**Watch the trailer here**
**Preview the first episode here**
**Images here**
**Interviews available**
In a television first, SBS and Blackfella Films' new three-part documentary series Meet the Neighbours follows eight households from diverse cultural backgrounds as they leave the city behind and seek to live and work in the small town of Maryborough, Victoria, for three months. Premieres Wednesday 1 November on SBS On Demand and airs weekly at 7:30pm on SBS.
Presented by Myf Warhurst, this bold social experiment provides insight into the challenges faced by regional Australia, including a lack of affordable housing, skilled workers shortages, and under-investment in crucial services and infrastructure. It's not just the fate of one town that hangs in the balance. Meet the Neighbours reflects on what the bigger solutions might be for towns doing it tough right across the nation.
Maryborough, home to around 8,000 people[i], used to be one of the most vibrant, multicultural[ii][iii][iv], and wealthy places on earth[v]. Today, this old Goldrush town is one of the least ethnically diverse[vi] and most disadvantaged[vii][viii][ix][x] towns in Australia, and its population is ageing fast[xi].
Many regional Australian towns are experiencing ageing populations[xii], declining birth rates[xiii], major skills shortages and socio-economic disadvantage[xiv]. As they look for solutions, experts say a key factor in ensuring the future prosperity of these regional towns is the arrival of new migrants[i][ii].
Meet the Neighbours follows The Welcome to Central Goldfields pilot project, driven by the local council and Maryborough community with support from peak body, AMES Australia, who specialise in migrant settlement in regional Australia.
The eight diverse households from the city bring a range of skills, expertise, and talent to the town, from healthcare professionals to a teacher, a journalist, a chef, a truck driver, and a star cricket player. Some are planning to set up their own businesses. The new residents send their children to the local school, support and join community groups, and even bring some night-time entertainment to the town.
Over the three episodes, Myf Warhurst, who grew up in a small town, explores her personal connection to regional Australia, checks in on the progress of the new residents, and investigates what the big solutions might be to invigorate towns like Maryborough.
Can the new residents breathe new life into the town, and will the move be life-changing for them?
SBS Head of Unscripted, Joseph Maxwell, said: Meet the Neighbours is extraordinarily ambitious and has the potential to kickstart an important national conversation about the challenges facing parts of regional Australia. It's another example of the way we tackle big issues through our innovative documentaries at SBS.
Blackfella Films Producer, Darren Dale, and Series Producer and Writer, Jacob Hickey, said: There's been much talk for many years about decentralisation, government initiatives and special programs, to sell and realise the goal of life beyond our capital cities. But the reality is, numbers don't lie. In many regional areas, retirees now outnumber children. Predominantly white, Anglo and growing older, this is in stark contrast to the burgeoning, multicultural capital cities, where economies and populations have been supercharged by the arrival of overseas migrants.
The intention of Meet the Neighbours is to shine a light on what is a divided, two speed and unequal Australia, and what some solutions to this disparity might be.
Screen Australia's Head of Content, Grainne Brunsdon said: Meet the Neighbours is an exciting new series from the award-winning team at Blackfella Films, who have a strong track record of creating powerful documentaries that spark important national conversations. This documentary is poised to unveil the challenges faced by Australian regional towns and highlights the immense value of living in a culturally diverse society.
VicScreen CEO, Caroline Pitcher, said: Meet the Neighbours documents a bold social experiment, igniting a powerful dialogue about migration and community across the country. We're proud to back such an important Victorian documentary series and have no doubt that the impact of this project will continue long after the cameras stop rolling.
Meet the Neighbours will be available to stream on SBS On Demand in five languages: Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. The series will also be available with audio description for blind and low vision audiences.
Meet the Neighbours is a Blackfella Films production for SBS. Principal production funding from SBS in association with Screen Australia and VicScreen.
Meet the Neighbours will be available to stream free on SBS On Demand from Wednesday 1 November, or you can tune in weekly Wednesdays from 1 November at 7:30pm on SBS.
Screeners and images for media use are available on the SBS Screening Room.
For a PDF of this media release, click here.
