60 Minutes Australia
Season 2016
Australian version of the long-running news-magazine show.
Where to Watch 60 Minutes Australia • Season 2016
42 Episodes
- Roshani/El ChapoE1
Roshani/El ChapoRoshani Roshani Priddis was born into unimaginable poverty in Sri Lanka. When she was six weeks old her mother made the heartbreaking decision to give her up in order to save her life. Roshani came to Australia, to the Priddis family in Tamworth, NSW. They gave her a new life and all of their love. She grew up in a comfortable home and went to good schools. Roshani even lived her dream of becoming a singer – on Australian Idol and last year’s The X Factor, when she shot to No. 1 on iTunes. But here in the lucky country something has always been missing and 28 years after leaving Sri Lanka, Roshani is embarking on a search to find her long lost mother. Allison Langdon joined her for this incredible journey full of emotional twists and heartbreaking turns. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Jo Townsend El Chapo He was the world’s most wanted drug trafficker. For decades, the ruthless Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman destroyed millions of lives and reaped billions of dollars. But when he was finally captured a few weeks ago, pulled out of a sewer in Mexico wearing a filthy singlet over his middle-aged paunch, El Chapo looked more like El Cheapo. While law enforcement authorities rejoiced at his arrest, they are not even close to mission accomplished in the brutal war against drugs. In fact, the reality is just the opposite. Business is booming. El Chapo’s Sinaloa cartel rules with murderous force and record quantities of drugs are still being smuggled around the world. Australia is the new market place where the street value of a kilo of cocaine is 10 times that of America. Liz Hayes goes inside El Chapo’s secret tunnels, patrols the dangerous drug streets of Mexico and speaks to the drug cops who hunted El Chapo. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen - Taken/Cyndi LauperE2
Taken/Cyndi LauperTaken Chances are you will find this story incredibly hard to believe. It’s confronting and confounding, but it really happened. Raised in middle-class Sydney, Katie Lang’s future was almost assured – exciting and prosperous. But her big mistake was to fall in love with the wrong man. Katie thought Damion Baston wanted to be her boyfriend. What he really wanted was to be her pimp. He used violence to control her, turning her into a sex slave and trafficking her around the world. But what this monster didn’t anticipate was Katie’s strength, and when she was finally able to escape his abuse, she set about plotting her revenge. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Laura Sparkes Cyndi Lauper If you didn’t know better you’d swear the word quirky was invented to describe singer Cyndi Lauper. Everything about her is unique, from her highly distinctive voice to her individual fashion sense. But thank goodness for Cyndi Lauper. Her catchy hits – some of them silly, all of them heartfelt – helped us get through the 1980s. The songs continue to get airplay around the world, but today Cyndi’s enjoying a career renaissance with her Broadway musical, Kinky Boots. She is also raising her considerable voice for those without a voice, the alienated and the less well-off, and she wants Australian politicians to start listening. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen - Trapped/Home Groans/Sky HighE3
Trapped/Home Groans/Sky HighTrapped This tale almost defies belief. When Australian Amaal Finn took her daughter to Egypt on a family trip, she could never have imagined the terrible chain of events that would unfold. Once there, Amaal’s husband convinced her to sign documents written in Arabic. She did as she was asked, but what she was signing was a form, banning mother and child from leaving Egypt. This single act of betrayal has sentenced Amaal and her six-year-old daughter Zareen to a life removed from everyone and everything they have ever known. For nearly three years they have battled bureaucracy and the courts to see this travel ban overturned. Meanwhile her former husband, Mazen Baouimy, has returned to a comfortable life in Australia where he defiantly refuses to assist Amaal and his daughter in any way. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Steven Burling Home Groans Here’s the good news: for the past 30 years we’ve all enjoyed watching the value of our homes skyrocket. Now the bad: the housing boom is about to end, and for many Australians – both homeowners and investors – it’s going to end in tears. While you think you’ve heard this all before, remember we now have the highest household debt in the world. Worse still, we have become so blasé about the way we borrow money, we’ve forgotten the consequences – most importantly, that we need to pay it back. So if you have a home loan and you want to stand any chance of surviving a wipeout, you need to be very, very careful. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Grace Tobin Sky High There are 20 billion reasons why the federal government had to get the decision right in selecting the F35 as the next fighter for the Royal Australian Air Force. It is by far our biggest defence purchase ever, but with 72 F35s on the way we are apparently getting a great bang for our buck. The sales pitch boasts that the combat jet is a flying supercomputer loaded with so much weaponry and “gee whiz” stealth technology th - Where is Baby Tegan?/More or Less/Off the EdgeE4
