Australian Story
Australian Story: Season 26

Air Date

February 8, 2021

Episodes

35 episodes

Australian Story

Season 26

Episodes

Surviving Turbulence

1. Surviving Turbulence

February 8, 2021
30 min

16-year-old teen Bob Bramley takes to the skies to break a solo flying record and shine a light on youth mental health, galvanised by the desperate struggles of his two friends.

Sisters in Arms

2. Sisters in Arms

February 15, 2021
30 min

There's a hidden danger lurking in every home and these are the two mothers who've achieved a world first to protect our children.

The Tipping Point

3. The Tipping Point

February 22, 2021
30 min

Scientist Veena Sahajwalla is a recycling revolutionary whose bold new ideas are helping reduce landfill. Now she's unveiling her latest brainchild, an invention which turns the discarded into the designer.

I Dream of Jeanne

4. I Dream of Jeanne

March 1, 2021
30 min

Unique and outrageous, Jeanne Little was the comedy dah-ling of daytime television in the 70s and 80s. Four months after her death from Alzheimers, daughter Katie reveals some intimate family secrets.

Fish Out of Water

5. Fish Out of Water

March 8, 2021
30 min

Promising young swimmer Shayna Jack was destined for the Olympics until she failed a routine drug test. But is the evidence against her justified or has she been caught up in an over-zealous anti-doping dragnet?

An Unlikely Match

6. An Unlikely Match

March 15, 2021
30 min

Drawing on her own experience of trauma, comedian Magda Szubanski forms an unlikely alliance with teenager Will Connelly, aka Eggboy, to help combat mental health issues in bushfire-ravaged communities.

Raising the Bar

7. Raising the Bar

March 22, 2021
30 min

She's the glamorous lawyer representing high-profile clients like Julian Assange and Amber Heard. Jennifer Robinson charts her meteoric rise from small town public schoolgirl to the pinnacle of legal life in London.

Chamber of Silence

8. Chamber of Silence

March 29, 2021
30 min

Sexual slurs, baseless rumours, harassment and abuse - former Federal Labor minister Kate Ellis looks into Canberra's toxic culture, speaking to female politicians from all parties to call out systemic misogyny in parliament.

Sophie's Choice

9. Sophie's Choice

April 12, 2021
30 min

Mao's Last Dancer Li Cunxin and his wife and daughter's dramatic story of sacrifice, questioning and the painful journey towards reconciliation.

Birds of a Feather

10. Birds of a Feather

April 19, 2021
30 min

Identical twins Brigette and Paula Powers are so close they live and work together and even speak in unison. After a chance meeting with Steve Irwin, they now use their unique connection to save injured seabirds.

Forever Young

11. Forever Young

April 26, 2021
30 min

A recent coronial inquest reveals the catastrophic errors made by NSW Police which left teenager Ursula Barwick's fate a mystery for almost 30 years.

Children of the Brush (Part 1)

12. Children of the Brush (Part 1)

May 3, 2021
30 min

He's one of Australia's most successful and famous painters. But what has been the cost of fame for the children of acclaimed artist John Olsen?

Children of the Brush (Part 2)

13. Children of the Brush (Part 2)

May 10, 2021
30 min

Part two of an inside look at one of Australia's greatest artistic dynasties. In this concluding episode, a court case threatens to derail the family of acclaimed painter John Olsen.

A World of their Own

14. A World of their Own

May 17, 2021
30 min

The Seekers blazed a trail for Australian music in the 1960s with a number of chart topping international hits. But fame led to fallout and they split at the height of their success. They reunite to reminisce about the ride.

A Balancing Act

15. A Balancing Act

May 24, 2021
30 min

Dr Michelle Telfer is a world leader in providing treatment for children and teens with gender dysphoria, guiding them through their first steps towards transitioning. But her work isn't without its critics and controversies.

A Good Match

16. A Good Match

May 31, 2021
30 min

When women's soccer star Rhali Dobson received an on-field marriage proposal, the pictures went viral around the world. It was a story of love, sport and sacrifice – and a heart-wrenching plot.

Final Call

17. Final Call

June 7, 2021
30 min

After his wife was murdered while working on call as a nurse in South Australia's remote APY Lands, Keith Woodford has campaigned for a coronial inquest which has delivered some breakthrough findings.

