Grace Beside Me facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grace Beside Me
Grace Beside Me title card
Genre	Fantasy drama
Developed by	Dena Curtis Lois Randall Sue McPherson
Starring	Kyliric Masella Tjiirdm McGuire Mairehau Grace Charles Passi Tessa Rose
Theme music composer	Amanda Brown & Emily Wurramara
Opening theme	"Grace Beside Me", performed by Emily Wurramara
Composer(s)	Amanda Brown
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producer(s)	Lois Randall Mary-Ellen Mullane Libbie Doherty
Producer(s)	Lois Randall Dena Curtis
Running time	26 minutes
Production company(s)	Screen Australia Magpie Pictures
Distributor	9 Story Media Group
Release
Original network	NITV ABC Me
Picture format	576i (SDTV)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	16 February (2018-02-16) – 11 May 2018 (2018-05-11)

Grace Beside Me is an exciting Australian TV show for kids aged 8-12. It's a fantasy drama series that first aired on NITV in February 2018. Later, it also showed on ABC Me.

The show is based on a book called Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson. It was filmed in a beautiful area of Queensland, Australia. What's really cool is that the TV show was made by an all-female team, including talented Aboriginal writers!

The story is set in a made-up town called Laurel Dale. It follows an Indigenous Australian teenager named Fuzzy Mac. She's learning to deal with growing up, but she also has a secret power: she can talk to spirits! The show explores important ideas like who you are and where you belong. It also highlights the strong bonds of family and kinship. Australian Aboriginal culture is a big part of the show, and it was made with help from Screen Australia and the Australian Children's Television Foundation.

Grace Beside Me has been praised for showing Aboriginal culture in a great way. It was nominated for an AACTA Award in 2018 for Best Children's Program. It also got two nominations at the Logie Awards for Logie Award for Most Outstanding Children's Program. In 2018, it won the First Nations Media Award for Best Drama or Comedy. And in 2019, it won an Australian Directors Guild Award for the episode "Sorry."

Meet Fuzzy Mac and Her World

This section tells you about the main character and the exciting world she lives in.

Fuzzy's Special Gift

Fuzzy Mac (played by Kyliric Masella) is a 13-year-old Indigenous Australian girl. She discovers she can talk to spirits! This amazing gift changes her life. She lives in a small town called Laurel Dale with her fun grandparents, Nan (Tessa Rose) and Pop (Charles Passi). They teach her about their traditions and ancestors. Fuzzy's family has a mix of Aboriginal Australian, Irish, and South Sea Islander backgrounds.

Family and Friends

Fuzzy's dad, Sonny (Lasarus Ratuere), works away in the mines. Her mom, Grace (Umema Curtis), passed away when Fuzzy was a baby. Fuzzy moved in with her grandparents when she was born.

The show follows Fuzzy as she starts high school with her best friends, Tui (Mairehau Grace) and Yar (Tjiirdm McGuire). On her 13th birthday, Fuzzy realizes she can see ghosts and talk to spirits. Her grandmother, Nan, helps her understand this new gift. Nan encourages Fuzzy to protect Lola's Forest, a special place in Laurel Dale, and all the spirits living there.

Learning to Use Her Power

Fuzzy learns to use her gift responsibly. She helps the spirits she meets finish their unfinished business. The show also features fun rivalries between Fuzzy and her friends, and their classmates Cat (Emma Cobb) and Emmy (Lucy Adair).

Characters You'll Love

Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in Grace Beside Me.

Main Characters

• Kyliric Masella as Fuzzy Mac: She's a curious and confident 13-year-old. Fuzzy loves art and has Aboriginal and Australian South Sea Islander family. She discovers she can talk to spirits.
• Tjiirdm McGuire as Yar: Fuzzy's flamboyant and dramatic friend.
• Mairehau Grace as Tui: Fuzzy's best friend, who has Māori heritage. She loves languages and technology.
• Charles Passi as Pop McCardell: Fuzzy's open-minded and funny grandfather. He's Australian South Sea Islander and plays the bagpipes.
• Tessa Rose as Nan McCardell: Fuzzy's grandmother. She was part of the Stolen Generations and has a special gift for sensing the dead.

Other Important Characters

• Simone Landers as Lola: The spirit of Fuzzy's great-grandmother. She appears as an 11-year-old girl. Lola is the guardian of Lola's Forest. Pauline Whyman plays Lola as an older woman.
• Andrew Buchanan as Mayor Ridgeway: Cat's dad and the mayor of Laurel Dale.
• Elaine Crombie as Miss Long: Fuzzy's seventh-grade teacher.
• Emma Cobb as Cat Ridgeway: A self-centered schoolgirl and the mayor's daughter.
• Lucy Adair as Emmy Chu: A popular schoolgirl who is shy about her Chinese heritage.
• Roxanne McDonald as Aunty Min: Nan's younger sister and a local historian. She was also taken from her family as a child.
• Ginger Dickens as Esther: Fuzzy's 11-year-old cousin. She lives with Aunty Min and is known for speaking her mind.
• Jack Henry as Mr. Steiner: Fuzzy's grumpy German neighbor who loves gardening.
• Dylan Drabowicz as Jesse: A 14-year-old skater who likes Tui.
• Lasarus Ratuere as Sonny McCardell: Fuzzy's dad, who works in the mines.
• Umema Curtis as Grace McCardell: The spirit of Fuzzy's mother. She appears to Fuzzy and shares her talent for drawing. Her totem is the magpie.