Where is Baby Tegan?/More or Less/Off the EdgeWhere is Baby Tegan? It’s a simple question with a diabolically difficult answer. Is Tegan Lane dead or alive? She was last seen as a two-day-old being carried out of a Sydney hospital by her mother Keli, an aspiring Australian Olympian. That was 20 years ago, but the mystery of what happened to baby Tegan after that has never been explained. Instead there has been any number of theories and wild accusations, mostly to do with the bizarre behaviour of her mother, Keli Lane – sordid stories about sexual affairs and secret pregnancies. In 2010, Keli was found guilty of murdering Tegan, even though her body has never been found. Now, in a last desperate bid to prove she is not a baby killer, Keli’s parents, Sandra and Robert, break their silence. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau More or Less Food glorious food – we obviously need it to live, but what’s staggering is just how many of us it is killing. Enormous appetites have made us the third fattest developed country on earth, and one million Australians are now so obese their only real hope of a normal life is increasingly radical weight loss surgery. If it goes well there can be extraordinary transformations, which prove less really is more. But should we be operating on young children? And how young is too young for these drastic operations? Tara Brown first met 14-year-old Ashlee Young two years ago as she made the difficult decision about whether to go under the knife. Ashlee today will amaze you. Reporter: Tara Brown Producers: Gareth Harvey and Steve Jackson Off the Edge This is a story that was almost over before it began. Just days before Liz Hayes was to film with real-life skiing Superman JT Holmes, he was trapped in an avalanche and buried alive for six minutes. As with everything JT does, this ordeal was captured on camera. JT tells Hayes he’s unfazed by his brush with death and he puts it down to one of the risks of being an extreme sportsman. JT Holme - Preacher of Hate/Saving Baby Willow/Mummy DearestE5
Preacher of Hate/Saving Baby Willow/Mummy DearestPreacher of Hate We now have a frighteningly clear picture of the next terrorist who will attack Australia on home soil. Chances are he’ll be a lone wolf, a young radicalised Muslim man armed with whatever is at hand: a knife, a gun, a car. As we have seen already on the streets of Melbourne and Sydney, his victims will be selected at random. But it’s unlikely this young jihadist will be acting alone. Lurking in the background will be one of a new breed of online recruiters, charismatic and ready to exploit pent-up grievances and anger. This week, for the first time, you will meet one of these hate preachers. His name is Abu Haleema, and he lives not in Syria or Iraq, but in the safety and comfort of London. In this exclusive 60 Minutes investigation, we reveal for the first time the big following Abu Haleema already has in Australia, and just how he is spreading his online message of hate and terror to our kids. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Stephen Rice Saving Baby Willow Baby Willow is three months old. She’s beautiful and perfect, and thankfully for her, blissfully unaware of the angst she has caused her parents, Sam and John Callahan. When Sam was pregnant a routine scan revealed a deadly tumour on Willow’s lung. The outlook for the unborn baby was bleak until a very clever and courageous Melbourne surgeon decided to defy the odds and attempt a high risk in-utero procedure never before performed in Australia. It was delicate and dangerous surgery – and just the beginning of an incredible battle by an extraordinary group of medicos to save Willow, all captured by 60 Minutes cameras. Reporter: Tara Brown Producers: Rebecca Le Tourneau, Alice Dalley Mummy Dearest In the ultra-competitive world of digging up the past, the significance of new archaeological discoveries is often measured against the greatest of them all – King Tutankhamun. Ever since the discovery of Tut and all those golden riches in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings almos - Living the Dream/Not Welcome Home/TrumpE6
Living the Dream/Not Welcome Home/TrumpLiving the Dream When Jarryd Hayne announced he was quitting rugby league to chase a long-held ambition to play American football, people thought the “Hayne Plane” was plain crazy. Why would this NRL superstar give up the fortune and the fame he earned in Australia to follow a dream all the experts said couldn’t be realised? Hayne himself had doubts. He didn’t know if he’d be good enough for American football, he didn’t even know the complicated rules of the game. All he knew was that he wanted to give it a go. So he did. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at Hayne’s incredible journey – from saying goodbye to his family and former team mates to landing in LA with nowhere to live; the search for an NFL team willing to give him a go; and the highs and lows of competing in the world’s toughest sport. It is raw, unprecedented access to a young man brave enough to live his dream, and a reminder to everyone that the impossible can be possible. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producer: Laura Sparkes Not Welcome Home Australia’s spy agency, ASIO, has declared 19-year-old Oliver Bridgeman from Toowoomba an enemy of the nation. It suspects him of being a terrorist. Bridgeman says the accusation is not true, and that far from being a risk, he is a humanitarian aid worker. His problem, though, is that for the past year he’s been living in Syria, a country destroyed by civil war and overrun by Islamic State extremists. Now Bridgeman wants to come home, but our government refuses to lay out the welcome mat. On 60 Minutes, his distraught parents break their silence and tell Tara Brown of their anguish at the betrayal of authorities who up until now had promised to help them bring their son home. Reporter: Tara Brown Producers: Gareth Harvey, Ali Smith Trump It was once hard to believe but is now looking more and more likely that Donald Trump, the billionaire property developer and loudmouth reality TV star, could - The Russell Street Bombings/Sweden/Amaal FinnE7
The Russell Street Bombings/Sweden/Amaal FinnThe Russell Street Bombings: The killer’s confession as he plots his release from prison, Liz Hayes and 60 Minutes crews attacked in Sweden, a country at breaking point and finally some good news for Amaal Finn, trapped in Egypt with her daughter. - Mates/Terror in Brussels/Dirty Secret/War CriminalE8
