There are few shows within Australian television that truly deserve being classed as iconic. Returning in 2011 for it’s 32 year the show consistently delivers strong and in-depth stories that actually represent current affairs. It’s amazing what you can do when the audience expect you to take things seriously. From the press release:
Captain Fantastic
Qantas has long been revered as the safest airline in the world. But its reputation has taken a beating of late. Literally. In November last year, an engine on one of its massive A380s exploded in mid-air. A lot of things went wrong that day. In fact, the flight crew had to deal with more than 60 separate system failures. But as you’ll see on Sunday night, a lot of things also went right, thanks largely to the man at the controls. Only his cool head and keen instincts got that plane down safely. And when you hear the full story, you’ll be amazed at how he did it.
Reporter: Karl Stefanovic
Producer: Stephen TaylorTorn Apart
Occasionally in this job, you hear a story that is so gut-wrenchingly tragic that you wonder where people find the strength to get out of bed each day. That’s how Michael Usher felt when he met Stacey Keep and her husband, Matthew. They lost their 23-month-old daughter, Jessica, during the Queensland floods. The raging water literally ripped the little girl out of Stacey’s arms. There’s nothing you can say or do to make things better. So we just listened. And we cried bucket-loads. And we tried to focus on the little miracles of that dreadful day.
Reporter: Michael Usher
Producer: Jo TownsendEnemy of the State
If the life story of Julian Assange was ever made into a movie, it would play like a cross between “Conspiracy Theory” and “Revenge of the Nerds”. Assange started out as a geeky teenage computer hacker in Melbourne. Twenty years later, he’s gleefully embarrassing corporations and countries, including Australia, through his website – WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks posts highly confidential information online for anyone to read. You can see why the establishment hates him. But he’s had his wings clipped of late. Right now he’s holed up in England waiting for the courts there to decide whether to extradite him to Sweden on rape charges. And if the Swedes luck out, the US government might take a crack at him on espionage charges. Steve Kroft of American 60 Minutes spoke to the man who can’t and won’t keep a secret.
Reporter: Steve Croft
Producer: CBS 60 Minutes
60 Minutes – Sunday 13/02 7.30pm, Ch9