###Programs, scheduling information and discussion for SBS Television’s main channel.
Previous forum thread: SBS
Does SBS have the same female network voice-over as Ten?
SBS’s 2016 line-up promo
Was watching The Returned on SBS on Demand and it kept telling me to turn off my adblocker but you can still watch with it on just had to close the message. Is this a new thing ?
###Destination Flavour Scandinavia
Brand-new 7-part series begins Thursday 31 March at 7.30pm
Step into the edgy world of Nordic food and culture with Adam Liaw
“I’ve been fascinated by Scandinavia for as long as I can remember. As a kid it was this wintery wonderland of kings and queens on the other side of the world, straight out of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale.
But it wasn’t until I visited recently that I fell in love with the food. Food in Scandinavia mixes traditional comforts with a contemporary elegance that is as much a social movement as it is a style of cooking. New Nordic cuisine is a barnstorming influence on modern food. “ – Adam Liaw, host
The latest stimulating series of Destination Flavour sees Adam Liaw head to the striking Nordic region to reveal that there is so much more to Scandi fare than pickled herring and meatballs. From the region’s traditional Viking past to the latest in the new Nordic food revolution, Adam explores all that is wonderful about Scandinavia in Destination Flavour Scandinavia from 31 March on SBS.
Take a journey with Adam as he visits what is possibly the cleanest, healthiest and happiest part of the world and immerses himself in Scandinavian culture, history and, of course, cuisine. He travels to Denmark, Norway and Sweden and explores the new Nordic food revolution that has spread like wildfire across the region and rest of the world. In this evocative and stylish Scandi food adventure, Adam investigates the future of global and local food trends sparked by innovative Nordic influence.
Throughout his travels Adam meets and cooks with top Scandinavian food talent including the godfather of the new Nordic food revolution Claus Meyer and head chef Torsten Vildgard from Studio, renowned chef Claus Henriksen, inspirational chef Christian Puglisi of Relae, daring chef Niklas Ekstedt of Ekstedt, meatball extraordinaire and chef Mathias Pilblad, the first Swedish female chef awarded a Michelin star Titti Qvarnström and Maaemo’s head chef Esben Holmboe Bang.
Adam also looks in-depth at why and how this region is so well-known for its glee factor at The Happiness Institute with director Meik Wiking. Join Adam on this joyful journey as he tours Scandinavia creating authentic dishes along the way, such as salmon gravalax, roast boar, real Danish pastries and the national dish of stegt flaesk.
##football fans the winners in SBS and Optus deals
SBS and Optus strike new deals on English Premier League and 2018 FIFA World Cup
SBS and Optus today announced two new deals in which football fans across Australia will be able to watch more than double the number of international football matches on free-to-air TV.
Commencing with the 2016-17 season, Optus will sub-licence exclusive free-to-air TV rights of one English Premier League (EPL) match per round to SBS for the next three seasons until 2018-2019.
SBS will broadcast matches live and in HD on its main channel (featuring every EPL team at least once throughout the season) as well as providing simultaneous live streaming. SBS will also show a replay of each match within 72 hours.
Under the 2018 FIFA World Cup sub-licence deal, SBS will retain simultaneous free-to-air rights to 25 of the matches and Optus will have exclusive rights to the whole tournament, with 39 exclusive live matches. Optus will deliver the entire 2018 FIFA World Cup across multiple platforms and devices.
SBS’s 2018 FIFA World Cup free-to-air rights will include one live match per day and SBS will have first pick, including the opening match and all Australian matches. The deal also secures the free-to-air broadcast of four matches from the round of 16, two quarter finals, both semi-finals and the final. SBS will retain daily highlights rights, including every match from the tournament.
Optus will also have live rights across multiplatforms to other FIFA Events in the period 2017-2019, including the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with SBS holding free-to-air TV rights to some matches.
SBS Managing Director and Chief Executive, Michael Ebeid said: “International football is at the very heart of SBS and our purpose to inspire understanding between our diverse multicultural communities. We are pleased to partner with Optus to deliver a deal that gives football fans much more international football on free-to-air TV throughout the year.
“These innovative agreements disrupt the old models of TV delivery in Australia and also ensure SBS can responsibly invest in an ongoing commitment to providing fans with universal and free access to international football, in our rapidly changing media landscape.”
Optus Chief Executive Officer, Allen Lew said: “Through our partnerships with SBS and the English Premier League, Optus is completely reinventing how Australians engage with football. We are delighted to be collaborating with SBS to give Australians an unrivalled viewing experience, with the option to watch football on the platform and device of their choice.”
