Australian Story Season 25, Episode 34: Cradle of Life / To Russia with Love

1

The Only Witness (Part 1)

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

30 min

2

The Only Witness (Part 2)

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

30 min

3

Making his Mark

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

30 min

4

When Worlds Collide

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

30 min

5

Caught in the Act

Shane Jenek is the man behind drag queen superstar Courtney Act. It hasn’t always been easy for Shane reconciling himself with Courtney’s popularity but together they’re conquering the world and spreading a message of inclusivity.

30 min

6

The Justice Principle

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

30 min

7

One Day at a Time

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

30 min

8

The Two of Us

The touching friendship between jazz musician James Morrison and his long-term mentor Don Burrows, who passed away last month after a long battle with dementia.

30 min

9

Fighting Fire with Fire

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

30 min

10

His Brilliant Careers

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

30 min

11

Forged by Fire

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

30 min

12

Mother and Son

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

30 min

13

The Odd Couple

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

30 min

14

Performers and the Pandemic

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

30 min

15

Lest We Forget

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

30 min

16

Growing Pains

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

30 min

17

The Long Game (Part 1)

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

30 min

18

The Long Game (Part 2)

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

30 min

19

Beating the Blues

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

30 min

20

Team Scott

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

30 min

21

The Great Escape

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

30 min

22

Beenham Valley Road (Part 1)

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

30 min

23

Beenham Valley Road (Part 2)

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

30 min

24

Breaking New Ground

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

30 min

25

Keeping Up Appearances

Rory O'Donoghue starred in iconic TV comedy The Aunty Jack Show as the hugely popular tights-wearing, cane-twirling Thin Arthur. But off-stage Rory lived with a crippling secret that family and friends are now ready to share.

30 min

26

To Catch a Stalker (Part 1)

Di McDonald was told Max Gardiner was 'a good catch'. But when she ended their short relationship, he terrorised her for years. Determined not to let him break her, Di tells how she brought her stalker to justice.

30 min

27

To Catch a Stalker (Part 2)

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

30 min

28

About a Boy

Quaden is a nine-year-old with dwarfism who just wants to fit in. When his Mum posted a video of Quaden distraught after a tough day at school they couldn't have predicted what would unfold, as they triumphed over the trolls.

30 min

29

Finding Her Voice

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

30 min

30

Fight for the Truth

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

30 min

31

To His Door

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

30 min

32

A Matter of Minutes

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

30 min

33

Lest We Forget: The Australian Experience of Spanish Flu

In the midst of the COVID lockdown, Australian Story undertook the ambitious task of delving through the archives and speaking to expert historians to produce the definitive piece on Spanish Flu. A special encore screening.

30 min

34

Cradle of Life / To Russia with Love

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

30 min