Returning favourites
7.30 With Leigh Sales
Leigh Sales presents the most detailed current affairs from an Australian perspective, with exclusive investigations and probing interviews. Plus, political analysis from 7.30
Chief Political Correspondent Laura Tingle.
Anh’s Brush with Fame, Series 4
Join Anh Do as he uses his passion for portrait painting to get to know some of Australia’s most intriguing personalities. In each episode, comedian and writer Anh takes his guests on a revelatory – often emotional – journey of discovery as they sit for a portrait. Anh’s challenge is to use this newfound knowledge to inform how he captures his guests on canvas. As they chat, Anh paints a portrait that is only revealed to the guest and the audience at the end of each episode. In series 4 of the hit ABC program, Anh meets 14 Australians with intriguing stories to tell. A Screentime production
Australian Story
Australian Story has been on air for over 20 years and has developed a trusted reputation for telling the stories of all Australians with intimacy, candour and integrity. The program explores the diversity of modern life featuring profiles of ordinary and extraordinary Australians. Each episode is lucidly told through engaging images and a compelling narrative. Australian Story has won many professional accolades including Walkley and Logie awards.
Back Roads, Series 5
Back Roads takes viewers to Australia’s most fascinating and diverse regional towns and communities, bringing the voices of regional and remote Australia to our audiences like no other prime time television programme. From the Pilbara to Cape York and everything in between, these stories of everyday Australians are as awe-inspiring as the landscape that surrounds them. Popular host Heather Ewart uncovers tales of resilience, inspiration and strength in community, and aided by special guest presenters, leads a program that contributes to a sense of national identity and unity.
Black Comedy, Series 4
The fourth series of Black Comedy will continue an acerbic, witty and altogether unapologetic comedic exploration of what it means to be black in contemporary Australia. The sketch comedy show is written and performed by some of the sharpest and funniest blackfellas in the country who carve up sacred cows, dismantle stereotypes, and turn modern Australian culture inside out. Alongside the current team will be some exciting new (and not so new) talents for season four.
A Scarlett Pictures production in association with ABC, Screen Australia
Bluey
Follow Bluey, a loveable, inexhaustible little six-year-old Blue Heeler dog, who loves to turn everyday family life into boundless playful adventures, developing her imagination as well as her mental, physical and emotional resilience. These adventures unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her dad, Bandit, mum, Chilli, four-year-old little sister, Bingo, and the whole neighbourhood into her world of fun. Like every kid her age, the thing Bluey likes to do best is play games, most often with her sister, Bingo. Bluey and Bingo both love to role-play. Whether they are doctors, fancy ladies, butterflies or hotel managers, they love to try on different characters just for fun. And it’s never long before Mum, Chilli, or Dad, Bandit, are dragged in to take a part in a game.
Bluey is a Ludo Studio production for the ABC. Principal production investment from BBC Studios, ABC and Screen Australia Developed and produced with the assistance of Screen Queensland
BtN
The world’s longest running children’s news program will be back on ABC ME in 2019 for its 51st season. The show is a fun way for upper primary and lower secondary students to learn about what’s happening in their world, with each program built around the major news stories of the week.
Catalyst
Catalyst returns to take you to the heart of the biggest science stories from Australia and around the world, revealing the latest understanding of how science affects our lives - from deep inside the human body to the furthest reaches of outer space. Each hour-long program delves into the very latest science, meets researchers at the cutting edge, and shows how scientific thinking is changing the lives of everyday people
Compass
Compass is an Australian weekly news-documentary program, hosted by Kumi Taguchi. The program is devoted to providing information about faith, values, ethics, and religion from across the globe.
The Deep, Series 3
The Nekton family’s amazing underwater adventures continue with new friends and familiar foes. The Dark Orca Pirates return with new tech, and Devil Daniels and Dolos are up to their old tricks. Meanwhile, the Nektons encounter amazing undersea creatures like never before - big, small and HUGE. Friendly manatees, mysterious “sea- unicorns”, giant puffer fish, a deadly “purple tide”, an enormous jellyfish, and an internet-breaking monster - all these and more await Ant, Fontaine, Kaiko, Wil - and Jeffrey, of course! -as they investigate the tantalizing mysteries of the deep. The stakes are higher than ever as they come face to face with more and more Monumentials - the vast, ancient, dangerous leviathans awakening all over the globe. And it all points to one place: the legendary civilization of Lemuria. When at last the Nektons unlock the secret and get a glimpse into the lost city, it seems their search is finally at an end…but it is only just beginning.
