May on SBS on Demand – SBS on Demand highlights for the month of May include AFTRS Documentaries Showcase 2023, Who Do You Think You Are, Love/Hate, Surreal Estate, Fight The Power: How Hip-Hop Changed the World, Eurovision Song Contest, Safe Home, House Of Promises, Duckrockers, Blue Lights, Dystopia, Alone, The Night Logan Woke Up, Normal People, The Lesson and History Of The Sitcom.
australian documentaries
AFTRS Documentaries Showcase 2023
Premiere
Monday, 1 2023 SBS On Demand
To showcase emerging filmmaking talent SBS On Demand has partnered with the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) with a carefully curated collection of student documentaries.
The documentary collection by AFTRS’ second-year Bachelor of Arts students includes 14 short-form documentaries. Students were briefed to create a film no longer than five minutes that explores the culture and unique identity of Australia. The collection is a diverse and compelling mix of stories spanning unique perspectives including the journey of afghani refugees, the creation of estranged family relationships caused by conspiracy theories, and the thought process behind creative desires.
Who Do You Think You Are (season 14)
Australian Premiere SBS On Demand Box-Set
Tuesday, 2 May 2023 SBS & SBS On Demand (episodes coming weekly)
In the brand new season of Who Do You Think You Are?, join eight prominent Australians as they trek across the globe on an expansive journey that ultimately leads them back home, and to a better understanding of themselves.
In episode one, on a very special Who Do You Think You Are?, we celebrate Australian icon and superstar Barry Humphries as he sets out to solve a family mystery. Confident he’s the most interesting person in his family tree, Barry is on a quest to be proven wrong.
Jenny Brockie, Derryn Hinch, Rhonda Burchmore, Stephen Page, Peter Helliar, Kerry Armstrong, and John Waters also star in season fourteen of one of Australia’s most loved TV series.
Who Do You Think You Are S14 is available weekly on SBS On Demand from Tuesday, 2 May and at 7.30pm on SBS. The series will be available on On Demand with Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean subtitles as well as audio description.
S1 – S13 are currently available to stream on SBS On Demand.
irish crime drama
Love/Hate (season 1-5)
SBS On Demand Box-Set
Thursday, 4 May 2023 SBS On Demand (all episodes available to stream)
The story of the organised crime scene of Dublin is revealed, centred on Darren, who wants to stay out of trouble but ends up returning to his old habits and his old gang.
Love/Hate is an SBS On Demand exclusive.
canadian sci-fi
Surreal Estate
Australian Premiere SBS On Demand Box-Set
Thursday, 4 May 2023 SBS On Demand (all ten episodes available to stream)
Aided by his own remarkable abilities and an eclectic team of associates, owner of The Roman Agency, Luke Roman, specialises in clearing and closing haunted houses.
What makes the team at The Roman Agency unique – and in demand – is their uncanny ability to investigate and explain the truly inexplicable…and find a solution.
And close the sale. That’s the key. Solving the mystery, closing the portal, expelling the demon, putting the tortured soul to rest, those are all just the means to a greater end: A sale. After all, closure is nice – but closings are what The Roman Agency is all about.
Stars Tim Rozon and Sara Levy of Schitt’s Creek.
Surreal Estate S1 is an SBS On Demand exclusive.
american documentary
Fight The Power: How Hip-Hop Changed the World
Australian Premiere
Thursday, 4 May 2023 SBS On Demand (all four episodes available to stream)
The beats that broke new ground. How hip hop emerged from underground New York into a global force for change and empowerment – as told by icons Chuck D, Ice-T, Run DMC and more.
Fight The Power S1 is an SBS On Demand exclusive.
entertainment
Eurovision Song Contest
Live & Exclusive Australian Premiere
From Wednesday, 10 May 2023 SBS & SBS On Demand
All Eurovision content will be available to watch on a dedicated SBS On Demand page – including the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest.