SBS Director Sport, Ken Shipp said: “The goal of SBS has always been to deliver the very best of world football to Australian audiences and in all of our agreements, SBS is forward looking and these arrangements are at the very cutting edge of sports rights.”
Interesting deal. EPL returns to free-to-air after 12 years on Fox Sports, while FIFA World Cup will be shown on a pay TV platform in Australia for the very first time. Optus is the big winner here.
A pay tv platform with very small market penetration. Comprehensive coverage of every World Cup game live goes begging.
Optus has said it will show all 64 matches of the next World Cup live. SBS managing director Michael Ebeid told Mediaweek the deal allowed SBS to offload matches between the so-called “minnows” which may be of little interest to Australian viewers.
I hope SBS gets a decent amount of money for this exchange.
Good deal for Optus.
But how can people watch it? It isn’t exactly a platform that is easily accessible by the masses of population.
If you have a mobile or internet plan with Optus you will be able to watch EPL matches on your smartphone and tablet.
That’s stupid. Who really watches main line broadcasts on a phone. A small percentage. And really people aren’t changing phone plans for a soccer match. They lose all the casual viewers.
[quote=“cmo, post:13, topic:452”]
Expect a big push for Fetch here.
###Untold Australia
From Wednesday 13 April at 8.30pm
SBS reveals hidden subcultures in new documentary strand - Untold Australia
Untold Australia is a new three-part SBS documentary series that goes inside three very different communities which exist within unique pockets of Australia, whose presence and way of life remain widely unknown to outsiders of these close-knit cultural groups.
From young Indian-Australians trying to find love to the struggling government of Norfolk Island and the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Adass Israel, the personal and passionate stories revealed in this observational documentary series will surprise audiences as the untold stories from these subcultures are explored.
SBS Director of Television and Online Content, Marshall Heald said:
“SBS is known for the essential role it plays in giving a voice to Australians from all different walks of life and social and cultural backgrounds. Untold Australia goes deep inside some of our country’s unknown subcultures to introduce audiences to these lesser-known communities and their way of life.
"Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-warming and at all times eye-opening, Untold Australia invites all Australians to witness the intimate moments and challenges faced by these real-life characters and demonstrates SBS’s commitment to increasing awareness of the contribution a diversity of cultures has to the continuing development of modern Australian society.”
This intriguing three-part commissioned series will premiere on Wednesday, 13 April at 8.30pm on SBS with ‘Indian Wedding Race’, a humorous and heartfelt look at the real-life journey of two 29-year-old Indian-Australians, Dalvinder and Tarun, as they each embark on a franticly amusing adventure to find love and get married before they turn 30, while juggling the pressures from their very traditional parents and cultural expectations.
From online dating with their dads to seeking guidance from astrologers, speed dating to matchmakers, and even the notion of a ‘modern’ arranged marriage, Dalvinder and Tarun are willing to try anything on their journey to find true love. Capturing every step of the way on this emotional rollercoaster, this is a rare and close-up look at the world of Australia’s Indian community as it intimately explores with humour and warmth the pressures and vulnerability that these young people face as they race to make it to the temple on time.
Next in the series is ‘A Modern Mutiny’, a fascinating exploration of the remote Australian external territory Norfolk Island, which will air Wednesday, 20 April at 8.30pm on SBS. Sitting 1500 kilometres off the east coast of Australia, this local population which descended from the legendary Bounty mutineers is one of Australia’s most isolated communities. But recent hard times have forced the island to reach out to Australia for help, and with mainland help comes mainland rules. When an outsider is sent to help govern this self-ruled society, the stage is set for a modern day mutiny.
Finishing off the series is ‘Strictly Jewish’ on Wednesday, 27 April at 8.30pm on SBS. For the first time in Australia’s television history, cameras have been allowed inside the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel Jewish community in Melbourne. Following three of the members of this reclusive sect, the documentary offers a unique insight into how this hidden subculture exists alongside Melbourne’s trendy latte society, as they attempt to maintain their age-old rituals in the face of contemporary frivolities. The 2000-plus members of this virtually self-sufficient society have their own shops, schools, butcher, baker, synagogue, cemetery, and even have their own ambulance service! Filmed over the Jewish calendar year 5775*, this is a fascinating exploration into how the conservative Adass Israel community strive to maintain their ancient faith in a modern world.
Untold Australia is a commissioned documentary series produced for SBS with the assistance of Screen Australia. ‘Indian Wedding Race’ was produced by 360 Degree Films with assistance from Film Victoria, and Screen NSW provided assistance for both ‘A Modern Mutiny’, produced by Heiress Films, and ‘Strictly Jewish’, produced by Mint Pictures.
