60 Minutes Australia
Season 2015
Australian version of the long-running news-magazine show.
Where to Watch 60 Minutes Australia • Season 2015
39 Episodes
- The Siege SurvivorsE1
The Siege SurvivorsThe Siege Survivors On Monday, December 15, 2014, gunman Man Monis took control of the Lindt Café in Martin Place, Sydney, holding 18 people hostage. Next Sunday on Channel Nine, a 60 Minutes special report will tell the whole story of what happened inside the café, according to the hostages who saw it all. Eight of the survivors have told their story to Liz Hayes, and for the first time they reveal their detailed and harrowing accounts of the terrifying ordeal, and how they fought for their survival. They include: Paolo Vassallo, 36, father of two Lindt Café Kitchen Supervisor Paolo started work at the Lindt Café in the same week as Tori Johnson in October 2012. They were close friends. That morning his two children (one three, one six months old) and his wife were still asleep when he left for work, and he didn’t get to say goodbye. That would play on Paolo’s mind as he struggled with his decision to make a run for it. When John O’Brien and Stefan Balafoutis escaped out the front door, Paolo took his chance. Harriette Denny, 30, secretly pregnant Lindt Café Barista Harriette would arrive for work every morning half an hour early to have coffee with Tori before preparing to open the café. She is the mother hen of the café workers, who was also 14 weeks pregnant. Only one other person in the café knew Harriette was carrying a child. Joel Herat, 21, student Café Worker Joel was running late for work that day. He was in the kitchen when Monis took control of the café, and was passed a knife and scissors by Jarrod Morton-Hoffman and told “we might need these”. Joel would facilitate hostage videos being uploaded to YouTube and social media. Jarrod Morton-Hoffman, 19, student Café Worker Despite having worked at the café for 10 months it was Jarrod’s first ever morning shift. Jarrod would prove to be the crucial link between police negotiators and Monis, repeatedly calming him down through the course of the day and eve - Great White Menace/Wild Reece/Siege SurvivorsE2
Great White Menace/Wild Reece/Siege SurvivorsGreat White Menace Sean Pollard has a remarkable tale to tell. On October 2 last year he was attacked by a Great White Shark at a remote surfing spot near Esperance in Western Australia. The shark charged at Sean three times, taking a big chunk out his board, then his legs, and finally biting off both of his arms. Just when Sean thought he was gone, he managed to tear himself free, only to get hit from behind by a second Great White. It’s the first known attack of its kind – anywhere in the world. Unbelievably, Sean’s will to live overpowered his pain, shock and loss of blood. He kicked like crazy until catching the wave of his life, backwards and upside down, to get away from the sharks. But he was still 50 metres from shore, at one of Australia’s most remote beaches, and 700km from the life-saving surgery he needed. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, Sean tells Michael Usher his extraordinary story of survival and good luck, and thanks the inspiring locals who helped save him. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Garry McNab Wild Reese To be a Hollywood veteran before you turn 40 is no mean feat, but then Reese Witherspoon did start making movies when she was just 14. By 29 she had won an Oscar, but despite all her wealth and success she couldn’t land the roles she wanted. Her career was floundering. So Reese took matters into her own hands and started making films herself. She has produced two of the standout films this summer, Gone Girl and Wild, in which she also plays the lead role. Her resurgence started with an Australian business partner and their shared desire to make movies about strong women. In this raw and emotional interview, Reese Witherspoon goes back to her childhood home, her high school, and opens up about her mother, grandmother and her own personal pain. Reporter: Charlie Rose CBS 60 Minutes Siege Survivors Last Sunday, Australia was in awe and overcome by the bravery and strength of the survivors of the Lindt Café Siege, esp - The Ebola Saint/American Sniper/Happy GilmoreE3
The Ebola Saint/American Sniper/Happy GilmoreThe Ebola Saint It’s the violent and deadly virus that is threatening the population of West Africa and has the rest of the world extremely scared. Already more than 23,000 people have been infected and 9000 have died from ebola. This week on 60 Minutes, Michael Usher goes to the epicentre of the crisis in Sierra Leone, seeing firsthand the devastation facing those struck down by the virus. It’s a lonely and awful death. Caring for the victims is a very special Australian volunteer nurse who is on her third trip to the ebola death zone in 12 months. Every day, Anne Carey and her brave colleagues risk their lives to give hope and comfort to the sick and dying. The frontline battle against this highly contagious virus is terrifying and desperately sad, but Anne’s selflessness and compassion shines like a beacon. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Phil Goyen American Sniper As movie stars go, Bradley Cooper would have to be Hollywood’s brightest. And after his compelling performance in American Sniper he has received his third Oscar nomination in as many years, a feat that puts him alongside Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson and Spencer Tracy. The 87th Academy Awards will be presented this weekend and this 40-year-old bachelor will be taking his mum along as his date. Now, as he sits down with 60 Minutes America, Cooper reveals why he is so much more than a movie star – in fact he’s just traded Hollywood for Broadway. Reporter: Steve Kroft Producer: CBS 60 Minutes Happy Gilmore On a surfboard Stephanie Gilmore is poetry in motion. A stunning combination of beauty, grace, and skill. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. When a brutal assault rocked Steph’s world, some feared her competitive days were over. In a raw and honest interview she recounts the attack to Karl Stefanovic and reveals the deep impact it has had on her life. She also takes Karl on her rigorous training regime and shows off her ultra-competitive streak on the golf co - ANZAC - The Lost StoriesE4
ANZAC - The Lost StoriesIt has been a century since our diggers landed on that godforsaken shore in Turkey and after all those years, memories, books and films, you might think we know everything there is to know about Gallipoli. Well, we don’t – far from it. Across Australia, in dusty forgotten boxes, hidden gems are finding the light of day – long-lost stories of unsung heroes and family secrets. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, the untold stories that will change the lives of four Australian families: · The boy soldier, Jack Harris – our youngest soldier to fight and die at Gallipoli. · The kindergarten mates who stumbled across each other on the battlefield, one saving the other’s life. Their story was secret until a life changing meeting by their descendants nearly 100 years later. · The secret diaries of an Australian nurse, and how their chance discovery leads her grandson to meet his family for the first time a century on. · The Aussie surgeon who incredibly fought for both the Turks – and the Australians. These are the unknown stories of Australian sacrifice, service and mateship – the amazing lost stories of ANZAC. - Catching a Monster/Saving David Warner/Bikini AtollE5
Catching a Monster/Saving David Warner/Bikini AtollCatching a Monster He’s considered Australia’s worst paedophile, and for four years Peter Scully was on the run. He thought by hiding out in a remote corner of the Philippines he was beyond the reach of the law. But Scully was wrong. In this exclusive report, 60 Minutes has been given unprecedented access to the international investigation for this terrifying criminal. Joining the Australian Federal Police and special agents in the Philippines on their global manhunt, our cameras were there when Scully was finally caught. Now, behind bars, and facing multiple charges, Tara Brown comes face to face with our country’s most depraved predator. What he has to say for himself will leave you stunned. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau Saving David Warner David Warner is Australia’s most polarising cricketer. As a child growing up in a housing commission estate, Warner dreamed of playing for his country, but just 18 months after smashing his way into the Australian side he almost threw it all away. This Sunday on 60 Minutes he takes Peter Overton back to where it all began and opens up about the two girls in his life – fiancée Candice Falzon and their baby daughter Ivy Mae. He talks candidly about the punch-ups, the twitter tirades, the on-field sledging, and the woman he credits with saving him. Reporter: Peter Overton Producer: Garry McNab Bikini Atoll Bikini Atoll is a paradise lost. This tiny spec in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is beautiful beyond belief, with turquoise waters, luscious fertile lands and incredible sea life. But for 12 years it was the site of the world’s worst ever nuclear testing regime. Now, more than 60 years on, Bikini is once again a Garden of Eden, but just like the biblical garden, its fruits are forbidden. Everything there is contaminated and the island is a ghost town. Allison Langdon journeys back in time to this ancient atoll and dives deep on the seabed where both untold, and unsettling, t - Jihad Jake/Martin’s Miracle/Who Shot The Red Baron?E6
