Logie award-winning children’s series Little J and Big Cuz returns in December

Head back to school in 2022 with your favourite cousins

The third season of theLogie award-winning children’s series Little J and Big Cuz will premiere on National Indigenous Television (NITV)at 7:30pm AEDT on Friday 17 December.

Little J & Big Cuz draws on stories from First Nations writers all over Australia, brought to life by Ned Lander Media, Media World and Blue Rocket. The voices of Deborah Mailman, Miranda Tapsell, Aaron Fa’Aoso, Renee Lim and Shari Sebbens are

back to create another ground-breaking season of children’s television. Multi award winning actor, Ursula Yovich steps into the role of Nanna following the untimely passing of the much-loved Ningali Lawford Wolf.

The season commemorates Ningali Lawford-Wolf’s significant contribution to Little J and Big Cuz and the wonderfully generous life she lived. Her family has stated, “Her career was a big part of who she was, and she would have wanted to continue to share her work.”

In season three, Big Cuz (Deborah Mailman) starts to navigate some tricky adult responsibilities like captaining the rugby team, getting her ‘pen licence’ and proving she can take on the challenge of looking after her own dog. Little J (Miranda Tapsell) and best friend Levi (also played by Ursula Yovich) get up to more adventures on Country together, gaining invaluable knowledge about their culture and learning about the importance of having each other’s backs in tricky situations. Friendly faces Nanna, Old Dog (Aaron Fa’Aoso) Uncle Mick (Mark Coles Smith) and Ms Chen (Renee Lim) also help guide Little J and Big Cuz along the way, as they find out more about their world and themselves, whether it’s in the backyard, on Country or in the classroom.

The new season will premiere on NITV, with catch up available on SBS On Demand. The show will air on ABC Kids in 2022 and be available on the ABC Kids app as well as iview. The ground-breaking show was financed with the support of the ABC, Screen Australia, Film Victoria, the Tasmanian Government through Screen Tasmania, the Australian Council for Educational Research and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.

NITV’s Head of Commissioning and Programming, Kyas Hepworth, said: “NITV is incredibly pleased to unveil the third season of Little J and Big Cuz. The positive impact that this show has on First Nation’s children and the wider Australian community continues to grow with every season. It highlights the importance of providing a show in which all kids not only see themselves represented on TV but also relate and connect these stories to understanding our incredible culture. We hope that the third season of Little J and Big Cuz continues to entertain and inspire young audiences.”

The first series of Little J and Big Cuz was supported through development by Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department and the Australian Council for Educational Research, and was based on an Indigenous perspective on the Early Years Learning Framework, to build engaging resources to help Indigenous kids transition into school, all while demystifying Indigenous culture for non-Indigenous children.

The third season of Little J and Big Cuz will also be translated into several Indigenous languages including Ngukurr Kriol, Kunwinjku and palawa kani, reaching ever wider audiences, deepening connections and galvanising communities around great stories in their own languages.

The season three premiere of Little J and Big Cuz will lead NITV’s refreshed family night slot, which airs every Friday at 7.30pm.

Little J and Big Cuz will air on NITV Friday’s from 17 December at 7:30pm and will be available on NITV’s interactive Little J and Big Cuz webpage as well as SBS on Demand following broadcast.