Lyla Lindsey
Australian Story is a weekly half-hour program that airs on Mondays at 8 pm (AEST) on ABC Television. It is a current affairs and documentary-style television series that first aired in 1996. The program profiles various Australian people, typically those with diverse backgrounds or notable reputations, and explores themes such as 'heroic achievement', 'taking a stand', and 'human weakness'. Australian Story has received both praise and criticism for its hybrid format, with some questioning its status as a news and current affairs program due to its soft journalistic approach. The series has won multiple awards, including Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism and Logie Awards.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Program | Current affairs and documentary-style television series |
| Broadcaster | ABC Television |
| Producer | ABC News and Current Affairs Department |
| Day and Time of Broadcast | Mondays at 8 pm (AEST) |
| Duration | Half-hour |
| Format | One single story for each episode |
| Genre | News and Current Affairs Program, Documentary Series |
| Target Audience | Rural coverage |
| Storytelling Approach | Intimate, personal |
| Subject Matter | Newsworthy stories, profiles of notable figures or unknown Australians with interesting stories |
| Filming Locations | Subjects' respective homes or workplaces |
| Interviewees | Subjects, their family and friends |
| Awards | Walkley Awards, Logie Awards, TV Week Logie Award |
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What You'll Learn
Australian Story's format and genre
Australian Story is a weekly half-hour program that airs every Monday at 8 pm (AEST). It is a current affairs and documentary-style television series produced and broadcast by ABC Television. The program first aired on 29 May 1996 and has since profiled various Australian people, typically those with diverse backgrounds or notable reputations.
The program explores themes such as 'heroic achievement', 'taking a stand', and 'human weakness', often presenting stories in a sympathetic light. This personal approach to storytelling has been well-received by many, attracting an average audience of more than one million viewers each week and winning multiple awards, including Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism and Logie Awards.
Australian Story has been criticised for not belonging solely to one genre. While it is classified by ABC as a News and Current Affairs Program, its status as a documentary series has been contested. The absence of an onscreen reporter and the use of subjective experiences and intimate storytelling techniques further contribute to the debate around its genre classification.
Each profile is filmed over approximately 10-12 days, and episodes are turned around within eight weeks. The program initially focused on multiple magazine-style stories per episode but quickly shifted to featuring one single story per episode, a format it still adheres to today. Australian Story aims to present newsworthy stories through the voices of the subjects themselves, allowing them to share their experiences in their own words.
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Australian Story's critical reception
Australian Story is a weekly half-hour program that airs every Monday at 8 pm (AEST) on ABC Television. It is a national current affairs and documentary-style television series produced by the ABC News and Current Affairs Department. The program first aired on 29 May 1996 and has since profiled various Australians, typically those with diverse backgrounds or notable reputations.
Australian Story has received both positive and critical reception. On the one hand, the program has been well-received by many viewers, attracting an average audience of more than one million viewers each week as of 2013. The program has also won multiple awards, including Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism and four consecutive Logie Awards from 2003 to 2006. The intimate and personal approach to storytelling, where subjects tell their own stories in their own words, has been praised.
However, Australian Story has also faced criticism due to its hybrid genre classification. While the ABC classifies it as a News and Current Affairs Program and a documentary series, this categorisation has been contested. Australian documentary filmmakers argue that the program does not fit the traditional definition of a documentary as it is a serial production made for a television network and is broadcast from a formal studio location. Additionally, academics have questioned its status as a News and Current Affairs Program, suggesting that it exhibits a soft journalistic approach and serves as a platform for high-profile individuals to manage their image and publicity.
Despite these criticisms, Australian Story continues to be a popular and award-winning program, known for its unique style of storytelling and its ability to showcase the diverse and extraordinary stories of Australians from all walks of life.
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Australian Story's viewership and popularity
Australian Story is a national weekly current affairs and documentary-style television series broadcast on ABC Television. It is produced by the ABC News and Current Affairs Department. The program first aired on 29 May 1996 and has since profiled various Australian people, typically those with diverse backgrounds or notable reputations.
The series explores themes such as 'heroic achievement', 'taking a stand', and 'human weakness', often framing people and situations sympathetically. This personal approach to storytelling has been well-received, with the program attracting an average audience of more than one million viewers each week as of 2013. This made it one of the most popular programs on ABC Television.
Australian Story has received multiple awards, including Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism and four consecutive Logie Awards from 2003 to 2006. The series is known for its intimate and authentic storytelling, with subjects telling their own stories in their own words, often in their homes or workplaces.
The program has also received criticism for its hybrid genre classification, as it is classified by ABC as both a News and Current Affairs Program and a documentary series. Australian documentary filmmakers have contested this dual classification, arguing that the program is a serial production made for a television network from a formal broadcasting location. Additionally, academics have questioned the program's status as a News and Current Affairs Program, suggesting it exhibits a soft journalistic approach and serves as a platform for image management for high-profile individuals.