Mates/Terror in Brussels/Dirty Secret/War CriminalBarney dreamt of being a professional surfer until a car crash left him a quadriplegic. Tough times followed, but now Mick Fanning is literally helping him get back on his feet. Michael Usher reports from Molenbeek, a Brussels suburb many locals call “terror town” and the greatest scandal surrounds the murder of a beautiful young woman who was having an affair with a high-ranking apparatchik. - Eye Catching/Germ Warfare/Ship Happens/His Finest HourE9
Eye Catching/Germ Warfare/Ship Happens/His Finest HourEye Catching That venerable crime-fighting institution, Scotland Yard, is currently recruiting good-lookers. No, it doesn’t need more attractive police officers, but rather people with a talent for never forgetting a face. They are called “super recognisers” and they’re the tiny percentage of humans who have the ability to distinguish and differentiate one person’s face from millions of others, even if they’ve only seen that face once, and even if it was years or decades ago. British police have now formed an elite squad of “super recognisers” and their investigative results are so impressive that Australian police are now taking a closer look. And that means if you’ve got something to hide, you’d better watch out. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Stephen Rice Germ Warfare At 24, Sam O’Sullivan thought he was invincible. An elite athlete and rising Aussie Rules star, nothing could stop him. Then one day seven months ago he felt slightly ill. At first he thought he had a hangover, then possibly the flu, but he didn’t get better. It turns out an extremely rare flesh-eating superbug had somehow invaded his body and was devouring his muscles. The microbe, called Necrotizing Myositis, was as virulent as it was frightening. Doctors said if Sam was lucky he’d survive, but they’d have to amputate limbs. The more likely outcome, they warned, was death. Sam O’Sullivan’s only hope was to go to war against this killer germ. Reporter: Tara Brown Producers: Gareth Harvey, Alice Dalley Ship Happens When it comes to fun and adventure on the high seas, Australians lead the world. Every year more than a million of us are farewelled by family and friends as we head out on a cruise. And because business is so full steam ahead here, shipbuilders in Germany are working overtime to construct even bigger and more opulent ships. As Michael Usher discovered, the ocean liner assembly line is an astonishing sight that’s only matched by the mega - Tough Treatment/The Write Stuff/Out of this WorldE10
Tough Treatment/The Write Stuff/Out of this WorldTough Treatment For any parent, a sick child is always a concern. So imagine the devastation of Perth parents Angela and Colin Kiszko when they were told their six-year-old son had an aggressive brain tumour. They put their trust in the doctors and were relieved when he came through gruelling surgery. But when Angela and Colin were told their boy would need chemo and radiotherapy, they refused to give consent. What followed was a bruising and protracted battle – over a doctor’s duty of care and a parent’s right to choose. And all the while a little boy’s life was left hanging in the balance. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Mary Ann Jolley, Alice Dalley The Write Stuff Here’s a terrible statistic: there are one million schoolkids in this country who can’t read properly. As a nation we should be ashamed. But if we’re serious about fixing the problem, maybe we need to pay attention to a former punk-rocking anarchist whose formula for the write stuff is to be very wrong. Children’s author Andy Griffiths is happily – and defiantly – disgusting. In his page-turners, no bodily function is too repulsive: pooing, farting and vomiting rule. It’s guaranteed that kids will be revolted. They’ll probably laugh a lot too. But best of all, without even realising it, they’ll be reading. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau Out of this World Charles Wooley is not usually lost for words, but when he met the star of this story for the first time he was speechless. She’s a complete diva, mysterious and unpredictable. She makes visitors travel to the end of the earth to see her, and then more often than not snubs them by not even bothering to show up. Wooley was one of the fortunate ones though when the Northern Lights – the Aurora Borealis – deigned to greet him in all her heavenly splendour. And when he did manage to speak, all he could say was … aaaahhhhh. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Nick Greenaway - Beaconsfield: The Whole Story/Desperate MeasuresE11
Beaconsfield: The Whole Story/Desperate MeasuresBeaconsfield: The Whole Story There are few stories of survival more incredible than that of Todd Russell and Brant Webb. When disaster struck at the Beaconsfield mine in Tasmania ten years ago this month, the pair dug deep to defy the odds. A massive rock fall had claimed the life of workmate Larry Knight, and Todd and Brant knew their number could be up at any moment. For two nerve-wracking weeks they lay entombed deep underground as the nation held its collective breath. And when it finally came, their rescue was an extraordinary moment of elation. But it didn’t end there. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Nick Greenaway Desperate Measures When George Pickering visited his son’s deathbed last year he had plans to do more than just say goodbye. His beloved boy Georgie had been declared brain dead after suffering a stroke and medical staff were about to switch off life support. Wracked by grief, the 59-year-old father was determined that wouldn’t happen. He stormed the ward with a loaded gun and threatened to kill everyone. A SWAT team surrounded the hospital as the standoff dragged on for three terrifying hours. But what happened next took everyone by surprise. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Phil Goyen - Surprised by Five/The Wild ManE12
