The ABC Of is an interview series, hosted by actor David Wenham, in which a range of prominent Australians revisit their pasts through moments drawn from the vast ABC Archives.
Each episode is a one-on-one conversation in which the questions are based on archival video clips. Before they sit down, the guests are unaware of the clips that have been chosen. In many cases, those clips travel past the choices you’d expect, the obvious markers of the guest’s CV, wending their way down delightful and surprising paths to footage that has not seen the light of day for decades.
Episode 1 – The ABC Of Ita Buttrose
David Wenham tracks back through the ABC Archival life of Ita Buttrose, much-admired publisher, businesswoman and, since the 1970s, Australia’s unofficial, unelected Minister For Women. Now 80, the indefatigable Ita – we’re all on a first-name basis – is also currently chair of the ABC.
To kick off the conversation, The ABC Of researchers uncovered 1959 vision of Ita at 17, on her very first job as a journalist. Ita reminisces about her early days at Cleo and The Australian Women’s Weekly.
She also tackles the difficult but rewarding years as chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on AIDS (NACAIDS) in the 1980s and being fired from her radio job at the time. She details the journey of her namesake magazine, Ita, and the lean times that followed before the highly successful Paper Giants television series brought her back into the public eye.
Production credit: A Guesswork Television Production in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Executive Producers: Jon Casimir and Jo Long. ABC Commissioning Editor Julie Hanna. ABC Head of Factual and Culture Jennifer Collins.
I’m quivering in anticipation of the Lisa Wilkinson episode.
Really?
It’s been pulled?
It was never made?
Not even mooted, dreamed about or written on the back of a napkin?
What a terrible travesty.
Hi Adrian – when did Lisa ever work for the ABC? What would warrant them making an episode of this with her? Your comment seems overly spiteful and unneccesary.
G’day Steve. I didn’t realise that this show showcased talent exclusive to the ABC. If this is indeed the case, then my error.
Looking at the issue through a wider lens, I suppose you have to say what you said so Blackbox doesn’t get Network 10 offside again.
Hi Adrian – it’s not explicitly ABC staff, however it is people who have a connection with the ABC (which Lisa does not).
Looking forward to this series.
Presumably this celebrity hosted puff piece was made BEFORE Buttrose decided to sack the ABC’s archivists? The footage used throughout this series didn’t catalogue itself.
What a fabulous interview of an equally fabulous woman.
Ita, you were a trail blazer. Such a feisty young woman. A true roll model.
I think David was a little in awe of you.
And, you look amazing.