A Stark Production Pty Ltd & DHX Media production
Dream Gardens, Series 2
Hosted by Michael McCoy, one of Australia’s leading landscape designers, each episode of Dream Gardens sees one unloved space being transformed; from the first spade hitting the ground to the incredible end result with some of the most imaginative and challenging garden designs coming to life. Michael McCoy steps into a variety of garden shapes and sizes to follow the owners and Australia’s best designers battling weather, absent tradies, shifting design visions and budget blowouts. As well as following each garden build, the host provides practical tips and visits spectacular established gardens that provide clues and inspiration for the challenges faced by the owners in each episode. The series celebrates the great gardens of today, the best of Australian design and the spaces from which viewers can take inspiration.
The Drum
Feed your mind and exercise your thoughts with smart conversations among a panel of informed minds. Ellen Fanning and Julia Baird lead a different take on the big issues of the day and digs deeper beyond the headlines.
Employable Me, Series 2
The multi award-winning Employable Me is back for series two with a new cast of extraordinary job seekers aiming to prove that being different shouldn’t stop anyone finding meaningful work. Employable Me is an uplifting, warm and insightful series that draws on experts to uncover hidden skills which can finally harness the strengths of the job seekers to help land dream careers. We all deserve a role in society. That’s what this show is about: striving to belong and play your part. The series looks beyond first impressions to reveal there’s always more than meets the eye and many people have hidden abilities that, when revealed, can benefit both the individual and society in general. This season we will meet Sinead a talented musician and dancer who also has Down’s Syndrome. Warm and caring, Sinead is determined to work in aged care centres and has completed her Certificate 3 in Individual Support. The next step is to get her foot in the door and secure an actual paid job. We will also meet Eric, a charming and fun-loving 20-year-old, who has cerebral palsy as a result of birth trauma. Known jokingly as the mayor of his NSW Central Coast town because he knows everyone, Eric is pursuing a career in health administration, in part to give back to the sector that has helped him all his life. We also meet Sarah and Tiana who have dwarfism, Jake who has epilepsy, Kiah with Tourette Syndrome and Ryan, Paul and Kathleen who are all on the autism spectrum.
A Northern Pictures Production for the ABC. Principal production investment from Screen Australia, Create NSW and the NSW Department of Industry and the ABC
Foreign Correspondent
Foreign Correspondent has been Australia’s leading international current affairs program since 1992. From the ice sheets of Antarctica to the forests of Amazonia, from the sands of the Sahara to the brimming metropolises of Asia and power hubs of America, Russia and Europe… this is Foreign Correspondent’s beat. Our teams have journeyed to more than 170 countries to report on war, natural calamity, and social and political upheaval – through the eyes of the people at the heart of it all. So, while Foreign Correspondent is about places and events, we’re more about people. Through compelling story-telling and rich cinematography, we take viewers into the lives of ordinary individuals whose personal struggles and triumphs help to explain the bigger picture.
Four Corners
Since 1961, Four Corners has been exposing scandals, triggering inquiries, firing debate and confronting taboos. We exist to serve the public interest and you. Our excellence in journalism and film-making has earned international recognition, winning 44 Walkley Awards, 16 Logies and an array of other international awards.
Gardening Australia (30th anniversary)
Gardening Australia is the country’s premier gardening show and in 2019 we celebrate 30 year on air! Still dirty at 30 – we continue to provide practical, trustworthy gardening advice to engage, inform and activate audiences around Australia to get gardening! Hosted by the hirsute and charismatic Costa Georgiadis, a dedicated team of horticulturists located around the nation provide weekly gardening inspiration and advice.
Get Krack!n, Series 2
Get Krack!n , the morning show that made you want to go straight back to bed, is back for a brand-new season! Like the cheap shape-wear that adorns them, The Kates bring their ill-fitting brand of hosting back to the chirpy, fresh, bright world of Morning TV.
A Katering and Guesswork Television production for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Principal production investment from ABC in association with Screen
Australia. Financed with support from Film Victoria. Created and Written by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan.
Giggle and Hoot (10th anniversary)
Giggle and Hoot is turning 10! To celebrate, Giggle and Hoot will be inviting the children of Australia to be involved with Giggle and Hoot’s special birthday! This will include party themes, music and the opportunity to send in birthday Giggle Galleries and cards! Some lucky Owl Pals will also get the opportunity to visit the Giggle and Hoot house!
