ABC TV - Programs and Schedules

Television ABC
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Week commencing 12 April 2020

Sunday 12 April Easter Sunday
7:30pm The Virus
7:40pm Grand Designs New Zealand: Tree House
8:30pm Melb Comedy Fest: Comedy Care Package
10:20pm Shetland
11:20pm Line Of Duty

Monday 13 April
8:00pm Australian Story
8:30pm Q+A Special Time
10:00pm Barrie Cassidy’s One Plus One
10:30 pm ABC Late News
11:00pm Rediscovering T-Rex

Tuesday 14 April
8:00pm Foreign Correspondent
8:30pm Catalyst: How Food Works (Part 1)
9:30pm Fake Or Fortune?: A Venetian View
10:35pm ABC Late News
11:05pm Q+A

Wednesday 15 April
8:00pm Hard Quiz
8:30pm Shaun Micallef’s MAD AS HELL
9:00pm You Can’t Ask That: HIV Positive
9:35pm Planet America
10:05pm Would I Lie To You?
10:35pm ABC Late News
11:05pm Horizon

Thursday 16 April
8:00pm The Heights
8:30pm Grand Designs Australia: Harcourt Quarry House
9:20pm Barrie Cassidy’s One Plus One
9:50pm Storm In A Teacup
10:55pm ABC Late News
11:25pm DCI Banks: To Burn In Every Drop Of Blood (Part 2)

Friday 17 April
7:30pm Gardening Australia
8:30pm The Capture
9:30pm Silent Witness: To Brighton, To Brighton Part One
10:30pm ABC Late News
11:00pm Shaun Micallef’s MAD AS HELL
11:35pm Would I Lie To You?

Saturday 18 April
7:30pm Death In Paradise
8:30pm Van der Valk Season Final
10:05pm Unforgotten
10:55pm Silent Witness: To Brighton, To Brighton Part One
11:55pm rage Guest Programmer

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Melbourne International Comedy Festival: Comedy Care Package

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Sunday 12 April at 8:20pm

This year, Covid-19 has shut down the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the venues are empty, and the crowds, like the comedians, are stuck at home. The ABC is proud to announce they will be bringing the Festival into our homes and onto our screens with a special Comedy Care Package this Sunday 12th April at 8.20pm.

Hosted by comedy legend Denise Scott , the Melbourne International Comedy Festival: Comedy Care Package features some of the best local acts from the ABC’s Festival broadcasts of the past few years, including Aaron Chen , Anne Edmonds , Becky Lucas , Cal Wilson , Dave Hughes , Frank Woodley , Kitty Flanagan , Nazeem Hussain , Steph Tisdell , Tom Gleeson , Urzila Carlson and many more.

Denise Scott says the program “proves that nothing can stop Australians laughing, even if we do have to do it into our elbows, sitting 1.5 meters apart. Hosting this outstanding line-up of comedians, in these extraordinarily difficult times, is the greatest honour of my career.”

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is one of the three largest comedy festivals in the world. The fact that this year’s Festival couldn’t go ahead was another huge blow to the arts industry in Australia as well as the comedians who were set to perform. It was also hugely disappointing for the comedy fans who look forward to the Festival each year.

So buckle up and bunker down, Comedy Care Package is set to be two hours of non-stop stand-up which will have all of Australia laughing together, even in the age of social distancing.

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ABC brings Easter home to all Australians

The ABC will help housebound Australians worship, reflect and relax over Easter, with uplifting content featuring church services, classical music and comedy across the long weekend.

For those unable to attend Easter services due to the impact of COVID-19, the ABC will broadcast the Good Friday service from St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane (on ABC TV at 4pm) and the Pope’s Easter Saturday Vigil Mass from the Vatican (on 12 April at 2.30pm).

The ABC’s Religion & Ethics online portal will also feature articles, discussions and opinion pieces across the week, covering multiple faiths and beliefs.