How the Show Was Made

Find out how Grace Beside Me came to life!

Getting Started

Sue McPherson at the Grace Beside Me book launch in 2012.

In January 2017, NITV decided to create its first original children's show: Grace Beside Me. The idea was to tell the story of a young Indigenous Australian teenager. The show mixes modern teenage life with Australian Aboriginal culture. It's a fantasy drama with 13 episodes.

The show was made by Magpie Pictures. Screen Australia helped, focusing on creating diverse stories for young Australians. An amazing all-female team, including Aboriginal producers and writers, led the production. The show also aired on ABC Me and was available on Disney Channel in Australia and New Zealand. 9 Story Media Group distributes the series around the world.

Lois Randall and Dena Curtis were the main producers. Mary-Ellen Mullane was the executive for NITV, and Libbie Doherty for ABC.

Writing the Story

The writers used a style called magic realism for Grace Beside Me. This means it blends real life with magical elements. The goal was to show what modern teenage life is like. The original book was for older teens, but the TV show was changed for 8-12 year olds.

The writers and producers worked closely with Aboriginal Healers, Australian South Sea Islanders, and the Mununjali Aboriginal Elders Group. They got advice and inspiration from these groups. The Mununjali language is even used in the show! A Māori writer, Briar Grace-Smith, also helped. She made sure the Māori character, Tui, sounded real. Other writers included Gina Roncoli, Danielle MacLean, Sue McPherson, and Tristan Savage.

Filming the Show

Filming for Grace Beside Me started in July 2017. It took 11 weeks and happened in the beautiful Scenic Rim Region of Queensland. The show was filmed on the traditional lands of the Mununjali and Ugarapul People.

The fictional town of Laurel Dale was created using real places like Boonah and Beaudesert. Local people even got to be extras in the show! The cast was welcomed with a special ceremony by the Beaudesert Elders. Lynn-Maree Danzey, Nicholas Verso, and Beck Cole directed the episodes. Kyliric Masella, Mairehau Grace, and Tjiirdm McGuire became close friends while filming. They even lived in the same house! The young actors also had to keep up with their schoolwork during production.

The show's theme song, "Grace Beside Me," was written by Amanda Brown and Emily Wurramara. Emily Wurramara also sings the song.

The series first aired on NITV on February 16, 2018. It then premiered on ABC Me on July 8, 2018, and on Disney Channel on March 5, 2019.

Episode Highlights

Here are some of the exciting adventures Fuzzy and her friends have in the show.

• Spooky Month: On her 13th birthday, Fuzzy meets the spirit of her great-great-grandmother, Lola. Lola asks Fuzzy to return sacred items to Lola's Forest. Fuzzy learns she has the gift of a seer and must protect the forest.
• Black Hat's Treasure: Fuzzy, Tui, and Yar start high school. Fuzzy sees the spirit of her ancestor, Black Hat, a bushranger. They search for his buried treasure, which turns out to be a valuable family heirloom.
• Yarn for Yar: Nan teaches Fuzzy's class about finding water. When their usual spot is fenced off, Yar wants to protest. Fuzzy helps him see that his unique style is special, and they yarn-bomb the gate to show support.
• Sorry: Nan prepares for National Sorry Day and remembers being taken from her family. Fuzzy learns about her family's past and makes up with her classmate Cat.
• Milka's Secret: Fuzzy's cousin Esther stays with them and feels unsettled. Fuzzy helps Esther connect with the spirit of a girl named Rani through an old doll, Milka.
• Hangi Sleepover: Fuzzy helps Nan with Elders visiting, but sneaks off to Tui's for a hāngi feast. She discovers sacred rocks are being used and returns them, learning to appreciate her family's traditions.
• Grace: On the anniversary of her mother Grace's death, Fuzzy finally sees and talks to her spirit in Lola's Forest. Grace helps Fuzzy guide her lost classmates.
• The Sweetest Gift: Fuzzy tries to earn money by offering psychic readings, but feels guilty. She learns to respect her gift and makes amends with the spirits.
• Blackbird: Fuzzy prepares to sing for Harmony Day. She learns about her Pop's South Sea Islander ancestors and helps Tui overcome stage fright.
• Catch Your Death: On Halloween, Fuzzy meets the spirit of Uncle Lefty, who died in prison. She helps him return stolen items to their owners.
• Love Me, Love Me Not: Fuzzy tries a love spell to help her dad and Miss Long, but it accidentally affects Tui and Yar! Fuzzy has to fix her mistake.
• The Wishing Tree: Fuzzy learns Cat's family is having money problems. She helps Cat accept help and makes up with Emmy, with the help of a spirit.
• The Battle of Lola's Forest: A dark cloud makes Lola weak and threatens the forest. Fuzzy, her friends, and ancestors fight the evil spirit. Fuzzy becomes the new guardian of Lola's Forest.

Awards and Recognition

Grace Beside Me has received many awards and nominations!