Leigh, Dale and Abbey were on Jonesy and Amanda on WSFM yesterday morning, ahead of last night’s broadcast of the final interview episode with Amanda Keller.
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One of the graduates, Abbey, is now working as an intern at the ABC Sport department.
You may know Abbey Faulkner from ABC TV’s The Assembly, but did you know she’s also a ripper sports journalist?
She’s laid out the numbers behind NRL Grand Final match-up!
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I hope we get another season, great program.
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Don’t seem realise the renewal was announced last week.
EXCLUSIVE: After revealing insights into Sam Neill and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, The Assembly will reconvene on the ABC.
The unscripted show will return to Australia‘s pubcaster next year following its first seven-part season earlier this fall, with the news coming during a Deadline interview with Mark Fennessy at The Assembly producer Helium, who called it a “rare jewel” and a “breakout hit of 2024.”
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This was Deadline’s feature interview with Mark Fennessy on his production company Helium. His reaction to the ABC’s renewal of the show was just a small part.
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‘Backstage Pass’ for The Assembly students
The ABC has launched a program called Backstage Pass to further assist the group of media students from The Assembly to explore a career in the industry.
The award-winning series features a class of Autistic media students, mentored by three-time Walkley winner and host Leigh Sales, as they learn their craft and interview well known Australian personalities. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, actor Sam Neill and former AFL star Adam Goodes were among those interviewed in season one.
Starting next week during filming for season two, Backstage Pass aims to broaden the students’ understanding of the opportunities across the media industry, from creative to technical roles as well as offering additional practical knowledge and experience.
The Backstage Pass sessions include:
- Practical studio operations session
- Career pathways exploration (Bus Stop Films, TAFE, AFTRS, Macquarie University, tertiary options)
- Industry Q&A about entry-level media roles and insights from on-air talent
- Social media, content creation and personal brand-building
- Behind-the-scenes tours (ABC News, triple J, ABC TV studios)
Host Leigh Sales said: “Most people think of on-air jobs when they think of TV and radio roles, but the reality is that those jobs represent a tiny fraction of the work that goes into producing media content. I’m glad we can give our new crop of Assembly participants a good look at the full range of possibilities in the industry.”
Several students from season one have been employed on the new series, including two student mentors and three crew assistants while other members of the first series have continued to develop their skills at the ABC and externally.
The Assembly was recognised with a Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network award at the Screen
Producers Awards earlier this month and was shortlisted for a 2024 AACTA Award.
The Assembly S2 airs later this year on the ABC. The Assembly S1 is available for streaming on ABC iview.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has commissioned a local version of The Assembly as part of the 2025-2026 line-up. It will be produced in separate English and French language versions. The French language version will be called Factueur A.
According to The Australian, principal filming of season two had finished at the end of May.
Bethany Woodman from season one was on stage at the Logie Awards tonight, presenting an award with Amanda Keller.
EDIT: they had a chat after the presentation, for TV Week Instagram.
Real talk, real connections: The Assembly season 2 unveils a new cohort of Autistic Storytellers
The ground-breaking, critically-acclaimed factual series The Assembly returns for season 2 on Sunday, 21 September at 7.30pm on ABC TV, with all episodes available to stream for free on ABC iview
In an all-new, six-part season of The Assembly, Australia’s most renowned interviewer, Leigh Sales, returns to mentor a new and bigger group of Autistic journalism students.
A bold, empathetic series giving autistic journalism students a national platform, season 2 brings unfiltered interviews with well-known figures, showcasing talent, insight, and the power of different perspectives.
They are set to learn their craft and interview A-listers including award winning actor Richard Roxburgh, one of Australia’s most successful musicians Guy Sebastian, legendary journalist and five-time Gold Logie winner Ray Martin, Aussie comedy royalty Julia Morris, world renowned cricketer and former Australian of the Year Steve Waugh, and beloved cook, author and presenter Maggie Beer.
In each episode, students from across the country — including regional areas — are guided by Leigh as they research a featured famous face and develop their interview questions. The episode builds toward a compelling interview that is fresh, disarming, and often surprising. These conversations create space for voices often excluded from national dialogue, offering new perspectives that both resonate with the audience and catch the interviewee off guard.
For season 2, the course is delivered in an intensive block at Macquarie University, offering students a truly immersive learning experience. As part of the program, the ABC provides exclusive behind-the-scenes access, including guided tours and curated masterclasses with industry professionals.
Produced by HELIUM, The Assembly is made with comprehensive support for the student journalists, through a partnership with Aspect (Australia’s largest service provider for people on the autism spectrum), Macquarie University (delivering tailored journalism training), and Bus Stop Films (Australia’s leading inclusive filmmaking organisation). Together, these partners help create a production environment that is inclusive and empowers storytelling.
Production Credit: The Assembly is produced by Helium Pictures for ABC and financed with the assistance of Screen NSW and skills development financing from Screen Australia. The Assembly is an inclusive production proudly supported by Aspect (Austism Spectrum Australia), Bus Stop Films and Macquarie University. Executive produced and directed by showrunner Melissa Maclean, executive produced by Therese Hegarty, HELIUM’s Mark Fennessy and ABC Commissioning Editor, Factual Julie Hanna. ABC Head of Documentary & Specialist, Susie Jones. HELIUM has developed The Assembly for an Australian audience from a format created by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, originally produced by KIOSCO.TV & QUAD+TEN, and distributed by CAN’T STOP Media.
The show gets a timeslot promotion, from Tuesday nights to Sunday nights. However, it will now face sterner competition in The Block and The Voice.
Season 2 - EPISODE 1 OF 6
SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 7.30PM
In the first, returning episode of The Assembly, the student journalists meet Leigh Sales and begin their preparation for their first celebrity interview with actor Richard Roxburgh.
The students are enthusiastic about asking him a variety of questions, including his biggest stunts, how he met his celebrity cook wife, Silvia Colloca, and what really happened behind the scenes when filming Moulin Rouge.
Season 1 premiered on Sky Open in New Zealand last night. It airs at 8.30pm Wednesdays.