Glitch, Series 3
Returning in 2019, is the highly anticipated third instalment of the Logie and AACTA award-winning, ABC and Netflix paranormal drama series, Glitch . This season will keep viewers on the edge of their seats for one final epic chapter. Across six compelling episodes, we follow the Risen as they move beyond Yoorana and into the wider world. However, with the invisible boundary shattered, all the rules have now changed. They cannot escape their past or anticipate who is now pursuing them, and with an unpredictable threat looming, each will be confronted with a critical choice and a moment of truth.
A Matchbox Pictures production with investment from ABC and Netflix, in association with Film Victoria. International sales handled by NBCUniversal Intl. Distribution.
Good Game: Spawn Point (10th anniversary)
Turning 10 in 2019, Good Game: Spawn Point (GGSP) is the show for younger gamers, by gamers. With reviews of the latest games, hands-on gameplay, live stream playthroughs, and stories celebrating gaming culture, GGSP has become the daily destination for young avid gamers across Australia. Video games are changing the world, so let the GGSP gang be your guide!
Gruen, Series 11
After over a decade on our screens Gruen barely needs introducing. Consistently a top rating show, a Logie and AACTA winner, it’s one of the ABC’s most successful shows. While it is still hosted by comedian Wil Anderson, much has changed since the show made its debut. Back then, the show was about products. Today, we are all the product; people are brands while brands pretend to be people! Each week the program dissects two marketing campaigns, the angle of an advertising attack, or the spin of a topical story that has made headlines either in Australia or overseas, while ‘The Pitch’ take us into the thinking of the people whose work is changing our minds and behaviours.
A CJZ production
Hard Quiz, Series 4
Hard Quiz heads into its fourth series as the biggest quiz show in Australia. Tom Gleeson will grill four self-declared experts to find out what they know about their own subjects. It’s the quiz show were the laughs matter as much as the answers, as contestants fight it out in pursuit of the Big Brass Mug. A serious quiz show. And seriously funny.
Harrow, Series 2
A Thinkative Television production in association with ABC
The brilliant, unorthodox forensic pathologist Dr Daniel Harrow is back! Waking in hospital after his near-fatal shooting, he is determined to piece together the puzzle of who wanted him dead and why. Concerned friends and family urge Harrow to rest – but of course, Harrow cannot! Harrow dives straight back into work, solving new cases every episode with the help of an extraordinarily intelligent new colleague, while doggedly pursuing the truth behind his own brush with death. Complications build as Harrow follows leads and bends the rules, only to bump up against dangerous dead-ends in his hunt for his antagonist. Nothing is as it seems, and Harrow begins to doubt his usually infallible wits. But when his daughter comes under threat, Harrow needs to dig deep, relying on his famous forensic skills – and a little luck – to solve the mystery of who is out to get him – a mystery that will throw into jeopardy everything Harrow holds dear. Currently filming in Queensland, Harrow stars Ioan Gruffudd, Remy Hii, Anna Lise Phillips, Robyn Malcolm, Darren Gilshenan and Ella Newton. Season Two welcomes Jolene Anderson.
A Hoodlum Entertainment production for ABC and ABC Studios International in association with Screen Queensland.
Insiders
In its 17th year, Insiders is Australia’s must-watch political program. Let one of Australia’s best political analysts Barrie Cassidy and the nation’s top political commentators take you to the heart of the action every Sunday morning, with a unique mix of news, interviews, analysis and plenty of laughs. " Insiders entered a very crowded Sunday morning political market in 2001. But our approach was to provide coverage with so many more elements, and to do it in a way that is informative but irreverent. And of course, have a few laughs along the way. If you took politics too seriously you’d go mad," said host Barrie Cassidy. Insiders is now the most watched morning show on Australian TV any day of the week. So, start your week with the program the politicians rely on to find out what’s going on.
Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery, Series 7
Each week, Julia invites a well-known face to take a trip down memory lane. Together they travel through time to the guest’s childhood home. It’s here that the guest has a moment to consider the directions their life has taken, the paths that have been wandered. It’s then onto the surrounding neighbourhood and on all the way to the school gate, reliving formative moments, talking about life, love and achievement, about the past, present and future. Along the way Julia will meet the pivotal people in her guest’s life such as the inspirational school teacher or the childhood best friend. Julia draws out what makes her guest tick and what inspires them. The journey creates unscripted moments and provokes reactions, showing dimensions of the guests that audiences haven’t seen before. With trademark charm and cheek, Julia will spring surprises along the way. What she discovers about her guests will explain, well, almost everything. Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery is intimate, natural and revealing. It shows that our pasts, our presents and our futures are all there inside us, just waiting to come out, waiting to go for a walk.