History in the US has ordered a fifth season of Vikings. The renewal is for 20-episodes.
Deadline reports that Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors) has joined the Season 5 cast.
SBS premieres short films from National Youth Week competition winners
In March, SBS launched a competition inviting 14-20 year olds to submit a video pitch for a chance to produce a one-minute film themed around identity. The films explore identity issues facing young Australians ranging from refugee stories, Middle-Eastern and Muslim stereotypes, autism and gender dysphoria. The films will broadcast throughout National Youth Week from 8th-17th April, and will also be available via SBS On Demand and through the SBS Learn Youth Week portal.
Helen Kellie, SBS Chief Content Officer, said: “We had an overwhelming response to the SBS National Youth Week initiative with so many inspiring stories from across the nation. This is the first time SBS has run such an initiative and I am honoured that we can give young Australians a platform to share their stories of identity.”
The five winners are;
** Stephanie Kurlow**, 14, from Sydney dreams of being the world’s first professional hijab wearing ballerina. She overcomes the negative comments of twitter trolls through her passion and dedication to dance;
Caitlin Gerkin, 18, a young artist on the Autism Spectrum uses an analogy of the “Chinese Room” thought experiment to explain how she sees the world differently from others;
Atak Ngor, 18, was born in what is now South Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War. He left South Sudan when he was six for Kakuma Refugee camp and some years later, Australia. His film is dedicated to those he left behind;
Taz Clay, 17, a young Indigenous brotherboy shares his difficult journey to affirming his gender and the importance of speaking out about gender identity;
Anthony Farah, 20, AKA YouTube Vlogger Captain Fizzman, is having an identity crisis. He turns to the internet to find out what young Lebanese men like him “should” be doing with their lives. This humorous film examines cultural stereotypes in modern-day Australia.
As part of their prize, the five winners attended a residential workshop in Melbourne and with the help of SBS and the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) were given the opportunity to produce their films.
Today, SBS Learn also launched SBS Youth Week Teacher Notes, a free teacher notes pack mapped to the national curriculum for use in classrooms. This resource provides teachers and educators with easy to follow discussion guides and activities to use while screening the five identity-themed films to students in years 7-10.
##sbs secures historical hit drama series Roots
Roots is a historical portrait of American slavery, recounting the journey of one family and their will to survive, and ultimately carry on their legacy despite hardship.
SBS continues to build on its reputation for offering the world’s best international dramas by bringing the next big U.S. television series Roots to Australia.
The series is a remake of the original which was released in1977, and still remains the most-watched TV drama* in U.S television history and Australia’s tenth most-watched program of the 20th century**.
The historical hit drama is based on the 1976 Pulitzer Prize-winning book written by Alex Hayley, Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The New York Times best-seller also introduces the character Kunte Kinte, a name that has become ingrained in American culture as the slave who fought back.
Marshall Heald, SBS Director of Television and Online Content, said:
“The original series was a huge success that had a massive impact on audiences when it was released almost 40 years ago.
“The landmark series addresses many difficult issues that people have faced throughout history. SBS is honoured to be sharing this story with current fans and a new generation.”
LeVar Burton, who played Kunta Kinte in 1977, is the Co-Executive Producer for the remake and said:
“Nearly 40 years ago I had the privilege to be a part of an epic television event that started an important conversation in America. I am incredibly proud to be a part of this new retelling and start the dialogue again, at a time when it is needed more than ever."
The epic family saga hosts some of Australia’s leading and award-winning directors with Philip Noyce (Rabbit Proof Fence) and Bruce Beresford (Mao’s Last Dancer, Driving Miss Daisy, Breaker Morant) both directing episodes.
The extraordinary cast line-up includes Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker (Fiddler) and Anna Paquin (Nancy Holt); Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Laurence Fishburne (Alex Haley); Golden Globe Award winning and Emmy Award nominated actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Tom Lea); Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose (Kizzy); Grammy Award winner Tip “T.I.” Harris (Cyrus); Chad L. Coleman (Mingo); Emayatzy Corinealdi (Belle); Matthew Goode (Dr. William Waller); Derek Luke (Silla Ba Dibba); Mekhi Phifer (Jerusalem); James Purefoy (John Waller); Erica Tazel (Matilda). The series also introduces Malachi Kirby as Kunta Kinte and Regé-Jean Page as Chicken George.
ROOTS will air on SBS in 2016.
*Based on an article written by TIME online
** Based on an article written by Fairfax using approximate ranking and estimates from ACNielsen.