Surprised by Five/The Wild ManSurprised by Five When Kim Tucci fell pregnant she was as thrilled as any mother-to-be. A brother or sister for her two young daughters … or so she thought. So imagine the shock for Kim and her husband Vaughn when they found out she was expecting not one baby, but five. Naturally conceived quintuplets are extremely rare – a one in 55 million chance. What’s even rarer is the opportunity to witness this remarkable journey from start to finish. This Sunday you will see the story of five little miracles as we follow Kim and Vaughn through the highs and lows of pregnancy, birth and beyond. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producers: Garry McNab, Alice Dalley The Wild Man David Attenborough and Charles Wooley go back a long, long way. As a kid, Charles was spellbound by his earliest wildlife programs on black and white television. Then as a reporter in his thirties, he was thrilled to interview him. It’s fair to say they’ve both aged a bit since. And on the eve of Attenborough’s 90th birthday they met again in London. As you will discover, Sir David is still pushing the boundaries. He is more outspoken than ever about the state of the planet and has also become a bionic man, with two new titanium knees. And just as he has always done, he will dazzle your senses with something new and quite incredible – this time the cutting-edge technology of virtual reality. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Nick Greenaway - The Sleeping Curse/Blasphemy on Broadway/Bonobo BusinessE13
The Sleeping Curse/Blasphemy on Broadway/Bonobo BusinessThe Sleeping Curse We all know what it’s like to have a bad night’s sleep, tossing and turning for hours and facing the next day tired and cranky. Well imagine the nightmare of waking up but never getting back to sleep ever again. That’s the cruel reality for a handful of families throughout the world. Fatal Familial Insomnia is an extremely rare and debilitating brain disease with no treatment and no cure. It steals your sleep, your mind, your motor skills and ultimately your life. For Queensland brother and sister, Hayley and Lachlan Webb, this terrifying disease could strike at any time – a family curse that they are determined to break. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producers: Ali Smith, Jo Townsend Blasphemy on Broadway Matt Stone and Trey Parker have made a fortune out of offending everyone. For nearly two decades this wicked comedy duo has been writing and voicing the controversial cartoon South Park. Along the way they’ve poked fun at just about every celebrity and minority there is. Their latest comedic assault is on stage – a highly successful Broadway show called The Book of Mormon, which, as the name suggests, has the Mormon religion well and truly in its sights. Like everything Matt and Trey do, nothing and no-one is off limits. This duo has made a career out of offending people…so consider yourself warned. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Phil Goyen Bonobo Business Of all the animals on earth, the bonobo is one of our closest genetic relatives. No wonder then, they could teach us humans a thing or two. Closely related to the chimpanzee, the bonobo is the rarest and most intelligent of the great apes, a peace loving primate a million miles from its violent chimp cousin. Bonobos are caring and compassionate – females rule the roost, aggression is rare and life involves plenty of fun and copious amounts of sex. But as you’ll see in our report, the bonobo lives in only one place in the world – the war-ravaged Democratic - Made in Mexico/Boy Oh Boy/Richard CarletonE14
Made in Mexico/Boy Oh Boy/Richard CarletonMade in Mexico It’s the biggest gamble childless couples wanting to experience the wonder of parenthood can take: the decision to venture down the complicated and all too often corrupted path of commercial surrogacy. In Australia, paying someone to carry a baby for you is illegal, but it’s a different story in countries like Mexico where laws are open to greater interpretation. There, making babies has become a big but very risky business. David and Nicky Beard were so desperate to become dads they paid a huge amount of money to a baby broker in Mexico. What should have been the happiest time of their lives became a Mexican stand-off as these new dads faced coming home without their newborn babies. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau Boy Oh Boy These days we should probably be calling Boy George Man George because he’s now been wowing – and wooing – his adoring fans for more than three decades. His is a singing and performing career which has soared to the dizzying heights of number one hit records and never-ending radio airplay. Boy George has also had some stumbles along the way, but hey, what pop star hasn’t made headlines for the all the wrong reasons? Now he’s getting the old band, Culture Club, back together for a worldwide tour that will start in one of his favourite countries, Australia. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Gareth Harvey Richard Carleton It still seems like only yesterday, but this week actually marks ten years since former 60 Minutes reporter Richard Carleton died. Carleton was an icon of TV reporting in this country, and will always be remembered for his brilliant and provocative interviews. He took no prisoners, and many a politician, thug or dictator withered after a Carleton grilling. He died suddenly while on assignment in Tasmania, just a few minutes after filing his report on the Beaconsfield mine disaster, and this Sunday we look back at his unique and memorable career. Producer: Howard - Fighting Back/Sister Act/Mutiny on NorfolkE15