Landline
A CJZ production
Pip Courtney and the team of journalists travel the country bringing viewers up to date with the people, issues and events affecting rural and regional Australia. For nearly three decades the multi-award-winning show has featured stories on topics including farming, agriculture, food, economics, innovation, history, climate and more.
The Letdown, Series 2
The Letdown is the story of new mum, Audrey, and the local Mothers Group she thought she didn’t need. Audrey is determined not to be defined by motherhood. In theory, this seems fairly easy. In practice, her career-focused husband, self-obsessed mother and fancy-free best friend, make it damn near impossible. Series Two will continue to explore the highs and lows of parenting. We pick up the experience one year in, when life with a baby has become the new normal. With sleeping, weaning and feeding relatively under control, the parents will confront the next barrage of challenges: walking, talking (first words for bubs, complete sentences for Mums); returning to work (multitasking hell or child-free haven?); childcare (and the sickness that accompanies it) and self-soothing for all (with sugar and screens). It’s a series about all of the decisions you make as a parent, big and small. And the pressure to make the right ones. The new normal brings with it more change, more chaos and naturally, more comedy. As our babies learn to walk, so too do the parents (metaphorically). There are plenty of stumbles, and possibly a few concussions, but ultimately, everyone will find their feet.
A Giant Dwarf production for the ABC and Netflix. Production investment from Screen Australia in association with Create NSW
Little J and Big Cuz, Series 2
Little J, he’s five and Big Cuz, she’s nine. They’re a couple of Indigenous Australian kids living with their Nanna and Old Dog. Little J and Big Cuz are busy with the ups and downs of playground and classroom. There’s always something surprising going on whether it’s at school, in the backyard… or beyond. The gaps in Nanna’s ramshackle fence lead to Saltwater, Desert and Freshwater Country. With the help of Nanna and their teacher Ms Chen, Little J and Big Cuz are finding out all about culture, community and country.
A Ned Lander Media, Media World and Blue Rocket Production for NITV and A BC Children’s Content. Principal production investment from NITV in association with ABC. Financed with support from Screen Australia, the Tasmanian Government through Screen Tasmania, Film Victoria, the Australia Council for Educational Research and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation
Media Watch
Media Watch is Australia’s leading forum for media analysis and critique. Since 1989 Media Watch has been exposing conflicts of interest, journalistic deceit, misrepresentation, manipulation and plagiarism. Media Watch turns the spotlight onto those who ‘make the news’: the reporters, the online editors, producers, camera operators and photographers. We also keep an eye on those who try to manipulate the media: the PR consultants, media agencies, spin-doctors, lobbyists and social influencers.
Mustangs FC, Series 2
Stand by Mustangs fans!! The new season is about to start and it’s all kicking off! Series two brings more relatable stories about young women and their friendships, challenges and triumphs. There’s more of the Mustangs’ signature humour and heart, wrapped round stories about bullying, body image, sexuality, the politics of moon cups and menstruation and how to handle some serious over-spraying of boyoderant! And of course, there’s soccer to play! After getting to the finals last year but missing out on actually raising the trophy, the Mustangs are pumped and ready to get back in the game. Problem is – there’s a Ruby shaped hole in the team since she defected to the Wildcats. The girls don’t even know if they can win a single match without her, never mind a shiny silver trophy. Time for some new players and a massive shake up of the team’s formation that means big changes for Marnie. Being captain of the Mustangs has been so important to her, but is dishing out all that advice and support starting to mean that her own game suffers? Buckle up people of Earth. Things are about to get interesting in Mustangs land!
A Matchbox Productions production for the ABC. Principal production investment from ABC in association with Screen Australia. Financed with support from Film Victoria
Mystery Road, Series 2
A mangrove swamp. An endless sky. A headless body.
Detective Jay Swan takes on a grisly case in order to be closer to his family, but has he left it too late? Set in a small coastal community where the desert meets the ocean, secrets past and present run deep and dark. Jay must reconcile the law and deep lore and confront a dangerous enemy. It’s a world of cults, carpetbaggers and smugglers, of ruined churchmen and crazed archaeologists.
Produced by Bunya Productions for the ABC. Mystery Road Series Two was developed with assistance of Screen Australia
News Breakfast
Wake up to great conversations and all the information you need to start your day. Michael Rowland and Virginia Trioli are joined by Paul Kennedy with sport, Madeleine Morris with finance and Nate Byrne with your weather. The ABC News Breakfast team recently celebrated their 10th anniversary.