Joe Gelonesi, ABC Manager Religion & Ethics, said programs about devotion and the search for meaning were more important than ever. “With so many Australians unable to attend the traditional services of Christian Holy Week, the ABC is proud to provide connection and comfort through this challenging time as part of our evolving offer to people of all faiths,” he said.

“We are committed to keeping Australians informed and entertained, no matter what they believe. Beyond Easter, the ABC is looking at ways to bring ongoing religious services to Australians impacted by COVID-19, in addition to our rich weekly slate of religion and ethics content on television, radio and online.”

Highlights on ABC TV include:

  • Gardening Australia ’s Easter special, on Good Friday at 7.30pm, will help socially distanced Australians get the best out of their backyards.
  • Compass special “Stories of Sacrifice” links the Easter story of renewal and the ANZAC story of sacrifice, on Sunday at 6.30pm.
  • Three-part series Pilgrimage: Road to Santiago follows celebrities as they set out on the medieval pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago, from Friday at 5pm.
  • An Easter Sunday edition of Songs of Praise, at 11.30am.

With the cancellation of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival due to COVID-19, the ABC’s Comedy Care Package will bring home the best Australian comedians this Sunday at 8.20pm, including Dave Hughes, Kitty Flanagan and Tom Gleeson. “Nothing can stop Australians laughing, even if we have to do it into our elbows, sitting 1.5 metres apart,” said host Denise Scott.

ABC iview’s Easter comedy binge will keep the laughs going with new series of Motherland, Sick Of It and The Young Offenders, alongside programs we know and love such as Frayed, Squinters, Superwog and State of the Union.

Also catch up on this week’s premiere of Easter in Australia , which explores the ways Australians, religious and secular, relate to the Easter story.

For children, ABC ME’s Best Fest, which runs to 30 April, features programs such as Prank You Very Much, First Day and The Demon Headmaster. ABC ME is also offering movie nights over the long weekend, starting with Early Man on Friday at 6.30pm.

ABC Kids’ “Special Treats” Easter collection includes the premiere of The Snail and the Whale, on Friday at 5.15pm, and a special new episode of Bluey called “Sleepy Time”, on Saturday at 8am and 6.20pm.

ABC Classic’s line-up of music written for Easter will stir the soul and lift the heart, including concerts from the Perth and Adelaide festivals, Australian orchestral performances and a Good Friday episode of For The God Who Sings at 10pm.

ABC Classic will also cater for worshippers of the natural world with A Weekend in Nature , with music evoking mountain ranges, tranquil lakes and woodlands. The three-day event, 11-13 April, is inspired by the work of Sir David Attenborough, who will be in conversation with Margaret Throsby on Monday at 12pm.

Other highlights across ABC Radio and podcasts include:

  • RN Breakfast ’s Good Friday program looks at how Jewish traditions can help in uncertain times and the links between Catholicism and Indigenous spirituality.
  • A Good Friday religious music special, on RN and Local Radio, from 6.05am AEST.
  • Double J’s Tim Rogers’ music tribute to healthcare workers, on Friday at 2pm.
  • RN’s Religion and Ethics Report discusses whether social isolation will make people more empathetic to the experiences of prisoners.
  • A Saturday night showcase of music celebrates Easter and the Jewish Passover.
  • RN’s God Forbid explores the gift of forgiveness during Easter, while Soul Search looks at the role of Captain James Cook in the first Easter at Botany Bay.
  • New episodes of Short & Curly for kids and families from today on ABC listen.

For music of a different beat, ABC TV’s Rage will keep Australians active at home with a special “Ragercise” line-up of workout and dance music videos, on Saturday at 6am.

The ABC will also bring trusted coverage to audiences of how Easter is being celebrated across the world, across the ABC News Channel, ABC NewsRadio and our digital networks.

