ACTF

About Caper Crew

Amelia and Kai Delaney’s quiet lives are upended when their con-artist grandmother Queenie teaches them the art of the grift – sparking their hunt for the priceless Woodspring Nug.

Amelia Delaney is sick of always coming second to her powerful school rival, Emilia Katinkatonk, in the quiet town of Woodspring. Her life is turned upside down when her grandmother Queenie suddenly returns after being presumed dead for twenty years. Amelia and her younger brother Kai soon discover that Queenie was once part of the notorious Kangaroo Gang, the group responsible for stealing Woodspring’s greatest treasure - a famous meteorite called The Nug - which vanished decades ago.

With a huge reward offered for the return of The Nug, Queenie trains Amelia, Kai, their friend Penelope, and new student Ophelbert in the art of the “con”.  Together, the group, known as the Joeys, work to solve the mystery of the missing Nug while standing up to Emilia and her family’s control over the school. Along the way, they learn about teamwork, courage, and the true value of family and friendship.

Accessing the series

The full series is available on ABC iview.

Schools can purchase a downloadable copy from the ACTF Shop.

Watch the trailer

Episodes

Episode 1 Know What Your Mark Wants to Hear

While Amelia competes with her nemesis for school captain, her mysterious grandmother Queenie turns up out of the blue. Is she here to find the lost Woodspring Nug?

Episode 2 Preparation is All

When Ophelbert’s beloved Guinea Pig is confiscated by scary canteen lady Gretchen, the kids plan a breakout from the local pound, with some much-needed help from Queenie.

Episode 3 Conning is More Art Than Science

The Joeys audition for the school play to gain access to the Academy Archives. But Penelope’s got to overcome stage fright if they’re going to get close.

Episode 4 No team, No Take

It’s Sparts Day at Woodspring Academy. The Joeys compete to win the Sparts trophy – which they suspect holds a clue to the Nug’s whereabouts within.

Episode 5 Be the Magnet, Not the Net

The Joeys’ stumble upon Cuttlefish, OG Kangaroo Gang member and master of disguise. They’ll have to flush him out into the open to find the Nug.

Episode 6 If it Looks Too Good to be True, it is

When Ophelbert loses his beloved NuggieFunTime card at a swap meet, the Joeys discover forger extraordinaire, Scribbler. They have to get to him before anyone else does.

Episode 7 Follow Your Nose

On the hunt for their next suspect, the Joeys go to a Double Feature film and come face to face with the most dangerous Kangaroo Gang member - Bruiser.

Episode 8 Confidence is Everything

Emilia reveals her secret weapon – state of the art Nug detectors (and Detectorists). The Joeys have to send them packing and make a detector of their own.

Episode 9 Sometimes the Best Move, is no Move

The Joeys have to get inside Katinkatonk Manor and yoink the Nug, before Katie Katinkatonk’s master plan for ultimate glory goes into action. What could go wrong?

Episode 10 Make Your Own Luck

NugFest and the opening of the play is finally here, and the Joeys have to set everything right before it’s too late.

Characters

  • A young girl with long dark hair stands at a kitchen table, looking surprised or concerned. She is wearing a white shirt and a brown tie, with a bowl of cereal and a jar of orange jam in front of her. The background shows a bright, homey kitchen with windows, plants, and a vintage television.

    Amelia Delaney

    Amelia Delaney is born leader with an inherent, anarchic knack for finding adventure and trouble in equal parts. Amelia jumps first and thinks second. If there’s a problem to solve? She’ll solve it! A wrong? She’ll right it! A competition? She’ll win it all! But ask her to fit in and tow the company line? Not on your nelly! She’ll cut her own path and bring her best friend Penelope along for the ride, no matter how bad it ends up. 

  • A young boy with short, wavy hair looks concerned, displaying a worried expression on his face. He wears a patterned vest over a collared shirt, set against a softly lit background with hints of indistinct shapes and colors.