Offsiders
Offsiders is a live discussion show for anyone who’s serious about sport. A panel of writers, broadcasters, coaches and athletes assemble on Sunday mornings to look for
meaning in the week’s major developments in sport, through in-depth analysis and lively debate .
Planet America
The Chaser’s Chas Licciardello and the ABC’s John Barron set out to discover the real America — its politics and its people — with US and Australian experts coming along for the ride!
Play School
Play School aims to encourage children to think, feel, wonder and imagine. Through stories, songs, and activities, children are actively encouraged to participate with the program and learn through play.
Q&A
Q&A is a television discussion program that focuses mostly on politics but ranges across all of the big issues that set Australians thinking, talking and debating. It is driven by interaction: Q&A provides a rare opportunity for Australian citizens to directly question and hold to account politicians and key opinion leaders in a national public forum and Q&A is broadcast live so that not only the studio audience but also the wider audience can get involved. We aim to create a discussion that is constructive, that reflects a diverse range of views and that provides a safe environment where people can respectfully discuss their differences.
Rage
Rage is an all-night music video program that airs every weekend in Australia on ABC. For over 27 years Rage has been showcasing a diverse range of music videos from Aussie and international artists, making it the longest-running music television program still in production.
Restoration Australia, Series 2
With a new host and refreshed format, series two of Restoration Australia follows homeowners across the country as they lovingly restore forgotten heritage gems into living homes. This time the restoration challenge moves beyond old colonial homes to embrace houses from all periods, including iconic modernist masterpieces and even an inner- city gasworks. With greater budgets and increased time pressures, the homeowners battle white ants and water-damaged walls while discovering fascinating insight into the origins of these houses, their histories, and why they were built the way they were. The ambitious restorations are a journey of discovery for both homeowners and viewers alike, with take-away tips for audiences that can be applied to everyday home renovations . Each episode ends in a final reveal, showcasing a finished renovation and a home ready to live in. Inspiring and surprising, the results are truly spectacular. A FremantleMedia Australia production
Rosehaven, Series 3
Series three finds best mates Daniel (Luke McGregor) and Emma (Celia Pacquola in her AACTA Award winning role) now firmly ensconced as bona fide real estate agents, weathering the storm of recalcitrant landlords, anxiety inducing tenants, an overbearing boss (Daniel’s mum) in a town where a pig wandering down the main street doesn’t raise an eyebrow. However, big changes are set to shake up their personal lives. Daniel questions his life with Grace, while newly single Emma finds herself questioning her future. They’ll meet Barbara’s sister, host a wake, get lost, get bogged and somehow manage to sell a block of land that turns the town against them… it’s just another day at the office at McCallum Real Estate.
Sammy J
A What Horse? / Guesswork Television production presented by Screen Tasmania, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and SundanceTV
Sammy J is a weekly satirical series of 3-minute bite-sized, biting, vignettes of the political machinations of Canberra and beyond. Sammy’s unique comedic talents, satire, song and his insatiable appetite for politics, will blend with the successful characters and ‘small worlds’ of his previous two series to create a new platform from which he can harass and heckle the politics of the day.
Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, Series 10
Shaun Micallef celebrates his 25th year in television with his 10th season of Mad as Hell. “It’s a bit like the frog in the saucepan of water,” says the comedian of working for the ABC. “If you turn up the heat, the frog doesn’t notice because he’s cold-blooded. Eventually the water’s boiling and the frog’s like ‘Hey, WTAF?’ and he explodes… Actually, it’s not a very good analogy.” Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell , Australia’s longest-running half-hour news satire program of that name returns in 2019.
