20th anniversary of Living Black on NITV and SBS This April

On Monday, April 17 at 8.30pm, a new season of Living Black, the groundbreaking current affairs show, premieres on National Indigenous Television (NITV), with an encore airing on SBS on Tuesday, April 18 at 10.30pm.

Living Black, which is now in its 30th season, is the longest-running Indigenous news programme in Australia.

In celebration of the programme’s 20th anniversary, join presenter, director, and journalist Karla Grant as she chats with some of Australia’s most influential First Nations citizens. For its second season, Living Black focuses on compelling tales told primarily by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as a way to examine pressing national and international problems from a fresh First Nations perspective.

The premiere of the new season of Living Black is a one-hour episode having a panel discussion with notable guests. Senators Lidia Thorpe and Jacqui Lambie of the Independent Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs Ken Wyatt, Chief Executive Officer of Reconciliation Australia Karen Mundine, former NRL star Dean Widders, actor/producer Aaron Fa’Aoso, and lawyer/academic/land rights campaigner Noel Pearson are all on this list. In honour of the landmark 100th episode in the Living Black series, the group discusses the upcoming Voice to Parliament Referendum in detail.

All subsequent episodes of Living Black will continue to follow the show’s signature sit-down format and broadcast weekly on Mondays.

Play School host and actor Luke Carroll, American patriarch Michael Brown Sr., filmmaker Mobolaji Olambiwonnu, singer-songwriter-actor Christine Anu, Bangarra Dance Theatre artistic director Frances Rings, and many more will be featured in Season 30.

More information about the powerful investigation that will air in this season’s 30th installment, exposing serious instances of abuse of Indigenous families and their fight for justice, will be released in the coming weeks.

Presenter, producer, journalist and Western Arrernte woman, Karla Grant, said: “I am incredibly proud of our talented team who have broken so many stories over the years – from regional communities requiring support during the COVID-19 pandemic, to revelations about Indigenous art theft, Living Black continues to be a platform for telling important stories from our First Nations peoples, highlighting voices that need to be heard.

“I’m looking forward to many more years of Living Black, and this new season will be incredibly memorable.”

Episode 1

In a special one-hour panel discussion with high-profile guests, Karla covers a pressing issue currently facing all Australians, with a focus on First Nations people – the Referendum on a Voice to Parliament. Karla is joined by Noel Pearson, Senators Lidia Thorpe and Jacqui Lambie, Ken Wyatt, Karen Mundine, Dean Widders and Aaron Fa’Aoso. The episode also features a special performance by The Stiff Gins.

Episode 2

Karla Grant sits down with the Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney for an in-depth interview about the upcoming Voice to Parliament Referendum. Minister Burney will unpack the Referendum question, how the Voice will work, who will advise on the Voice and more.

Episode 3

He’s played a doctor on Home and Away and starred in numerous plays including At What Cost and Black Cockatoo, but Luke Carroll’s greatest role has been educating our children as the first Indigenous recurring male host on Play School. How did the established actor with no formal training go on to represent mob as one of our most recognisable actors? Karla Grant speaks with Luke about being a child actor, why onscreen representation matters, and how he hopes he made his late mother proud.

Watch Living Black weekly from Monday 17 April at 8.30pm on NITV and on SBS from Tuesday 18 April at 10.30pm. Living Black will also be available to stream on SBS On Demand.