Bradford, Hannah’s older brother
• Elena Liu as Olivia, a friend who connects with Hannah on her first day
• Nandini Rajagopal as Natalie, one of Hannah’s new friends
• Arwen Diamond as Jasmine, initially a friend who later ends their relationship
• Isabel Burmester as Isabella, former primary school peer who recognizes Hannah
• Jake Childs as Sarah (later Josh), a classmate grappling with gender identity who comes out as a transgender boy
• Maddy Miotti as Savannah, Isabella’s ally who bullies Hannah
• Jackson Evans as Billy, classmate whom Hannah develops romantic feelings for
• Maiah Stewardson as Sam (season 2), an older student assisting Hannah with the Pride club
• Thai Hoa (Steven) Nguyen as Lachlan (season 2), Sam’s friend attending the Pride club meetings
• Joe Bird as Kevin (season 2), classmate with whom Hannah discusses running for class captain
• Olivia Jensen as Amber (season 2), Billy’s new girlfriend who incites jealousy in Hannah
• Zoe O'Callaghan as Avery (season 2), involved in conversations about class captain elections
• Isabeau Bottroff as Kylie (season 2), classmate hesitant about signing a petition related to new uniforms

Production

First Day originated in 2017 as an independent episode commissioned by Screen Australia alongside the ABC Children's Girls Initiative, which focuses on empowering female producers in Australia. The short film debuted on International Day of the Girl and featured Evie Macdonald, who became the first transgender actor to lead an Australian scripted television production; she was twelve years old and new to acting. Julie Kalceff, the writer and director, was inspired by a family member’s gender transition to enhance LGBTQIA+ representation. Kalceff was adamant about casting a transgender girl for the role, emphasizing that the project would not move forward without the right performer.

In June 2019, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation commissioned a four-part miniseries adaptation of the original short to be broadcast on ABC Me. Kalceff and producer Kirsty Stark had spent 18 months pitching the concept. Funding came from the South Australian Film Corporation and the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF), with Macdonald and much of the initial creative team returning. Kalceff continued as both writer and director for all episodes, with production taking place in Adelaide under a local crew starting in July 2019. Epic Films produced the series in collaboration with Kojo Entertainment, while ACTF handled international distribution. The complete series premiered on ABC Me on 30 March 2020.

A second four-episode season, portraying Hannah’s sophomore year in high school, received funding from ACTF in November 2020 and was officially greenlit in May 2021. Filming again occurred in Adelaide and concluded by August 2021. The international streaming platform Hulu joined as a co-investor for this installment. The second season premiered on ABC Me on 31 March 2022. Kalceff intended to continue addressing adolescent challenges while highlighting subtle forms of discrimination against transgender individuals. Upon this release, she confirmed that no further episodes would be produced due to the cast aging beyond their roles.

Release

Starting September 2020, the series became available for streaming on Hulu in the United States and began airing on CBBC in the United Kingdom. By March 2021, it also launched on CBC Gem in Canada.

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for First Day short film

Award	Year	Recipient(s) and nominee(s)	Category	Result	Reference(s)
FAN Chile Audiovisual Festival for Kids	2018	First Day	Best Children's Series (Fiction)	Template:Won
Mardi Gras Film Festival	2018	First Day	Best Screenplay and Audience Award	Template:Won
MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards	2018	First Day	Kids' Programming	Template:Won
Prix Jeunesse International Children's Television Festival	2018	First Day	Gender Equity Prize	Template:Won

Awards and nominations for First Day series

Award	Year	Recipient(s) and nominee(s)	Category	Result	Reference(s)
AACTA Awards	2020	First Day	Best Children's Program	Template:Nom
Banff World Media Festival Rockie Awards	2021	First Day	Live Action: Children (0–10)	Template:Won
Children's and Family Emmy Awards	2022	First Day	Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Young Teen Series	Template:Nom
GLAAD Media Award	2021	First Day	GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming	Template:Won (Tied)
International Emmy Kids Awards	2021	First Day	Kids: Live-Action	Template:Won
Kidscreen Awards	2021	First Day	Kids Programming – Best Live-Action Series	Template:Won
	2023	First Day (Series 2)	Kids Programming – Best Live-Action Series	Template:Nom
Rose d'Or Awards	2020	First Day	Children and Youth	Template:Won
Screen Producers Australia Awards	2022	'First Day'	'Children's Series Production of the Year'	'Template:Pending'

Reception

The short film received a diversity accolade from MIPCOM for its role in "fostering understanding and acceptance" of transgender youth undergoing transition, illustrated through the storyline of Hannah beginning high school.

In his 2020 evaluation of the entire series, David Knox from TV Tonight described it as "the most inclusive and genuine children's drama since Dance Academy." He commended Kalceff's thoughtful approach to addressing conflicts and highlighted MacDonald's subtle acting, while expressing a wish for more in-depth treatment of certain topics.