Fighting Back/Sister Act/Mutiny on NorfolkFighting Back Like many young Australians, Airdre Mattner from Adelaide wanted to explore the world. But what happened to the 25- year-old primary school teacher in Seoul, Korea, should be a warning to every traveller. She thought Seoul was a safe city, but she was wrong. During a night out someone spiked Airdre’s drink. Unable to get help, she was abducted by one man then handed over to two others who raped her. As awful and unimaginable as the assault was, Airdre’s ordeal became even more distressing when she reported the crime to Korean police. Investigators made her feel as if it was all her own fault. Incredibly, sex attacks on foreign women are becoming increasingly common in South Korea and neighbouring Japan, but Airdre Mattner is bravely refusing to let the perpetrators get away with their crime. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Grace Tobin Sister Act Cate and Bronte Campbell are the fastest female swimmers in the world and among our strongest hopes for gold medals at the Rio Olympic Games later this year. But what sets the Campbell sisters apart from many other athletes is their ability to ignore the increasing hype about their success. Swimming is important to them, but refreshingly, Cate and Bronte are best friends first, rivals second. However, they are still determined to win at Rio, and they know that means one sister will have to beat the other. Reporter: Peter Overton Producer: Jo Townsend Mutiny on Norfolk It’s only a tiny scrap of land in the South Pacific, but Norfolk Island has a long history that dates back to the mutiny on the Bounty. Half of the island’s 1800 residents actually trace their ancestry back to Fletcher Christian and his band of mutineers. Understandably, Norfolk Islanders are proud and protective of their piece of paradise, but they now fear they could lose it. Earlier this year the Australian government shut down Norfolk Island’s parliament, claiming the island is broke and the locals are incapabl - Bad Grandpas/Saving the Children/Beirut: What Went Wrong?E16
Bad Grandpas/Saving the Children/Beirut: What Went Wrong?Bad Grandpas Crime is never a laughing matter but the sheer audacity and extraordinary ingenuity of a gang of pensioner-aged British crooks has certainly made many people smile. Last year the daring villains used their substantial experience to plan and pull off the biggest burglary in English history. The Hatton Garden vault in the heart of London held hundreds of safe deposit boxes, full of jewellery, cash and other treasure. It was said to be impenetrable until the bad grandpas proved that boast a lie. They got away with over $25 million worth of loot. But the old-timers made one mistake, and it would cost them dearly. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Gareth Harvey Saving the Children Eleven years ago Tara Winkler was a naive 19-year-old living a sheltered life in Bondi when she decided to travel to Cambodia for a holiday. Prosperity to poverty was certainly eye-opening for her, especially when she visited little children in the country’s many orphanages. Tara fell in love with them – it’s impossible not to – and she vowed to rescue as many kids as she could. She started up her own charity and home and raised her profile back in Australia to raise money for the orphans of Cambodia. Then she discovered she had been completely fooled because, as it turned out, most of her “orphans” had parents and families. But instead of giving up she decided to expose this cynical tourist trap, and then save the children in a completely new way. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Laura Sparkes Beirut: What Went Wrong? Today the Nine Entertainment Company released the findings of an inquiry into what went wrong when 60 Minutes tried to tell the story of Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner and her attempts to regain custody of her two children. Michael Usher speaks with one of the report’s authors, founding 60 Minutes Executive Producer, Gerald Stone. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Howard Sacre - Who Killed Josh?/Fast & Fabulous/Breaking the CurseE17
Who Killed Josh?/Fast & Fabulous/Breaking the CurseWho Killed Josh? No one deserves the torment Ingrid Bishop has suffered in the last six years. It started when her son Josh Warneke, 21, was attacked and killed after a night out in Broome. But what compounded this mother’s trauma was the incompetence of the West Australian police. They bungled their investigation for two and a half years before they finally arrested a suspect. Gene Gibson is now in prison for killing Josh Warneke but Ingrid is convinced the evidence against him is so flawed, the police got the wrong man. She’s so sure Gibson didn’t kill her son that she’s now fighting to have him released. But if it wasn’t Gene Gibson, then who killed Josh Warneke? Reporter: Liam Bartlett Producer: Ali Smith Fast & Fabulous It’s not always the case with sports stars, but the hype that goes with the mere mention of Anna Meares is completely justified. Eleven world championships make her the greatest female track cyclist in history. Happily for Australia, but unfortunately for her competitors, she’s not finished yet. Anna’s hard at work preparing for Rio, her fourth Olympic Games. But as you’ll see in our report her exhausting, and exhaustive, training schedule is also a distraction from sadness on the home front: the bust-up of her marriage. Reporter: Peter Stefanovic Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau Breaking the Curse Krystal Barter was perfectly healthy when seven years ago she decided to have both her breasts surgically removed at the age of 25. She took the drastic action because her family history meant there was a strong chance she would develop breast cancer later in life. It was a traumatic time but since then Krystal has bravely campaigned to educate women all over the world about this cruel genetic curse. Now there’s someone else she needs to save – her own daughter. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Alice Dalley - Our House/American Villain/Parental As AnythingE18
