Carbon: The Unauthorised Biography
Tuesday July 12 8:30pm
With Carbon in the news every day, you might think you know everything about her. But you’d be wrong. This spectacular and surprisingly unorthodox documentary reveals the paradoxical story of the element that builds all life, and yet may end it all. Narrated in first person by Sarah Snook (Succession), Carbon tells of her birth in the violent core of an exploding star and of turbulent sagas through the fabric of our evolving Earth. Accompanied by celebrated scientists, unique animations and a stunning orchestral score, Carbon reminds us of our humble participation in the most extraordinary story in the universe.
Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities of the World
From Sunday 17 July 7.40pm
Everyone’s favourite travel companion, Dame Joanna Lumley, is on an adventure to three of the world’s greatest cities, Berlin, Paris and Rome, for this exciting new documentary series.
Joanna will be heading off the beaten track to explore and capture the secret delights of these magnificent destinations, to learn more about their history and cultural traditions and revel in the eclectic hustle and bustle of the people that give each city such a unique identity. From the quirky to the downright eccentric.
Joanna’s ambition is to get under the skin of these great capitals and to explore their lesser-known gems. From going behind the scenes at the Moulin Rouge to touring Berlin on the back of a motorbike with an all-girl Biker group, Joanna will immerse herself with the rich and powerful, the alternative and bizarre as well as the less fortunate.
Bringing her trademark curiosity, humour and genuine sense of wonder, Joanna will capture a side of these cities that she’s never encountered before, whilst also showing them in all their epic glory.
Episode 1 - Paris
Joanna sets out to discover the secret to the Parisian’s effortlessly cool exterior and passionate belief in freedom and individuality.
Her first glimpse of the city is from a hot air balloon before a visit to the most symbolic monument of the capital, Notre-Dame. Since a fire in 2019, the cathedral has been closed but Joanna is invited in by architect Phillipe Villeneuve to see its remarkable transformation.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra Live Gala
Thursday 21 July 8.00pm
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra takes to the stage for the grand reopening of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. Featuring Mahler’s Second Symphony with Chief Conductor Simone Young and a cast of Australia’s leading musicians.
After two years of renewal works, the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House is finally ready to reopen. This live broadcast sees the Sydney Symphony Orchestra return to its home for a gala performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony, under the direction of their new Chief Conductor, Australian-born, internationally acclaimed Simone Young.
In a spectacle not to be missed, Mahler’s symphony, known as The Resurrection, brings together the 100 musicians of the Sydney Symphony with 190 members of the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs and an all-star cast including Australian Nicole Car (soprano) and Michelle DeYoung (mezzo-soprano, US). The performance also features a new work by renowned First Nations composer William Barton with the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir and the Sydney Children’s Choir.
This historical moment marks the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s 90th anniversary and their return to the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall – the iconic venue that it has called home since its opening in 1973.
The concert will also be broadcast live on ABC Classic and on the ABC listen app.
Production credit: ABC TV Executive Producer, Janet Gaeta. ABC Classic Executive Producer, Matthew Dewey.