Japan’s NHK Picks Up First Day

Japan’s public broadcaster NHK has acquired the acclaimed live-action drama series First Day from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF).

First Day stars young transgender actor Evie Macdonald as Hannah Bradford, who is about to start her first year of high school. As a transgender girl, Hannah not only has to navigate the challenges that come with starting a new school but also find the courage to live as her most authentic self.

NHK acquired the original short film First Day on which the series is based in 2019. The show is scheduled to air on NHK in June as part of its “Inclusion Week.”

Takako Hayashi, NHK’s senior producer in the programming department, said: “We are very pleased and proud to be able to deliver the universal message that this drama series entails, to our teenage viewers in Japan. We are confident that the young viewers who watch this program will immediately feel that this is THEIR story… I strongly believe that this program will definitely be an important first step forward for Japan to become a country where every one of us has our own place to live.”

The ACTF’s CEO, Jenny Buckland, said “It’s a very special day when NHK acquires one of our shows, but the values that underpin First Day—of love, courage and inclusion—are proving to be universal. We’re very proud that children in Japan will be able to see this story, too.”