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Schedule Update

Monday 13 April
8:00pm Australian Story
8:30pm Q+A Special Time
10:00pm Barrie Cassidy’s One Plus One
10:30 pm ABC Late News
11:00pm Rediscovering T-Rex

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Week commencing 19 April 2020

Sunday 19 April
7:30pm The Virus
7:40pm Spicks and Specks: 2000s Special
8:30pm Mystery Road Season Premiere
9:30pm Killing Eve Season Premiere
10:10pm Shetland
11:10pm Unforgotten

Monday 20 April
7:30pm 7.30 - 1 hr special with Malcolm Turnbull
8:30pm Four Corners
9:15pm Media Watch
9:30pm Q+A
10:40pm ABC Late News
11:10pm Catalyst: How Food Works (Part 1)

Tuesday 21 April
8:00pm Foreign Correspondent
8:30pm Catalyst: How Food Works (Part 2)
9:30pm Miriam’s Big Fat Adventure Series Premiere
10:30pm ABC Late News
11:00pm Q+A

Wednesday 22 April
8:00pm Hard Quiz
8:30pm Shaun Micallef’s MAD AS HELL Season Final
9:00pm You Can’t Ask That: Olympic and Paralympic Gold Medalists
9:30pm Planet America
10:05pm Would I Lie To You?
10:35pm ABC Late News
11:05pm Four Corners

Thursday 23 April
8:00pm The Heights
8:30pm Grand Designs Australia: Kinglake Non Toxic House
9:20pm Barrie Cassidy’s One Plus One: Justin Langer
9:50pm The Cult Of The Family: Unseen, Unheard, Unknown
10:50pm ABC Late News
11:25pm DCI Banks: A Little Bit Of Heart (Part 1)

Friday 24 April
7:30pm Gardening Australia
8:30pm The Capture Series Final
9:35pm Silent Witness: To Brighton, To Brighton Part Two
10:35pm ABC Late News
10:50pm Shaun Micallef’s MAD AS HELL
11:20pm Would I Lie To You?

Saturday 25 April
7:30pm Death In Paradise
8:30pm Call The Midwife Season Premiere
9:30pm Mystery Road
10:25pm Unforgotten
11:15pm Silent Witness: To Brighton, To Brighton Part Two

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Week commencing 26 April 2020

Sunday 26 April
7:30pm The Virus
7:40pm Grand Designs New Zealand: Te Arai Lodge
8:30pm Mystery Road
9:25pm Killing Eve Season Premiere
10:10pm Shetland
11:10pm Unforgotten
11:55pm The Last Post: Starfish

Monday 27 April
8:00pm Australian Story
8:30pm Four Corners
9:15pm Media Watch
9:30pm Q+A
10:35pm ABC Late News
11:10pm Catalyst: How Food Works (Part 2)

Tuesday 28 April
8:00pm Foreign Correspondent
8:30pm Catalyst: Teeth Clinic
9:30pm Miriam’s Big Fat Adventure
10:30pm ABC Late News
11:00pm Q+A

Wednesday 29 April
8:00pm Hard Quiz
8:30pm The Weekly With Charlie Pickering Season Premiere
9:00pm You Can’t Ask That: Public Housing
9:30pm Planet America
10:05pm Would I Lie To You?
10:35pm ABC Late News
11:05pm Four Corners
11:55pm Media Watch

Thursday 30 April
8:00pm The Heights
8:30pm Grand Designs Australia: East Melbourne Mini Skyscraper
9:20pm Barrie Cassidy’s One Plus One
9:50pm The Cult Of The Family: A Question of Identity
10:50pm ABC Late News
11:20pm DCI Banks: A Little Bit Of Heart (Part 2)

Friday 1 May
7:30pm Gardening Australia
8:30pm Top Of The Lake: China Girl Season Premiere
10:25pm ABC Late News
10:40pm The Weekly With Charlie Pickering
11:10pm Would I Lie To You?
11:40pm rage

Saturday 2 May
7:30pm Death In Paradise: Beyond The Shining Sea (Part One)
8:30pm Call Of The Midwife
9:30pm Mystery Road
10:25pm Unforgotten
11:10pm Silent Witness: Death Maker (Part One)

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ABC’s Anzac Day programming will be totally different from previous years due to coronavirus. There is no coverage of veterans marching down the streets in capital cities, and no telecast of commemorations from Gallipoli and Villers-Bretonneux. This year on April 25, there will be a six hour Weekend Breakfast from 6am to midday followed by repeats of commemorations at Gallipoli in 2015, and at Villers-Bretonneux in 2018.

