Critical Kingdoms - Stories of Hope

The Indonesian Reckoning

September 2025 •Dutch

Historian Hans Goedkoop is of Dutch-Indonesian descent. In a two-part TV program he talks to first, second and third generation Dutch-Indonesians. This gives Dutch Indians the opportunity to talk about their feelings about the colonial past of the Netherlands.

Indonesia Merdeka!

September 2025 •Dutch

Documentary from 1976 about the Indonesian struggle for independence. Unique archive footage and interviews with former vice-president Mahammed Hatta (the only existing interview with him on film), journalist/writer Johan Fabricius, the physician dr. Abu Hafina, the nationalist youth leader Roelan Abgulgani, dr. P. J. Koets, at the time political adviser of the Lt. Governor-General, the Indonesian generals Nasution and Simaupang, and the planter couple Marsman.

Out There with Jack Randall

September 2025 •English

Zoologist Jack Randall journeys into Australia's Outback to encounter extraordinary wildlife.

The ABC Of

September 2025 •English

The ABC Of, a interview series, revisits the pasts of prominent Australians through moments drawn from the vast ABC archives.

Animal Construction

September 2025 •French

Seven Worlds, One Planet

September 2025 •English

Millions of years ago, incredible forces ripped apart the Earth’s crust creating seven extraordinary continents. This documentary series reveals how each distinct continent has shaped the unique animal life found there.

Once Upon a Time in Punchbowl

September 2025 •English

Tells the inside story of the challenges the Lebanese Australian community has faced in Australia and how they have fought to overcome them. This landmark documentary series hears from community leaders, police, families and individuals, as they combine to tell the compelling and dramatic story of a proud and resilient community, under intense pressure and scrutiny. The story begins in the 1970s when large numbers of Lebanese migrants flooded into Australia. Many were Muslim, most were traumatised by civil war, all were desperate to build a better future. Over the coming decades, these new Australians struggled to establish a new life in their adopted country.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild

September 2025 •English

Showcasing wildlife success stories across the United States, renowned wildlife experts explore the work of conservationists helping to save imperiled species.

Life at the Waterhole

September 2025 •English

Explore the daily drama as African wildlife flock to a manmade waterhole rigged with cameras. Dr. M. Sanjayan and his team uncover the complex dynamic of this bustling oasis where elephants, lions, leopards and more meet and compete for water.

Penguin Town

September 2025 •English

In a picturesque South African town, an eclectic group of endangered penguins flock together to find mates, raise families and mix with the locals.

Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty

September 2025 •English

Continuing the compelling saga of the heartstring-tugging, dramatic tale of survival revolving around three families of meerkats who are descendants of the legendary meerkat matriarch, Flower. Neighbors and rivals who share a bloodline are forced to compete for food and resources in an environment that is undergoing a great deal of change: the Kalahari Desert in South Africa.

Tsunami: Race Against Time

September 2025 •English

The definitive story of the deadly 2004 tsunami as it travels from country to country, with unseen archive video and untold stories of survival.

The Pacific: In The Wake of Captain Cook

September 2025 •English

History is taking to the seas and walking in the footsteps of Captain James Cook. 250 years after Cook began his epic exploration of the Pacific, Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Piano) journeys in his wake uncovering stories that resonate from those times on both sides of the beach. Sam begins with a disclaimer – he is merely an actor – but the story of Cook, and the impact he has had on the Pacific in the 250 years since his first voyage, has always fascinated him.

Last Chance to See

September 2025 •English

A follow-up to the 1990 Radio 4 series in which the late Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine travelled around the world in search of endangered species. 20 years later Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine go back to see what has become of the animals in two decades, and to discover what has affected their fortunes.

Wildest Islands

September 2025 •English

Islands can be home to the most extreme examples of life and the some of the most dramatic landscapes. Natural selection fuels evolution in the most extraordinary way. Isolated for hundreds of thousands of years, pockets of individuals survive, thrive and adapt to fill all available niches fuelling a rapid development of new species. Wildest Islands, a stunning five-part series featuring the world’s most spectacular island locations. Dive into the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean; journey through the lush forests of Zanzibar; discover the unspoilt environs of the Hebrides; and uncover the enduring wonders of the Galapagos Islands as Wildest Islands investigates the rich history of these pristine paradises.

Taylor's Australia

September 2025 •English

Bert Taylor travels around Australia's vast countryside.

Rise of the Continents

September 2025 •English

The Earth’s continents are instantly recognizable. These iconic landmasses seem permanent and unchanging, yet they are merely the wreckage of a much larger long-lost supercontinent – Pangaea. In this stunning four part series Professor Iain Stewart uncovers the evidence for this ancient past. He reveals how the world around us is full of clues – in the rocks, the landscapes and even the animals. All of which tell us how the land we live on was created.

Shipwreck Hunters Australia

September 2025 •English

A unique team of adventurous divers and underwater filmmakers are joined by expert maritime archaeologists on the hunt for long-lost shipwreck secrets along the vast coast of Western Australia. Led by an obsessed pirate captain, the missions combine new evidence and archival research in an all-out adventure into the mysterious past in one of the most stunning places on Earth.

Queens

September 2025 •English

In six remote and beautiful places on our planet are queendoms run by the most powerful leaders in the animal world. These queens are sisters, single mothers, grandmothers. This documentary series tells their stories of resilience, strength, love and loss for the first time.

Adventure

September 2025 •English

Long-running travel programme