Ray Martin hosts First Contact on SBS
Journalist Ray Martin will be the host of upcoming TV series First Contact which will see a group of six non-Indigenous Australians with strong opinions about Indigenous people immersed them into Aboriginal Australia for the first time.
The announcement:
First Contact is a major SBS television event hosted by legendary journalist Ray Martin.
Martin takes a group of six non-Indigenous Australians with strong opinions about Indigenous people and immerses them into Aboriginal Australia for the first time.
The six – Jasmine, Bo-dene, Trent, Alice, Sandy and Marcus – are tested in extraordinary situations, their beliefs are confronted and their emotions pushed to the limit.
Reconciliation Australia Research* shows that more than six out of 10 people who call Australia home have had little or no contact with the nation’s first people. This group represents that six out of 10.
Broadcast simultaneously on SBS ONE and NITV over three consecutive nights, First Contact is a dramatic three-part documentary series that is sure to promote debate and discussion.
SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said: “SBS is incredibly proud of First Contact. It is the sort of series you simply wouldn’t see made by any other Australian television network and goes to the heart of our Charter in exploring the diversity of our nation and delving deeper into the issues that shape who we are.”
SBS Director of Television Tony Iffland said:
“Following on from the great successes we’ve had with First Australians, Go Back To Where You Came From, and Once Upon A Time In Cabramatta, First Contact is the latest provocative program in SBS’s history of bringing Australian audiences programs which contribute meaningfully to the conversation about what it means to be Australian today.
“We are excited to be working together with our national Indigenous broadcaster, NITV, to further widen the discussion of these important issues.
“The six participants are hosted by Indigenous families right across Australia and will have their preconceptions and views challenged. The journey is at times testing, but also incredibly heart-warming. Underneath it all lies an exploration of the divide that still exists between Aboriginal Australians and the rest of the nation.”
First Contact will reveal Aboriginal Australia – its beauty, culture, history and tradition, its problems and its hope.
Produced by Blackfella Films (Redfern Now, Mabo), First Contact will broadcast over three big nights – Tuesday 18 November, Wednesday 19 November and Thursday 20 November – simulcast each night at 8.30pm on SBS ONE and NITV, and replayed at 9.30pm on SBS 2.
To celebrate this major network event, both SBS ONE and NITV have commissioned complementary Insight and Awaken specials hosted by Stan Grant.
SBS ONE will broadcast the special live Insight episode following the final episode of First Contact at 9.30pm on Thursday 20 November, reuniting the six participants after their life changing journey.
NITV will broadcast two Awaken specials on November 18 and 19 at 9.30pm, offering a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding the divide between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people.’
The three big nights of First Contact begin 8.30pm Tuesday 18 November followed by episode 2 at 8.30pm on Wednesday 19 November, and concluding at 8.30pm on Thursday 20 November – broadcast simultaneously each night on SBS ONE and NITV, and replayed at 9.30pm on SBS 2.
Source: SBS media release
It was a good test how we feel towards the aboriginal people the equality and quality of living which I learnt .but I was very distraught and very upset seeing the turtle how it was killed tortured and suffered the pain u was in tears. I hope they should stop killing them. How beautiful the creatures being so happy in the water. I am very fond of turtle since I was very young age. It was so upsetting when I saw it. That’s the only thing I criticized part of your program. Why did u have to show on air . am really disturb.
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Well i ate to say, our aboriginal people was brought up on this land to hunt for there own tucker and that’s y some of our people r health and wise and have a big heart of gold,
Group of us watch the show and it touch our hearts. and brought a tear to our eye, so there must be some sort of
Connection with us aboriginal people and the land,
we like tp thank nitv, ray martin, non-indigenous people for taking their time out to learn about our culture,
About time our culture comes alive.
Thank you’s for a show.
participated in the show, coz they have a heart of gold to take their time out and learn how aboriginal
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Firstly- NITV is THE best station for its real and so educational, secondly really enjoying this series and the first people dealing with such fools ( as the racist Australians ) with such understanding and empathy cause none of those racist Australians would ever be welcome at my house, I simply do not have the patients for disgraceful uneducated fools such as these racist so-called Australians. Also – about the turtle kill – this was not torture, counted to three and it was all over for the turtle & what a good feed it would had been, far better then any animal from the local supermarket ! Those racists should have coughed up some $ to pay there way 4 food and shelter, they are free loaders!! The lady said it best to “boe” – she is selfish and so were the others attempting to insult Aboriginal people, how heedless is the racist , the racists are meant to be adults and obviously all had a questionable upbringing. Oh and another thing – the socalled Australian government oughta finance these communities for housing and so the kids can continue to go to school without preassure on those schools and there familes and Aboriginal language should be taught in every school and stop locking Aboriginal people up in jails – for that is a far worse crime then what most people are doing!! Respect Aboriginal Land and Aboriginal culture
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