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ANZAC Day programming

5:30am Anzac Dawn Service From Canberra 2020

6:05am Weekend Breakfast On Anzac Day
In a special edition of Weekend Breakfast, we mark Anzac Day with live crosses to events and
reporters across the nation as Australians pay their respects from home.

12:00pm ABC News At Noon

1:00pm Anzac Day: Gallipoli Centenary Commemoration (2015) Rpt
As Australia marks Anzac Day in a unique way during the Coronavirus pandemic, we revisit the 2015
Dawn Service from Gallipoli, marking 100 years since ANZAC troops landed at Gallipoli.

2:00pm Anzac Day: Villers-Bretonneux Centenary Commemoration (2018) Rpt
As Australia marks Anzac Day at home, we revisit the 2018 Dawn Service from Villers- Bretonneux,
marking 100 years since Australian units helped defend the French town. It was a remarkable victory
that turned around Germany’s offensive on the Western Front, just three years after the Gallipoli
landing.

3:00pm TBA

4:00pm A Landline Special: The Last Charge Rpt
In an Anzac Day Special, Pip Courtney and the Landline team retell the story of The Light Horse
Brigade.

4:30pm Landline’s Anzac Tribute Rpt
Pip Courtney and Landline reporters around the country bring you up to date with the issues affecting rural and regional Australia. From farming, agriculture, food, economics, innovation, climate, infrastructure and more.

Northern Territory / South Australia

5:00am Anzac Dawn Service From Canberra 2020
5:35am Weekend Breakfast On Anzac Day
11:25am AE2 - The Silent Anzac

Western Australia

3:30am Anzac Dawn Service From Canberra 2020
4:05am Weekend Breakfast On Anzac Day
10:00am ABC News On Anzac Day
11:00am TBA
12:00pm ABC News On Anzac Day
12:30pm AE2 - The Silent Anzac

Update:

ABC to provide all Australians access to Anzac Day services

The ABC will give all Australians, no matter where they are, access to this year’s Anzac Day commemorations, with extensive coverage across its radio, television, digital and social media platforms.

Following the closure of Returned & Services League venues and the cancellation of Anzac Day marches and international services due to COVID-19, the ABC has worked closely with the RSL, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Australian War Memorial to ensure Australians can connect with the key national commemoration services as well as with some of their local RSL services.

The ABC’s Managing Director, David Anderson, said the ABC had always been the main focal point for Anzac Day coverage, but with Australians isolated in their homes due to the coronavirus, this year’s coverage had taken on particular significance.

“This year, the many thousands of Australians who would normally attend their national, state or local remembrance services, will not be able to do so.

On Anzac Day we invite all Australians to connect through the ABC – from their driveways, balconies, front gates and farm gates or from their loungerooms – or wherever they may be.”

In addition to the National Commemorative Service starting at 5.30am local time, the ABC will broadcast a two-minute, quiet reflection at 11.30am local time on its national and local radio services, on its main television channel, on the ABC NEWS channel, ABC iview and across social media.

The Governor-General, David Hurley’s Anzac Day address will be broadcast on the ABC main channel at 6.55 pm local time, on ABC Radio at 7.05pm local time (5.05pm WA) and on the ABC NEWS channel from 7.00am (AEST) and replayed across the day.

Local services from Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Sydney and Townsville will be covered by their respective ABC capital city or regional radio station.

Anzac Day marches from 2019 will be available on ABC iview from Friday 24 April and the centenary commemorative services from Gallipoli (2015) and Villers Bretonneux (2018) will be rebroadcast from 12.30pm on 25 April on the ABC’s main channel.

