Australian Story - Season 25

A cyclist found dead on a country road with very few clues as to who hit him. Against all odds, two country cops track down the driver, only to discover he is connected to another death.

Concluding the two-part story about one man who has killed two people. The man was convicted of killing a cyclist on a lonely road but is still to face charges relating to the shotgun death of his wife six years earlier.

When Marlion Pickett took to the field in the 2019 AFL Grand Final, it set the scene for one of the most heart-warming moments in sporting history. Follow the father of four's journey from three years in jail to AFL debut.

The journalist and comedian paying a high price for dissent. Vicky Xu is an outspoken critic of China whose pursuit of stories about human rights and the mass detention of Uyghurs means she doesn't feel safe to return home.

Shane Jenek is the man behind drag queen superstar Courtney Act. It hasn't always been easy for Shane reconciling himself with Courtney's popularity but together they're conquering the world via reality television.

Three sisters from Melbourne's insular Jewish Adass community return to Israel to investigate why it's taking so long to extradite their former headmistress Malka Leifer back to Australia to face sex abuse charges.

As Australia faces an unprecedented pandemic, we track the experience of five Australians on five different days: a choirmaster, an intensivist, a scientist, a psychiatrist, and a school principal - each has had a unique response to the crisis.

The touching friendship between jazz musician James Morrison and his long-term mentor Don Burrows, who passed away on the 12th of March 2020 after a long battle with dementia.

Two elders from Cape York entrusted Victor Steffensen with the ancient knowledge of cultural burning. Could this method of fire management used by generations of Indigenous people be the answer to Australia's bushfire threat?

Actor Sam Neill is a Kiwi but has done much of his best work in Australia. He talks life, love and his other grand obsession: making wine.

During the worst bushfire season in Australia's history, NSW fire chief Shane Fitzsimmons stood out. A rebellious child with a troubled background Shane's personal loss and resilience have made him a truly outstanding leader.

When Tim Sharp was three, his mother Judy was told he had severe autism and should be put in an institution. Now at 32 Tim is an artist whose work is exhibited around the world. The epic tale of a mother's love and devotion.

John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver, better known as Rampaging Roy Slaven and HG Nelson, provide a rare insight into the special chemistry behind their enduring comedy act.
 

From his carport-turned-studio in Melbourne, Adam Hills introduces 3 stories about the novel, positive and hilarious ways performers have found to keep themselves working and entertained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

* Well-known actors Lucy Durack, Wayne Hope, Robyn Butler and Eddie Perfect got together and created an isolation rom-com in 17 days.

* Country music star Beccy Cole and wife Libby O'Donovan have come up with a unique way to keep up live performances without breaching restrictions.

* And a story that has to be seen to be believed: the fake Russian choir "Dustyesky" from Mullumbimby has become a viral sensation in Russia during the pandemic.

For the first time on TV, an in-depth look at how Australia survived the influenza pandemic of 1918. Long-forgotten archival material not only provides a unique insight but shows uncanny parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nathan Cavaleri was seven years old when he found international fame as a prodigy on the blues guitar. Now at 38, he talks about the childhood stardom that both inspired and haunted him.

Actor Joel Edgerton gives a candid account of the challenges he's faced on his long road to Hollywood success and how his family helped him stay true to himself. (Part 1 of 2)

In Part 2 of this candid account of the actor and filmmaker's 25-year career, we focus on Joel Edgerton's rise to the top, the anxiety attacks he now grapples with, his charity work and making sense of 'a selfish life'.

Rugby league legend Greg Inglis reveals the real story behind his mental health struggles and how he turned his life around.

The inside story of the campaign to solve an enduring crime mystery. The body of Scott Johnson was found at the bottom of a cliff in 1988. Police decided it was suicide but his brother was convinced it was a gay hate murder.

After nearly seven years in limbo on Manus Island, an audacious plan was hatched to get Kurdish refugee Behrouz Boochani to freedom in New Zealand.

When Jamie Pultz left the police, there was one case he couldn't drop: the suspicious death of young Queensland mum Kirra McLoughlin. His podcast investigation turned up some startling discoveries. (Part 1 of 2)

Kirra, 27, had been with her new partner for less than a year when she died and Jamie believed there was a lot about his story that didn't add up. When nobody was charged over the mother-of-four's death, he joined forces with Kirra's mother to discover some surprising new leads. The wheels of justice finally started turning last month when a coronial inquest began.

When drought almost sent him broke, fifth generation Cooma sheep farmer Charles Massy converted to regenerative agriculture to heal his land. A PhD led to a book and now he's the 'philosopher king' of a growing movement.

Introduced by ABC Chair and journalist Ita Buttrose

The Aunty Jack Show burst onto our TV screens in the early 1970s, revolutionising Australian comedy with its surreal and outlandish sketches.

One of its stars was Rory O'Donoghue, best known as Thin Arthur, who sang the show's hit song Farewell Aunty Jack and dazzled audiences with his musical talent.

A gifted composer and performer, he played the role of Peter in the hit musical Jesus Christ Superstar, worked alongside Aunty Jack creator Grahame Bond in a host of stage productions, and wrote the theme music for shows like Bush Tucker Man.

Whilst hugely popular, behind the scenes Rory O'Donoghue lived with a crippling secret. Now family and close friends are ready to share his story in the hope of triggering a vital conversation.

Di McDonald was told Max Gardiner was 'a good catch'. But when she ended their months-long relationship, he terrorised her for years. Determined not to let him break her, Di recounts the exclusive story of how she brought her stalker to justice.

Desperate and alone in her 3-year battle against an obsessive stalker, Di McDonald meets young policewoman Beck Norris who takes on the case. Norris enlists the FBI profiler who caught the Unabomber. Can they finally bring Di's stalker to justice?

Quaden is a nine-year-old with dwarfism who just wants to fit in. When his Mum posted a video to social media of Quaden distraught after a tough day at school they could not have predicted what would unfold. They reveal how they triumphed over the trolls.

Singer Megan Washington went public with a 'shameful' secret six years ago and then stopped making music. In this update she describes the long road back to a new album and why the best art happens out of your comfort zone.

An outback town, a newspaper in trouble and an unlikely saviour. Broken Hill is fighting to keep its century-old newspaper alive but can the Barrier Truth's owners and loyal community steer it through its toughest time yet

Serial killer Bradley Edwards hid in plain sight for nearly 25 years. Australian Story reveals the extraordinary twists and turns that led to police cracking the case and revisits the families of two of his victims.

On Christmas Day two years ago Mick O'Dowd was feeling unwell. 24 hours later he was battling for his life. The life-affirming story of Mick and Katharine O'Dowd and the silent killer most people have never heard of.

In the season finale, Australian Story meets an 81-year-old inventor who's saved the lives of hundreds of premmie babies and checks in with the hilarious Dustyesky 'fake Russian' choir for a special Christmas performance.