Our House/American Villain/Parental As AnythingOur House These days the great Australian dream of home ownership has been replaced with the great Australian whinge that for most people, it’s no longer possible. What’s left is the great Australian divide between the haves and the have-nots. The reason why buying a home is so expensive seemingly defies the rules of economics, but the reality means it’s cheaper to call Paris or New York home instead of Sydney or Melbourne. Want-to-be home owners might be down, but they’re not out and as you’ll see, there are ways to turn dilemma into opportunity. Reporter: Michael Usher Producers: Jo Townsend and Sean Power American Villain As a footballer, there was none better than OJ Simpson. As a human, there aren’t too many worse. It’s more than twenty years since Simpson was famously charged with murdering his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. The court case, an eight month spectacle fuelled by the public’s obsession with celebrity, ended with the jury’s surprising ‘not guilty’ verdict. But two years later a civil court decided Simpson was liable for the deaths, and ordered him to pay more than thirty million dollars in compensation. In 2008 OJ Simpson was jailed for 33 years after a botched armed robbery in Las Vegas. The one-time American hero is likely to be paroled next year, which means more torment for the victims’ families. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen Parental As Anything As every mother and father knows, there’s no rulebook for the right way to raise children. Good parenting is just as much about good luck as it is about good management. This week Karl Stefanovic meets parents who pursue a more ‘unconventional’ path to bringing up their children. And while you may not agree with what they do, remember that like the rest of us, they’re as proud and loving of their children as anyone else. Reporter: Karl Stefanovic Producer: Jo Townsen - Keep Out!/Top PriceE20
Keep Out!/Top PriceKeep Out! What would you do if someone walked into your backyard, dug a big hole and put a fence around it with a sign saying ‘No Trespassing’? In all likelihood you’d shout and scream and call the police. But what if when the police came they threatened to arrest you, not those who wrecked your property and locked you out? In many parts of rural Australia this is the outrageous scenario now playing out between farmers and big gas companies, whose relentless – often ruthless – quest for new sources of gas seems to have no limits. In a special 60 Minutes investigation, Michael Usher reveals evidence showing the high-pressure, secret tactics used by some gas companies which are driving hard-working country folk from their land. Queensland farmer Kane Booth used to have a multi-million-dollar cattle business until three coal seam gas wells were drilled on his property. He says the wells affected the water supply on his land, rendering it useless for fattening his cattle. He’s now been forced to abandon the property and sell off his herd. Not surprisingly, Kane and his young family are devastated, but have vowed to fight on. However, a similar battle on a neighbouring property has had a tragic outcome. George Bender fought a coal seam gas company for years, blaming it for polluting his property. But it turned out to be a battle of attrition he was never going to win. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Laura Sparkes Top Price You have to marvel in awe and wince in pain at Toby Price’s commitment to being the best off-road motorcycle racer in the world. At last count, the 28-year-old daredevil from the Hunter Valley had racked up 27 broken bones. His worst riding injury three years ago fractured vertebrae in his neck, which left him perilously close to becoming a quadriplegic. His mum, Pauline, and dad, John, might disagree, but Toby reckons the rewards of hurtling through the desert at breakneck speeds justify the risks. In January this year he be - Oscar Pistorius: the Interview/Doomsday VaultE21
Oscar Pistorius: the Interview/Doomsday VaultOscar Pistorius: the Interview From Paralympian to pariah, Oscar Pistorius is now a shamed figure. On July 6 he will be sentenced for murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. He shot her at his home in South Africa on Valentine’s Day 2013 and then concocted a convoluted story about mistaking her for an intruder hiding in the bathroom. The courts didn’t accept his defence, and he is now facing at least 15 years in prison for the crime. As he waits to hear his fate he has decided to tell his story publicly for the first time. The interview, with British reporter Mark Williams-Thomas, is a macabre and at times graphic insight into the night Reeva was killed. Pistorius explains in excruciating detail his recollection of what happened, and its aftermath. The Blade Runner is both defiant and tearful, but the big question is whether his performance will influence public opinion. Pistorius didn’t seek the court’s permission for the interview, and by doing it he has further outraged Reeva Steenkamp’s grieving family. Reporter: Mark Williams-Thomas, ITV Doomsday Vault Imagine for a moment if a comet strikes the earth, or a super volcano erupts, blacking out the sun for years. Or worse still, there’s a nuclear war. Only a small number of human beings would survive and they – or hopefully we – would have to be incredibly well prepared for the future. But just how would we restart our lives when the sun shines again? Where would we get the seeds to grow the crops to feed ourselves? Luckily, scientists have been imagining the unimaginable and have built an incredible facility, hidden deep in the remote mountains of the Arctic Circle. Appropriately, it is known as the Doomsday Vault. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Nick Greenaway - Great White Hope/Not So Great Britain/I, Robot/Election 2016: The ResultsE22
