60 Minutes Australia

tv show

poster for 60 Minutes Australia

314 total episodes

-

13 seasons

First Aired February 11, 1979

Genres:

Overview

60 Minutes, an Australian version of the U.S. television newsmagazine 60 Minutes, airs on Sunday nights on the Nine Network and is presented in much the same way as the American program on which it is based. The New Zealand version of the show has also featured segments of the Australian version. Gerald Stone, the founding executive producer, was given the job by Kerry Packer and was told: "I don't give a f... what it takes. Just do it and get it right." After the first episode was broadcast on 11 February 1979, Packer was less than impressed, telling Stone: "You've blown it, son. You better fix it fast." Over the years, Stone's award winning 60 Minutes revolutionised Australian current affairs reporting and enhanced the careers of Ray Martin, Ian Leslie, George Negus, and later Jana Wendt. Since it was first broadcast, 60 Minutes has won five Silver Logies, one Special Achievement Logie, and received nominations for a further six Logie awards.

2012-05-20 poster unavailable

2012-05-20

Season 2012 - Episode 9 - 0h 0m

Air Date

May 20, 2012

Overview

The Impossible Choice It’s the toughest choice any woman could make. You’ve tried so hard to get pregnant and suddenly you have an instant family – two, three even more little lives, a multiple pregnancy. It’s either the ultimate gift or a terrible burden. For many women, they have no choice, it would simply be too dangerous to carry all the babies full term. So they turn to a controversial and little known procedure called selective reduction where a doctor decides which foetuses to terminate. In fertility treatment it’s known as the dirty little secret. It’s a heartbreaking decision so it’s surprising then that some women actually choose selective reduction for lifestyle reasons. And a warning, parts of this story are confronting. Reporter: Michael Usher Producer: Phil Goyen The Fall Guys We’ve witnessed plenty of courageous and often crazy feats over the years. But in all of Charles Wooley’s time working on this program, he’s never encountered anything quite so jaw-droppingly insane as extreme kayaking. The guys who love this sport don’t so much live on the edge as throw themselves off it. They paddle their tiny kayaks over massive twenty-storey high waterfalls, reaching speeds of two hundred kilometres an hour as they plummet, nose first into the churning water below. They’ve shattered bones and broken backs. But, in their world, coming face to face with death is the only way to really live. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Danny Keens Absolutely Fabulous Liz Hayes wasn’t quite sure what to expect. After all, it’s hard to separate the real life Joanna Lumley from the chain-smoking, Bollinger-sodden character Patsy she plays so convincingly in “Absolutely Fabulous”. But when Liz caught up with Lumley in London what she found was a witty, self-aware and thoroughly charming woman. Although, like her famous alter ego, she is partial to the occasional glass of champers. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Sandra Clear