Jihad Jake/Martin’s Miracle/Who Shot The Red Baron?Jihad Jake A week ago Melbourne teenager Jake Bilardi drove a van laden with explosives into Iraqi troops on a failed suicide bombing mission. He was acting under his assumed name, Abu Abdullah al-Australi. Only a year earlier Jake was a normal Australian kid studying for his Year 12 exams. The youngest of six children, he was brought up an atheist. So how did a suburban kid end up as the new face of radicalisation and martyrdom? It’s a story as non-descript as it is frightening. Reporter: Michael Usher Producers: Ali Smith, Stephen Rice Martin’s Miracle Martin Pistorius was a bright, fun-loving, happy young boy when a mystery illness stole his life away. Martin fell into a virtual coma and lost his intelligence, his memory and his ability to function. Four years later he slowly started coming back to life, but had no way of telling anyone. For six more painful years he could see and hear everything, but no one knew he was “there”. Then one miraculous day, a relief nurse saw that behind Martin’s eyes was an incredibly bright brain at work. With her help Martin proved his awakening and began his inspiring journey back to life. Now he has finished school, university, moved countries, and has a successful career. He has also discovered something much more elusive, which he never thought he’d experience – Martin has found true love. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau, Gareth Harvey Who Shot The Red Baron? It is one of the Great War’s unsolved mysteries. Who shot down the famous Red Baron? German pilot Manfred von Richthofen was renowned for his daring aerial manoeuvres and precision aim. He shot down more allied planes than any other pilot and had 80 confirmed kills to his name. The red flash of his fighter plane would strike fear into enemy pilots, but in April 1918, as the war was nearing its end, von Richthofen faltered and chased a plane across enemy lines. Canadian pilot Roy Brown intercepted him, fired his gun - Serial Murder: Major Investigation/Finding Cobber/Life on MarsE7
Serial Murder: Major Investigation/Finding Cobber/Life on MarsSerial Murder: Major Investigation A child abducted. Then another. And another. Three Aussie kids missing. All from the same street. All within five months. Then, a child’s remains found. And again. And again. All in the same bushland. A serial killer is at large. But no one is brought to justice. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, a major investigation into a 25-year-old cold case. 60 Minutes will reveal fresh evidence, and speak to a new witness. Reporter Michael Usher tracks down the man police believe is the prime suspect. Is he the serial killer? Reporter: Michael Usher Producers: Nick Greenaway, Grace Tobin Finding Cobber In 2008, after years of searching, Lambis Englezos found the lost diggers of Fromelles: more than 200 Australian soldiers who were hastily buried in a mass grave during the First World War. Despite government and bureaucratic resistance, Lambis proved the bodies were there. Subsequently the diggers were exhumed, given proper burials, and many finally identified, to the great comfort of their families. Now Lambis has done it again. For the past four years he’s honed in on what he believes is the mass grave of 143 Australian soldiers on the Gallipoli peninsula. And you won’t believe it, but once again our government is turning its back. Reporter: Peter Stefanovic Producer: Stephen Taylor Life on Mars Are we alone in the universe? Or is there life out there? This question has long plagued mankind. NASA’s rovers, Spirit and Curiosity, have come very close to finding an answer, discovering evidence of water on Mars, but the search for life goes on. Now NASA is gearing up for the next rover mission, and an Australian will play a crucial role in this quest for extra-terrestrial beings. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen - Farmers Fight Back/Italian Sisters/IceE8
Farmers Fight Back/Italian Sisters/IceFarmers Fight Back Imagine being kicked out of your own home with no warning. The locks changed. All your treasured belongings and memories trapped inside. That’s what is happening to thousands of families across the country as the big banks threaten and bully them into submission. If it was happening in our capital cities there’d be a national outcry, but these evictions are happening in rural areas, away from the public glare. Until now. This Sunday, 60 Minutes will expose the sneaky tactics of our biggest banks as they kick farmers off their land, and families out of their homes. Our cameras capture the moment the receivers move in, and even threaten a farmer with the Tactical Response Group. But these farmers and their families aren’t gonna take it anymore. Reporter Michael Usher is there as they storm back onto their properties, confront the new owners, and have a showdown with police. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Grace Tobin, Stephen Rice Italian Sisters It is the biggest international child abduction case in living memory. An Australian mother kidnaps her four daughters from their father in Italy, claiming he is an abusive monster. The Australian Embassy in Rome illegally assists in smuggling the girls to Australia. Two years later the four sisters are dragged kicking and screaming back to their father in Italy. They were hysterical and confronting scenes we wouldn’t forget easily. 60 Minutes first exposed the mother’s con, the father’s heartache and our embassy’s unforgivable role in 2012. Now, three years on, for the first time in an exclusive interview with Tara Brown, the girls have their say. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Gareth Harvey Ice Crystal meth, or ice, is the perfect destructive drug. It’s easy to make, cheap to buy, highly addictive, and it’s everywhere. Now the Prime Minister has commissioned a new taskforce to tackle this national crisis. And you don’t need to touch ice to be its victim. It’s int - Jessica Silva/Public v Private/Sam SmithE9
Jessica Silva/Public v Private/Sam SmithJessica Silva On Mother’s Day 2012, 23-year-old Jessica Silva stabbed and killed her partner, the father of her young son. Last month she walked free from court, despite being convicted of manslaughter. Now for the first time Jessica tells her tragic tale of survival. She was the victim of domestic abuse, suffering years of verbal and physical attacks by her partner, James Polkinghorne. On that fateful night, Jessica made a split-second decision to save herself and her family. In this 60 Minutes exclusive, Jessica opens up about her life with Polkinghorne and recounts what happened the night that ended in his death. And she makes a nerve-wracking trip to see his father to seek his forgiveness. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Laura Sparkes Public v Private It’s one of the most anxious questions facing parents – which school will give my child the best start in life? The great public-versus-private debate has raged for years. Will the local high school suffice, or do you need to pay big bucks for a private education? Independent schools might offer smart uniforms, high-tech gyms and advanced facilities, but is it worth the ever-increasing fees? A child born today will cost more than half a million dollars to put though private school. Are parents getting their money’s worth? Reporter Tara Brown speaks to families, educators and experts on both sides of the debate to uncover the truth about secondary education. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau Sam Smith He is arguably the biggest name in music at the moment. Sam Smith cleaned up at this year’s Grammy Awards and is now a global superstar. Such is his success that it is hard to believe that just two years ago he was serving beers and cleaning toilets at a London pub. 60 Minutes travels with Sam back to where he wrote his debut hit album, Lonely Hour, and to the tiny church where he first performed for family and friends. Sam opens up to Allison Langdon about his sexuality, - Grand Canyoning/Wesley’s HomecomingE11
