NITV - Programs and Schedules

SPECIAL: Yokayi Footy returns at the special one-off time of 9pm tonight Tuesday 15 March.

National Indigenous Television (NITV) have footy fans covered with the return of their ground-breaking sports programs Yokayi Footy and Over the Black Dot.

2022 will bring new faces to both shows, with iconic Richmond and Collingwood player and proud Mineng and Yinggarda man Andrew Krakouer joining existing co-host Megan Waters on Yokayi Footy , and proud Anaiwan and legendary NRL player Dean Widders taking the reins on a new look Over the Black Dot .

Andrewjoins the Yokayi Footy team following Tony Armstrong ’s two years as co-host, whilst Deanwill be taking over from Jodan Perry , Timana Tahu , Bo de la Cruz and George Rose on Over the Black Dot.

Over the Black Dot returns Tuesday 15 March at 8.30pm.

Following a mammoth 2021 for the Dot, which even saw Russell Crowe pop in to chat with the panel, Over the Black Dot are back to tackle a huge season for the NRL, in a year that will see the 50th Koori Knockout and another epic Indigenous round. Each week every play, from every round, will be broken down alongside special guests.

Andrew joins the Yokayi Footy team following Tony Armstrong ’s two years as co-host, whilst Dean will be taking over from Jodan Perry , Timana Tahu , Bo de la Cruz and George Rose on Over the Black Dot.

In partnership with the AFL, Yokayi Footy returns at the special one-off time of 9pm on Tuesday 15 March.

With its new co-host duo in action, Yokayi Footy will continue to cover everything Australian’s love about AFL through bold yarns, powerful monologues, compelling community stories and exclusive interviews with Indigenous AFL players.

Yokayi Footy then moves to an ongoing time slot on Wednesdays at 8.30pm for the remainder of the season.

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Tonight’s season premiere of Yokayi Footy will feature Andrew Krakouer’s one-on-one chat with Sydney Swans forward Lance Franklin, who only needs five more goals to break the 1000-goal milestone.

Also see

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Deadly Funny 2021

Tuesday 22 March 09:00 PM

Cheeky and loud, Black and proud, Deadly Funny is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s national comedy competition, aimed at unearthing bright and bold First Nations talent from across the country.

The 2021 final, hosted by Dane Simpson, is a joyous celebration of fresh, fierce and funny Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent with the top 15 competing for the Deadly Funny crown! Catch these budding stars before they become the next big thing!

The 2021 Deadly Funny National Grand Final was the culmination of two years of workshops and events across the nation, including a COVID-19 forced pause in 2020.

The 2021 Deadly Funny national finalists are Bel Mac (Kukatha/Wikangu, Kaurana, SA), Ben Moodie (Gamilaroi, VIC), Chris Crebbin (Waanyi Garawa, SA), Christopher Dawson (Waanyi/Gamilaroi, QLD), Cy Fahey (Dja Dja Wurrung, ACT), Dave Human (Wiradjuri/Dunghutti, NSW), Duane Williams (Whadjuk Nyoognar Booja, WA), Elliot Rovedi (Wiradjuri, NSW), Jacob Keed (Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi, ACT), Jahmarley Dawson (Wanyii/Gamilaroi, QLD), Jay Wymarra (Ludang/Yadaykenu, Meriuam, Saibai Koedal, QLD), Kasey Johnson (Wiradjuri, Gundtjmarra, Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba, VIC), Mason Garwood (Noongar Wardandi, WA), Maureen French (Darug, NSW), and Paul Seden (Wuthathi, Mularag, NT).

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Who Put The Klan In Ku Klux Klan

Sunday 1 May 8:30 PM

Archaeologist and historian Neil Oliver has often celebrated the disproportionate impact Scots have had on the history of other countries. He’s previously explored how Scottish ideas and energy helped build the American Dream - now he explores how Scottish settlers shaped America’s racist nightmare.

In this surprising documentary Oliver examines the links between racism today in the Deep South and the Scots who first occupied it. Throughout the 18th Century, hundreds of thousands of Scots emigrated to America. Some came willingly, but many resented being cleared from their land after the failed Jacobite rebellions or by aristocratic landowners. They embraced the opportunity that the arrival of cotton gave to become slave masters and wealthy plantation owners. When their world was threatened, the southern states opted for Civil War rather than give up their slaves.

With attitudes in the South embittered by defeat and fear of the now-freed slaves, six Scottish American, former Confederate officers formed a fraternal society, and clan became Klan! The oldest and most feared racist hate group in America - the Ku Klux Klan - was born.