You can find more on ABC’s coverage of Anzac Day 2020 at www.abc.net.au/anzacday or at https://iview.abc.net.au/collection/anzac-day-2020-australia-remembers…

Summary of ABC’s Anzac Day coverage

#AnzacDay2020

Anzac Stories (from 5.00am local time) presented by Dan Bourchier, will look at the origins of Anzac Day and tell some of the personal stories of servicemen and women, including those who helped in the recent bushfires on the ABC main channel, iview and ABC NEWS channel

The ABC will broadcast the National Commemorative Service live from The Australian War Memorial in Canberra from 5.30am local time on Saturday 25 April on its main television channel, ABC iview, RN and across its 55 metropolitan and regional radio stations. The ABC NEWS Channel will broadcast the service live and it will be live streamed on the ABC’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

At 6.00am, the Commemorative Service will broadcast The Ode, The Last Post and a one-minute silence, as Australians stop and remember those who have served in wars.

Coverage of local Anzac Day services from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide will follow the National Commemorative Service on the ABC main channel, iview, ABC NEWS Channel and Local Radio and Facebook streams. Services from Hobart and Townsville will be broadcast on their local stations.

A Quiet Reflection, which will include The Ode and The Last Post , followed by a one-minute silence, will be broadcast at 11.30am (local time) on ABC’s main television channel, iview, triple j, Double J, ABC Classic, ABC Country and on all ABC metropolitan and regional radio stations. It will also be broadcast live on the ABC NEWS channel and live streamed on the ABC’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Timing of this broadcast was chosen to mark the approximate time (AEST) the first Australian troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

The Gallipoli Centenary Commemorative Ceremony from 2015 will be broadcast on the ABC main channel at 12.30pm, followed by the Villers Bretonneux Centenary Commemorative Ceremony from 2018, starting at 1.30pm. State and territory 2019 Anzac Day marches will be available on iview from late on 24 April.

The Governor-General, David Hurley Anzac Day address will be broadcast at 6.55pm (local time) on the ABC’s main television channel, on ABC Radio at 7.05pm local time (5.05pm WA) and on ABC NEWS channel from 7.00am (AEST) and replayed across the day.

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I wonder how this will go.

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Miriam Margolyes Almost Australian

From Tuesday 19 May at 8.30pm

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New Australian citizen and celebrated film and television star Miriam Margolyes embarks on a 10,000-kilometre, two-month journey to discover what it means to be an Australian today in this eye-opening and timely three-part series, airing from Tuesday 19th May at 8.30pm on ABC and iview.

For Miriam becoming an Australian citizen seven years ago at the age of 71, was “a day of supreme happiness and real joy”. But it also made her realise how little she knew about the place she could now call home – despite having come and gone from Australia for nearly 40 years.

As Miriam sees it, she “lives in a silly little bubble of people who talk like me, and sound like me”. So, Miriam is leaving her home in the Southern Highlands of NSW, to travel around the country to discover what it means to be an Australian.

“In Australia there is a light, the sky. Life feels brighter here. This pulsing nation with so many complex, wondrous people. I need to know this country.” Miriam Margolyes

Over the episodes, Miriam tests her assumptions against the people she meets and ventures far out of her comfort zone to dissect myth from reality – armed only with some wit, a little wisdom, a lot of chutzpah, and a lifetime of natural inquisitiveness.

The result is a surprising, sometimes confronting, funny, unexpected, often joyous and utterly enlightening exploration of the Australian identity in the 21st century, as Miriam takes the pulse of the nation as we’ve never seen it before.

Production Credits: A Southern Pictures Production with principal production investment from Screen Australia in association with ABC. Financed with support from Screen NSW and Screen Territory. Series Producer Ross Wilson. Executive Producers Laurie Critchley ad Aline Jacques. ABC Executive Producer Frances O’Riordan. Head of Entertainment and Factual Josie Mason Campbell.

