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About Little Lunch

A girl in a pink dress and glasses jumps rope while another girl in a red shirt stands by, watching. In the background, other children in red clothing are engaged in various activities, and benches are visible under leafy trees.

About Little Lunch

Little Lunch is a funny Australian TV series based on the popular books by Danny Katz and Mitch Vane. The series follows a group of primary school friends as they navigate the ups and downs of school life during little lunch.

Each episode takes place during one little lunch and focuses on a small problem that feels like a very big deal to the characters. From lost belongings and playground arguments to friendship troubles and funny misunderstandings, every story is told through the eyes of the students. The series uses a mockumentary style, with the characters speaking directly to the camera and sharing their side of the story.

About the Little Lunch books

Little Lunch is based on the popular children's book series written by Danny Katz and illustrated by Mitch Vane. The books are loved for their humour and for the way they turn everyday school experiences into memorable stories.

When the books were adapted for television, some changes were made to help bring the stories to life on screen. The TV series focuses on a smaller group of main characters who are in Year 5, making it easy for viewers to get to know them and follow their adventures. While there are some differences between the books and the series, both capture the fun, friendships and challenges of primary school life.

 

Episode synopsis

Episodes

Episode 1 The Principal's Office

When Rory is punished and sent to the Principal’s office, the other kids surprisingly feel sorry for him and try to cheer him up.

Episode 2 The Dress Up Day

On Dress-Up-As-What-You-Want-To-Be-When-You-Grow-Up-Day, Battie dresses up as Stretcho, his very own made up super hero.

Episode 3 The Ya-Ya

While Atticus’ parents are away, his Ya-Ya (grandmother) looks after him and sends disgusting lunches with him to school.

Episode 4 The Monkey Bars

Tamara refuses to share the monkey bars but, for once, Melanie won’t give in and get off.

Episode 5 The Top Of The Fireman's Pole

After Mrs Gonsha bravely rescues a tiny boy from the top of the playground equipment, she becomes stuck herself, and the kids must get her down.

Episode 6 The Lost and Found Box

After Debra-Jo loses her glasses the children take her to the Lost and Found box to look for them, where they discover all their long-lost own belongings.

Episode 7 The Milk Bar

After Rory forgets his lunch and, in desperation, decides to go to the milk bar, he must convince the other kids to keep his secret from Mrs Gonsha.

Episode 8 The Girls Toilets

Melanie is caught in the middle when Debra-Jo and Tamara stop speaking to each other and insist that Melanie must pick a side.

Episode 9 The Kiss-Chasey Oval

Tamara unexpectedly wants to play kiss chasey but the only person she want to chase and kiss is Battie.

Episode 10 The Thing In The Sand

Melanie thinks she discovers a possum’s head in the sand pit, and refuses to believe that it’s actually Rory’s craft project made out of a pine-cone and toilet paper.

Episode 11 The Band

Bored during a rainy little lunch, Atticus starts a band and makes Battie reluctantly join too.

Episode 12 The Beep Test

Tamara is excited about doing the beep test fitness assessment, but after she sprains her ankle and can’t join in, she decides to be Debra-Jo’s beep test coach instead.

Episode 13 The Joke Competition

Atticus holds a joke telling competition and Melanie, overcome by shyness, is terrified to tell a joke in front of everyone.

Episode 14 The Old Climbing Tree

Debra-Jo thinks that the old climbing tree is dangerous and should be chopped down, but the other kids think it should stay. They each embark on a campaign to get their way.

Episode 15 The Oval

Trying to stay out of trouble for once, Rory wants the other kids to play with him so devises an elaborate and confusing ball game on the oval.

Episode 16 The Pavlova

For the birthday party of Max and Elsa, the weird twins, Mrs Gonsha makes a pavlova, which looks delicious, but is the most disgusting thing that the children have ever eaten.

Episode 17 The Germblock

After Tamara accuses Melanie of not washing her hands and “germblocks” her, Atticus and Debra-Jo investigate what really happened.

Episode 18 The Grandparents Day

Battie’s grandfather is the guest of honour at Grandparents Day but Battie is too scared to tell Mrs Gonsha that he is in hospital and won’t be able to come.

Episode 19 The Cake Stall

When Melanie decides to have a cake stall to raise money for homeless puppies, Atticus gets jealous and sets up a rival fundraiser.