Now, well over 800 hate groups stalk America and Neil finishes his journey with one of them. The League of the South advocates a separate Southern society run by ‘Anglo Celts’ and Neil discovers that here Scottish-ness still shapes attitudes that don’t seem to have changed much in the last 250 years.

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NITV celebrates National Reconciliation Week with a powerful content line-up for all Australians in 2022

Attention footy fans and foodies, NITV reveals new program Feeding the Scrum. which takes the traditional sports panel show into the kitchen. The First Nations Arts Awards returns to NITV in 2022, hosted by Karla Grant and Luke Currie Richardson and celebratory programming marks the 30th Mabo Day and 30th Anniversary of the Torres Strait Islander Flag.

National Indigenous Television (NITV) is proud to announce the channel’s programming slate for Reconciliation Week 2022, inviting all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and exploring how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Kicking off the week is a new, and delicious, take on the traditional sports panel show.

Feeding the Scrum

Have you ever wondered what the biggest names in the NRL yarn about off the field? Premiering Tuesday 24 May at 9pm, Feeding the Scrum sees host and NRL legend George Rose takes the panel out of the studio and into the kitchen.

Each week, he’s joined by some of the best NRL players in the league, as well as a mix of well-known athletes and entertainers, as they dissect all the big NRL news and real-world issues over a meal dished up by chef and restaurateur Aaron Grant.

The ever-changing menu will highlight the best in Australian cuisine. Dual international rugby league and touch icon Bo de la Cruz will join as guest host for special episodes throughout the season.

The first episode will see Abie Wright, Leli SK and Latrell Mitchell join George over a (dish) to discuss sport, their personal journeys to success and the unique challenges they face being people of colour in the spotlight.

First Nations Art Awards

At 9:05pm on Friday 27 May, NITV will bring the First Nations Art Awards to screens across Australia. Join hosts Karla Grant and Luke Currie-Richardson in recognising and celebrating the outstanding creativity and lifetime achievements of First Nations artists. These significant awards are held each year on 27 May to mark the anniversary of the 1967 referendum.

On Saturday 28 May, Indigenous horror films will be celebrated with short film The Moogai airing at 10:15pm and The Darkside airing at 10:35pm. In The Moogai, a young mother ( Shari Sebbens ) becomes increasingly unstable when she is terrorised by a malevolent spirit that she believes is trying to take her children. Meanwhile, The Darkside incapsulates a collection of poignant, sad, funny and absurd ghost tales from across Australia, bringing them to life with some of Australia’s most iconic actors as the storytellers.

Carry the Flag

Sunday 29 May 2022 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Torres Strait Islander Flag. To celebrate, NITV will air Carry the Flag at 9:00pm on Monday 30 May, a rich and powerful story of a man whose design created meaning for a nation of people once invisible to the mainland of Australia. Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Torres Strait Islander Flag as we journey into the Straits with Bala B to uncover and honour the life and times of his late father – Bernard Namok Senior, the flag’s creator.

Living Black

On Monday 30 May at 8:30pm, Living Black airs a special conversation with Mitch Tambo . Language, culture and tradition isn’t just a source of pride for singer songwriter Mitch Tambo - it’s a way of life. Since bursting onto the scene singing his song Walanbaa in language on ‘Australia’s Got Talent’, Mitch has been taking the music world by storm. Join host Karla Grant as she travels to Torquay in regional Victoria to talk to Mitch about his life, his love of language and to hear about the birth of his baby girl Phoenix.

The Point

On Tuesday 31 May at 7:30pm, NITV’s news and current affairs program The Point will cover the lead-up to the 30th anniversary of Mabo Day, and on Friday 4 June at 5:30pm, NITV’s weekly news wrap-up program Nula will feature crosses to Mabo Day celebrations.

From Monday 30 May to Thursday 2 June, NITV will air a number of iconic films, all starting at 9:30pm. On Monday May 30, The Tracker follows an Indigenous tracker through the mountains of Southern Australia as he attempts to find a fugitive on the run, whilst three mounted white policemen follow closely behind. Warwick Thornton’s powerful Australian western, Sweet Country , will air on Tuesday 31 May. Set on the Northern Territory frontier in the 1920s, justice itself is put on trial when an Aboriginal farmhand shoots a white man. Rachel Perkin’s Radiance, starring Deborah Mailman , airs on Wednesday 1 June and sees three sisters reunite at their mother’s funeral after years apart. On Thursday 2 June another Thornton classic, Samson and Delilah , will round out the week of dramas. Follow the story of 14-year-olds Samson and Delilah, who escape their government-controlled Aboriginal community and go to the city, Alice Springs, looking for a better life.