Great White Hope/Not So Great Britain/I, Robot/Election 2016: The ResultsGreat White Hope The mantra of marine experts is that the risk of being taken by a shark while swimming, surfing or diving is so miniscule it’s not even worth thinking about. But it seems lately the rate of shark attacks has been increasing dramatically. Every new incident, every tragic death or horrific injury, invariably leads to heated debate about the need to cull sharks so humans can be safe in the water. On 60 Minutes, a breakthrough which could save man and beast – new technology whose makers are confident will keep us apart. But as Ross Coulthart reports, there’s only one way to find out if it really works and that involves getting very close to very large sharks. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Nick Greenaway Not So Great Britain When Britain voted to leave the European Union just days ago the rest of the world was caught completely unaware. Almost immediately, however, the decision assumed the proportions of an ugly divorce as politicians on both sides of the English Channel began bickering about the logistics of how and when to sever ties. Brexit has also created disturbing divisions in England, especially over immigration policy, but as Liz Hayes reports from London, there is one man who could not be happier. Nigel Farage is the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party and the key architect of the split from Europe. He’s spent the last 17 years working towards this very moment. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Steven Burling I, Robot Advances in technology mean scientists and engineers have been able to create robots that literally have minds of their own. Liz Hayes meets Sophia, Herb and Baxter, and explains how they’re making our lives easier. These robots work non-stop and never whinge. But perhaps there is too much of a good thing because of a growing risk that these bundles of technological wizardry are becoming too smart for their – and our – own good. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen Election 20 - Going for Broke/Reboot of the Nerds/Look Who’s Talking/Remembering VictorE23
Going for Broke/Reboot of the Nerds/Look Who’s Talking/Remembering VictorGoing for Broke In the brutal assessments of the election disaster for Malcolm Turnbull, many experts said the Coalition’s proposed changes to the superannuation system cost it desperately needed votes. The Prime Minister and Treasurer had claimed super was becoming a tax rort for the wealthy, and there wasn’t enough benefit for low and middle-income families. But fiddling with the retirement funds of any Australians is sure to raise tempers. And there’s an even bigger problem. Thanks to the new rules, and because we’re all living longer, most retirees will run out of money in their 70s and 80s, just when they need it most. In this special report for 60 Minutes, the Nine Network Finance Editor, Ross Greenwood, questions the government’s motives in making the changes and says by going for broke, it risks making superannuation even more confusing for all Australians. Reporter: Ross Greenwood Producer: Jo Townsend Reboot of the Nerds There was a time not so long ago when the geeks at school suffered serious teasing. But these days it’s all changed. Now many students aspire to be nerds. They’re honing their skills in digital technology because they know in the very near future that’s where the important careers – and big money – will be found. In fact almost every job will soon require a substantial degree of digital expertise, including computer programming. Brisbane schoolboy Taj Pabari is a great example of what’s needed and what can be achieved. At just 16, he’s already a businessman, with his own tech company, and an international team working towards a big future. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Ali Smith Look Who’s Talking A few weeks ago at the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States a three-year-old boy fell into the gorilla enclosure. A huge silverback appeared to rescue him, but then started to toy with him like a rag doll. Eventually zookeepers shot the animal. It was distressing but they said it was the only way to sav - Paradise Lost/The Divided States of America/Absolutely OutrageousE24
Paradise Lost/The Divided States of America/Absolutely OutrageousParadise Lost If you’re thinking of holidaying in Samoa, you’d be wise to think again. The brochures show an idyllic South Pacific paradise and promise a welcome as warm as the sun. But that can never be the truth while a sadistic thug named Lauititi Tualima lives there. He’s Samoa’s most dangerous criminal. Remarkably he spends most of his time in prison, but security there is such a joke, it’s no deterrent to Tualima’s life of extreme violence. Australian tourists Angie Jackson and Tommy Williams found themselves prey to this man and they’re very lucky to still be alive. Reporter: Liam Bartlett Producers: Garry McNab, Sean Power The Divided States of America The United States of America right now feels more like the divided states of America. The recent shootings of black Americans by police officers has sparked nationwide protests, led to a mass murder and left many wondering if the country’s racial divisions are deeper than they’ve ever been. This week Michael Usher travelled to some of America’s most racially segregated communities and discovered a simmering underbelly of anger and resentment that’s very close to erupting into open war. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Phil Goyen Absolutely Outrageous For devotees, it’s simply “Absolutely Fabulous” news. Two of the most acerbically-written characters ever created for the small screen have been given the Hollywood treatment. Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley are back playing the somewhat hopeless, often sozzled, but always funny Edina and Patsy, in the Ab Fab feature film. The original television series ran for three years in the early 1990s, and their outrageously bad behaviour made the pair famous all over the world. So, when Liz Hayes was summoned to London for an audience with Jennifer and Joanna, there was no way she was going to refuse. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Steven Burling - The Killer Downstairs/Running Mates/What Happens in VegasE25
