The Australian version of award-winning format Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, distributed by Red Arrow Studios International, is to premiere next month on ABC Australia.

The social experiment will screen over five weeks from Tuesday, 27 August at 8:30pm on ABC + ABC iview, with children sharing a pre-school with the residents of a nearby retirement home. Aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of the older people by helping them to lead happier, and healthier lives, Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds is a ground breaking and heart-warming documentary series.

Across the seven week experiment, two groups of eleven older Australians come together with ten pre-schoolers, for planned, mixed activities each day in a specially designed pre-school built within a retirement home. Here they will share a structured timetable that encourages physical activity, social interaction, learning and happiness.

At the helm are a team of experts in geriatric health and wellbeing and an early childhood expert who, over the course of the series, scientifically analyse and monitor the progress of both groups. They will track the quantifiable and measurable physical and mental changes of the older group, and the developmental growth of the children.

The original format was created and produced by CPL Productions for Channel 4 in the UK, completing two successful seasons and winning countless international awards including Realscreen, Broadcast, Edinburgh TV, Grierson and C21 International Format awards.

Red Arrow Studios International has sold the format to a range of territories including France, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Israel and Germany.

Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds in Australia is produced by Endemol Shine Australia  in association with the ABC.