On Friday 3 June, NITV celebrates the 30th Mabo Day by airing Land Bilong Islanders at 9:30pm. Land Bilong Islanders tells the story of what has become known as the ‘Mabo Case’ through rare interviews with the late Eddie Mabo, James Rice, Father Dave Passi and others involved in this historic legal drama. Together they challenged the idea that prior to European settlement, Australia was a land belonging to no-one, a 'terra nullius’.

In the lead up to Mabo Day, viewers can tune into WIK vs Queensland at 8:30pm on Sunday 29 May - a documentary which gives a powerful insight into the High Court’s decision to grant native title to the Wik people in 1996 and the dramatic political and cultural fallout that followed.

Tanya Denning-Orman, Director of Indigenous Content for SBS, said: “This Reconciliation Week is set to be a powerful one. As with any anniversary, it is important for us to reflect on the past and take a note of how we have progressed as a nation. This year, our community will celebrate two 30th anniversaries – the 30th Mabo Day and the 30th anniversary of the Torres Strait Islander flag. We are so pleased to be able to highlight incredible content that can further educate all Australians on the land they live on.

“It’s also fitting that we have a new show premiering – Feeding the Scrum incorporates so many elements worth celebrating – sport, food and a good yarn!”

George Rose, host of Feeding the Scrum, said: “What a week to premiere our new program! I’m so looking forward to showing off Feeding the Scrum, and inviting all of Australia into the kitchen for a yarn with me and the best in the sport and entertainment business. It’s always a pleasure to work with the NITV family, and I can’t wait for Australia to see what we serve up this season on Feeding the Scrum.”

Viewers will also be able to enjoy additional titles on SBS On Demand to stream anywhere, anytime including Yolgnu Boy and Rabbit Proof Fence.

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Little J and Big Cuz will return for a fourth season, with production funding from Screen Australia announced today.

A fourth season of the ground-breaking animated children’s series for NITV and the ABC, centred on 5-year-old Little J and his 9-year-old cousin Big Cuz, a couple of lively First Nations Australian kids who live with their Nanna and their Old Dog. Whether it’s at school, in the backyard or beyond the fence, Little J and Big Cuz find out about culture, community and country with the help of Nanna and their teacher Ms Chen. Little J & Big Cuz director Tony Thorne again teams up with producer Ned Lander (Last Cab to Darwin) and writers Dot West (The Heights), Erica Glynn (Redfern Now), Sam Paynter (Thalu), Danielle MacLean (Barrumbi Kids) and Adam Thompson (author of Born Into This). This project is financed with support from the ABC, NITV, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation with VicScreen, Screen Tasmania and ACER.

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Spirit Talker

From Tuesday 7 June 8:00 PM

Spirit Talker is documentary series that will follow Mi’kmaq medium Shawn Leonard as he travels from coast to coast to coast using his psychic abilities to connect the living with the dead and bring hope, healing, and closure to indigenous communities. Shawn, named White Eagle Spirit Talker by a Mi’kmaq Elder, has built a reputation as one of North America’s most gifted and accurate mediums.

Off Country

Airing weekly from Thursday 7 July, 8pm

Off Country (4 x 30’) is a candid documentary series which follows the lives of seven Indigenous students over a year at the prestigious Geelong Grammar School, grappling with family tragedy, mental health and identity issues. Wrestling with their conflicting identities as students move between boarding life and home life, the series creates a historic record of one of Australia’s key Indigenous education pathways and a complex portrait of what it is to be a First Nations child in Australia today.

Driven by the students’ stories and told entirely in their own words, Off Country combines personal observational storytelling and features intimate perspectives of contemporary First Nations youth alongside their personal educational experiences.

Off Country will be subtitled in Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean on SBS On Demand. Off Country will also air on SBS later this year.



NAIDOC Awards

Saturday, 2 July from 6:30pm

Returning after a two-year hiatus, the National NAIDOC Awards kick off NAIDOC Week 2022 – a week of celebrations giving stage to this year’s theme of Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! Tune in to NITV and NITV Socials from 6:30pm on Saturday, 2 July to catch all the stars on the red carpet with NITV hosts Luke Carroll and Narelda Jacobs, before the National NAIDOC Awards are broadcast live on NITV from 7:00pm. The Awards recognise individuals who have contributed their talents, expertise, knowledge and lives to the First Nations Peoples of this land. This year’s Awards are hosted by television presenter Shelley Ware and comedian Steven Oliver. The NAIDOC Awards Aftershow follows from 10:30pm on NITV Socials - Gilbert McAdam and Megan Walters will wrap up the night, featuring interviews with the National NAIDOC Award winners, as well as an acoustic performance from proud Gamilaraay artist, Loren Ryan. At 10:30pm on NITV, The National NAIDOC Award Winners Stories 2022 will also give viewers an insight into the incredible lives and achievements of the winners.