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Week commencing 3 May 2020

Sunday 3 May
7:30pm The Virus
7:40pm Grand Designs New Zealand: Green House
8:30pm Mystery Road
9:25pm Killing Eve
10:10pm Shetland
11:10pm Unforgotten
11:55pm The Last Post: The Bigger Picture Season Final

Monday 4 May
8:00pm Australian Story
8:30pm Four Corners
9:15pm Media Watch
9:30pm Q+A
10:40pm ABC Late News
11:10pm Catalyst: Teeth Clinic
12:10am Poldark

Tuesday 5 May
8:00pm Foreign Correspondent
8:30pm Catalyst: Asteroid Hunters
9:30pm The Leunig Fragments Michael Leunig is best known for his whimsical cartoons that have appeared in newspapers over several decades. In this entertaining documentary, the man behind the pen talks candidly about his life and work.
10:30pm ABC Late News
11:00pm Q+A
12:10am Poldark

Wednesday 6 May
8:00pm Hard Quiz
8:30pm The Weekly With Charlie Pickering
9:00pm You Can’t Ask That: Kids Season Final
9:30pm Planet America
10:00pm Would I Lie To You?
10:35pm ABC Late News
11:05pm Four Corners
11:50pm Media Watch
12:10am Poldark

Thursday 7 May
8:00pm The Heights
8:30pm Grand Designs Australia: Launceston 1922 Sub Station
9:20pm Barrie Cassidy’s One Plus One
9:50pm The Cult Of The Family: In Search of Justice
10:50pm ABC Late News
11:20pm DCI Banks: Undertow (Part 1)

Friday 8 May
7:30pm Gardening Australia
8:30pm Top Of The Lake: China Girl: The Loved One
9:30pm Silent Witness: Death Maker (Part Two)
10:25pm ABC Late News
10:40pm The Weekly With Charlie Pickering
11:10pm Would I Lie To You?

Saturday 9 May
7:30pm Death In Paradise: Beyone The Shining Sea (Part Two)
8:30pm Call Of The Midwife
9:30pm Mystery Road
10:25pm Unforgotten
11:15pm Silent Witness: Death Maker (Part Two)

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I’d be a bit wary of just using some kind of IP videoconferencing system. The quality just isn’t up to scratch for broadcast, and there’d also be a tremendous latency with it coming from Oz.

I hope Channel 4 are organising something special with a broadcast partner here in Australia to get Adam set up with proper equipment at his place. Heck, he could probably even do it at a proper studio if he wanted to, our restrictions are nowhere near as strict as the UK at the moment.

Have I Got News for You is one British show that’s kept going through lockdowns by having all panellists videoconferencing. The first episode was fairly trainwrecky, the video feeds were just too poor quality and it was a distraction. It’s pretty clear they just went with some off the shelf IP teleconferencing thing for the video links. The second episode of the series was much better in terms of picture quality, but one of the guests said that they had BBC staff actually entering their homes with PPE for a proper outside broadcast setup (which kind of defeats the point of broadcasting from home, but whatever…).

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Maralinga Tjarutja

Sunday 24 May at 7.40pm

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When the atomic dust settles, culture remains…

ABC is pleased to announce that the inspiring documentary Maralinga Tjarutja premieres Sunday 24 May at 7.40pm on ABC and iview. Maralinga Tjarutja shines a spotlight on the people who have lived on their lands for over 60,000 years. While it’s a story of deep tragedy, it also celebrates their incredible resilience.

Many Australians would be unaware that the Maralinga Tjarutja land in regional South Australia was the location for the British Nuclear Test Program between 1953 and 1963. The Maralinga Tjarutja people have fought for the clean-up of contamination, for compensation and in 2009, for the handback of the Maralinga Village and test sites. They have gone on to rebuild traditional communities into vibrant, creative cultural communities that will ensure Maralinga Tjarutja custodianship of their lands into the future.

