Stunning crime drama True Colours and documentary series Off Country lead SBS and NITV’s epic NAIDOC Week 2022 line-up
- For the fourth year running, SBS is the Principal Media Partner for the National NAIDOC Awards and Official Education Partner for National NAIDOC Week
- SBS and NITV’s True Colours is a breakneck mystery that twists, turns, and dives deep into the world of a First Nations community, premiering on SBS and NITV 4-7 July at 8:30pm
- Premiere of documentary series Off Country which follows the lives of seven Indigenous students over a year at the prestigious Geelong Grammar School. Premieres 7 July at 8pm on NITV
- The National NAIDOC Awards return in 2022, live on NITV
- Australia’s only all-Indigenous television breakfast program, Big Mob Brekky, returns
- SBS Radio to share the Uluru Statement from the Heart with Australia’s multicultural communities in 80 languages
- Students around Australia can learn more through SBS Learn’s First Nations-authored NAIDOC education resource
- NAIDOC will be celebrated across the network, including an exclusive NAIDOC collection of series and films available to stream on SBS On Demand
SBS is celebrating National NAIDOC Week 2022 across the network with a huge programming line-up and coverage across its platforms, exploring this year’s theme of, Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!
NAIDOC Week, which runs from 3-10 July, celebrates and reflects on the history, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. SBS is once again proud to be the Principal Media Partner for the National NAIDOC Awards and Official Education Partner for National NAIDOC Week.
SBS and NITV’s impressive multiplatform NAIDOC offering includes the much-anticipated premiere of compelling four-part crime drama True Colours – NITV’s first foray into long form drama. Airing across four consecutive nights from Monday, 4 July on SBS and NITV, Rarriwuy Hick spearheads a stellar cast including Luke Arnold, acclaimed singer-songwriter Warren H. Williams and Miranda Otto.
During the week, NITV will also premiere documentary series Off Country, and Australia’s first Indigenous breakfast television program, Big Mob Brekky, is back dishing up the best First Nations yarns with your morning cuppa with new hosts. There’s also a range of documentaries, movies and news and current affairs across the network, and free teaching resources available to schools nationally to help students of all ages learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories. The SBS Learn resource will be available online, and nearly 22,000 copies will be sent to educators across the country.
SBS Managing Director, James Taylor, said: “SBS is proud to be the home of national NAIDOC celebrations once again in 2022, and we’re celebrating across every part of the network.
“All Australians are invited to participate with programs that exemplify Indigenous excellence, innovative projects that build bridges between our newest Australians and world’s oldest continuing culture, and insightful coverage that champions First Nations perspectives. We’re excited to be bringing audiences together, and also connecting students and schools across the country through our SBS Learn resources.”
Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director of Indigenous Content at SBS, said: “This NAIDOC Week is a moment for everyone to come together and celebrate the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. At the heart of our offering across the network is a desire to inspire all Australians to continue driving the change forged by the First Nations trail blazers that have come before us.”
This year’s multiplatform offering includes:
True Colours
Monday 4 – Thursday 7 July, 8:30pm
Simulcast on SBS and NITV
Screeners available on the SBS Screening Room
True Colours is a gripping four-part crime drama that takes viewers deep into the world of a First Nations community as it has never been seen before. What starts as an investigation into a car accident, soon turns into an epic hunt for a killer. It’s a murder mystery like no other exploring culture, community, family and one woman’s pursuit to find her place within it. Set against the backdrop of the Northern Territory’s Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and Yeperenye (East MacDonnell Ranges), the Arrernte peoples connection to art and cultural practices is at the heart of True Colours.
This ground-breaking series is in English and Arrernte and is SBS and NITV’s first scripted co-commission. The series will be subtitled in Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean and will be added to the subtitled collection on SBS On Demand so more Australians can experience the series in their preferred language.
