Australian Story

Mother and Son

Monday 11 May at 8pm

Introduced by Autism Awareness Australia CEO Nicole Rogerson

When Tim Sharp was three, his mother Judy was told he had severe autism and should be put in an institution. Judy refused to write him off, believing he had a place in the world.

Judy nurtured Tim’s gift for drawing and quirky eye for detail. At age 11, he created “Laser Beak Man”, an alter ego superhero character, whose adventures Tim turned into vibrant works of art.

25 years later, Laser Beak Man has taken Tim all over the world with international art exhibitions and a puppet stage show at the Sydney Opera House.

Australian Story first met Tim Sharp when he was a schoolboy. Now, 16 years later, the next chapter in the epic tale of a mother who moved mountains for a son who had a gift that only she could see.

https://twitter.com/AustralianStory/status/1258285938540716034?s=20

Roy and HG will be profiled on next Monday’s episode.

The Odd Couple

Monday 18 May at 8pm

Introduced by Julia Zemiro

Rampaging Roy Slaven and HG Nelson have been making Australia laugh for the past 35 years.

But as Australian Story found out, behind their brash alter-egos, John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver lead much quieter lives.

After meeting on the set of a children’s television show in 1985, they established an act that parodied the clichés of sporting commentary. Before long they had a weekly radio show on Triple J that ran for 22 years.

Early in their career the branched into television, most famously at Channel Seven where their inimitable coverage of the 2000 Sydney Olympics brought them global attention.

This year they returned to the ABC with a new weekly show, undeterred by the cancellation of sporting fixtures in the face of COVID-19.

In an intimate and revealing Australian Story, Doyle and Pickhaver drop the masks, revealing how they were shaped by their childhoods, why they rarely socialise with one another and how their act has endured so long.

1 Like

Great to see some old video from Blah, Blah, Blah, Club Buggery and The Dream on Roy and HG’s Australian Story tonight. I got chills when they played the opener to The Dream as I remembered how special that show was. I’m not a sports fan but it was one of my favourite things about the 2000 Olympics. Watching the reactions from international broadcasters to their two hour, nightly piss take was the highlight of those games for me.

4 Likes

Novel and Positive

Monday 25 May at 8pm

Introduced by Adam Hills

With concerts, stage shows and film and tv production cancelled due to COVID-19, Australian performers have found some novel, positive and hilarious ways to keep themselves working … and entertained during the pandemic.

Well-known actors Lucy Durack, Wayne Hope, Robyn Butler and Eddie Perfect got together and created an isolation rom-com in 17 days.

Country music star Beccy Cole and wife Libby O’Donovan have come up with a unique way to keep up live performances without breaching restrictions.

And a story that has to be seen to be believed: the fake Russian choir “Dustyesky” from Mullumbimby has become a viral sensation in Russia during the pandemic.

https://twitter.com/AustralianStory/status/1263367608146911232

The midseason final of Australian Story will be on Monday 1 June. That will see the return of Back Roads with its sixth season.

Lest We Forget

Monday 1 June at 8pm

Introduced by ABC’s Dr Norman Swan

Until COVID-19 struck, very few had ever spared a thought for the “forgotten flu” and the up to 15,000 Australians who died from the brutal pandemic that swept the globe during 1918-19.

Despite the topic being memorialised extensively in the northern hemisphere, Australia’s experience of Spanish Flu was largely overlooked, perhaps because it was buried in the trauma of World War One which had just ended.

Intrigued by the parallels with the current pandemic — the mask-wearing, the quarantining, the social isolation — Australian Story delved into the archives and sought out the country’s expert historians.

For the first time on television, our producers have pulled together photos, video and oral testimonies to provide a unique insight into the time and discovered some remarkable stories of quiet courage and heroism from ordinary Australians.

https://twitter.com/AustralianStory/status/1265913418130747393?s=20

Series Return

Monday 3 August at 8:00pm

Highlights from the forthcoming season include episodes featuring successful actor and film maker Joel Edgerton, Rugby league great Greg Inglis, and blues rock singer-songwriter Nathan Cavaleri, to name a few.

Growing Pains

Monday 3 August at 8pm

Introduced by Daryl Somers

Thirty years after wowing the world as a child prodigy guitarist, Nathan Cavaleri opens up about the challenges of life after fame.

As a boy, Cavaleri, now 38, jammed with Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits, toured with BB King and did the rounds of the US talk show circuit.

But by the time he was a teenager, Nathan was embarrassed by his stardom and in his twenties, battled anxiety attacks that left him unable to perform.

But now he’s back on the stage and embracing his music … and his name.

I’m looking forward to watching Joel’s story on Monday.

Screenshot_20200806-170309~2

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The Long Game

Monday 10 and 17 August at 8pm

Introduced by Margaret Pomeranz

After 25 years in the film industry, actor Joel Edgerton has made it in Hollywood.

With roles in movies such as The Great Gatsby, Zero Dark Thirty and Boy Erased, Joel is wowing critics and audiences alike and has recently turned his hand to directing.

In this unusually candid account of his career filmed largely during lockdown in Sydney, a thoughtful Joel talks about his long road to success, red-carpet anxiety and the psychology behind his acting.

Joel jokes that he’s dropped the normal ‘embargo’ he has on his mother talking to journalists and encouraged family and friends to talk openly about his life and career, including big brother Nash who has been a huge figure in his life.

This two-part Australian Story also focuses on Joel’s work as a global ambassador for Australian eye charity, The Fred Hollows Foundation, a role he says, “balances up the equilibrium of a selfish life”.

https://twitter.com/AustralianStory/status/1291267764653629440?s=20

I’m disappointed nobody commented on Daryl’s return to television on Monday night when he introduced Nathan Cavaleri’s Australian Story.

I had visions of Daryl presenting the show in his lounge room to family and friends each Saturday night when that familiar set appeared behind him during the intro on Monday.

Incidentally, Daryl turns 69 today. Cue a crude joke from John Blackman.

2 Likes

LOL does Darryl really still have the old Hey Hey It’s Saturday set?!

I think it was a green screen.

The Long Game - Part 2

Monday 17 August at 8pm

Beating The Blues - Greg Inglis

Monday 24 August at 8pm

Introduced by Mal Meninga

Whether playing for the Storm, the Rabbitohs, Queensland or Australia, rugby league legend Greg Inglis was a force to be reckoned with. But off the field was a different story.

For years Greg and those close to him struggled to make sense of his powerful mood swings.

He was prescribed a range of medication for depression and anxiety and self-medicated with alcohol, leading to two stints in rehabilitation clinics.

It was only after the second of these that he received a correct diagnosis for his condition — bipolar II.

As Inglis prepares to resume his career in the UK, he speaks with extraordinary candour about his mental health to ensure others with the same condition don’t suffer in silence.

Airs Monday August 24, 8pm, on ABCTV, iview and News In Depth Youtube.

https://twitter.com/AustralianStory/status/1296298794221330433?s=20

Team Scott

Monday 31 August at 8:00 pm

When the body of young American Scott Johnson was found at the bottom of a Sydney cliff in 1988, police quickly decided it was suicide.

His brother Steve spent the next 30 years campaigning for justice.

The multi-millionaire assembled his own crack team of investigators, including lawyers in Australia and the US, journalists, former police officers, and a former coroner.

They called themselves “Team Scott” and were convinced Scott’s was a gay hate murder.

Now after an unprecedented three coronial inquests into the case, a resolution may finally be at hand.