Grand Canyoning/Wesley’s HomecomingGrand Canyoning Grandparents Glenn Singleman and Heather Swan have a job that is as far from normal as most could imagine. A typical day sees them strapping themselves into wingsuits to soar like birds, defying death and gravity. The last time Liz Hayes was with the pair, Glenn’s attempt to fly from a hot air balloon at 37,000 feet almost ended in disaster. Three years later and not discouraged, Glenn and Heather have been planning their greatest wingsuit challenge ever: to fly across the Grand Canyon. To most it looks impossible, but “impossible” just doesn’t cut it with this high- flying duo. Everything seems to be going smoothly, until landing. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Stephen Rice Wesley’s Homecoming It is one of the most heartbreaking decisions any mother should have to make: give up your son in order to save his life. That’s what Wesley Koni’s mother did after he was horrifically burned inside the family’s grass-hut home in the rugged and remote highlands of Papua New Guinea. It was 1993 and Wesley was just a toddler. The right side of his face, arms and chest fused into an indescribable mess of skin and scar tissue. Wesley was brought to Australia for lifesaving treatment, but the weeks would turn into months, with one surgery after another, and 22 years later he’s had 30 major operations. Now Wesley is heading home to see his mum. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producer: Stephen Taylor - MH17: Special Investigation/A Wife Basher/Standing TallE12
MH17: Special Investigation/A Wife Basher/Standing TallMH17: Special Investigation It is one of the most shocking war crimes of modern times. A passenger jet shot out of the sky, killing 298 people, 38 of them Australian. The images of the wreckage and debris of Flight MH17 strewn across the fields of Ukraine are seared into our memory. Australia’s leaders vowed to hunt down the killers, but nine months on no one has been held to account. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, reporter Michael Usher travels deep into Russian-controlled, eastern Ukraine to conduct a forensic investigation, painstakingly piecing together the evidence that leads to the very spot from where the missile was fired, finally revealing the proof about who shot down MH17. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Stephen Rice A Wife Basher Australia is facing a hidden crime wave. Domestic violence. One Australian woman is being killed every week, and those who survive are left with the most horrible physical and psychological scars. As a community we’ve only scratched the surface of the shame and secrecy surrounding this vile scourge. Some brave women have found the strength to speak out about their abuse, but too often the gutless perpetrators of domestic violence, either kill themselves or run a mile, before they can be held to account. Not this Sunday. Tara Brown sits down face to face with a wife basher. Reporter: Tara Brown Producers: Gareth Harvey, Grace Tobin Standing Tall The beautiful little kids in this story are just like yours and mine, but for one faulty gene. They’re the one in 20,000, for who statistics on dwarfism become a reality. The impact, is life-long, but now a team of Australian researchers is on the verge of a revolutionary new treatment for the most common form of dwarfism: achondroplasia. It’s a drug that actually grows the bones of children with the condition, and for the first time these kids have a chance of a life of standing tall. In this heart-warming story Karl Stefanovic meets two very special families, an - The Paedophile Hunter/The Missing Hour/North KoreaE13
The Paedophile Hunter/The Missing Hour/North KoreaThe Paedophile Hunter How would you know if your children are being groomed online? Preying on kids has exploded in the digital age as social media makes targeting victims chillingly easy for paedophiles. Their false identities and shifting online profiles mean police face an almost impossible task to catch them. The statistics are frightening. But now vigilantes are using the paedophiles’ own techniques against them. Leading the chase are people like Stinson Hunter, the Paedophile Hunter. This Sunday, Allison Langdon joins Stinson on the hunt for paedophiles and while the ethics are questionable, the results are undeniable. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Steven Burling The Missing Hour 12 people died in Grantham, Queensland when devastating floods tore through the town in January 2011. Dozens more people clung to their roofs, or were swept away before being rescued by helicopter. Locals have always maintained that a wall of water, which they describe as a monster, hit them with devastating impact and no warning. The only thing that could have caused that wall of water, was the collapse of a quarry wall, owned by one of Australia’s wealthiest families. But no one has believed the locals, and they were ignored by the first commission of inquiry. This Sunday, reporter Michael Usher goes back to Grantham and 60 Minutes will reveal the key evidence towards solving the mystery of this catastrophic event. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Jo Townsend North Korea North Korea is the world’s last belligerent stronghold for old-style communism. Led by Kim Jong-un, it remains a secretive and seemingly trigger-happy regime that makes it next to impossible for western media outlets to visit. Nine News Europe Correspondent Tom Steinfort was invited inside North Korea for a rare state guided tour of this bizarre state. He was tracked, watched, and likely listened to, as he was given the propaganda tour, and introduced to dozens of “happy” North Ko - My Brother’s Face/What’s the Buzz?E14
My Brother’s Face/What’s the Buzz?My Brother’s Face When Joshua Aversano was hit and killed in a car accident, his sister Rebekah and her family were asked an impossible question, to donate his face to save the life of another man. Incredibly, they said yes. As a result, Richard Norris is probably the greatest medical miracle in the world right now. His face, bones, teeth, tongue, skin and hair are another man’s – they belong to Joshua. Richard is the recipient of the world’s first full face transplant. This Sunday Richard, his family, and his new love tell their remarkable story to Allison Langdon. And after 3 years, Rebekah Aversano meets Richard for the first time – the man who now wears her brother’s face. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Laura Sparkes What’s the Buzz? Who would have thought that the humble honey bee could be driven to extinction? It may sound apocalyptic but, right now, bees are being pummelled by a perfect storm. Pesticides, loss of habitat and a rapacious mite are just some of the forces threatening the Australian honey bee’s very existence. It’s arguably the single greatest threat to our ability to feed ourselves. Without bees, there’s no pollination, no life, no food. The stakes could not be higher. This Sunday Charles Wooley traverses Australia to meet a ferocious army of committed bee keepers and scientists on the war-path to save the precious bee. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau - Cardinal Pell/Fatal Distraction/Unlocking AutismE15
Cardinal Pell/Fatal Distraction/Unlocking AutismCardinal Pell The Catholic Church is in crisis. The Bishops and Archbishops of Australia have put themselves on a collision course with the victims of child sexual abuse. Last Sunday, 60 Minutes broadcast an interview with Peter Saunders, the man handpicked by Pope Francis to sit on the new Pontifical Commission into the Protection of Minors. His comments about Cardinal George Pell rocked the Vatican and triggered a backlash from the leaders of the Catholic Church in Australia. This week, 60 Minutes will respond to Archbishop Denis Hart and the Archbishops of Australia who have closed ranks around Cardinal Pell. 60 Minutes will also reveal new insights into the way the Catholic Church responds to these matters, proving once again that their first priority is to protect the Church and not its victims. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Gareth Harvey Fatal Distraction They are intelligent, hard-working, upstanding parents who made one fatal mistake. They are responsible for the death of their own babies by leaving them in the car, usually on a hot day. Busy lives, a change to the daily routine, or being forgetful for just a moment – that is all it takes to cause tragedy and suffering that will stay with these parents for a lifetime. They have faced the most serious of charges, however experts say they are not criminals but victims, and it could happen to anyone. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Jo Townsend Unlocking Autism Autism affects a quarter of a million Australian families. For the children, their siblings and their parents, it can be an emotional battle every day, just to get through life. But a remarkable grandmother is performing musical miracles and unlocking autism in the suburbs of Melbourne. As reporter Tara Brown discovers, Daphne Proietto is finding a doorway into the world of autistic children, revealing the rich talents that hide inside them. For more than 15 years, these kids have been sitting down at Daphne’s piano to be set fre - To Walk Again/Secret Sugar/Just Ad DrogaE16
