Talks and live happenings that pay homage to the small screen in a cult celebration of TV.

Talking TV

A podcast of our 'Investigating True Detective' talk which looks at the gritty crime series.

With its transfixing debut season winning over both critics and viewers, HBO’s 'True Detective' cemented its place in television history. Through a combination of gritty narrative, mysterious visual style and revolutionary casting, the show has revitalised the long- standing TV crime genre.

Featuring Dr Rodney Taveira of the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney, creator and host of the Cherchez la Femme feminist talkshow and director of the Girls On Film festival Karen Pickering, and Associate Professor of Screen Arts at La Trobe University, Terrie Waddell. Hosted by writer and broadcaster Jess McGuire.

Investigating True Detective Podcast

Take a look at the evolving face of queer representation on the small screen. 

Recorded: 26 April 2012

Queering the Small Screen

Paul Verhoeven, Luke Ryan and Angela Ndalianis dissect this popular, zombie-infested drama.

[explicit content]

Recorded: 28 February 2013

Examining The Walking Dead

Our panel of guests explores the evolving world of GLBTI characters on TV.

Recorded: 23 March 2013

Queering the Small Screen Pt II

Our panelists discuss the sudden end of HBO's polarising drama and its flawed female lead. 

[explicit content]

Recorded: 29 August 2013

The End of Enlightenment

Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott explore and celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who. 

Recorded: 21 November 2013

Splendid Chaps: 50th Anniversary Tribute to Doctor Who

Clementine Ford, Byron Bache, Jess McGuire and Ben Pobjie mull over our love of prison dramas. 

[explicit content]

Recorded: 27 February 2014

TV Behind Bars

Our panellists revisit the cancelled teen sleuth show Veronica Mars and the how fan support enabled a movie.

Recorded: 27 May 2014

Veronica Mars

From the famed improv house Upright Citizen’s Brigade, to a groundbreaking self-conceived web series, and finally to the breakout Comedy Central hit of the same name, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer have built their Broad City from the ground up.

Wrapping its first season earlier this year, Broad City introduced viewers to the often chaotic and profoundly funny world of fictional Abbi & Ilana, outsized versions of the show’s creators/stars themselves.

With the deeply joyous relationship between the two twenty-something’s always present, the duo’s antics have earned themselves the titles of televisions favourite new slackers, winning fans and critics alike during the series initial 10 episode run.

Join our panel of talented broads, including Clementine Ford, Greta Parry, Penny Modra, Stephanie Van Schilt and Brodie Lancaster, as they discuss Broad City.

Wrapping its first season earlier this year, Broad City introduced viewers to the often chaotic and profoundly funny world of fictional Abbi and Ilana, outsized versions of the show’s creators/stars themselves.

With the deeply joyous relationship between the two twenty-somethings always present, the duo’s antics have earned themselves the titles of television's favourite new slackers, winning fans and critics alike during the series' initial ten-episode run. 

Relive our panel of talented broads discussing Broad City with this podcast.

The panel includes Clementine Ford, Greta Parry, Penny Modra, Stephanie Van Schilt and Brodie Lancaster.

Recorded: 16 September 2014

Broad City

In this podcast we investigate the new Golden Age of Scandinavian television, from Forbrydelsen to Bron/Broen, and the popular US remakes that followed in their wake.

Recorded: 25 November 2014

Remaking Nordic TV

Based on stories and characters from Thomas Harris’ much-loved book series, Hannibal has taken viewers on an often macabre and lurid psychological journey into the minds of two of Harris’ most interesting characters.

Our panel of speakers examines the relationship between FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), and speculates about what could be in store for TV’s most beguilingly gruesome twosome.

Recorded: 17 March 2015

Hannibal

Lannister, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell, Targaryen. As another season of HBO’s smash hit comes to a close, Game of Thrones will be back in the House, as we take a trip back to Westeros to explore the evolution of TV’s most dysfunctional noble families.

After exploring the first two brutal seasons of Game of Thrones back in 2012, our panel will revisit the beheadings, red weddings and royal undoings of the ensuing three seasons, and examine the epic fandom that has engulfed the show.

With HBO’s groundbreaking announcement of the simultaneous global broadcasting of its fifth season, Game of Thrones cemented its place in TV history as a worldwide phenomenon.