Practice your growls and dance moves, Australia, as we celebrate 40 years of broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest on SBS, sending a band to represent the country for the very first time at this year’s event in Liverpool. We’ll ferry ‘cross the Mersey to bring you all the action LIVE from Wednesday 10 – Sunday 14 May at 5:00am on SBS and SBS On Demand with the prime time broadcast from Friday 12 – Sunday 14 May at 7:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Move over mods and rockers, synth-metal will be the talk of the town, when Perth’s fearless, riff-laden, genre-bending band Voyager perform their epic, progressive pop metal track Promise on the Eurovision stage where dreams are made, and anything is possible. Vying to represent Australia since we first participated in 2015, and after taking out second place in a nail-biting finish with Dreamer at last year’s Eurovision- Australia Decides, the time is finally right for Voyager to belt out, “It’s gonna be alright,” to millions of people across the globe.
SBS’s exclusive coverage will once again be in the capable hands of music buff Myf Warhurst and comedian Joel Creasey who will bring their witty banter to the commentary booth as they guide Australia through the glitz, glamour, and madness of the Semi Finals and spectacular Grand Final direct from Pier Head in Liverpool, UK.
Make sure you join in the conversation during the prime time broadcast using the hashtag #SBSEurovision, with tweets and party pictures promoted on screen, where you can not only catch all the performances, but also experience exclusive behind the scenes content, as Myf & Joel report from backstage with interviews and gossip with contestants, and more.
SBS’s prime time Eurovision event kicks off with Semi Final 1 on Friday 12 May at 7:30pm, followed by Semi Final 2 where Voyager will compete alongside 15 other countries including fellow Aussie Andrew Lambrou who’ll be competing for Cyprus with his song Break a Broken Heart. The Grand Final package will air Sunday 14 May at 7:30pm, but don’t forget you can tune in LIVE at 5am from Wednesday 10 – Sunday 14 May to witness all the action as it happens in Liverpool.
LIVE early morning broadcasts on SBS and SBS On Demand
Semi Final 1 – Wednesday 10 May at 5:00am AEST
Semi Final 2 – Friday 12 May at 5:00amb AEST ** FEATURING VOYAGER**
Grand Final – Sunday 14 May at 5:00am AEST
Prime time broadcasts on SBS and SBS On Demand
Semi Final 1 – Friday 12 May at 7:30pm AEST
Semi Final 2 – Saturday 13 May at 7:30pm AEST ** FEATURING VOYAGER**
Grand Final – Sunday 14 May at 7:30pm AEST
Eurovision Song Contest
Safe Home (series one)
SBS Commission
Thursday, 11 May 2023 SBS & SBS On Demand (all four episodes available to stream)
Safe Home is a gripping drama full of heart that looks at the stories behind the headlines of the family violence epidemic. The people behind the numbers, the stories behind the statistics. In between stories of friendship and love, Safe Home weaves through expectations and assumptions taking audiences on a wild ride that shows just how difficult red flags can be to spot in real life. Even for those whose work depends on it.
The Bold Type’s Aisha Dee leads an exceptional cast, including Logie-nominee Mabel Li (New Gold Mountain, The Tailings), Virginia Gay (Judy & Punch, Winners and Losers), Thomas Cocquerel (The Gilded Age, Red Dog) and Antonia Prebble (Westside, Outrageous Fortune) with supporting cast Hal Cumpston (The Walking Dead), Chenoa Deemal (Troppo), David Roberts (Total Control), Janet Andrewartha (Neighbours), Mark Mitchinson (The Hobbit), Tegan Stimson (Irreverent), Katlyn Wong (Mystic), Nicholas Burton (Barons) and Yuchen Wang (Hungry Ghosts).
The four-part series follows Phoebe, a twenty-something professional who leaves her job at a prominent law firm to work at a struggling family violence legal centre.
As interconnecting stories unfold, relationships are tested and the pressure mounts to save the centre. With so much at stake, Phoebe must navigate a path that isn’t always clear – and people aren’t always as they appear.