The Killer Downstairs/Running Mates/What Happens in VegasThe Killer Downstairs Sometimes greed is so consuming it blocks out all human reasoning and logic. How else can anyone explain Adeel Khan’s actions? Two years ago, Khan, 46, deliberately blew up his Sydney convenience store so he could claim $225,000 in insurance. The blast was so destructive the two-storey building crumbled to the ground and three innocent lives, including an 11-month-old baby, were lost. That Adeel Khan thought he could get away with the crime is as outrageous as the act itself, and next week this evil man will be sentenced for murder, manslaughter and arson. But no amount of prison time will be long enough for the grieving families of those he killed. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Rebecca Le Tourneau Running Mates It should have been a triumphant week for Donald Trump, but despite being formally nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate to take on Hillary Clinton in the US Presidential race, the New York billionaire faced some serious embarrassment. As a result, instead of being a showpiece of conservative politics, the 2016 Republican National Convention will more likely be remembered for chaos and farce. To try to help re-unite the party, Trump announced that the Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, would be his Vice-President if he made it to the White House. It was considered a smart and safe choice until they sat down for an extraordinary interview with American 60 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl. It’s a revealing insight into what life might be like with a President called Trump. Reporter: Lesley Stahl (CBS 60 Minutes) Producers: Richard Bonin and Ruth Streeter What Happens in Vegas That memorable tourist slogan “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is particularly apt for Human Nature. You remember Human Nature? The Australian boy band of the 1990s, four high school mates with a passion for pop harmonies. Well, the boys became men, and in 2009 Toby Allen, Phil Burton and brothers, Andrew and Mike Tierney, decid - MH370: Special Investigation/Mind Boggling/The Man Who Saw EverythingE26
MH370: Special Investigation/Mind Boggling/The Man Who Saw EverythingMH370: Special Investigation Aviation experts frequently remind us that flying on modern jet planes is the safest form of transport. However those assertions are meaningless while the fate of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 remains unknown. It’s more than two years since the Boeing 777 disappeared off the face of the earth. An exhaustive and expensive search in the southern Indian Ocean has failed to turn up anything. It’s due to end soon, which has further distressed the grieving families of the 239 passengers and crew who are presumed dead. Frustration at the lack of clues has led to significant reassessment about MH370, and as Ross Coulthart discovers in this 60 Minutes investigation, there’s now growing evidence that authorities have been ignoring more credible theories about what might have brought the jet down. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Gareth Harvey Mind Boggling Depending on your memory, you may or may not recall a story 60 Minutes made five years ago about a small group of extraordinary people who can remember every detail of their lives, stretching back decades. They can remember where they were and what they did on any particular day in any particular year. Scientists are intrigued by this rare ability and hope a better understanding of it might one day lead to cures for sufferers of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Since the original story went to air, the number of people diagnosed with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory has grown from 10 to 60 – and now includes the first Australian. Twenty-six-year-old Becky Sharrock’s mind retains so much detailed information it almost defies belief; she can even recite every word of every Harry Potter book. But while the idea of a super memory might sound appealing, it can also be a curse. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Grace Tobin The Man Who Saw Everything While you may not be familiar with his name, you will certainly know Nick Lee’s work, because if you’ve w - #Roxy/Licence to Kill/Hate PreacherE29
#Roxy/Licence to Kill/Hate PreacherRoxy Jacenko breaks her silence on her husband's insider trading conviction & her battle with breast cancer, Liam Bartlett on the bloody streets of the Philippines as President Rodrigo Duterte tells the nation it's ok to kill drug dealers. - Gone Girl/Living the Dream/Mr Nice GuyE34
Gone Girl/Living the Dream/Mr Nice GuyWhat really happened to Phoebe Handsjuk, who was found dead at the bottom of a garbage chute? Olivia Newton-John's revealing interview about her difficult private struggles and Tom Hanks shows us why he really is Hollywood's Mr Nice Guy. - Married to a monster/Gem of Africa/HillaryE38
Married to a monster/Gem of Africa/HillaryThe unsuspecting partners of men hiding vile secrets, could you report the man you love? The Aussie Gem of Africa - educating the poorest kids in the world. Inside the Clinton campaign for President. And the poison princess - guilty. - A Matter of Trust/Whisky Business/Law Unto HimselfE39
A Matter of Trust/Whisky Business/Law Unto HimselfWhat happened to baby Darcy when he was left in the care of someone his mother thought she could trust; Charles Wooley finds the world's best whisky very close to home; and Donald Trump's hero, the notorious Sheriff Joe. - Gable Tostee: The Interview/Much Ado About Nothing/StingE40
Gable Tostee: The Interview/Much Ado About Nothing/StingIn an extraordinary interview with Liam Bartlett, Gable Tostee tries to explain his version of events on that terrible night; Jerry Seinfield, the world's most famous comedian, discusses the exacting science of his everyday humour. - Impossible Choice/Pablo Escobar - My Father/Less Is More/Saroo - The MovieE41
Impossible Choice/Pablo Escobar - My Father/Less Is More/Saroo - The MoviePregnant journalist Elle Halliwell's impossible choice – to save her baby or herself; a life of extremes - growing up as the son of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar; Rugby great Peter FitzSimons' war on sugar. - Great White Hope/Misfortune/60 Minutes Timeless: Graduates of HellE42
Great White Hope/Misfortune/60 Minutes Timeless: Graduates of HellNew technology keeping sharks and humans apart; the problem with pokies & the legal firm taking on the gambling giants; a 60 MINUTES classic from 1984 – Japan's boot camp for lazy businessmen.