Returning: The Feed

News and current affairs program The Feed returns to SBS 2 next week with “tree change dolls” -Barbie and Bratz dolls given a more naturalistic makeover.

In 2014 The Feed was named Best News and Current Affairs Show in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald TV Guides. In 2015, host Marc Fennell, and reporters Jeannette Francis, Patrick Abboud, and Andy Park return to demonstrate their ability to move between irreverent and incisive with more of their award winning reports on the latest news, technology and culture.

It wouldn’t be The Feed without the one and only Lee Lin Chin, and after surviving the bloodbath that was ‘broadcast battleground’ Lee Lin will rise again with more chintastic shenanigans and unexpected guests.

Here’s a taste of what is lined up for week one.

The Feed introduces Tree change dolls

The Feed follows Sonia, the creator of Tree change dolls, a recycled doll business that went viral before she’d even set up the Etsy store. Sonia rescues abandoned Bratz and Barbie dolls from tips and op shops near Hobart, Tasmania. Often missing feet and headed for landfill, Sonia gives the dolls a ‘Tree Change Make Under’; the gaudy make-up and exaggerated features are erased and with her skill they are transformed into normal, natural looking dolls. They are then dressed in handmade clothes by Sonia’s mum, while her twin sister works on missing parts.

Since launching her tumblr site in mid-January, the response has been overwhelming, Sonia now just needs time to meet the unexpected demand. She hopes the dolls will inspire a more creative approach to play, affirm the value of second hand items, and give young girls a more natural looking doll to relate to.

The Feed’s Patrick Abboud reports on medical orphans – those living with a medically undiagnosed illness.

Imagine feeling chronically ill with long term physical symptoms and being told by your doctor ‘it’s all in your head’. Medically unexplained physical symptoms or (MUPS) is one of the most common problems encountered in modern medicine. It’s estimated one in three patients go undiagnosed resulting in a huge cost to the healthcare system, leaving patients feeling frustrated, misdiagnosed or untreated. The Feed follows the journey of medical orphans searching for diagnosis.

Walkley Award winning journalist Joel Tozer reports on teenagers that abuse their parents.

It’s a type of domestic violence that’s rarely spoken about – parents being abused by their violent children. Many people assume it’s just badly behaved kids, but The Feed speaks to families who say they don’t know where to seek help for their violent teenage sons, who threaten them with physical abuse, weapons and verbal threats. While it’s difficult to say how many parents are facing this type of violence, support services say they are seeing more families than ever before. Jo Howard, an expert on violence against parents, says roughly 8 per cent of Victorian police call outs for domestic violence are for an adolescent using violence against another family member. More than 6000 family violence reports were made by parents against their children aged from under 10 to 24 in Victoria last year.

Returns 7:30pm Monday on SBS 2.