Back in 2012 when we first examined the show in an evening of discussion, debate and some rather saucy erotic fan fiction, the popularity of the program was steadily climbing. Families had done battle, houses had fallen, and a handful of eggs had spectacularly hatched.

But a lot can happen in three seasons, particularly in Westeros. With new characters emerging and old characters losing battles – and potentially their heads – season five promises to offer viewers more dragons, more fights, more sex, more epic battles, and a lot more snow (both atmospheric and of the Jon variety).

Our panel of guests including film critic and writer for Guardian Australia Luke Buckmaster, journalist, author and cultural critic Mel Campbell, writer Luke Ryan and writer and broadcaster Clementine Ford, strapped their armour on, sharpened their swords and returned to the Seven Kingdoms to discuss who is still in the running to win TV’s most cut-throat game of thrones.

Recorded: 30 June 2015

Game of Thrones

As part of the Emerging Writers’ Festival, we hosted a panel exploring over half a decade of Australian television broadcasting with a fascinating look at the ABC.  

With its history stretching back to 1956, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is an integral part of the Australian television landscape. ACMI and the Emerging Writers' Festival bring together a special panel of writers, critics and commentators to explore over half a decade of what many refer to as "Aunty", with a fascinating exploration of our national broadcaster.

Taking a look back at its humble beginnings broadcasting a single non-commercial television channel, all the way through to its current position providing a suite of content across numerous terrestrial, digital and web based channels, our panel will explore past programs and examine the current crop of acclaimed ABC series including Rake, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, and Redfern Now.

Recorded on 4/5/2014

Exploring the ABC

'Transparent' is a multilayered story about an LA-based Jewish family, whose patriarch Mort has begun to transition from male to a truer female self, named Maura. More than just a coming out story about Maura’s transitioning, the first season of the series has presented a murky, at times uncomfortable, exploration of family, gender, identity and human connection.

Our panel of speakers explore the first season of 'Transparent', examine its attempts at transformative representation, and tackle issues of gender and transgender representation on the small screen. 

Transparent

Dubbed "The Indie Queen" by TIME magazine, Parker Posey has forged a formidable presence in the world of independent cinema, earning her crown playing an impressive range of quirky characters on the big screen.

Along with her star turns in classics such as Dazed and Confused, Party Girl, and The House of Yes, Posey has formed an equally as interesting television resume, popping up on the box with fierce regularity throughout her 25 year career.

Complementing In Praise of Parker Posey, this session of Talking TV took an inquisitive look at the small screen outings of this truly unique cinematic royal.

After her first professional acting gig on the soap opera As the World Turns, Posey has made some memorable appearances on the small screen throughout her career.  From her cult-favourite recurring role in the Tales of the City mini-series to guest voicing on The Simpsons and Futurama, and more recently playing recurring guest characters on seasons of Louie and The Good Wife.

Join our panel of guests including The Good Copy’s Penny Modra, writer Sinead Stubbins, The Age’s Bhakthi Puvanenthiran and Guardian Australia’s film and TV critic Luke Buckmaster as they explore the small screen offerings of the Indie Queen, and look back over a television resume as diverse and idiosyncratic as the actress herself.

Talking TV: Parker Posey

Presented as part of Hey Girl, this panel discussion, hosted by comedian Judith Lucy, will look at girls on screen in a special evening dedicated to dissecting some of the funniest and fetchest pop-culture favourites.

Featuring Mel Campbell, Jessica Knight, Billie Tumarkin and Candy Bowers this conversation is suited to girls, anyone who was once a girl and anybody who knows a girl.

It’s hard to know whether to cheer or groan at the success of Lena Dunham’s hit TV show Girls. On one hand, it’s encouraging to see real, imperfect female bodies on screen. On the other hand, it’s depressing that such images are still revolutionary. ‘There's people who don't want to see bodies like mine, or bodies like their own bodies,’ Dunham has said.

Girls is just one show that has inspired some fiery debates about female representation and diversity in popular culture. Our panel – comprising some of the smartest young women we know – will also respond to clips from Broad City, Freaks & Geeks, The Katering Show, Puberty Blues and, of course, Mean Girls. Can we see ourselves in these characters? Who is left out in representations of girls on screen? What power do these representations hold over our imaginations? And could there ever be a show about girls as gross as The Inbetweeners?

YAS KWEEN: Girls on Screen Podcast

Much to the joy of Twin Peaks fans, master of surrealist nightmares David Lynch has re-visited Twin Peaks after 25 years. Season three sees the return of many of the characters that touched our hearts and haunted our dreams. 

