About Eddie's Lil' Homies

Eddie’s Lil’ Homies follows Eddie and his ragtag gang on their playground adventures as they navigate the fun and challenges of friendship. Outside of home and away from school, their friends are family and the playground is their universe; one where in the blink of an eye, the ordinary can suddenly become extraordinary.

Eddie’s that kid, you know the sort: the one that all the others gravitate to. He’s funny, quick with a comeback, loves his sport, and has a big smile and an even bigger heart. Then there are his best friends Lottie and Tal - Lottie with her vivid imagination and lots of plans, and Tal, a little cautious, but with the brains to make those plans a reality. Joining them are their friends, Shanti, the rule-abiding playground Monitor, Lachie, the book-bound conspiracy theorist and Decks the frenetic DJ, always ready with the beats. Then, of course, there’s Junior, the gang’s mascot – two years younger than the others, he hero-worships Eddie and can’t wait to be a big kid just like him.

Theirs is a world of competition, imagination and fantasy: where anything and everything is possible, where imaginary friends can be real, games of rock paper scissors can take on stupendous importance, and kindness, empathy and a good rap can help put anything right.

This animated children’s series was inspired by the books by AFL legend, Eddie Betts. Eddie’s Lil’ Homies is available on NITV, Netflix and SBS On Demand. All episodes are rated G and have a running time of 12 minutes.

Episode 1

When the kids fall under the spell of Yoinks, a hand-held computer game from the olden days that Tal found in the hard rubbish, it’s up to Eddie and Junior to try and rescue them – before they all become ‘Yoinkified’!

Episode 2

With Tal having to face-off against reigning playground Rock Paper Scissors champion Lachie, former champ Eddie is forced to make a tough decision: does he let Tal lose, or does he face his past and come out of retirement to help his friend?

Episode 3

While Eddie and the kids are trying to build a clubhouse, Lottie is looking after her Auntie’s dog Champ. Champ loves everybody – except Eddie! With Eddie too busy trying to impress Champ to concentrate on the clubhouse, things soon go wrong – with disastrous results!

Episode 4

When Shanti loses her Monitor badge and the playground descends into chaos, it falls to her friends to restore order – and Shanti’s confidence.

Episode 5

According to Junior, his imaginary friend, Big Junior, is great at everything: he’s smarter than Tal, funnier than Lottie, and even better at sport than Eddie! What? Taken aback, Eddie challenges Big Junior to a series of sporting challenges – but can he beat an imaginary competitor?

Episode 6

When Eddie returns from his Nan’s house, he finds the entire playground obsessed with a new game that he doesn’t understand: Pling Plong. With Shanti by his side, they race to work out the rules – or bring an end to the game – so everything can return to normal.

Episode 7

Lottie and Tal are working on a sculpture together for the Community Art Show, and as usual, they can’t agree on anything! Usually, it’s up to Eddie to keep the peace, but this time he’s had enough, so he decides they’re going to do things a little differently.

Episode 8

Lottie’s new ‘thing’ is yarn storming – covering objects in the playground with brightly coloured patches of knitted wool – and she’s enlisted everyone else to help. But will Eddie and the kids be able to stop her before she yarn storms EVERYTHING?!

Episode 9

It’s time for the annual talent show and everyone is entering with their special talent – everyone, that is, except Lachie, who claims he doesn’t have a special talent! Not believing that for one minute, Lottie decides to take it upon herself to help Lachie find his talent.

Episode 10

Something or someone is making a mess in the playground, and Shanti won’t rest until she works out who – or what – is doing it! Meanwhile, Junior’s quest to become a Big Kid comes under threat when the culprit decides to reveal itself.

First Nations Creatives

The talented individuals behind Eddie’s Lil’ Homies include the following First Nations creatives.

Eddie Betts - Producer

Eddie Betts, is a proud Aboriginal man with connections to the Gubrun People of the Kalgoorlie Goldfields (Western Australia) and Wirangu/Kokatha People of the Far-West Coast of South Australia.

Arthur Moody – Director

Arthur Moody is an award-winning Indigenous Australian, Director, Creator and Producer of animated content with more than 20 years’ of experience in the industry.

Hunter Page-Lochard – Eddie

Hunter Page-Lochard is a writer, director and actor. Hunter is a descendent of the Nunukul people of the Munaldjali clan of the Yagambeh tribe.

Miah Madden – Lottie

Miah is an actress and television presenter. Gadigal and Bundjalung.

Billy Betts – Junior

A talented and energetic 8-year-old Aboriginal boy with ties to Port Lincoln and Kalgoorlie.

Dave Woodhead – Writer & Dialogue Consultant

A Torres Strait Islander man hailing from Darwin, Dave started doing comedy in 2014 at the age of 16. He was also a writer and cast member of the brilliant and award-winning ABC TV Indigenous sketch comedy series Black Comedy. Dave is the host of Lunch on triple j.

Yaraman Thorne – Writer

Yaraman Thorne is a First Nations Sketch Writer from Sydney. He stumbled into showbiz while doing custodial work for a comedy venue. It was there he got the opportunity to cut his teeth on the beloved ABC sketch comedy series Black Comedy.

Marlon Motlop – Rap Song Voice Director/Producer/Composer

An emerging songwriter, Marlon’s music has always been an important part of his life, a place he can reflect on his own experiences as well as those that play out around him. Born and bred in Darwin, Northern Territory, Marlon is of Aboriginal Larrakia, and Thursday Island heritage. His voice is captivating, and his storytelling is moving.

Rulla Kelly-Mansell - Rap Song Voice Director/Producer/Composer

Rulla has a unique story of his own. A cancer survivor Rulla is a TV presenter with the ABC, charity founder (Make Runs Maxi), young Australian of the Year finalist (2020) along with being the 2020 Tasmanian Aboriginal of the Year. A Tulumpanga, Pakana man from Northern Lutruwita (Tasmania), his family are Moonbird people from the Furneaux Islands with his Mother and Grandparents born and raised on Flinders Islander.

Tilly Tjala Thomas – Rap Music Composer

Hailing from the Fleurieu Peninsula, emerging musician Tilly Tjala Thomas has been writing and performing her own songs around Adelaide since the age of 11.

Dem Mob – Rap Music Composers

Hailing from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjantjara (APY) Lands in the far north of South Australia, DEM MOB deliver powerful messages about their struggles, stories, culture and land.

J-Milla – Rap Music Composer

J-MILLA is a proud member of the Marranungu people, who are the traditional landowners of the Litchfield National Park in the NT.

Jack Buckskin – Additional Yidaki

Jack Kanya Kudnuitya Buckskin is a proud Kaurna and Narungga man who has dedicated his life to learning and passing on his knowledge and language of the Adelaide Plains to future generations of Kaurna people.

Adam Dixon-Galea – Vocal Editor (Post-Production Attachment)

Acknowledgements

Produced by: Sophie Byrne, Eddie Betts and Anna Scullie

Story Producer: Mark O’Toole

Executive Producers: Bernadette O’Mahony, Mark O’Toole

A Highly Spirited and Betts Promotions production for NITV and Netflix. Major production investment from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, financed with the assistance of South Australia Film Corporation.