To Walk Again/Secret Sugar/Just Ad DrogaTo Walk Again When Dan Nicholls dove into the surf at Bondi Beach, he had no idea his swim would change medical history. You see, Dan hit a sandbank, and became a quadriplegic. Doctors told him he’d spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, with no use of his legs, and limited function of his arms and hands. They didn’t count on Dan’s dad, David. He made a promise to his son – to walk again. Over the next 12 years he raised millions of dollars for research and gave it to an eccentric British neuroscientist with the instructions to fix his son’s spinal chord. Up until now, a cure for paralysis has been deemed impossible. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, Dan and David will reveal the amazing results of their global quest, and you’ll see a world first – a once severed spinal chord, repaired completely, and a man once confined to a wheelchair – walking again. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Stephen Rice Secret Sugar It is the dietary villain of our time, a bittersweet ingredient lurking in our food. We have always known that too much sugar is bad for us, but the sweet stuff has been usually the preserve of soft drinks and chocolates. Not anymore. The amount of hidden sugar in our foods has grown to the point, where the average Australian is consuming between 30 and 40 teaspoons of sugar every day. What’s more startling is that many of the foods marketed as healthy are in fact chock-full of sugar. This Sunday 60 Minutes takes you inside the food laboratories where big food companies are spending millions of dollars searching for the “bliss point” in their food – the perfect ratio of sugar to get you hooked on just about anything. Reporter: Leila McKinnon Producer: Garry McNab Just Ad Droga You’ve probably never heard of David Droga but his reach and influence is vast. He’s the knockabout advertising guru who has taken on the world and won, making him one of the most powerful Australians on the planet. He’s the boy from Snowy Riv - Heroes of Ravenshoe/After the Blast/Switched at BirthE17
Heroes of Ravenshoe/After the Blast/Switched at BirthHeroes of Ravenshoe They say the true test of your character is what you do when no one is watching; how you respond in times of crisis. Ten days ago the people of Ravenshoe in Queensland showed they’re made of pretty extraordinary stuff. Devastation struck their town when an out-of-control ute hit a gas bottle, triggering an almighty explosion inside the Serves You Right café. A fireball engulfed the café, and people and debris were sent flying out the door. The first reaction of the locals was to put themselves in harm’s way. Some braved the flames and the gas to pull survivors from the wreckage, while others showed little regard for their own safety to free the unconscious driver. All the while, a second gas bottle with half a tonne of liquid gas threatened to go off. This is the story of a very special town, where the locals have looked each other in the eye and said, “You can count on me, mate.” Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Garry McNab After the Blast Australian soldiers Lieutenant Garth Callender and Trooper Matt Millhouse are as tough and courageous as each other. A roadside bomb exploded next to their armoured vehicle in Baghdad 11 years ago. While Garth suffered terrible injuries from the blast, he is fully recovered, a husband and father of three girls. For Matt the story is vastly different. Despite emerging from the blast without so much as a scratch, today he is an old man in a young man’s body. Matt’s brain is dying – he is the shadow of the soldier, husband and father he was just a few years ago. As Ross Coulthart investigates, there is a silent killer facing our soldiers and Matt is just the first of many who are going to suffer. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Steven Burling Switched at Birth It is the impossible choice that no mother should ever have to face: Surrender the child you have lovingly raised for the last four years, to take back the child you originally gave birth to. It’s an unimaginable d - Belle Gibson: The Whole Hoax/Negotiating with ISISE18
Belle Gibson: The Whole Hoax/Negotiating with ISISBelle Gibson: The Whole Hoax It was the lie that rocked Australia. A young, beautiful woman is given the terrible news she has inoperable brain cancer and only four months to live. Belle Gibson is courageous – she tries chemotherapy and radiotherapy before turning to alternative medicine to battle the disease. Thankfully it seems to work and she tells the world through social media, encouraging others to try the same. It’s a truly inspiring story. Hundreds of thousands of sympathetic followers and fellow sufferers live every step of her journey and celebrate her success as she becomes the poster girl for the alternative wellness industry. There’s an award-winning app, and a cookbook. But it is all a lie. Belle Gibson doesn’t have cancer – she never did. Until this day, Belle claims unscrupulous natural therapists duped her into believing she was dying, but this Sunday 60 Minutes will reveal the proof that this is a lie too – Belle Gibson is not a victim. She is a fraud. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Stephen Taylor Negotiating with ISIS Australians are renowned the world over as intrepid travellers. In fact last year alone we made more than nine million trips overseas. What if one of us were to be kidnapped and held hostage for a ransom? Should the Australian government pay up? Well don’t hold your breath. Like the United Kingdom and the United States, Australia refuses to negotiate with terrorists, but in Europe it’s a very different story. They do pay, and their citizens are released, largely unharmed and free to live a normal life. You might agree with Australia’s tough stance, but what if it was your loved one? Your mother or father, your daughter or son? Would you want our government to pay? Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen - Alex McKinnonE19
Alex McKinnonIn March last year, in a devastating split second, Alex McKinnon’s life changed forever. The 23-year-old National Rugby League player went from a supreme athlete on the cusp of greatness to a broken man, battling like never before just to stay alive. What upended Alex’s world was an illegal and sickening tackle. The Newcastle Knights player was dumped on his head during a match against the Melbourne Storm. He had no way of protecting himself. Alex was instantly paralysed and is now a quadriplegic. We demand toughness and brutality in our footy codes – in fact, the bigger the hits, the louder we cheer. But we never think injuries like this can happen. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, for the first time Alex McKinnon and the people closest to him share their remarkable story of how they’re using love to save his life. - Seeing is Believing/Race for Life/Charlie’s FightbackE20
