Letters "S" & "T" (general part 2): Science, Subcultures, Tourism and Television

Some catching up to be done:



1) Tourism revisited ;-)




2) TV

Now, where do I even start... ;-)

Inevitably this topic is going to be very arbitrary. Imagine that a foreigner asks you to recommend best 10 programmes/soaps/talk shows on Polish television now and in the past. Yes? Well? Czterej Pancerni or Szymon Majewski Show? I bet everyone would come with a unique list...

I've been nagging my Aussie friends for suggestions, plus I've discovered some gems of Aussie TV on my own. It will be a very incomplete list, but I feel that's the only way I can do it - just to share with you my personal favs.

First visit the infallible Culture Portal for a comphehensive insight into the history of TV in Australia.

And now you are ready to look at Top 10 Programmes (or rather categories - but let's not be too pedantic, eh? ;-) )

1. comedians: Adam Hills, Tim Minchin, Judith Lucy

You've seen some clips with Adam and Tim already, but now have a look at the one which unites them on screen :-)



And this one shows Judith at her sarcastic best. :-D I rarely find female comedians funny, but her style of comedy never fails to entertain me.



2. radio presenters guesting on TV shows: Hamish and Andy, Myf Warhurst

Hamish and Andy are a comedy duo with their own radio programme but often appear on Spicks and Specks and Rove.

Here is a little clip in which they instruct their mothers to play pranks on Mother's Day. It is not very highbrow humour, mind you, but it's endearing nevertheless :-)
Look for the expression of sheer dread in the boys' faces when they realise what they have made their moms do. And you have to admit that the ladies are really game to take on any challenge ;-) 




Myf appears as team captain on Spicks and Specks. She is the heartwarming, adorable, gentle soul of the show. But her being the only girl in the gang, the host - Adam Hills and Kiwi team captain Alan Brough never miss an opportunity to put Myf in an embarrassing situation ;-)

Here is what happened one of the very rare times when Myf's team actually won...



3. talk show hosts: Rove McManus, Andrew Denton, Paul McDermott
4. comedy shows: Spicks and Specks
5. kids TV: The Wiggles, The Upside Down Show, High 5, Marine Girl, Silversun
6. soaps: Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers
7. modern TV dramas: Love My Way 
8. "mystery"/sci-fi: Bryan Brown's Twisted, Two Twisted

From Two Twisted promo: 'Two Twisted' follows on from the 'Twisted Tales'(1996) series produced by Australian actor/producer Bryan Brown. These Australian series' follow the tradition of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and 'The Twighlight Zone', of short dark thrillers which develop with a surprising twist. 'Two Twisted' consists of 14 episodes of 30 minutes each, screened in pairs, with a link connecting each of the two episodes. Can you spot the link?

It's another show which I love to bits! :-) Mostly because when I was your age I used to write such sting-in-the-end stories. Nice to see they sometimes make it to the screen.

Hare is the trailer:

 

9. spoof documentary: The Games

Love the dry humour!



10. entertainment: Strictly Come Dancing


3) Science and the inventive Australian mind.

Have a look at the long list of Aussie inventions.

Here is the history of one of them:



4) Subcultures

This is a trailer of a film that not only started off the great career of Russell Crowe but at that time was a very important voice in the discussion about Australian youth.




*

TIMELINE

An easy, "all-in-one" summary of the bit of Australian history we have covered so far. Links will take you to relevant blog entries.

Feb 2009 - "Black Saturday" - the worst bushfire in Oz history

2008 - Kevin Rudd apologises

2000 - Sydney Olympic Games

1992 - Native Title Act (Aboriginal Australians reclaim their sacred lands)

1970s-80s - boom of independent cinema ("Ocker" films)

1976/78 - battle between two iconic cars: Ford XB Falcon vs. Holden Commodore

1974 - Cyclone "Tracy" destroys Darwin and claims many lives

1973 - Sydney Opera House

1967 - referendum grants Aboriginal Australians electoral representation

1966 - The Battle of Long Tan (most significant battle ANZAC were involved in Vietnam)

1950s - Cultivated pearls industry starts in Broome

1948 - The Shool of the Air broadcasts first lesson

1942 - Darwin bombings (WWII) - the largest military attack against Australia ever

1936 - last Tasmanian Tiger dies in Hobart Zoo

1929 - 1933 - Great Depression

1928 - beginning of Royal Flying Doctor Service

1915 - The Battle of Gallipoli (WWI) - the birth of ANZAC identity and "Aussie voice"

1869 - 1969 - "Stolen Generations"

1913 - construction of Canberra commenced, it becomes actual capital city of Australia

1907 - Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club becomest world's first surf lifesaving service

1901 - 1907 - No 1 Rabbit Proof Fence finished to protect WA pastures against rabits

1st January 1901 - FEDERATION: The Commonwealth of Australia is founded

1880 - Ned Kelly executed at Melbourne Gaol

1879 - Royal National Park founded (world's second oldest national park, after Yellowstone)

1859 - 10 Rules of Australian Footbal (AFL) first written down

1854 - Eureka Stockade (Australia's only revolution)

1851 - Gold Rush in New South Wales

1840 - Edmund Strzelecki explores Snowy Mountains and names Mount Kosciszko

1814 - Matthew Flinders first introduces the name of the continent - Australia

1793 - first free settlers arrive

1788 - 1850 - total of 162,000 convicts were transported to Australia on 806 ships

1788 - First Fleet arrives at Bottany Bay and establishes first settlement in Port Jackson

1770 - James Cook lands at Bottany Bay and claims the "new land" for the British Crown

17th century - European exploration

1606 - Dutch merchant Willem Jans lands at Cape York

1300 - explorer Marco Polo describes "Southern Land"

Time of Creation - Dream Time: Aboriginal ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings form the land

60,000 - 40,000 BC - Aboriginal tribes colonise the continent of Australia

The mysterious letter "T"

What you'll need tomorrow is just general knowledge and ability to make associations. That's also your chance to score a lot of points for your team.

Good luck and see you in the class :)

S (part 2): Symbols and Steve Irwin (another great symbol)

1. Australian Symbols

Begin with some serious reading here.


And then visit my beloved site for a less "purist" take on Aussie symbols ;-)
(click the pic below)




















EUREKA FLAG 
GOLDEN WATTLE

2. In the second part of the class we are going to celebrate the life and heritage of Steve Irwin, or as we came to know him better - The Crocodile Hunter.








How could you just not love this guy? ;-)



First part of a great interview. You'll find part 2 and 3 on You Tube.







3. (if we have time) Live, Universe and Everything
That's mostly Aboriginal Astronomy. I'll show you a presentation I prepared for Open Days three years ago. You don't need to read anything.

Surfing - Drift

Glog about our work - test

You were OSOM! ;)

More tomorrow. I'm nearly dead today.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK!!!