Little J & Big Cuz is an Australian animated television series first screened on the NITV network in 2017. The 13-part series is directed by Tony Thorne and produced by Ned Lander and developed with the Australian Council for Educational Research. It was written by Beck Cole, Jon Bell, Erica Glynn, Danielle MacLean, Bruce Pascoe and Dot West, with creative input from Margaret Harvey, Leah Purcell and Adrian Wills.[1]

Little J & Big Cuz
Written byBeck Cole
Jon Bell
Erica Glynn
Danielle MacLean
Bruce Pascoe
Dot West
Directed byTony Thorne
Country of originAustralia
Original languagesAustralian Aboriginal English
Kriol
Various other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island languages
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
ProducerNed Lander
Original release
NetworkNITV
Release2017 (2017)

In May 2018, the show was renewed for a second series to air on NITV and ABC Kids in 2019.[2] The series won the 2018 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Children's Program.[3]

Plot

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Little J is five and has just started school. His older female cousin, Big Cuz, is ten. They are a couple of Aboriginal Australian kids living with their Nanna and Old Dog, who also narrates. The gaps in Nanna's ramshackle fence lead to Saltwater, Desert and Freshwater Country. With the help of Nanna and their teacher Miss Chen, Little J and Big Cuz are finding out all about culture, community and country.[4]

Educational value

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Designed as a school readiness initiative, the series was accompanied by the publication of educational resources designed for preschool and early years teachers.[5] In 2018, educational researchers reviewed the use of Little J and Big Cuz in early childhood, preschool and junior primary settings, producing a series of case studies about the use of the series as a transition to school resource. The research was funded by the Dusseldorp Forum.[6]

Versions

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22 episodes are available in various Aboriginal languages,[7] including:

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ "Little J & Big Cuz series 1 (2017)". Screen Australia. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  2. ^ Knox, David (31 May 2018). "Renewed: Little J & Big Cuz". TV Tonight. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Logies awards 2018: Here's the full list of winners and nominees". ABC News. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  4. ^ "About the show". Little J & Big Cuz. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Educators". Little J and Big Cuz. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  6. ^ Moyle, Kathryn (1 January 2019). "Little J & Big Cuz: A school readiness initiative: Final report and case studies". ACEReSearch.
  7. ^ "Little J and Big Cuz (SBS on demand)". Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Little J & Big Cuz: 5 things you should know about this award-winning series". NITV. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
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