Seeing is Believing/Race for Life/Charlie’s FightbackSeeing is Believing Sometimes you’ve just got to marvel at the brilliance of technology and the ingenuity of the minds behind it. In one of the greatest scientific advances ever, doctors and engineers have developed the bionic eye. Giving the miracle of sight to the blind is now a reality. Although the technology is in its early stages, it is already changing lives. People who have been completely blind for decades are now able to distinguish shapes, light and movement. This Sunday 60 Minutes is there as a bionic eye is switched on the first time, and a man who’s been blind for 30 years, gets to see his grandchildren for the first time. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Laura Sparkes Race for Life This Sunday, four Australian heroes will compete in the toughest amateur cycling race in the world. Alongside them will be comedian Hamish Blake, and Tour de France champion Cadel Evans. Together they’ll cycle the equivalent of eight vertical kilometres in three days, as they climb through the Italian Alps. These men and women bravely served their country in wars and other conflicts, but in doing so developed an awful condition which has no definitive treatment or cure. So perhaps even more bravely, they are now hoping to fight their way back, healing themselves by surviving one of the most demanding feats of endurance. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producers: Gareth Harvey, Ali Smith Charlie’s Fightback For 50 years Charlie Phillott and his family worked the land on Carisbrook Station in outback Queensland. They enjoyed the good seasons and endured the bad. They learnt to save when they could and spend when they had to, but they always kept the bank manager happy. That is until the ANZ came along. Overnight the bank crippled Charlie’s business and hounded him into financial oblivion. A year ago the Phillotts were forced to walk away from Carisbrook, bullied by the bank into leaving their home. But don’t think the bank has won, because Charlie Phillo - Special Investigation: Spies, Lords and Predators/The Cold RushE21
Special Investigation: Spies, Lords and Predators/The Cold RushSpecial Investigation: Spies, Lords and Predators It’s shaping up to be the biggest political scandal in Britain’s history. There is new evidence that some of the country’s most respected men were in fact depraved paedophiles. Leaders that were preying on children as young as eight and nine. Many of the kids were trafficked from state-run homes and other institutions to be abused by MPs, Lords, and spies. They were protected from on high by a secret code, and have never been held to account for their horrific crimes. This Sunday, 60 Minutes investigates the scandal and the cover up, speaks to the victims and the witnesses, and confronts a member of the notorious paedophile information exchange. Reporter Ross Coulthart also reveals how children were killed in order to protect this network of predators – and how the driver to the Australian High Commissioner could hold the key to blowing this case wide open. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Stephen Rice The Cold Rush At the very top of the world, a hot new business is booming in the freezing waters off Canada. The business is iceberg harvesting – and the cold rush is on. Fishermen turned cowboys are hunting, shooting and lassoing these giant blocks of ice before taking their catch to market. You see, these icebergs make water so pure it’s like nothing you have ever drunk. As Charles Wooley discovered, the vodka is pretty good too. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Phil Goyen - Screen Addicts/Matters of the Heart/Elon MuskE22
Screen Addicts/Matters of the Heart/Elon MuskScreen Addicts Investigates Internet Addiction Disorder. It's now a genuine psychological illness ruining lives and even changing the way our brains process information. Worse still, experts are seeing dangerous signs in toddlers. Matters of the Heart Spends time in Fiji with inspirational volunteers, Australian doctors and nurses who are saving the lives of dozens of Fijian kids. Elon Musk Meets Elon Musk an engineer and entrepreneur worth more than 15 billion dollars. His next venture is truly out of this world: the colonisation of Mars. - Mick Fanning: Back in the Water/Testing Times/Imran KhanE23
Mick Fanning: Back in the Water/Testing Times/Imran KhanMick Fanning: Back in the Water Speaks to Australian surfing legend Mick Fanning about the great white shark attack during a surfing contest, all captured on live television. Testing Times Looks at Europe's pill checking program and whether it should be implemented here in Australia. Increasingly more young lives are being lost to "party drugs". One such life was 17-year-old Gemma Thoms who died after taking ecstasy at the Perth Music Festival. Imran Khan Meets one of Pakistan's cricket greats Imran Khan. In the 20 years since his retirement from international sport, Imran's popularity has soared. But he has become what he said he never would - a politician, one who is now in line to become Pakistan's next prime minister. - MH370/Stop the Killing/Terry TerrificE24
MH370/Stop the Killing/Terry TerrificMH370 517 days ago Perth man Paul Weekes boarded flight MH370 to fly to Beijing. It was a routine flight on one of the world’s safest planes, yet he and the 238 other passengers and crew have not been heard from since. What happened to the jetliner that fateful night is now one the biggest aviation mysteries of all time. Was there a catastrophic mechanical failure? Was it an act of terrorism? Or did a suicidal pilot deliberately crash into the ocean? Despite an enormous search, it wasn’t until two weeks ago that a part of a plane’s wing was discovered on a beach on Reunion Island in the western Indian Ocean. That part has now been identified as being from the Malaysian Airlines plane. For Paul’s wife Danica and her two young sons Lincoln and Jack, it’s the final realisation that he’s never coming home. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Gareth Harvey Stop the Killing It is the most “unjust” law in the land. In some states, it is still possible for violent men to kill their wives or girlfriends and then use the unbelievable excuse that she provoked them, when just over the border the same crime would attract a murder charge. It is the archaic law of provocation, where a woman is blamed for her own death because she drove the man she loved to take her life, provoking them to kill. In court, murder charges are downgraded to manslaughter and prison sentences are drastically reduced, in some cases to just a few years. It’s as close to a licence to kill as there is, and it has to stop. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau Terry Terrific Terry Vo was just 10 years old when a seemingly harmless game of backyard basketball almost turned deadly. A devastating freak accident while attempting a slam dunk saw the hoop, backboard and part of a brick wall collapse on top of him, completely severing both his hands and left foot. Terry’s story and the skill of medical teams in saving his hands made headlines around the world. - Special Investigation: Bugged, Tracked, Robbed/The Wooley Mammoth/The Golden GirlE25
Special Investigation: Bugged, Tracked, Robbed/The Wooley Mammoth/The Golden GirlSpecial Investigation: Bugged, Tracked, Robbed It’s impossible to imagine life without smartphones. Everything about our lives can now be contained in the palm of our hand. Personal details, professional contacts, banking details, photos, medical data, it’s all there, so you’d expect your smartphone to be secure. But in this special investigation Ross Coulthart discovers, we are facing the biggest threat to our privacy that the world has ever seen. The sensitive data contained on our phones is in fact open for anyone to see. Anyone in the know can bug or track your phone, from anywhere in the world. It’s long been the dirty little secret of international espionage, but now, organised crime, commercial spies and potential terrorists are exploiting this security loophole for their own gain. How it’s done has never been revealed before. This Sunday in a world exclusive 60 Minutes goes inside the world of hackers and spies to expose just how vulnerable we all are. This is the end of privacy as we know it. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Stephen Rice The Wooley Mammoth Australia is in the midst of a raging obesity epidemic and as our waistlines get bigger and bigger, so is the incidence of heart disease and the risk of heart attack. Six months ago, reporter Charles Wooley had his own health scare, after heart scans revealed his arteries were clogging up. Charlie was ordered to lower his cholesterol and cut the carbs. In fact he went one step further – Charlie’s gone Paleo. He’s replaced potato with cauliflower, and beer with red wine. His journey of self-discovery has taken him around the world and back again, including a meeting with the founder of the Paleo diet. So is it all it’s stacked up to be? This Sunday on 60 Minutes – you be the judge. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producers: Jo Townsend, Phil Goyen The Golden Girl After the devastating Ashes loss, the Australian cricket team has been the target of the nation’s frustration - World Exclusive: Missing in Syria/Friends for Life/Cool to be CleverE26