From the award-winning producer behind Offspring, Puberty Blues and RFDS, Safe Home is Imogen Banks’ first series under her new production company Kindling Pictures. Directed by 2021 AACTA award-winning director Stevie Cruz-Martin (The Tailings, Pulse) and created by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Anna Barnes, Safe Home was inspired by Anna’s time working at community legal centres in Melbourne. The series is written by Anna alongside Michelle Law, Jean Tong and co-produced by Emelyne Palmer.
All four episodes of Safe Home will be available to stream on SBS On Demand from Thursday 11 May at 8.30pm. The first two episodes will premiere on SBS at 8.30pm on Thursday 11 May. Episodes three and four will premiere on SBS on Thursday 18 May at 8.30pm.
german period drama
House Of Promises
Australian Premiere
Thursday, 11 May 2023 SBS On Demand & SBS (all twelve episodes available to stream)
Berlin in the 1920’s. A dazzling place, but times are not only golden. They are marked by poverty and crime.
Vicky arrives in the city, led by promises of a better life, she’s looking for a job. But as soon as she gets there, her hopes and dreams are met with a cold awakening. With no place to stay and nothing to her name, she starts work as a saleswoman at a newly established, glamorous department store. Times are tough and it’s about to get tougher: Vicky falls in love with the seemingly penniless pianist Harry. What she doesn’t know yet, he is none other than the son of her boss, the department store owner Arthur.
Stars Naemi Florez, Ludwig Simon, and Lucas Reiber.
House of Promises S1 will air on SBS at a later date and will be available in German with English subtitles.
kiwi comedy
Duckrockers
Australian Premiere
Friday, 12 May 2023 SBS On Demand, NITV (all eight episodes available to stream)
Duckrockers is the coming-of-age story of five young Pasifika teenagers living in inner-city Auckland during the mid-1980s. The cast includes Augustino Nansen Ieremia-Seulu, Duane Evans Jr., Levi Nansen Ieremia-Seulu, Dallas Latogia Malo Halavaka, and Lilo Vaigafa.
Duckrockers is the prequel to the smash-hit movie Sione’s Wedding, which will be available on SBS On Demand from Friday, 5 May.
All eight episodes of Duckrockers S1 will be available on SBS On Demand on Friday, 12 May. The series will also air weekly on NITV starting Friday, 12 May at 7.30pm.
irish crime drama
Blue Lights
Australian Premiere
Thursday, 18 May 2023 SBS On Demand & SBS (all six episodes available to stream)
Three rookie police officers in Northern Ireland must survive their probation period. The odds are at least one of them isn’t going to last. The team quickly find themselves fighting drug gangs, paramilitaries, undercover operatives, the local community, and even their own force in a battle for justice.
Working as first responders, they’re brought into direct contact with characters from all walks of life. Most of the people the cops encounter just need a helping hand to live a better life. But when a large-scale investigation into a local criminal gang is quickly shut down, difficult and dangerous questions surface. Who is protecting these criminals? And why? Stars Richard Dormer and John Lynch.
All six episodes of Blue Lights S1 will be available on SBS On Demand on Thursday, 18 May. The series will also air weekly on SBS starting Thursday, 24 May at 9.30pm.
swedish thriller
Dystopia
Australian Premiere
Thursday, 18 May 2023 SBS On Demand & SBS (all eight episodes available to stream)
A group of friends set up to prepare for the biggest live action role-playing game in the Nordic region, in an abandoned production plant deep into the forest. Before long the game turn dead-serious when a series of mysteries unfold, awakening dark forces in each of them.
Dystopia S1 is an SBS On Demand exclusive and will be available in Swedish with English subtitles.
american documentary
Alone (season nine)
Series Premiere SBS On Demand Box-Set
Wednesday, 24 May 2023 SBS On Demand & SBS VICELAND (all eleven episodes available to stream)
Ten new participants have a chance to win $500,000 as they try their best to survive in one of Earth’s harshest locations. Shortly after drop-off across Northeastern Labrador, Canada, the survivalists are forced to make quick decisions in the face of imminent weather.
