Tonight | Stuff The British Stole on ABC TV and ABC iview: Marc Fennell Investigates the Cranbourne Meteorite – Stuff The British Stole on ABC TV and ABC iview continues tonight with a cosmic Australian story that stretches from Cranbourne to London.
In season three, episode five, Marc Fennell digs into the story of the Cranbourne Meteorite. It is a giant ball of iron that fell from the sky and landed in Australia’s backyard. However, its journey did not end where it landed.
At the centre of the episode is a larger question. Who owns an object from space once it crashes to Earth? More importantly, who gets to keep it when science, empire and history all collide?
The story begins in Victoria, where the enormous meteorite became the focus of a dispute. Scientists from the British colonial outpost of Victoria and Britain’s scientific establishment both had an interest in the object. As a result, the meteorite’s future became more complicated than its arrival.
The Cranbourne Meteorite was once the largest meteorite of its kind. Today, it sits far from where it landed, tucked away in the British Natural History Museum’s gift shop. That raises the question at the heart of tonight’s episode: should it be returned to Australia?
Marc follows the trail from Melbourne to Cranbourne, then on to London and Oxford. Along the way, the episode explores ownership, legacy and the strange legal grey area around matter from outer space.
With unexpected twists and a distinctly Australian connection, tonight’s episode turns one fallen rock into a much bigger story about history, science and who gets to decide where the past belongs.
Stuff The British Stole season three, episode five airs tonight, Tuesday 7 July, at 8.00pm on ABC TV and ABC iview
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About the Show
The ABC is thrilled to announce season three of award-winning documentary series Stuff The British Stole, which will premiere Tuesday 9 June at 8pm on ABC TV, with all episodes available on ABC iview.
Hosted by Walkley Award-winning journalist Marc Fennell, Stuff The British Stole continues its gripping exploration of the British Empire’s most controversial acquisitions.
Across six episodes, season 3 takes audiences on a globe-trotting investigation spanning the Caribbean, Asia and Egypt, following the trail of remarkable objects and the communities still fighting for their return. Each story reveals a tangled web of empire, power and identity, brought to life through Fennell’s signature mix of curiosity, wit and emotional depth.
Host Marc Fennell said,
“Two years in the making and shot across eight countries and all over Australia, this is easily the most epic show I’ve ever made for the ABC. We go from Hawaii to Hong Kong to the Himalayas…and even some places that don’t start with H. It’s a proper global adventure, and honestly some of my favourite mysteries we’ve ever chased. Every part of the show has been pushed further – ambitious visual effects, moving stories, breathtaking locations, and some genuinely hilarious characters.”
Based on the chart-topping podcast of the same name, Stuff The British Stole has become a standout factual series for the ABC, averaging nearly one million viewers an episode in season two*, earning critical acclaim and multiple industry awards.
Stream seasons one and two of Stuff The British Stole on ABC iview, or listen to the podcast on ABC listen app.
*Source: OzTAM Combined Metro + Regional panel, OzTAM VPM Minutes.
Production credit:
Commissioned by ABC. Stuff The British Stole, season three, is a Wooden Horse, WildBear Entertainment and Artemis Media production for the ABC. Major production investment from the ABC and Screen Australia. Financed in association with Screenwest, Lotterywest, Screen Canberra, and VicScreen. Local distribution and international sales by Fremantle.
Executive Producers: Richard Finlayson and Jude Troy (Wooden Horse); Alan Erson and Michael Tear (WildBear Entertainment); and Celia Tait (Artemis Media). Executive Producer, Director, Creator and Host: Marc Fennell. ABC Commissioning Editor: Kalita Corrigan. ABC Head of Documentary and Specialist: Susie Jones.
Media Release – ABC
