Li’l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers (1997 - 1998)
Children's series
26 episodes x 30 minutes
Series synopsis:
Li’l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers is an animated comedy adventure series about a boy called Li’l Elvis Jones (Stig Wemyss) who lives in the tiny outback Australian town of Wannapo. Ten years ago, a mysterious gold Cadillac left an old guitar case at Grace 'n’ Len’s Roadhouse. Inside was a baby swaddled in a rhinestone-studded wrap. The world’s most dedicated Elvis fans, Grace (Lynda Gibson) and Len Jones (David Cotter), adopted the boy and named him Li’l Elvis.
In a small town struggling for survival, Li’l Elvis helps his parents to make money by playing his guitar and singing every afternoon in the roadhouse. When Li’l Elvis and his friends Lionel (Kylie Belling) and Janet (Marg Downey) create their remarkable Didgibilli rock band ‘The Truckstoppers’, they become a huge attraction for Wannapoo. Entrepreneur WC Moore (Bill Ten Eyck) hears the Digibilli sound, and his devious scheming to make even more money could change Wannapoo forever.
But L’il Elvis doesn’t want to be a rock star. He just wants to find out who he really is, and to be a normal kid, zooming around in the desert with his friends. The Truckstoppers know that the only way to save themselves and the town is to get rid of WC Moore. But are three kids any match for a greedy, grasping billionaire?
Curator’s Notes:
Li’l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers was produced by Australian animator Peter Viska and his company Viskatoons, in collaboration with the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) and France Animation. This was the ACTF’s first joint venture under the Distinctly Australian program, and its first and only animation production series.
This appealing animation has a rich visual design with its vivid Australian colours, the outback location with the old roadhouse, and iconic images including gum trees, red dust and sheep. The sound design is also of note, with the kid’s rockabilly music – a catchy mix of guitar, the didgeridoo and feral drumming – the interesting and diverse Australian accents, and background sounds such as flies, mosquitos and magpies helping to create a ‘distinctly’ Australian feel. These rich design features, combined with the quirky set-up, adventurous, funny stories and likeable characters, create a delightful series.
Titles in this series
Li’l Elvis and the Truckstoppers – Caught in a Trap 1997
Li’l Elvis (Stig Wemyss) is sick of performing Elvis music everyday in his parent’s roadhouse, but his parents Grace (Lynda Gibson) and Len (David Cotter) rely on him to keep the customers coming in, as they desperately need the money. ...