Ningla A-Na

Sunday 10 July, 8:30pm

In tribute to this year’s theme Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! NITV is proud to be presenting the remastered film of Ningla A-Na. Ningla A-Na was made in 1972 and has been remastered for the 50th anniversary of the Tent Embassy. The film records the events surrounding the establishment of the Tent Embassy on the lawns of Parliament House. It includes interviews with black activists of the time and footage from demonstrations and arrests at the Embassy. This iconic film presents an inside view of Aboriginal political life at the time. A film which should be seen by all Australians. 20 July is the anniversary of the day in 1972 when the federal government amended the law to allow police to march in and forcibly dismantle the Embassy.

Marosszeky and Woven Threads co-founder and producer Paul Sullivan are in the midst of developing a third iteration with Lifeline and NITV that will focus on Indigenous stories.

Production is expected to begin in August on new episodes, which will feature contributions from the Yorta Yorta/Wurundjeri (Woiwurrung) theatre, film practitioner, Tony Briggs, and the co-founders of Deadly Connections, Keenan Mundine and Carly Stanley.

Living Black Investigations: Art, Greed, And Betrayal

Wednesday 6 July 9:30 PM

NITV’s Walkley Award winning current affairs program Living Black returns in 2022. Hosted by presenter, producer, journalist and proud Western Arrernte woman Karla Grant, this year Living Black will continue to unearth the most important issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples today.

Surprised we don’t have a NITV News thread?

Anyway, lots of Brekky show options from next week.

We have a Big Mob Brekky thread.

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Update:

Off Country

From Thursday 7 July 8pm on NITV.

Every year, thousands of Indigenous children leave their families to attend boarding schools around Australia. Supported through partnerships between scholarship organisations, private schools and the government, competition for these scholarships is fierce.

Premiering 8pm, Thursday 7 July, four-part documentary series, Off Country follows the lives of seven Indigenous students over a year at the prestigious Geelong Grammar School, grappling with family tragedy, mental health and identity issues.

From inside the boarding house, on the sports fields and in the classroom, Off Country follows the 2020 school year as the boarding school is thrown into chaos as the pandemic hits. Students wrestle with their identities as they move between boarding life and home life, and offer complex portraits of what it is to be an Indigenous child in Australia today.

Driven by the students’ stories and told entirely in their own words, Off Country combines personal observational storytelling and features intimate perspectives of contemporary First Nations youth alongside their personal educational experiences.

Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director of Indigenous Content at SBS, said: “NITV is committed to developing First Nation’s stories and presenting premium unscripted content. We are thrilled to bring Off Country to audiences across Australia next week. This important documentary series tackles important questions around identity and belonging, and it’s an honour to share these compelling stories with all Australians. I look forward to the premiere next week on NITV during NAIDOC Week 2022.”

Screen Australia’s Head of Documentary, Alex West, said: “We’re proud to support this compelling documentary from talented filmmakers John Harvey and Rhian Skirving that provides valuable insight into the lives of these students, allowing viewers to hear from them directly as they experience the highs and lows of living across two worlds throughout an undeniably challenging year. This documentary is set to spark conversations of national significance around education, the importance of culture and community and we can’t wait to see it on NITV.”

Directors of Off Country, Rhian Skirving (GoodThing Productions) and John Harvey (Brown Cabs Productions), said: “As filming progressed, it became clear that these young people not only walked proud in the path set out by their Elders, but were also navigating the impacts of colonial policies across generations. Each family story highlighted the impact of one or more government policy, be it stolen generation, forced removal from country, the mission system and intergenerational trauma. The impacts from these policies are present in the childrens’ lives before they enter the school gate, and, as we discovered in the making of the film, for many it ultimately affects their ability to make the most of the education opportunity before them.”

CEO of VicScreen, Caroline Pitcher, said: “Off Country is an emotionally striking series that is set to ignite conversations around the nation. We are always proud to back meaningful and diverse storytelling, and recognise the importance of supporting this piece of history to be recorded.”

Off Country is a Brown Cabs Productions, Letterbox Films, and Goodthing Productions production for NITV. Principal production investment from Screen Australia in association with the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Premiere Fund and VicScreen. The documentary was commissioned by Kyas Hepworth.

