NITV and Netflix have joined forces to bring a new animated children’s series, Eddie’s Lil Homies, to life.
Voiced by Hunter Page-Lochard, the series draws inspiration from former AFL player Eddie Betts. Scheduled to premiere next year, the 10-part series boasts an impressive cast, including Miah Madden as Lottie, Andrew Dang as Tal, and Billy Betts, Eddie Betts’ eight-year-old son, as Junior.
The supporting cast features Leela Varghese as Shanti, James Smith as Lachie, and Crystal Nguyen as Decks. This co-commission by NITV and Netflix was first announced earlier this year, stirring excitement among fans of children’s animation.
Eddie’s Lil Homies narrates the story of Eddie and his eclectic group of friends embarking on playground escapades, highlighting the joys and challenges of friendship. The production is helmed by Betts through Betts Promotions, with collaborative efforts from Highly Spirited’s Sophie Byrne and Anna Scullie, Betts’ wife and co-author of his children’s books.
The writing team is comprised of Dave Woodhead, Yaraman Thorne, Ray Boseley, Lorin Clarke, and Julie Sam-Yue. Overseeing the storyline is Mark O’Toole, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Bernadette O’Mahony from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF), Netflix’s Nakul Legha, and NITV’s Marissa McDowell. The animation direction is managed by Arthur Moody, with Luke Jurevicius as co-director. Vishus Productions provides animation services, while Artisan Post Group handles post-production.
The ACTF has significantly invested in the principal production, with additional support from Coles and the South Australian Film Corporation.
Eddie Betts expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating,
“It has been wonderful to see our Eddie’s Lil’ Homies characters come to life in the hands of such a talented cast headed by Hunter and Miah, and a great experience for my son Billy to be a part of the series and learn from such a diverse group of actors.
Each of the cast members have brought so much fun to their character, we can’t wait for kids to laugh and rap along with them when they watch the series next year.”
Marissa McDowell, NITV head of commissions, echoed Betts’ sentiments, emphasizing the importance of representation in children’s programming. She noted,
“We are thrilled to be working with this group of brilliant and diverse actors on Eddie’s Lil Homies. At NITV, our purpose is to create content made by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This beautiful children’s series is the next step in that journey, and we couldn’t do it without the help of Eddie Betts, Anna Scullie and their family, as well as Sophie Byrne, Netflix and ACTF. It’s so important for children to see themselves represented onscreen, and this exciting and humorous series does exactly that.”