Despite these criticisms, Australian Story remains a popular and award-winning series, known for its compelling and authentic stories about real people.
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Australian Story's notable episodes
Australian Story is a national weekly current affairs and documentary-style television series broadcast on ABC Television. The program first aired on 29 May 1996 and has since profiled various Australians, typically those with diverse backgrounds or notable reputations. The episodes often frame people or situations in a sympathetic light, exploring themes such as 'heroic achievement', 'taking a stand', and 'human weakness'.
"The Gilded Cage"
This episode profiled Dr Peter Hollingworth, the former Australian Governor-General and Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane. It was notable because Australian Story had secured an exclusive interview with Hollingworth after a major school sex abuse scandal in which he had inadvertently played a part. During his time as Archbishop, there were two serial paedophiles active in three Brisbane Anglican schools, and his handling of the situation was widely deemed inappropriate across Australia. In the episode, Hollingworth implied that a 14-year-old girl had initiated a sexual relationship with a priest, causing controversy and eventually leading to his resignation from his position as Governor-General.
"Unbreakable"
This special episode detailed the experience of competitor Garry Robinson, who survived a Black Hawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2010 and later competed in the Invictus Games. The episode attracted a record-breaking audience of 2 million viewers. It also featured an exclusive interview with Prince Harry, the founder of the Invictus Games, conducted inside Kensington Palace.
David Hicks: Australian Story Special
In this episode, David Hicks spoke for the first time on television about his life and journey, reflecting on his past and the actions that resulted in his six-year detention at the controversial US prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The program included interviews with members of Hicks's family, Australian government representatives, and experts who shared their views on Hicks's claims about his time in Guantanamo and the legal case against him.
"Born to Run"
Introduced by comedian, actor, and lampooner of politicians, Gerry Connolly, this episode featured the story of Natasha Stott Despoja, the youngest woman ever elected to Federal Parliament at 27 years old. It explored her ideals and how she navigated a Parliament dominated by middle-aged men, bound by tradition and convention. The episode included candid insights from Stott Despoja's mother, Shirley, a social justice campaigner, her brother Luke, and her journalist boyfriend, Mark Ludlow.
"The Mouse That Roared"
Presented by Kylie Minogue, this episode told the story of Perth publisher Andrea Horwood, who overcame her extreme shyness as a young girl to create the magazine "Australian Style," which reached New York and London, exporting Australian ideas and culture to the world.
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Australian Story's impact and legacy
Australian Story is a weekly half-hour program that airs on Mondays at 8 pm (AEST) on ABC Television. It is a national current affairs and documentary-style television series produced by the ABC News and Current Affairs Department. The program first aired on 29 May 1996 and has since profiled various Australian people, both celebrities and ordinary individuals with interesting stories. The series has an intimate approach to storytelling, filming its subjects in their respective homes or workplaces and including footage and confessionals from family and friends.
Australian Story has received both praise and criticism for its hybrid format. The series has been recognised with multiple awards, including Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism and four consecutive Logie Awards from 2003 to 2006. It has attracted a large audience, with over one million viewers tuning in each week as of 2013. This success is attributed to its unique format and personal storytelling style, which presents newsworthy stories without the presence of an onscreen reporter, allowing subjects to tell their stories in their own words.
The impact and legacy of Australian Story lie in its ability to showcase diverse Australian stories and its influence on reality television and visual storytelling. The series has covered over 800 stories in 20 years, ranging from high-profile cases like the Ivan Milat serial killer investigation and Scott Rush's trial for heroin smuggling to the personal journeys of notable figures like Bharat Sundaresan's battle with addiction and his journey of self-acceptance.
In addition to its impact on viewers, Australian Story has influenced the television industry, particularly in its approach to visual storytelling. The series has been credited with pioneering a style that would later dominate social media. In particular, the 1997 documentary competition Race Around the World, featured on Australian Story, showcased the work of eight young filmmakers armed with new digital camera technology. This innovative style of visual self-documentation influenced the rise of influencer culture and the proliferation of similar content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Australian Story's legacy is its enduring popularity and impact on both viewers and the television industry. By presenting authentic and diverse Australian stories, the series has left a lasting mark on reality television and visual storytelling, shaping the media landscape in Australia and beyond.
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Frequently asked questions
Australian Story is a national weekly current affairs and documentary-style television series broadcast on ABC Television.
Australian Story is rated highly by viewers and critics alike. It has won multiple awards, including Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism and Logie Awards. It has also been criticised for its ambiguous genre.
Each episode of Australian Story focuses on a single story, typically profiling an Australian with a diverse background or notable reputation.
Australian Story is a weekly half-hour program that airs on Mondays at 8 pm (AEST).
