Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia: The Story of Us is a television documentary drama that aired on the Seven Network from 15 February 2015 to 23 April 2015. It is a localized version of the American TV series America: The Story of Us. The show received mixed reviews, with some praising the effort to deliver a varied representation of Australian history, while others criticized its over-production and lack of credibility. It has been rated 6.0/10 on IMDb and was listed in the Daily Review's 'Top 10 must-see Australian TV shows of 2015'.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Television documentary drama |
| Based on | America: The Story of Us |
| Narrated by | Richard Roxburgh |
| Featured interviewees | Chris Bath, Professor Tim Flannery, Ben Roberts-Smith, Tim Costello, Guy Sebastian, Dannii Minogue, Bruce McAvaney, Adam Goodes |
| Aired on | Seven Network |
| Year | 2015 |
| Number of episodes | 4 |
| Date of airing | 15 February 2015 to 23 April 2015 |
| Rating on IMDb | 6.0/10 |
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What You'll Learn
A TV documentary drama
Australia: The Story of Us
TV documentary drama
Australia: The Story of Us is a television documentary drama that aired on the Seven Network from 15 February 2015 to 23 April 2015. It is a localised version of the American TV documentary series America: The Story of Us. The series was narrated by Richard Roxburgh and featured interviews with prominent Australians, including Chris Bath, Professor Tim Flannery, Ben Roberts-Smith, Tim Costello, Guy Sebastian, Dannii Minogue, Bruce McAvaney, and Adam Goodes.
The documentary drama explores the history of Australia, covering key moments and characters that have shaped the nation over the last 40,000 years. The show aims to provide a balanced view of the country, showcasing its people, places, and events from the first footprints on the continent to the present day.
Reviews for *Australia: The Story of Us* are mixed. Some viewers appreciate the effort to deliver a varied and fast-paced introduction to Australian history, praising the show for bringing facets of the nation's history to life. David Stephens of HonestHistory.net sums up this perspective, acknowledging that the series "makes an honest effort to deliver varied fare to fast-history consumers."
However, others criticise the show for feeling over-produced and melodramatic, with David Knox of TvTonight commenting that "the tone and editing upstage the history in a constant ploy to bring it closer to primetime drama." The show has also been critiqued for its handling of Indigenous Australian perspectives and the nation's military history.
Despite the mixed reviews, *Australia: The Story of Us* was listed in the Daily Review's 'Top 10 must-see Australian TV shows of 2015', indicating its recognition and impact as a documentary drama series exploring Australian history.
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Narrated by Richard Roxburgh
The television documentary drama "Australia: The Story of Us" aired on the Seven Network from 15 February 2015 to 23 April 2015. It was narrated by Richard Roxburgh and featured interviews with prominent Australians, including Chris Bath, Professor Tim Flannery, Ben Roberts-Smith, and Guy Sebastian, among others. The series looked back at some of the people, places, and events that have shaped Australia over the last 40,000 years.
Richard Roxburgh is an Australian actor, writer, and producer. He gained recognition for his portrayal of a corrupt cop in the 1995 miniseries "Blue Murder" and has since appeared in several Australian and international films and television series. Roxburgh is known for his versatility, assuming different accents and octave levels for each character he plays. He has played a range of iconic characters, including Sherlock Holmes in "The Hound of the Baskervilles," Holmes's nemesis Professor Moriarty in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," and Count Dracula in "Van Helsing." He is one of only two actors to have portrayed all three of these characters, the other being Orson Welles.
In addition to his acting career, Roxburgh has also established himself as a talented director. He directed the award-winning biographical drama "Romulus, My Father" in 2007 and returned to the stage in 2010 to play Vanya in Sydney Theatre Company's production of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya." In 2014, he played the title role in Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac" at the STC. Roxburgh has also co-created and starred in the critically acclaimed ABC1 television comedy-drama series "Rake", winning the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama in 2012.
"Australia: The Story of Us" received mixed reviews. Some viewers criticised the show for being hard to follow due to its non-linear structure and for not adequately representing the complexities of Aboriginal Australian history and the country's involvement in military conflicts. However, others praised the series for providing a compact and entertaining summary of Australian history, with one reviewer noting that it brought many facets of Australian history to life. Overall, "Australia: The Story of Us" offers a superficial but balanced view of the nation and has been compared to exhibits at the National Museum of Australia and Chris Masters' book "The Years That Made Us."