Join Andy Hazel, host of 'Twin Peaks: The Return, A Podcast' and a panel of writers and critics for some damn fine coffee and doughnuts as we venture back to the realm of the Black Lodge.

Twin Peaks: No One Is Innocent

Having conquered the cutthroat world of satirical online cooking shows with The Katering Show (Australian TV's all-time most viewed digital series), the two Kates are ready to take their trademark sassy swipe at morning lifestyle television in Get Krack!n, a new series for Seeso and ABC.

Each morning the Kates will shuffle through a roster of unsafe demonstrations, surly guests, unprepared experts and the over-lit decomposition of the duo’s already rocky relationship. Viewers will quickly discover that McLennan and McCartney will leave no cultural touchstone unturned, even though they are in no capacity qualified to speak on them, or on anything for that matter.

As always, neither of the women has any sense of on-camera technique. While McCartney’s Daria-esque enthusiasm is a total miss-match to the bright and breezy format, McLennan’s hosting is imbued with a fetid air of desperation. The show should be McCartney and McLennan’s Big US Break. But, like any televisual format that the Kates put their rough, manly hands to, things on Get Krack!n will go downhill fast.

This Q&A with Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney followed the screening of the first two episodes.

Series Mania 2017 Get Krack!n Q and A

This Q&A with Ian Collie, Wally Elnour, Ez Eldin Deng, Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw, Matt Cameron and Elise McCredie follwed the screening of the first episode of Sunshine which was selected as Series Mania Melbourne's opening night screening, 

Sunshine is a vibrant, kinetic and compelling high stakes fictional crime drama that explores a world of contrasts - truth and reconstruction, past and present, hope and heartbreak – felt by those forging a new life in a foreign land. 

The 4 x 1 hour series is set in the summer of 2017 in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine. The story follows Jacob Garang (Wally Elnour), a young, aspiring South Sudanese-Australian basketball player who is on the cusp of being picked up by scouts for the US College league. However, Jacob’s team is not up to his standard and so he angles to bring in a new coach to help with the team’s performance. His pick is Eddie Grattan (Anthony LaPaglia), a local who once played for a US college team, but has long since retired and operates a small sports store in Sunshine. Almost against his best instincts, Eddie accepts an approach by Jacob to coach his underperforming team, The Sunshine Kings. 

In the midst of his aspirations, Jacob finds himself answering to Sunshine-raised lawyer Zara Skelton (Melanie Lynskey) when he is caught up in a police investigation involving a young teenage girl who has been violently assaulted and is now in a coma fighting for her life.

Series Mania 2017 Sunshine Q and A

Is the recent trend in 80s retro films and TV symbolic of a nostalgia for a simpler era?

The 80s was a decade renowned for its excess - think money, drugs, eyeshadow and lycra. From Stranger Things and Glow to Spielberg’s upcoming Ready Player One, we look at contemporary TV and films that transport us back to the decade defined by  ET, The Goonies, big hair, pastels and 12-sided dice.

But what does this recent trend in 80s retro nostalgia tell us about ourselves? Are we nostalgic for a simpler pre-Trump age?

Join filmmaker Glendyn Ivin, academic Dr Lauren Rosewarne and critic Mel Campbell in a neon-coloured, synth-scored exploration of our yearning for 80s small town America.

Copyright Acknowledgments 

Title: Stranger Things, Series One, Episode One
Copyright: Netflix

Title: Stranger Things, Series One, Episode Two
Copyright: Netflix

Title: Glow, Series One, Episode Seven
Copyright: Netflix

Title: Wet Hot American Summer
Copyright: USA Films

Title: E.T.
Copyright: Universal Pictures

Title: The Goonies
Copyright: Warner Bros.

Title: Stand By Me
Copyright: Columbia Pictures

Title: Puberty Blues, Season One, Episode One
Copyright: Endemol Australia

Title: Puberty Blues, Season One, Episode Three
Copyright: Endemol Australia


Title: Cracker Bag
Copyright: Glendyn Ivin

ACMI Conversations: Retro Nostalgia

Australia's only national museum of film, video games, digital culture and art - situated at the heart of Melbourne in Fed Square. Listen to our latest podcasts of live events, playlists associated with exhibitions, and more.

Located at Fed Square. Open daily. #acmimelbourne www.acmi.net.au

Talking TV

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