    Kai Delaney

    Amelia’s younger brother Kai is a brainiac prodigy. The kind of kid who thinks algebra is fun and who reads HSC half-yearly exams as bedtime stories. Much to Amelia’s chagrin, Kai is being accelerated two grades into year 6 (and yep, that means he’ll be in his sister’s class). Despite his hope that the move would place him among intellectual equals – Kai still feels out of place. As desperate as he is to befriend his sister and her peers, no one seems to get his adult conversational tone and dead-pan sense of humour. 

  • A young girl with long hair in pigtails wears a light pink top and a tan beret, smiling as she holds a puppet resembling a boy dressed in plaid and trousers. The background features wooden floors and shelves filled with various items, creating a playful and nostalgic atmosphere.

    Penelope Pye

    Amelia’s best friend since preschool, Penelope is a complete oddball, just like Amelia – which is probably what makes them such good friends. When apart, they’re both dreamers, but together, they’ll commit to the most outrageous plans because they just love and support each other so much. Sometimes a bit too much, dropping them into many a pickle.

  • A young boy wearing a white dress and bonnet stands on stage, looking serious. He also sports a black tie, and the background features soft, colorful lighting that suggests a performance setting.

    Ophelbert Smee

    Ophelbert Smee is year 6's new student and he is not having the smoothest transition right now. He’s recently hit puberty, grown more than a foot and a half in the last month and subsequently developed a devastating case of nervous sweating feet. When he’s under pressure you can hear poor Ophelbert coming down the halls with an unmissable squeak reminiscent of his favourite pet, Twinkle the Peruvian truth telling guinea pig. Safe to say, it’s been a rough start to the year.

  • A girl wearing a bright, vintage-style dress with orange and yellow patterns stands confidently against a deep blue curtain, holding a megaphone in her right hand. She has a playful expression and her hair is styled with a headband, enhancing her retro look.

    Emilia Katinkatonk

    Emilia (“with an E!”) Katinkatonk is Amelia’s arch nemesis. She is of the Katinkatonk dynasty, great granddaughter to Mavis who discovered the famous Nug, and so (as she would be quick to tell you herself), she’s pretty much Woodspring royalty.

  • Two children stand side by side on a stage, looking serious. One boy wears a white shirt with a tie, a navy sweater draped over his shoulders, and holds a rolled-up paper, while the girl is dressed in a brown tracksuit, her expression tense, with her arms crossed in front of her. The background is dark with a wooden stage in front of them.

    Deidre and Nesbitt Katinkatonk

    Nesbitt and Deidre have been Emilia’s offsiders for as long as they can remember. They probably even had their prams either side of (and just behind) Emilia when they were babies. Such is the role of the 2IC and the Muscle.

  • A woman in a stylish gray outfit with pearls stands in a brightly decorated kitchen, holding a red and white checkered cup. The kitchen features yellow cheese-themed decorations and a large yellow cake on a stand, accompanied by various types of cheese and fruits, all set against a backdrop of colorful bunting and floral tiles.

    Queenie Delaney

    Queenie is a legendary former con artist and leader of the Kangaroo Gang, known for her daring heists throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After the gang fell apart following the loss of The Nug, she went into hiding, travelling the world, scamming wealthy people, and even serving time in prison. Returning to her family under the guise of reconnecting with her son Franklin and building relationships with her grandchildren, Amelia and Kai, Queenie’s true motivations remain unclear. Charismatic, clever, and always several steps ahead, she uses her keen ability to read people to bring confidence and energy to the Delaney household.
  • A man wearing a beige helmet and a blue uniform with a "FRANKLIN" patch examines a brown envelope in his hands. He stands next to a red vehicle, surrounded by greenery and a residential area in the background.

    Franklin Delaney

    Sweet, bumbling Franklin only ever wanted the simple family life. That’s why he stayed in Woodspring at 18 when his mother left for more adventures. He loves the quiet safety of a small town and is the most risk averse human you’ll ever meet (he wears a helmet to mow the lawn). His children Amelia and Kai and his wife Emma have always been his priority, but now with his criminal mother back on the scene, Franklin’s perfectly simple life is turned on its head.