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Features interviews with prominent Australians
Australia: The Story of Us is a television documentary drama that aired on the Seven Network from 15 February 2015 to 23 April 2015. Narrated by Richard Roxburgh, the series features interviews with prominent Australians, including:
- Chris Bath
- Professor Tim Flannery
- Ben Roberts-Smith
- Tim Costello
- Guy Sebastian
- Dannii Minogue
- Bruce McAvaney
- Adam Goodes
The series reflects on the people, places, and events that have shaped Australia over the last 40,000 years. It follows the same model as the US and UK versions, featuring re-enactments, computer-generated images, and interviews with academics and actors.
Reviews of the series are mixed. Some viewers enjoyed the series, finding it a welcome glimpse into Australian history and an honest effort to deliver varied content. However, others criticised its over-production and melodrama, as well as its lack of focus on Indigenous perspectives and the history of Aboriginal Australia. Despite these criticisms, many agree that it provides a good summary of Australian history.
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Covers 40,000 years of history
Australia: The Story of Us is a television documentary drama that aired on the Seven Network from 15 February 2015 to 23 April 2015. Narrated by Richard Roxburgh, it features interviews with prominent Australians, including Chris Bath, Professor Tim Flannery, Ben Roberts-Smith, Tim Costello, Guy Sebastian, Dannii Minogue, Bruce McAvaney, and Adam Goodes. The series showcases the people, places, and events that have shaped Australia over the last 40,000 years.
The documentary drama employs a mix of big re-enactments, computer-generated images, and interviews with academics and celebrities to tell the story of Australia's history. It offers a glimpse into the country's dynamic and inspiring heritage, covering a wide range of topics beyond Anzac. The series begins with the first footprints on the continent and continues up to the present day, providing an original thesis on how Australians created the homeland they inhabit today.
While the series has received some criticism for its over-production and disjointed narrative, with history taking a back seat to primetime drama, it has also been praised for its efforts to deliver a balanced and varied portrayal of Australia's history. David Stephens of HonestHistory.net sums up this perspective, acknowledging that while the series may not be perfect, it provides a more comprehensive introduction to Australia's history than many other sources.
The series has been particularly well-received by viewers outside of Australia who have admired the country and its people for a long time. These viewers appreciate the insights into Australia's history and the opportunity to learn about the nation's heritage. Overall, Australia: The Story of Us offers a unique perspective on the country's past and present, contributing to a broader understanding of Australia's story and the factors that have shaped it over millennia.
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Showcases Australia's landscapes and people
Australia: The Story of Us is a television documentary drama that showcases the country's landscapes and people. It aired on the Seven Network from 15 February 2015 to 23 April 2015 and is a localised version of the American TV series America: The Story of Us. The series looks back at some of the people, places, and events that have shaped the country over the last 40,000 years. It features interviews with prominent Australians, including Chris Bath, Professor Tim Flannery, Ben Roberts-Smith, Tim Costello, Guy Sebastian, Dannii Minogue, Bruce McAvaney, and Adam Goodes.
The show received mixed reviews, with some praising its effort to deliver a varied and fast-paced introduction to Australian history. David Stephens of HonestHistory.net summed it up as "an honest effort to deliver varied fare to fast-history consumers." However, others criticised its over-production and melodrama, feeling that the tone and editing upstaged the history.
The series begins in 1790 with the landing of the second fleet, with the first Australians mentioned about 15 minutes into the first episode. It then jumps back 45 million years before 1790, and this disjointed narrative structure continues throughout the show. Despite this, some viewers enjoyed the glimpses into Australian history and admired the nation's people and their achievements. The show also received praise for its attempt to provide a compact summary of Australian history, which is particularly valuable for young Australians to gain a more balanced view of their nation.
The show has been recognised for showcasing Australia's stunning landscapes and contemporary people, bringing many facets of Australian history to life. It captures the heritage and achievements of the nation's people, inspiring pride and admiration. Overall, despite its shortcomings, Australia: The Story of Us provides an engaging and informative perspective on the country's history, people, and landscapes.
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Frequently asked questions
'Australia: The Story of Us' is a television documentary drama that aired on the Seven Network from 15 February 2015 to 23 April 2015. It is a localised version of the American TV series 'America: The Story of Us'.
The series looks at some of the people, places, and events that have shaped Australia over the last 40,000 years.
The show has received mixed reviews. On IMDb, it has a rating of 6.0/10. Some viewers enjoyed the show, with one calling it an "excellent series". However, others found it hard to follow due to its disjointed narrative structure and felt that it lacked credibility by not including enough expert perspectives.
You can buy and watch 'Australia: The Story of Us' on Prime Video.