All eleven episodes of Alone S9 will be available on SBS On Demand from Wednesday, 24 May. Episodes will also air on SBS VICELAND weekly starting Tuesday, 30 May at 8.30pm.
canadian thriller
The Night Logan Woke Up
Australian Premiere
Thursday, 25 May 2023 SBS On Demand & SBS (all five episodes available to stream)
Created by Cannes Grand Prix-winning director and writer Xavier Dolan (Tom at the Farm, Mommy), The Night Logan Woke Up is a five-part cinematic tour de force about the complexities of friendships and family ties.
In the early 1990’s, Mimi and her brother Jules are best friends with Logan. Together, they form an inseparable trio. The boys are on the baseball team and just won the regional championship and Mimi dreams of a life in the theatre, all hoping in their own ways to escape their town. But after a crime takes place in October 1991, both families are shattered. When Mimi returns home 30 years later to bury her deceased mother, secrets and buried relationships resurface, thrusting everyone into a pursuit of discovering what really happened that night.
Stars Xavier Dolan, Julie Le Breton, Eric Bruneau and Patrick Hivon.
The Night Logan Woke Up will be available in French Canadian with English subtitles, and will also air on SBS at a later date.
irish contemporary drama
Normal People
Series Premiere
Thursday, 25 May 2023 SBS & SBS On Demand (episodes coming weekly)
Based on Sally Rooney’s eponymous best-selling novel, Normal People follows two teenagers in Ireland as they wade into the trials of early adulthood and eventually life as we know it.
In a school in a small west of Ireland town, Connell (Paul Mescal) is a well-liked, good looking and athletic football player and Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a proud, intimidating and unpopular loner, who actively avoids her classmates and challenges teachers’ authority. Over the years the two drift together and apart again. They have other relationships (some healthy, some not) and as they face their own crises, they remain a constant for the other.
Normal People will premiere with a double episode on SBS on Thursday, 25 May at 9.30pm, and air weekly. Episodes will be available on SBS On Demand immediately after airing.
israeli drama
The Lesson
Australian Premiere
Saturday, 25 May 2023 SBS On Demand & SBS (all six episodes available to stream)
A political discussion between Amir, a 43-year-old teacher, and Lian, a 17-year-old student turns into an emotional conflict that bursts far out of the classroom.
In a fight over justice, both Amir and Lian, will not give in, even when things spin out of control and take a devastating toll that will change their lives forever. We follow the ripple effect of their disagreement from the classroom to the entire school, then throughout the community, to the media, and into the explosive political reality Israel is facing today. As the fight escalates, the series dives deep under the surface to unveil the bleeding wounds in the hearts of both protagonists.
The Lesson S1 will be available in Hebrew with English subtitles and will also air on SBS at a later date.
american documentary
History Of The Sitcom
Australian Premiere Wednesday, 31 May 2023 SBS & SBS On Demand (all eight episodes available to stream)
Exploring a ground-breaking genre that’s kept us laughing since the dawn of television, History of the Sitcom reunites audiences with their favourite sitcom families, friends, and co-workers, while also introducing them to comedies that are sure to be a binge-watch. How have sitcoms reflected, and affected, cultural change over the years?
From I Love Lucy and The Brady Bunch to Black-ish, Fleabag, Modern Family, and beyond, this eight-part docuseries features hilarious clips and interviews with scores of comedy legends who have graced the small screen over the decades – including Tina Fey, Lisa Kudrow, Helen Hunt, Kelsey Grammer, Dick Van Dyke, and more.
History Of The Sitcom S1 will premiere on SBS and SBS On Demand on Wednesday, May 31 at 8.30pm, and continue airing weekly.
Key titles coming to SBS On Demand in May
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