World Exclusive: Missing in Syria/Friends for Life/Cool to be CleverWorld Exclusive: Missing in Syria The rise of ISIS has been shocking on so many fronts, not least because of the young Australians it recruits to carry out its horror. And so it was when Oliver Bridgeman was recently revealed as the latest convert to Islam, who went missing after he told his family he was going to Indonesia to do aid work. Then this Aussie teenager – rugby player and school captain – hit the headlines as our latest teen terrorist. So how did this blonde jihadi from country Queensland end up in Syria? And is he a terrorist? In this world exclusive 60 Minutes tracks down Oliver Bridgeman to find out what’s taken him to one of the most dangerous places on earth. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Gareth Harvey, Ali Smith Friends for Life When Australian teenager Doujon Zammit was murdered on holidays in Greece in 2008, his mother and father put aside their grief to donate his major organs. That selfless act saved the lives of four people, including Kostas Gribilas who received Doujon’s heart. It was a gift that would set these two families on a life journey like no other. Kostas and his fiancé Poppy since moved to Australia – around the corner from Doujon’s parents, Oliver and Rosemarie. They are now best friends – at their wedding Oliver was Doujon’s best man. And the best friends have been there through more heartbreak – this time together. On Sunday, reporter Liz Hayes tells this remarkable story of love, sacrifice, and loss and the friendship that has held them all together. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Howard Sacre Cool to be Clever Before you bemoan “the kids of today”, let 60 Minutes introduce you to 18-year-old Jack Andraka. Just a few short years ago, Jack was a bullied teenager – a self-confessed science nerd who had revealed he was gay. Then he lost a close family friend to the most unforgiving of diseases, pancreatic cancer. That’s when Jack had his Eureka moment and made a discovery that turned th - Charlie’s Victory/Dawn French/UnbeatableE27
Charlie’s Victory/Dawn French/UnbeatableCharlie’s Victory It’s been a long, hard fight. Charlie Phillott is the 81-year-old farmer from outback Queensland who took on the might of the ANZ Bank… and won. The bank forced his family off Carisbrooke Station, their property of 50 years. But the ANZ didn’t bargain on Charlie’s dignified determination. He certainly won’t be bullied. And, this week, the ANZ made the most extraordinary back-down. ANZ Chief Executive Mike Smith flew 2,000 kilometres from the bank’s Melbourne headquarters to personally apologise to Charlie. And that’s not all that happened during this extraordinary encounter. It’s the most dramatic development yet in the story that 60 Minutes has been following for much of this year: the desperate plight of farmers across Australia forced off their farms by the ANZ. Charlie’s win is a breakthrough. But there are lots of questions for the ANZ boss about how this all happened, and what now for the many other distressed farmers just like Charlie. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Grace Tobin Dawn French Dawn French is the roly-poly, rambunctious queen of UK comedy. We know her as one half of French and Saunders – perhaps the most successful British female comic act in history. She was the Vicar of Dibley for 13 straight series. And she’s a successful author and novelist to boot. Now Dawn French is coming to Australia with her one-woman show that sold out across the UK. But for all her public brashness, Dawn is a remarkably private person. Fame, she says, is “toxic” and she avoids it at all costs. So when Liz Hayes had the opportunity to spend some quiet time with her in the beautiful corner of southern England she calls home, it was an offer too good to refuse. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Gareth Harvey Unbeatable Julia Watson has an unbeatable spirit. And she needs it. The mother of four from Frankston in Victoria has incurable cancer, and has been given just months to live. She’s giving other cancer s - Special Investigation: Where is William?/Women of HartE28
Special Investigation: Where is William?/Women of HartSpecial Investigation: Where is William? One year ago a little boy vanished while he was playing in his grandmother’s backyard. One moment William Tyrrell, dressed in his favourite Spiderman suit, was playing games with his mum and sister, the next he was gone – as if he’d disappeared into thin air. Initial panic by his family slowly turned into the darkest of despair and a whole year later they are simply heartbroken. Who would take their vivacious, funny, innocent three-year-old boy? It’s a question that torments one of Australia’s toughest and most experienced detectives, who is heading the taskforce into William’s disappearance, and this Sunday 60 Minutes has unprecedented access to that investigation. For the first time William’s parents speak openly to reporter Michael Usher about their boy, in the hope that someone may have the courage to reveal information that will bring William home. Reporter: Michael Usher Producers: Laura Sparkes, Grace Tobin Women of Hart Jessica and Ashley Hart are the homegrown sisters who are our hottest catwalk exports. These days they call New York and Los Angeles home. It’s a long way from growing up with their single mum, Rae, in the suburbs of Melbourne. Their story is more than your typical rags-to-riches tale. The girls owe their success to their mother and the incredible sacrifice she made so they would always have each other. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producer: Steven Burling - Undercover in ChinaE29
Undercover in ChinaUndercover in China What you’ll see on 60 Minutes this Sunday will leave you gobsmacked. It’s Australia’s next drug crisis and experts say it will be larger and more devastating than the ice epidemic. Synthetic drugs are powerful, mind-altering chemicals, and they are killing Australian teenagers. They are designed to mimic the effects of cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana – some are 60 times more potent than LSD, but your first hit could be your last. No one knows the devastation of this clandestine world better than Perth dad, Rod Bridge, who lost his son Preston to a synthetic drug two years ago. Rod set out on a quest to discover where these killer drugs were coming from. In this special investigation, 60 Minutes follows Rod on his undercover mission that leads him all the way to the drug bosses of China. They are the biggest producers of the synthetic drugs which are flooding into Australia undetected on an unprecedented scale. Rod bravely wears a listening device and hidden cameras through several dangerous meetings with the drug bosses. It’s a rare glimpse into this sinister world. 60 Minutes will be offered at least 5 different types of synthetic drugs in various meetings for import to Australia. The drug dealers demonstrate how they pack the drugs to get past the Australian Border Force – in fact they think our Customs is a joke. The drug lords will offer 60 Minutes 200 kilos of one drug alone, and multiple quantities of other drugs. 60 Minutes will reveal how delivery is guaranteed within 7 days, and if not, you get your money back. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Stephen Rice - An Evil Betrayal/Special Report: Bombing ISIS/Cosmetic Versus PlasticE30
An Evil Betrayal/Special Report: Bombing ISIS/Cosmetic Versus PlasticAn Evil Betrayal Belinda van Krevil’s life reads like a rap sheet of horror. She’s been dubbed “Belinda Van Evil”, and for good reason. She ordered the execution of her father, and nearly stabbed to death the man she loved. She did it all in the name of her brother, Mark van Krevil – a serial killer who’s locked up for life. Just a few weeks ago Belinda was released from prison for the second time, surely her last chance at freedom. This Sunday she tells Allison Langdon that the community shouldn’t feel scared that she is back walking amongst us. But what happens when Belinda realises the ultimate betrayal? Will she be able to keep it together? Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau Special Report: Bombing ISIS Over 400 Australian men and women are currently fighting an air war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. None of them have spoken publicly until now. The Royal Australian Air Force has sent a squadron of jet fighters, along with mid-air refuelling aircraft and surveillance planes, to tackle the growing threat of Islamic State. While it may sound as though there is safety in being a few thousand feet above the enemy, this week Michael Usher learns that these brave air men and women face very real threats. In this exclusive report, 60 Minutes goes inside the cockpit with our courageous soldiers as they drop bombs to take out ISIS. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Howard Sacre Cosmetic Versus Plastic Cosmetic surgery is a billion-dollar industry in Australia. Per capita, we spend more on cosmetic procedures – breast augmentation, tummy tucks, nose jobs – than any other nation on earth. And make no mistake, it is an industry, one run mostly by entrepreneurs dubbed “cosmetic cowboys” by the medical profession. Unlike plastic surgeons, most of the thousands of cosmetic surgeons operating in Australia have no specialist surgical training. And most of their operations take place in what is basically an office. Mos - Five Little Heroes/Breaking Ice/Jane’s LegacyE31