Episode 20 The Walk-A-Thon

The children face the difficult task of finding the right partner to be their walking buddy for the walk-a-thon.

Episode 21 The Windy Day

During a very windy little lunch, Mrs Gonsha insists the class comes inside and does yoga, much to Debra-Jo’s horror.

Episode 22 The Body Bus

After the kids think they see a health van in the playground, Debra-Jo becomes anxious that she has headlice.

Episode 23 The Election

When Rory announces that he wants to be the Prime-Minister, Mrs Gonsha suggests they have their own election and that everyone run a campaign.

Episode 24 The Corridor Outside 6E

When Max and Elsa, the weird twins, suddenly leave class without a note, a ridiculous rumour chain begins about what happened to them.

Episode 25 The Gap Behind the Dumpster

Atticus decides to start a secret club with Rory, but after Rory, who is terrible at keeping secrets, invites everyone else to join, Atticus’ idea is ruined.

Episode 26 The Relationship

Rory is bewildered and confused when he finds out a grade six girl likes him and Debra-Jo can’t understand why she feels so cross about it.

Characters

  • A young boy sits cross-legged on the grass, wearing a bright red shirt and a matching wide-brimmed hat. He smiles while holding a notebook and a water bottle beside him, with a school building and trees in the background under a clear blue sky.

    Atticus

    Atticus is kind, clever and always ready with an interesting fact. He loves learning new things and seems to be hungry almost all the time!

  • A smiling girl with two buns in her hair, adorned with red ribbons, stands playfully next to a tree trunk. She wears a red and white checkered dress with a white collar, with a colorful mural visible in the blurred background.

    Melanie

    Melanie is quiet but incredibly brave when it comes to standing up for what is right. She might be shy, but she never backs down from doing the right thing.

  • A smiling girl in a red polo shirt holds a colorful ball close to her chest, standing outdoors. Bright green trees and colorful graffiti can be seen in the background, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

    Tamara

    Tamara is confident, energetic and loves being active. She is excellent at sport and isn't afraid to speak her mind.

  • A young boy sits cross-legged on a platform, wearing a red shirt and black shorts. He has short, tousled blond hair and is looking directly at the camera with an expressive facial expression, showing his hands in a questioning gesture. A blue lunch bag and a silver water bottle are positioned beside him, set against a colorful, abstract background.

    Rory

    Rory is mischievous, easily distracted and always finding himself in trouble. Even when he makes mistakes, it's hard not to like him.

  • A boy dressed in a red hoodie and cap examines small rocks in his hands while looking thoughtfully at a small stack of rocks balanced on a wooden stump. In the background, there are blurred buildings and trees under a clear blue sky.

    Battie

    Battie is gentle, imaginative and full of creative ideas. He often drifts off into daydreams and sees the world in his own unique way.

  • A girl wearing a red hat and a checkered red dress smiles while sitting on a colorful playground structure. She has long dark hair and glasses, holding a colorful activity book in her hands, with a blurred colorful mural and greenery in the background.

    Debra-Jo

    Debra-Jo is smart, organised and loves being prepared. She is ambitious, works hard and always likes to have a plan.

  • A woman with wavy blonde hair smiles playfully while standing in a colorful classroom adorned with paper decorations. She wears a vibrant floral dress and a white cardigan, with her hands clasped in front of her.

    Mrs Gonsha

    Mrs Gonsha is the much-loved teacher of the class. She is patient, caring and always supports her students, no matter what challenges they face.

Behind the scenes

From Page to Screen: The Making of Little Lunch 🍎 | Book Week Special 📚

Author Danny Katz, illustrator Mitch Vane and cast members (Heidi Arena, Faith Seci, Flynn Curry and Olivia Deeble) reveal what it really takes to adapt a popular book series for television.

Little Lunch Cast Q&A Webinar – Australian Primary Schools

Students got to quiz the cast on how they got into acting, what was involved in making Little Lunch, their favourite episodes, how the young cast balanced school work and acting, how they deal with fame and what tips they would give to aspiring young actors.

Little Lunch Cast Q&A Webinar – W.A Primary Schools

Students across WA got to quiz the cast on how they got into acting, what was involved in making Little Lunch, their favourite episodes, how the young cast balanced school work and acting and what tips they would give to aspiring young actors.

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