Jeremy LeBois, the Chair of the Maralinga Tjarutja Trust says “This documentary is important to the Maralinga people because it gives us a voice to tell the real story of what really happened to the people who walked, lived and hunted on this land for thousands of years,”

Writer and director, Larissa Behrendt says “This is an extraordinary story and it is a privilege to bring it to the screen. The red earthed country that stretches under blue skies provides a cinematic backdrop to the story of a community that has rebuilt itself to be vibrant, strong and proud of its culture. It is a story that deserves to be told through the voices and art of the people who lived it.”

Maralinga Tjarutja celebrates the people, their tenacious spirit and cultural strength through which they fight to retain their country.

Production Credits: Maralinga Tjarutja is a Blackfella Films production for the ABC. Principal production investment from the ABC in association with Screen Australia. Financed with support from South Australian Film Corporation.
Director Larissa Behrendt . Producer Darren Dale. Writer Larissa Behrendt.
Executive Producer Kelrick Martin

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At Home Alone Together with Ray Martin, starts Wednesday 13 May.

Dan Ilic grabbed the promo.

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I have the same question as Dan.

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I think it was rushed to air as the result of coronavirus.

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At Home Alone Together

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From Wednesday 13 May at 9pm

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ABC & Screen Australia announce At Home Alone Together , a lifestyle show for a world in which nobody has a life

ABC has partnered with Screen Australia on a joint initiative in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic which will culminate in a new eight-part comedy series At Home Alone Together , starting on ABC and ABC iview on Wednesday 13 May at 9pm. It’s the survival series we all need right now: a lifestyle show for a world in which nobody has a life. A comedic take on the lifestyle magazine genre, At Home Alone Together will gather Australia’s best comedians and revered actors to give audiences advice on how they can live their best life in the time of COVID-19.

Hosted by beloved ‘national treasure’ Ray Martin, each half-hour episode will feature regular contributors, including comedians Anne Edmonds, Ryan Shelton, Becky Lucas, Christiaan Van Vuuren and Adele Vuko, who will share their knowledge, inspirations and advice on how to achieve self-improvement during the corona crisis, covering a range of topics, including D.I.Y, wellness, parenting and personal finances. Each week they’ll be joined by a variety of Australia’s funniest comedians and favourite actors who will assist them by providing handy hints, clever hacks and entrepreneurial know-how to help everyday Australians optimise their time in isolation. At Home Alone Together will show us how the Coronavirus isn’t just a pandemic – it’s an opportunity.

Host Ray Martin said , “I’ve worked in journalism for over 50 years, but it’s always been my dream to front a lifestyle show. 60 Minutes was all well and good, but it never gave me an opportunity to build a pergola. Australians are experiencing a difficult time and I believe I’m the right person to step up to hold the country’s hand through it - just so long as that hand has been thoroughly sanitised.”

ABC’s Head of Entertainment and Factual, Josie Mason-Campbell, said, ” We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the comedy industry into crisis, so as well as making a great show that will encourage Australians to do what they do best in a crisis – laugh – the ABC also wants to support the writers, performers, producers and technicians who are the life blood our of industry. We’ll commission ideas from teams across the country who will write, produce, edit and deliver sketches and bring them to a mass audience. It’s no mean feat to go from concept to screen so quickly – At Home Alone Together is an extraordinary project for this unprecedented time.”

Online Investment Manager at Screen Australia, Lee Naimo, said, “ The entire comedy industry has been impacted by COVID-19, but it’s emerging writers and performers who have been the hardest hit. This project presents an opportunity to give these creatives experience with a broadcaster and help them develop their careers during this time. At Home Alone Together will entertain a nation hungry for relevant content while employing a sector of the industry hungry to flex their comedy muscles. I can’t wait to see what these teams bring together in these unique circumstances.”

At Home Alone Together will be produced following strict COVID-19 OHS guidelines, using modern production techniques requiring minimal crew for broadcast standard results. Much of the series will be recorded in the contributor’s homes, either using their own equipment or a single person crew.

So, Australia, come and meet your new best friends who are here to help you through the crisis!

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Lol Johnson, you crack me up. Of course it wasn’t announced at upfronts when it’s a program designed on how people are interacting and coping with Corona Virus.

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