The series will be available to stream on SBS On Demand with subtitles in five languages: Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean, allowing more Australians to engage in the important series.

Off Country forms part of SBS and NITV’s 2022 NAIDOC programming line-up. NAIDOC highlights also include the premiere of compelling four-part crime drama True Colours, the return of the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony live on NITV, the return of Australia’s only Indigenous television breakfast program Big Mob Brekky, SBS Radio sharing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in-language for Australia’s diverse communities, and more.

As the National NAIDOC Principal Media Partner and official Education Partner, National NAIDOC Week will be celebrated across all SBS channels and platforms, including an exclusive NAIDOC collection of series and films available to stream on SBS On Demand and NAIDOC education resources via SBS Learn.

The ABC will broadcast a special episode of Q+A from Garma Festival on Monday night - see:

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NITV and SBS to showcase the cultures, conversation and ceremony of the Garma Festival 2022

National Indigenous Television (NITV) will lead comprehensive coverage of the 22nd Garma Festival of Cultures across the SBS network, giving Australians unique insights and access to the event taking place in Gulkula, Gumatj Country, in north-east Arnhem Land.

Across four days, from Friday 29 July to Monday 1 August, NITV together with SBS is expanding its offering in 2022 and sharing the Garma experience with all Australians.

In addition to daily live coverage, updates and highlights across NITV’s platforms, SBS is also reporting from the festival in languages including Arabic and Mandarin, connecting Australia’s multicultural and multilingual communities with First Nations cultures and perspectives.

SBS Director of Indigenous Content, Tanya Denning-Orman, said it’s great to be expanding coverage of this important event across the SBS network.

“We’re excited to be bringing the powerful stories and important moments from Garma to audiences across Australia. At the heart of our coverage is NITV, providing a front row seat to the key events and ceremony, with updates and highlights covering the big issues and cultural celebrations of the day across SBS. For the first time, this includes on-the-ground reporting from SBS in Arabic and Mandarin for TV, radio and digital, among the multilingual coverage that will feature across the network.

“Garma provides an important stage and moment for discussion about the challenges impacting First Nations communities that we face as a nation, underpinned by tens of thousands of years of cultural tradition, knowledge and practice of the Yolŋu peoples. From the daily dialogue to the beautiful Buŋgul - the traditional Yolŋu ceremony each afternoon – we have a special opportunity with NITV and across SBS to share this unique celebration of First Nations cultures, achievements and determination with all Australians through our coverage.”

Four days of comprehensive coverage will kick off on NITV tomorrow afternoon with a special edition of NITV News Nula, presented by Natalie Ahmat, live from Garma from 3pm (AEDT)*, and simulcast on SBS. Then at 4.30pm, NITV will bring the sounds, speeches and culture of the Garma Opening Ceremony 2022 live**.**

Over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday, NITV will present the highlights from across the festival each day at 5.30pm with Garma 2022 *,*presented by Natalie Ahmat and The Point’s John-Paul Janke, followed by Garma Buŋgul 2022 at 6.30pm each night - a one-hour special package showcasing the graceful movement of the women and the strong songs of the men at the Buŋgul, the Yolŋu cultural ceremony with over 60,000 years of connection to Country, which takes place each afternoon of the festival.

Wrapping up the four-day event coverage on Monday afternoon, NITV will present a final Garma 2022 highlights program from 5.30pm (encored on SBS the following day at 2pm and 11.40pm). NITV programs from across the festival will also be available to stream live on SBS On Demand, and for catch up.

Across NITV’s digital coverage and social media, audiences can stay up to date with all the festival’s events each day as it happens with a live blog on sbs.com.au/nitv, regular updates, insights and moments shared on NITV’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and the daily Buŋgul each afternoon streamed live on NITV Facebook.

There’ll also be coverage and crosses into SBS World News each evening, in addition to SBS’s television news bulletins in Arabic and Mandarin – SBS عربي News and SBS 中文 News – from SBS’s multilingual reporters on the ground who will also deliver coverage including live reports, articles and podcasts in Arabic, Cantonese, French, and Mandarin for SBS Radio and language services.

The Garma Festival is a celebration of the cultural, artistic and ceremonial traditions of the Yolŋu people. Held annually - but delayed since 2019 due to the pandemic – it brings together community, business and political leaders, academics and journalists to discuss critical issues facing the future of Australia. NITV is proud to once again partner with the Yothu Yindi Foundation as a Media Supporter, continuing a long relationship which has seen NITV provide its distinctive coverage of the event from a First Nations perspective since 2015.

For more information on NITV and SBS’s coverage from Garma, visit the NITV website, and follow NITV on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.