  • A woman stands confidently on stage, wearing a distinctive ceremonial outfit featuring an orange cape with golden embellishments. She has a pleasant smile and her hair is styled in loose curls, with the dark backdrop creating a dramatic contrast.

    Katie Katinkatonk

    The imperious Mayor of Woodspring. Katie is the unflappable leader of the town. Even as a child she had a plan and could think on her feet. In fact, it was those very traits that ultimately found her in the middle of The Nug mystery. Katie has never let anything stand in the way of what she wants - after all, her great grandmother Mavis Katinkatonk made this town what it is today. She’s built her fortunes on the firm bedrock of nepotism ever since which has allowed the Katinkatonk name (and her power) to flourish.

  • Principal Katinkatonk

    Principal Katinkatonk is a man of character. A Katinkatonk through and through (he is Mayor Katie’s 3rd cousin twice removed), Principal Katinkatonk was born to tell young children what to do. His sense of achievement and purpose in this world is framed entirely by keeping playgrounds tidy, socks pulled up and hallways clear of loiterers. 

The making of Caper Crew

Caper Crew began in 2021 when Easy Tiger Productions explored creating a funny show for 8 to 12 year olds that families could enjoy together. One key idea came from a real story. "The concept was inspired by a separate project we’d been developing, a drama about the little-known ‘Kangaroo Gang’ – a motley crew of Australian thieves and crooks, who in the 60s and 70s pulled off daring heists in London,” shares Ian Colllie, Founder and CEO of Easy Tiger Productions.

They imagined a story about siblings Amelia and Kai discovering their grandmother is a leader of an international crime gang. The show mixes clever plans, like in heist films, with silly, storybook-style humour. It is set in Woodspring, a quiet Australian town that feels a little magical. “Caper Crew is a show where everything is skewed toward the ‘improbable’ end of the spectrum,” Script Productor Keith Thompson shares.

The writers made sure the kids are the smartest characters and use big, playful language. “They may be surrounded by sneaky, smarty pants kids and even sneakier, smarty pants adults, but our Joeys are always two steps ahead in uncovering the most elaborate and ridiculous of plans,” explains Script Producer Matt Whittet. Writer Amy Stewart says the show celebrates being unique and creating your own opportunities. “I think one of the biggest themes of the series is making your own opportunities and developing your own uniqueness… think it’s an important theme for kids and their parents because we’re constantly comparing ourselves to others and the world feels quite competitive.”

Creating the world of Caper Crew

In 2024, director Guy Edmonds joined Caper Crew. It was his first time leading a show like this. He helped shape the scripts and worked closely with the writers to make sure the story was exciting and easy to follow. “Because the show is built around capers and puzzles, the storytelling has to be watertight and propulsive,” he explains. “Part of my role was digging into the season spine and scripts so the twists, character arcs and visual storytelling all worked together.”

The team wanted the show to look bright, unusual and a bit magical. They created everything carefully, from the town of Woodspring to the costumes and props. Nothing was ordinary. “The world of Caper Crew is so stylised and when you’re in the children’s television space, you are afforded a sizable amount of suspension of disbelief,” says Producer Yingna Lu.

They also designed fun and unique characters. Each one had a special look and style, so you could recognise them straight away. The cast included both young actors and experienced adults, which made the show even more exciting to watch. “It’s a visually rich series, full of laughs, capers, mysteries and plenty of twists and turns,” Guy shares.

Credits

Series Producer: Yingna Lu

Executive Producers: Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, Bernadette O’Mahony

Directors: Guy Edmonds, Stef Smith, Shelly Lauman

Writers: Keith Thompson, Matthew Whittet, Amy Stewart, Jack Yabsley, Erica Harrison

Caper Crew is an Easy Tiger production for the ABC. Major production funding from Screen Australia, the ABC and Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF), with support from Screen NSW. International Distribution and education resources by ACTF.

A series of logos displayed from left to right includes: Easy Tiger, ABC, the Australian Government emblem, Screen Australia, the NSW Government crest, Screen NSW, and ACTF. Each logo features distinct styles and colors, representing various organizations related to media and film production in Australia.