NAIDOC Awards
Saturday, 2 July from 6:30pm
NITV and NITV Socials
Returning after a two-year hiatus, the National NAIDOC Awards kick off NAIDOC Week 2022 – a week of celebrations giving stage to this year’s theme of Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! Tune in to NITV and NITV Socials from 6:30pm on Saturday, 2 July to catch all the stars on the red carpet with NITV hosts Luke Carroll and Narelda Jacobs, before the National NAIDOC Awards are broadcast live on NITV from 7:00pm. The Awards recognise individuals who have contributed their talents, expertise, knowledge and lives to the First Nations Peoples of this land. This year’s Awards are hosted by television presenter Shelley Ware and comedian Steven Oliver. The NAIDOC Awards Aftershow follows from 10:30pm on NITV Socials – Gilbert McAdam and Megan Walters will wrap up the night, featuring interviews with the National NAIDOC Award winners, as well as an acoustic performance from proud Gamilaraay artist, Loren Ryan. At 10:30pm on NITV, The National NAIDOC Award Winners Stories 2022 will also give viewers an insight into the incredible lives and achievements of the winners.
Big Mob Brekky
Monday 4 – Friday 8 July, 7:30am
NITV
From Monday, 4 July, Big Mob Brekky, Australia’s only all-Indigenous television breakfast program returns with new hosts, Australian multisport representative Tanisha Stanton and actor Luke Carroll. Joining Tanisha and Luke are returning favourites Bush Tucker Bunjie, Rae Johnston, Tyrone Pynor, Matty Mills, Bianca Hunt, Dean Widders and Mark Olive. Audiences can look forward to big laughs, big news stories and big yarns. Viewers can catch up on SBS at 10am Monday to Thursday, and 9.30am on SBS on Friday, and NITV at 11:30pm as well as on SBS On Demand.
Off Country
Airing weekly from Thursday 7 July, 8pm
NITV
Screeners available on the SBS Screening Room
Off Country (4 x 30’) is a candid documentary series which follows the lives of seven Indigenous students over a year at the prestigious Geelong Grammar School, grappling with family tragedy, mental health and identity issues. Wrestling with their conflicting identities as students move between boarding life and home life, the series creates a historic record of one of Australia’s key Indigenous education pathways and a complex portrait of what it is to be a First Nations child in Australia today.
Driven by the students’ stories and told entirely in their own words, Off Country combines personal observational storytelling and features intimate perspectives of contemporary First Nations youth alongside their personal educational experiences.
Off Country will be subtitled in Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean on SBS On Demand. Off Country will also air on SBS later this year.
Living Black
- July 4: Erica Glynn – Woman of Many Talents at 9:30pm on NITV
- July 6: Art, Greed and Betrayal at 9:30pm on NITV
- July 7: True Colours – Behind The Scenes at 9:30pm on NITV
The NAIDOC line-up includes True Colours specials of Living Black, firstly with Erica Glynn – Woman of Many Talents where host Karla Grant speaks with the award-winning writer, producer, and director about her life and career, and her role as co-creator of True Colours. In Art, Greed and Betrayal, Karla investigates how one man betrayed his art community. Then, in True Colours – Behind the Scenes, Karla is joined by creators Erica Glynn and Warren H. Williams, Rarriwuy Hick and translator Marie Ellis to explore how Arrernte language, culture, and community helped to shape this unique series.
Who Do You Think You Are? with Justin Hodges
Tuesday, 5 July at 7:30pm
SBS
Over on SBS at 7:30pm on Tuesday 5 July, Who Do You Think You Are? will explore NRL Legend, Justin Hodges’ family history. Justin Hodges is on a mission to learn more about his Indigenous family history. On his mother’s side, Justin traces the story of his mysterious Great Grandmother, from profound dislocation to an astounding family legacy. Following his father’s family, Justin journeys to the Torres Strait Islands where he discovers a pioneering and heroic great uncle.