Bouncing Back

18. Bouncing Back

June 14, 2021
30 min

An unlikely friendship forged on the tennis court between a homeless man and famous tennis pro leads to lifechanging events and a new beginning.

Luc Longley: One Giant Leap (Part 1)

19. Luc Longley: One Giant Leap (Part 1)

August 2, 2021
30 min

In the first of a two part special, we find out how a gentle kid from Fremantle ended up playing alongside Michael Jordan in the world's greatest team, the Chicago Bulls. Luc Longley's extraordinary story One Giant Leap.

Luc Longley: One Giant Leap (Part 2)

20. Luc Longley: One Giant Leap (Part 2)

August 9, 2021
30 min

From running with the Chicago Bulls to his omission from The Last Dance documentary, Luc Longley sets the record straight.

The Road to Justice

21. The Road to Justice

August 16, 2021
30 min

A mother's battle to bring her daughter's killer to account pays off when a coroner's inquest leads to a breakthrough.

Saving MG99

22. Saving MG99

August 23, 2021
30 min

A daring sea rescue led by the Australian Navy saved 99 people from certain death. Forty years later, the survivors meet their saviours in an emotional reunion.

Home Straight

23. Home Straight

August 30, 2021
30 min

In a case of life imitating art, iconic Aussie actor Michael Caton channels his beloved character from The Castle to fight for the underdog. Caton knows he's in the home straight of his life and wants to make the most of it.

Beyond the Grave

24. Beyond the Grave

September 6, 2021
30 min

One of the nation's biggest cold case mysteries takes a new turn when 'Somerton Man' is unearthed from an Adelaide cemetery in the hope that his DNA might finally reveal the secrets he took to his grave.

The Good Doctor

25. The Good Doctor

September 13, 2021
30 min

Dr Jamal Rifi has given up his retirement dreams to fight COVID from his front yard in the middle of the nation's Delta outbreak.

No Place Like Home

26. No Place Like Home

September 20, 2021
36 min

The story behind the story of the family at the centre of a tug of war between a small country town and the big end of government.

The Accomplice

27. The Accomplice

September 27, 2021
32 min

Behind the scenes of the AFP investigation into Australia's biggest insider trading case, where two young men united by deception are brought down by greed.

The Godfather of Coral

28. The Godfather of Coral

October 4, 2021
32 min

Charlie Veron has spent his career underwater charting the world's coral wonderlands. Now, as the Great Barrier Reef faces its biggest threat, he reveals an audacious rescue plan.

California Dreaming

29. California Dreaming

October 11, 2021
29 min

Like the characters in his blockbuster novels, author Matthew Reilly is no stranger to persevering through loss and setback. Now he's realising the childhood dream that inspired his career - directing an action movie.

Unmasking Max

30. Unmasking Max

October 18, 2021
32 min

Funnyman Max Gillies has been making people laugh all his life. Now at almost 80, he reveals the hidden family grief he has carried with him, and how comic acting became a welcome escape from his troubles at home as a child.

Happy Days

31. Happy Days

October 25, 2021
30 min

The heartwarming next chapter of Australian Story's most popular program ever proves love really does conquer all. Checking in with Gayle and Mac Shann.

The Final Hurdle

32. The Final Hurdle

November 1, 2021
32 min

Athlete, mother of four and reality TV star Jana Pittman talks about her new life as a doctor and her regrets about the period when she was labelled 'Drama Jana'.

Justice for Justine

33. Justice for Justine

November 8, 2021
30 min

A Sydney family takes on the Minneapolis police department in a long-running court battle to hold officer Mohamed Noor accountable for the death of Justine Ruszczyk.

In the Name of the Child

34. In the Name of the Child

November 15, 2021
30 min

Lauren Burns fought to find her anonymous sperm donor father. As she becomes a parent, she's back campaigning to make it easier for donor-conceived children to find their biological family, and make donations more accessible.

Grace Under Fire

35. Grace Under Fire

November 22, 2021
34 min

Outspoken Australian of the Year Grace Tame looks back over a tumultuous and life-changing 12 months.

No cast information available