Produced by ITV Studios Australia and Giant Baby in association with the ABC
Squinters, Series 2
Returning in 2019, the six-part comedy series Squinters celebrates the comically mundane ritual of the everyday work commute and the new season is set to deliver more laughs, more stars and even more road trip worthy moments. Season 2 picks up with Aussie distribution company ‘Kosciusko’ taken over by an American conglomerate. Under new management, our travellers have new jobs and for some, new passengers along for the ride. Over the six episodes, we learn intimate details of their lives, relationships and struggles, as they navigate their new workplace. New cast members Claudia O’Doherty, Stephen Peacocke, Justine Clarke, Anne Edmonds, Genevieve Morris and Ernie Dingo. A Jungle Entertainment production for the ABC. Production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Create NSW
The Twist: True Crime Stories
The best endings are the ones you don’t see coming. The ones that leave you gasping, upend everything and smack you in the face like a coward punch. Welcome to the unpredictable world of 'The Twist’ Each episode tells a single, impeccably researched true crime Australian story and is structured to ensure a red-herring filled, unfolding narrative that builds to a hero twist. Story selection favours little known cases but famous tales will also be included if a surprising new angle or new way of telling them is discovered. Telling real stories with real victims via animation in a sensitive way will be challenging and ensuring taste and accuracy will be a core priority for all involved. The animation style itself will vary as appropriate for each episode, while remaining consistently cinematic and muted in palette. Elements such as animation, music, sound design and script in The Twist will be tweaked as appropriate to align with the circumstances and gravity of each story. Crimes of passion, criminal on criminal homicides and fraud will be prioritised over crimes involving rape, sexual abuse and suicide. Where appropriate, law enforcement, surviving relatives, victims and stakeholders will always be consulted and codas will be bolted onto the end of episodes, allowing extra context, disclaimers, tributes and photographs of characters to be added without breaking the narrative flow.
A Broken Yellow production in association with Screen Australia
triple j’s Hottest 100
Every year hundreds of thousands of music fans from all over the world tell triple j which songs made the biggest impact on their lives in the last 12 months, culminating in a massive count down of the Hottest 100 songs of the year. The songs always mark a distinct moment in time and none more so than those which top the poll, including recent #1’s: Kendrick Lamar’s ‘HUMBLE.’ (2017) and Flume’s ‘Never Be Like You (feat Kai)’ (2016).
triple j’s One Night Stand
triple j’s annual free, all ages concert provides the chance to experience live music in a remote area that’s not on the usual musical touring map. It’s also a chance for the rest of Australia to get to know a really special part of the country, as triple j spotlights a different regional area each year. Over the past 15 years we’ve travelled from the glistening coast of Geraldton WA (2016) to the outback in Mount Isa QLD (2017) and even the tiny town of St Helens TAS (2018) in the country’s Southern-most state. Each journey has seen top Aussie talent join the party with the likes of Vance Joy, Middle Kids, Peking Duk, Violent Soho, Alison Wonderland and more performing for crowds of up to 20,000 people.
Utopia, Series 4
Set inside the offices of the “Nation Building Authority”, a federal government organisation responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects, Utopia explores that moment when bureaucracy and grand dreams collide. It’s a tribute to those political leaders who have somehow managed to take a long-term vision and use it for short-term gain. A Working Dog Production in association with the ABC
The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, Series 4
The Weekly is an award-winning comedy show. In the unmitigated cluster funk of the 24-hour news cycle, Charlie Pickering and The Weekly team wrap their mouths around the gushing firehose of current events. Each week they’ll try to figure out what’s going on, why it’s happening and if anyone is ever, ever going to make it stop!
A Thinkative Television production in association with ABC
You Can’t Ask That, Series 4
You Can’t Ask That returns for a fourth series — uncovering the truth behind eight new groups of marginalised or misunderstood Australians. Asking the most outrageous, uncomfortable and shocking questions sourced from the public, the series confronts discrimination and stigma, empowering those who live in judgement. You Can’t Ask That will be one of the most entertaining and diverse programs on Australian television in 2019, featuring the first-person voices of over 60 people with unique lived experiences. The series will travel the country to interview African-Australians, alcoholics, survivors of domestic violence, intersex people, former politicians, disaster survivors, deaf people and travelling show people (apparently some don’t like being called “carnies”). Last year this ground-breaking program won the European Broadcast Union’s Rose d’Dor for Best Reality & Factual Entertainment Program and three United Nations Association of Australia Media Awards. The ABC original series format has achieved immense success globally, with nine international commissions to date — well on the way to becoming the ABC’s biggest original format hit. In every episode of You Can’t Ask That the audience witnesses subjects, stories, people and perspectives that most others tiptoe around. With no subjects off limits, the questions are confronting and the answers surprising.
Vote Compass
An ABC Production
An integral part of our election offering is Vote Compass , a civic engagement tool that lets Australians explore their place in the political dataset for reporting on voters’ views during the election campaign period. Vote Compass received 1.2 million responses in 2016 federal election which makes it the largest survey of voter attitudes ever undertaken in Australia. ABC News has hosted Vote Compass for the past two federal elections (and multiple state elections) and plan to run it again for the next federal election.