Five Little Heroes/Breaking Ice/Jane’s LegacyFive Little Heroes This week on 60 Minutes we meet five extraordinary children. These young heroes saved their mother’s life – and their own – from an armed intruder. What makes this story even more heartbreaking, the armed intruder was their father. Every week in Australia one woman is killed by her partner. Domestic violence is a frightening scourge. Usually the stories we hear are told by women – their tales of survival and resilience. But we never hear from the children, the silent victims of family violence. This Sunday we see the story from the eyes of five incredibly courageous kids who saved their mother’s life. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Gareth Harvey, Grace Tobin Breaking Ice The ice epidemic is gripping Australia, and despite everything that has been said and written about the dangers that come with the drug, the crisis is only spreading. It seems impossible to stop, but there is hope for those lucky enough to get help. However, the severe shortage of rehabilitation places means only those who pay can get saved. The rest are forgotten – until they crash a car or murder an innocent victim. This Sunday 60 Minutes goes inside the rehab centres to see how lives and families are being saved. It’s a crucial development in this war on ice, because we’re all at risk and this war will take a lot more time and money to win. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Steven Burling Jane’s Legacy In life, Jane McGrath was an inspiration. A beautiful and courageous champion for women with breast cancer. Her passion for helping others led to the McGrath Foundation, which funds much needed breast care nurses, especially in regional Australia. The Foundation is celebrating 10 years and now a host of pink nurses support and care for breast cancer patients right across the country. It is an extraordinary achievement, and seven years after we lost Jane McGrath, her legacy and her compassion is alive and present. Reporter: Charles Wooley P - Shark Alarm/No Homework/Cold ChiselE32
Shark Alarm/No Homework/Cold ChiselShark Alarm There’s no doubt about it, sharks are attacking humans at the highest rate in recorded history. As the shark culling debate rages, the warmer waters are bringing the ocean’s most feared predators closer to shore. What to do about the growing number of shark attacks is confounding marine experts and governments. Protect the sharks? Or protect us? Shark attack victim Sean Pollard doesn’t waste time on the politics of the debate – it’s just too raw for him, because 12 months ago he looked a Great White Shark in the eye as it took his left arm, right hand and almost his life. Sean’s battle has been worse than anyone could imagine, not helped by the constant spate of shark attacks. This week on 60 Minutes, Michael Usher follows his remarkable progress, as his mates help him back into the water, and onto his board. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Garry McNab No Homework As students start the grind of the final term of the school year there is something that needs to be discussed: homework. It’s a chore for both kids and their parents. Most children only do it because teachers set it, believing it’s good for their education. Now, new research says – for primary school kids at least – homework has no impact on academic results. In fact, young kids would be better off flexing their muscles rather than bending their brains. And that means there’s a whole new breed of parents saying “NO” to homework. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Jo Townsend Cold Chisel Cold Chisel are Australia’s favourite rock band. Formed in Adelaide in 1973, they are responsible for creating a hard-rocking pub sound that continues to influence bands to this day. While it has been 30 years since they officially called it quits, Chisel never really left us. And as Liz Hayes discovers, the sense of brotherhood that inspired their music all those years ago is just as strong today. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Steven Burling - Dr. Fraud/No More Dementia/The Beef BoomE33
Dr. Fraud/No More Dementia/The Beef BoomDr. Fraud It doesn’t get any lower than ripping off the dying and the disabled, but that’s exactly what one disgusting scammer is doing to Australians suffering from diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neurone Disease. The promise: that a clinical trial for a miracle new stem cell treatment will slow or stop their symptoms. At least 70 patients – many of them Australian – have paid up to fifty thousand dollars each to secure a spot. For some, it is their last hope. This Sunday, we expose this highly sophisticated, multi-million dollar scam that has ruined lives and left families shattered. And we track down the heartless conman – the mastermind who calls himself “Doctor Doug”. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Stephen Rice No More Dementia Ageing. It’s inevitable. We all want to make it into our senior years, but no-one wants to get there to find it’s not much fun. The greatest challenge is dementia. It’s estimated 400-thousand Australians will be diagnosed with dementia in the next five years and that number will more than double in 30 years. So the race is on to try and find better treatments, if not a cure. America is leading the hunt, and this week we meet a group of elderly men and women who hold the key. They are taking part in the world’s largest and longest study into dementia, and the results are changing what we know about the disease. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen The Beef Boom There’s a new boom sweeping across Australia and it’s attracting the shrewdest brains and fattest wallets in the land. It’s beef – it has been branded the new iron ore, and it’s big business. Where mining was the only show in town, now, the cattle industry is riding high. After years of drought, dwindling prices, and the live export controversy, properties you couldn’t give away are today worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The smart money is snapping them up – Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest, Gina Rinehart, a - The Croc Wrangler/Das LiarsE34
The Croc Wrangler/Das LiarsThe Croc Wrangler Matt Wright should have “Danger” as his middle name. He loves nothing more than jumping into his helicopter to whip across the outback, only to then wrestle with a rogue crocodile or two. It’s exploits like these that are making Matt an international star as The Outback Wrangler; a modern day Crocodile Dundee. But it’s not all about fame and fortune. Matt’s very real and dangerous job is protecting locals in the Top End from the growing number of giant crocodiles. This Sunday, 60 Minutes goes along for the ride as Matt hunts a five metre monster weighing more than a tonne. It’s a white knuckle ride. Reporter: Peter Stefanovic Producer: Nick Greenaway Das Liars Volkswagen is right in the middle of a corporate scandal of epic proportions. The German auto giant has been caught lying, on a spectacular scale. 11 million of its ‘clean’ diesel engine cars were equipped with software deliberately programmed to cheat pollution tests. A blatant con that is highly illegal. In Australia, 10 Volkswagen models have now been suspended from sale, and 77-thousand vehicles face recall at the very least. Volkswagen’s ruthless drive to be world number one, hid a dirty secret – diesel engines that couldn’t deliver on high performance and still meet environmental standards. Michael Usher goes inside the Volkswagen lie, and meets the small band of engineering students who’ve brought a giant to its knees. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Gareth Harvey - Rescue from Syria/Lorna Jane/The Little DevilsE35