Ningla A-Na
Sunday 10 July, 8:30pm
NITV
In tribute to this year’s theme Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! NITV is proud to be presenting the remastered film of Ningla A-Na. Ningla A-Na was made in 1972 and has been remastered for the 50th anniversary of the Tent Embassy. The film records the events surrounding the establishment of the Tent Embassy on the lawns of Parliament House. It includes interviews with black activists of the time and footage from demonstrations and arrests at the Embassy. This iconic film presents an inside view of Aboriginal political life at the time. A film which should be seen by all Australians. 20 July is the anniversary of the day in 1972 when the federal government amended the law to allow police to march in and forcibly dismantle the Embassy.
SBS Radio will explore First Nations stories across more than 60 language services… To celebrate NAIDOC week, SBS Radio will once again be sharing the Uluru Statement from the Heart with Australia’s multicultural communities by translating it into more than 80 languages, as well as commencing each radio program with the Acknowledgment of Country in more than 60 languages. There will also be explainers and original stories re-expressed in all SBS programs’ languages about the history and present issues of Australian First Nations, through the voices and under the guidance of our Indigenous senior editorial team.
NITV Radio, the SBS Radio service which explores news, event and issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, will also feature a special two-part podcast series on focused on
Central Australian Aboriginal languages Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara and Arrernte. The episodes will feature the voices of Aboriginal Youth from Alice Springs NT, as part of its NAIDOC Week coverage.
Throughout the week, SBS Food is proud to present NAIDOC themed episodes of The Cook Up with Adam Liaw. Adam will welcome an array of guests from Monday to Friday at 7:00pm, including Narelda Jacobs and Nakkiah Lui. Adam and his guests will chat through bush tucker, native meats and family favourite feeds. SBS Food will also be airing Torres Strait at Home, a mini-series helmed by Torres Strait Islander chef, Nornie Bero, who will be making easy dishes highlighting native ingredients and her connection to them.
Leading into NAIDOC week, The Feed will also present an important story about the over-representation of Indigenous women in the country’s Missing Persons statistics. The series kicks off on June 28th at 10pm on SBS.
SBS On Demand will be presenting two bespoke NAIDOC shelves on the platform. Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2022 features a curated collection of programming within the NITV channel page. Sitting within this collection is the National NAIDOC Awards, the Off Country, True Colours, Big Mob Brekky, special Living Black episodes and much more, all available to stream after broadcast. The second shelf, National NAIDOC Award 2022 Winners, will feature a collection of mini docs profiling and celebrating each 2022 National NAIDOC Award winner.
SBS World Movies will host a curated collection of acclaimed Australian cinema telling First Nations stories. The Last Wave, Jasper Jones, Emu Runner, The Dark Side and Mad Bastards will each air at 9:30pm, Monday 4 July to Friday 8 July.
A First Nations Writers Collection of eight stories by Indigenous writers will run on SBS Voices throughout the week, and SBS Voices will drop a special NAIDOC themed episode of The New Writer’s Room podcast, featuring writers Larissa Berendt and Jazz Money.
SBS Learn is the Official Education Partner of NAIDOC Week 2022. Yankunytjatjara and Wirangu descendant Shelley Ware has authored this year’s NAIDOC education resource. Curriculum-aligned for primary and secondary students, this resource features NAIDOC-themed activities, discussions and clips which help teachers embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into classrooms, year-round. The resource is available in print and to download online, and is also distributed to schools nationally. This project is supported by a variety of First Nations resources available via SBS’s dedicated website for teachers, SBS Learn – a trusted, accessible portal for sophisticated learning materials linked to SBS programs.
NAIDOC Week follows the recent launch of SBS’s Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan 2022-2026, which outlines SBS’s strengthened commitment to reflecting, exploring and embedding First Nations stories, knowledges, cultures and languages across the network.
For screeners and images, please visit our SBS Screening Room.
Join the conversation #NAIDOC2022 #TrueColours