Comedy webseries Little Acorns goes inside the world of that long-suffering breed: the childcare worker.
The series, which stars Rachel Griffiths, is written and directed by actors Trudy Hellier and Maria Theodorakis and funded by Screen Australia.
Hellier has appeared in the likes of The Death and Life of Otto Bloom and The Doctor Blake Mysteries, and previously wrote four episodes of TV series Lowdown. Theodorakis' credits include The Castle, Walking on Water and Holding the Man.
Little Acorns consists of nine 3-5 minute episodes, available online from September 1.
“We wanted to celebrate the world's unsung heroines, but ultimately we wanted to make a show about women behaving badly,” said Theodorakis.
“These are women we all know but rarely see on our screens. They are bold, fearless, contradictory and ridiculously funny,” said Hellier.
“We are tired of seeing women in stereotypical roles; men are having all the fun and we’re always telling them to behave. We aim to usurp these stereotypes and challenge the whole idea of what it is to be a caring female.”
Little Acorns' stars include Griffiths (Muriel’s Wedding, Rake, Brothers & Sisters), Emily Taheny (Mad As Hell, Open Slather, Chaser’s War on Everything) and Genevieve Morris (No Activity, Ben Elton Live, Comedy Inc.).
“Because we both come from acting backgrounds, we were able to approach actors whose work we loved and write specifically for them, giving the characters a wonderful authenticity,” Theodorakis said.
“Writing for them was a joy and it’s been exciting to see what they’d bring to their roles. Rachel Griffiths joining us was a testament to the quality of the work and icing on the cake for us," said Hellier.
Investment Manager at Screen Australia Mike Cowap said that Screen Oz was "thrilled to have supported this first season of Little Acorns. The team know their audience. Binge viewers are recommended to arrange care for their children in advance to achieve maximum viewing enjoyment."
The series was written and created by Hellier and Theodorakis, directed by Hellier, Theodorakis and Chris Benz, produced by Eyvonne Carfora and associate produced by Genevieve Morris.
Executive producers are Jason Byrne, Tait Brady and Rachel Griffiths.