Grace Beside Me
Grace Beside Me is an Australian fantasy drama television series for children which premiered on NITV on 16 February 2018 and later aired on ABC Me. The series is based on the novel "Grace Beside Me", by Sue McPherson, and was filmed in the Scenic Rim Region in South East Queensland. The television adaptation was produced by a team composed entirely of women, including Aboriginal screenwriters. Set in the fictional country town of Laurel Dale, the series follows an Indigenous Australian teenager named Fuzzy Mac, who navigates her way through the social and personal issues of adolescence , while also being faced with the power of being able to communicate with spirits. Overriding themes include the focus on identity and belonging, while family and kinship is also explored. Australian Aboriginal culture is prominently featured, with the series produced in association with Screen Australia's Indigenous Department and the Australian Children's Television Foundation. "Grace Beside Me" has received a positive reception for its Australian Aboriginal representation. It was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Children's Program in 2018, and nominated twice at the Logie Awards for Most Outstanding Children's Program. The program won the First  Nations Media Award for Best Drama or Comedy in 2018, and an Australian Directors Guild Award for the episode "Sorry" in 2019. Premise. Fuzzy Mac (Kyliric Masella) is a thirteen year old Indigenous Australian girl who discovers that she can communicate with spirits. She lives in the small regional community of Laurel Dale with her eccentric grandparents, Nan (Tessa Rose) and Pop (Charles Passi), who strive to teach her about tradition and their ancestors. Her family represents a mix of Aboriginal Australian, Irish and South Sea Islander traditions. Fuzzy's father, Sonny (Lasarus Ratuere), is a FIFO worker in the  mines and her mother, Grace (Umema Curtis), died at the age of nineteen when Fuzzy was a baby. The pair moved in with Sonny's parents when Fuzzy was born. Episodes depict Fuzzy's transition into adolescence as she begins high school along with her best friends Tui (Kyliric Masella) and Yar (Tjiirdm McGuire). On her thirteenth birthday, Fuzzy discovers that she can see ghosts and communicate with spirits. Her grandmother guides her as she begins her journey as a seer, and encourages her to fulfill her role of looking after Lola's Forest, a sacred site in Laurel Dale , and all of the spirits living within. Fuzzy comes to terms with her gift and learns how to use it responsibly, as she assists the spirits she encounters in carrying out their incomplete business. Other stories detail the friends' rivalry with their classmates, Cat (Emma Cobb) and Emmy (Lucy Adair). Production. Conception. In January 2017, Australian television network NITV commissioned its first scripted local drama, a children's series entitled "Grace Beside Me", which would centre around a young Indigenous Australian teenager and her every day struggles with the issues of adolescence. The series, aimed at 8–12 year olds, was  described as a combination of 21st century issues and the inclusion of Aboriginal culture, as the protagonist, Fuzzy Mac, learns to find her place in the two different worlds. The series takes the form of a fantasy drama. Based on the 2012 novel written by Sue McPherson, the initial series order was for 13 episodes, to be produced by Magpie Pictures, and to premiere on NITV. The series was announced in association with Screen Australia's Indigenous Department, who stated their focus in creating Indigenous and culturally diverse content for young Australians. Production was revealed to be led by an  all-female team of producers, including Aboriginal producers and screenwriters. The episodes were co-commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to playout on ABC Me, with an additional presale license by pay-TV network Disney Channel for broadcast in Australia and New Zealand. The series is distributed internationally by 9 Story Media Group. Production of the series was led by producers Lois Randall and Dena Curtis. Mary-Ellen Mullane served as the executive for NITV, and Libbie Doherty was appointed executive for the ABC. Writing. Scripts for "Grace Beside Me" are written in the genre of magic realism, with the  goal of depicting contemporary teenage life. Curtis and Randall appreciated McPherson's depiction of small regional communities, having both come from regional backgrounds themselves. The original novel was written for a teenager audience, but the story was reworked to target a younger 8–12 year old demographic for the television series. The writers and producers consulted with Aboriginal Healers, Australian South Sea Islanders and the Mununjali Aboriginal Elders Group from Beaudesert, Queensland throughout the writing process. The Mununjali language is used in the series, with episodes inspired by stories told by Mununjali Elders. Māori writer Briar Grace-Smith also contributed to  the scripts, to add an authentic voice to Māori character Tui. Grace-Smith described the writing process as "snappy and fast-paced". Other writers for the series included Gina Roncoli, Danielle MacLean, Sue McPherson and Tristan Savage. Filming. Production for "Grace Beside Me" began in July 2017, being filmed over eleven weeks in the Scenic Rim Region in South East Queensland. The series was filmed on the Traditional Lands of the Mununjali and Ugarapul People. The fictional town of Laurel Dale was created through the use of buildings and landmarks from Boonah and Beaudesert. Local townspeople were used as extras  during filming, and the cast were invited to a welcoming ceremony held by Beaudesert Elders. The series was directed by Lynn-Maree Danzey, Nicholas Verso and Beck Cole. Kyliric Masella was announced to be playing Fuzzy Mac, with Mairehau Grac and Tjiirdm McGuire as supporting characters Tui and Yar respectively. Masella became close with her co-stars, who she shared a house with while filming. The cast were also required to complete school work during production. The theme song, "Grace Beside Me", was composed by Amanda Brown and Emily Wurramara and performed by Wurramara. The series premiered on NITV on  16 February 2018. It later premiered on ABC Me on 8 July 2018 and on Disney Channel on 5 March 2019. Reception. "Grace Beside Me" has received positive reviews based on its representation of Australian Aboriginal culture. Mandy Nolan of website Mamamia praised the Indigenous Australian cast, stating "I want my white child to hear black stories". She noted that the program's point of difference was that it didn't tell the stories of "white kids", like many other series. She also expressed her interest in viewing the program as a parent, along with her children. Reviewing the sixth  episode "Hangi Sleepover", Melinda Houston commended the "deft" writing, and described the episode as "fresh, honest and funny". References. Notes Citations Bibliography