Rescue from Syria/Lorna Jane/The Little DevilsRescue from Syria Ashley Dyball and Reece Harding. Both fine young Australians. Gifted sportsmen. From good families. Side by side on the front line against Islamic State in Syria. Just 3 months ago, Reece stood on a landmine, while out on patrol and died. Now his mother Michele, and Scott and Julia Dyball are on a mission to save Ashley. This Sunday, 60 Minutes travels with Michele, Scott and Julia as they make the perilous journey through northern Iraq, and cross the border into Syria searching for Ashley. Michele is revered as the mother of a martyr – a stark reminder for the Dyballs. Deeper they go into the war zone to find their son. It’s a journey of heartache and reunion, charged with emotion, fraught with danger, and finally uncertainty as the Dyballs ask their son to come home. Reporter: Tara Brown Producers: Gareth Harvey, Ali Smith Lorna Jane Women are wearing their gym gear everywhere: to the shops, school pick-up, even out to lunch. And it’s all thanks to one woman, Lorna Jane. She has singlehandedly turned daggy leotards into what she calls “active wear”. It’s the look good, feel good concept. And Lorna Jane is looking and feeling very good. She has built an active wear empire along with her husband, “Bill the Butcher”. And they’ve just knocked back half a billion dollars for their business. But in recent months Lorna Jane’s been accused of discriminating against larger women, and fostering a bullying culture. Allison Langdon goes inside the active wear empire to find out the truth about Lorna Jane. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Stephen Taylor The Little Devils There’s a new, highly controversial plan, to save the Tasmanian Devil. The facial cancer which first developed 20 years ago, is so widespread that 90 per cent of devils are now gone. On mainland Australia, a network of zoos and wildlife parks has built up an insurance population and some want to release their Devils into the wild. They believe this - Spy Catcher/A Riotous Affair/Humpback HeavenE36
Spy Catcher/A Riotous Affair/Humpback HeavenSpy Catcher It’s one of Australia’s biggest mysteries, involving drug trafficking, money laundering, CIA spies and claims of murder. The collapse of the infamous Nugan Hand Bank wiped out tens of millions of dollars, most of it from mum and dad investors. When Frank Nugan, one of the founders of the bank, was found dead it meant just one man knew where the money was, and the answer to many more questions. Then he disappeared – vanished from the face of the earth. For 35 years he’s been out of reach of the Australian authorities – but now 60 Minutes has finally caught up with Michael Hand. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Stephen Rice A Riotous Affair Amy and Dan first laid eyes on each other as the Cronulla riots raged around them – a notorious day of violence that flared in Sydney’s south ten years ago and brought shame to our nation. Frightened by the riots, Amy and Dan retreated to a quiet club some kilometres away from the alcohol fuelled racism. The hours passed, and they fell in love, but as they emerged from the club a vigilante group of teenagers set upon them. Dan told Amy to run, before being bashed to the ground and stabbed – almost to death. This is a love story like no other, because Amy returned to ride in the ambulance with Dan to hospital and waited as doctors worked to save his life. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producer: Laura Sparkes Humpback Heaven The fate of the mighty humpback whale is one of the great environmental success stories of our time. Once on the brink of extinction, numbers are now healthy. And Australia’s so called “humpback highways” are crowded with these magnificent mammals. They’re also returning in force to remote and little-visited corners of the world like Tonga. This Sunday, Allison Langdon experiences the unique chance travellers and scientists are sharing in the Pacific – to swim with humpback whales. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Nick Greenaway - Terror in Paris: Emma's Survival/Adele: The Interview/Who Killed Matthew?E37
Terror in Paris: Emma's Survival/Adele: The Interview/Who Killed Matthew?Terror in Paris: Emma's Survival The young Australian woman who survived the Paris terror attacks tells 60 Minutes about her ordeal. Nineteen year old Emma Parkinson was inside the Bataclan Theatre on Friday the 13th of November, and was shot through the hip during the attack. 60 Minutes Reporter Ross Coulthart interviewed Emma in Paris. She describes the attack inside the music concert, the moment she was shot, and how she escaped. It’s a gripping story of clarity in the face of terror. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producers: Stephen Rice, Rebecca Le Tourneau, Alice Dalley Adele: The Interview Adele is the most successful singer of our time, with an astonishing ten Grammys, four Brit Awards, an Oscar and a Golden Globe. It’s no surprise that this record-breaking British talent from modest beginnings in Tottenham is on track to becoming a billionaire by the age of thirty, but perhaps most amazing is that all the accolades, all the commercial success, have been squeezed into just two albums. Her third album – 25 – was released today, again putting Adele’s incredible voice centre stage, punching out soul-piercing songs with extraordinary power. There is much more to this awe-inspiring singer than the voice that has captivated the world. On 60 Minutes, Liz Hayes discovers a woman who despite having one of music’s biggest voices is refreshingly irreverent and very candid. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producers : Rebecca Le Tourneau, Steven Burling Who Killed Matthew? There can be no more heartbreaking job for a parent than what Mark and Faye Leveson have done for the past eight years. Every weekend they head off into the bush to dig for the remains of their son Matthew, who was last seen leaving a Sydney nightclub in 2007 when he was 20. Police believe he was murdered but there’s no body, no blood, no weapon. But there are a whole lot of lies from Michael Atkins, Matthew’s much older partner. In 2008, Atkins was charged with Matthew’s murder, bu - The Bell Tolls: Special Investigation/Troye Sivan/World’s Oldest BabyE38
The Bell Tolls: Special Investigation/Troye Sivan/World’s Oldest BabyThe Bell Tolls: Special Investigation From parish priest in Ballarat to third in charge at the Vatican, George Pell’s rise through the Catholic hierarchy has been impressive. But he’s been dogged every step of the way by what he knew, and what he did, about the sexual abuse of children at the hands of paedophile priests. If it wasn’t for Richard Carleton’s interview with the Cardinal on 60 Minutes in 2002, he might just have been believable. But he has since appeared to be a liar, and someone willing to go to great lengths to protect his own reputation. This week 60 Minutes presents damning new evidence against Pell. He has always argued his intervention on behalf of child abuse victims was innovative, independent and compassionate. But now, secret documents reveal it as a cynical smokescreen designed to protect the Catholic Church at all costs. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Gareth Harvey Troye Sivan They’re called Generation Like, sharing every detail of their lives from the most mundane to the most intimate – and the smart ones are making a fortune. Eight years ago Troye Sivan started uploading videos of himself, doing anything and everything, to YouTube. Now this 20-year-old entrepreneur from Perth earns $500,000 a year doing it, and his millions of followers can’t get enough. Time Magazine named him the world’s second most influential young person after Malala Yousafzei, the Nobel Peace Prize winner. But YouTube also gave Troye Sivan the chance to promote his real passion, singing and songwriting. And now it’s time to go mainstream. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau World’s Oldest Baby This is a beautiful story about love and hope that’s been 23 years in the making. When Alex Powell turned 15 his doctor told him he had cancer and needed to start chemotherapy straight away. It was the early 1990s, and neither doctor nor teenager thought about preserving Alex’s fertility. Luckily his stepmother did. - Courage, Strength, HopeE39
Courage, Strength, HopeAll of them were average Australians leading normal lives until they were hit with the worst tragedy and loss. Immediately and irrevocably their lives were transformed, but they have refused to withdraw into the darkness of their grief. With enormous courage they have stepped forward, out of obscurity and into the limelight, in the hope of making a difference. And as you will see, they have succeeded. Louisa Hope who refuses to be defined by the Lindt Café Siege Bruce and Denise Morcombe who’ve dedicated their lives to improving child safety Turia Pitt and Michael Hoskin have raised more than $800,000 for Interplast Ralph and Kathy Kelly have changed laws to reduce alcohol related violence Noelle Dickson has led the campaign to change Victoria’s bail and parole laws Oliver and Rosemarie Zammit actively promote organ donation Rod Bridge who’s successfully petitioned for synthetic drugs to be banned substances Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Stephen Taylor