[i] Migrants make the move to Australia for long-term jobs https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/like-home-but-a-little-different-migrants-make-the-move-to-regional-australia-for-long-term-jobs/3bu7kehow?/?cid=news:search:gg:en:NACAdigital:fy22-ao-news-DSA:db&gclid=CjwKCAjwiJqWBhBdEiwAtESPaPFWDzaCEQukFhBB8E-gAMNpIThekM0tDES_yJY4PiJuLbN9RhddRxoCTj8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
[ii] Migration's impact on regional Australia is vital, but visas need to be forthcoming, agent warns https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-09/migration-securing-regional-communities-but-visas-hard-to-get/100744324#: :text=Migrants%20would%20create%20brand%20new,to%20remain%20in%20those%20areas".
[i] Population - 8160 - https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL21618
[ii] Some historians cla
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
01/06/2024
Busy this week catching up from the Memorial Day holiday? Our TV Tech weekly wrap-up of all our coverage of new products, services and deployments will get you ...
01/06/2024
Young Sherlock, with Guy Ritchie directing and executive producing, is a go at Prime Video. Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays Sherlock. Prime Video calls it the origin...
01/06/2024
The Los Angeles Sparks-Indiana Fever game on Friday featuring the top two WNBA draft picks, Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink, was the most watched WNBA game on I...
01/06/2024
Lionsgate, which increased its majority stake in 3 Arts Entertainment in January, said it named Brian Weinstein co-CEO of 3 Arts....
01/06/2024
Netflix is launching four video games based on unscripted series this year. They...
01/06/2024
ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates switched from their regular programming to carry live coverage of the verdicts in the porn star hush-money trial of former Pres...
31/05/2024
A U.S. Marine fires an FIM-92 Stinger missile during a training exercise in Yuma...
31/05/2024
NEW YORK The global body that sets technical standards for digital advertising h...
31/05/2024
In a new analysis of what services might make up a good bundle and what services might benefit the most from bundling, Antenna has released new data that highli...
31/05/2024
Global SVOD revenues will increase by $116.6 billion by 2031, a growth rate of 13.3% per year over the next eight years, according to a new report from MIDiA Re...
31/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The FCC Media Bureau has announced that effective August 1, 2024 the Commission's TVStudy software will incorporate the most recent U.S. Ce...
31/05/2024
NBCUniversal has announced that its FAST channel TNBC will be rebranding to NBC Comedy Vault on June 1 and that the free streaming service will officially launc...
31/05/2024
PARIS Ateme has announced that the Indonesian public broadcaster TVRI is making the transition to 4K UHD OTT streaming using Ateme technologies....
31/05/2024
The proposal had received support from James Cameron, Andy Serkis, Paul Greengrass, Richard Curtis, and Jeremy Irons
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 31, 2...
31/05/2024
According to multiple reports, the new bid from Skydance offers a better deal to Paramounts Class B shareholders, who were said to be unhappy with the companys ...
31/05/2024
The awards recognise women and companies who are stand-out performers, innovators and leaders in the broadcast media technology industry
By Matthew Corrigan
...
31/05/2024
NEW YORK The global body that sets technical standards for digital advertising has expanded the reach of its measurement software development kit to include Sam...
31/05/2024
The rise of digital platforms is fundamentally changing the broadcast newsroom and its investment in technology according to Jon Roberts, director of technology...
31/05/2024
In a new analysis of what services might make up a good bundle and what services might benefit the most from bundling, Antenna has released new data that highli...
31/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Fifty state broadcasters associations, including the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, have sent a letter to Congressio...
31/05/2024
EVS has announced the appointment of Richard Katz as senior vice president of operations for the North and Latin American (NALA) region. This appointment is par...
31/05/2024
CommScope has announced that it was selected by Casa Systems, Inc. as the highest to acquire Casa's cable business assets and that the two companies have en...
31/05/2024
Robert De Niro won't be receiving the Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Leadership Foundation after all....
31/05/2024
Viant Technology said it formed an integration with Google Cloud's BigQuery data clean rooms...
31/05/2024
The CW said it will broadcast the 2024 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop Last year, The CW aired the game when it was called Bar...
31/05/2024
Allen Media Group said it made a deal with Amazon's Fire TV Channel that will make content from several of Allen's outlet available via Fire TV and Echo...
31/05/2024
Robert De Niro, announced as the winner of the NAB's Leadership Foundation's Service to America Leadership Award on May 28, will not get the award. The ...
31/05/2024
Comcast Technology Solutions was selected by AccuWeather to create, manage and distribute linear and over-the-top video channels....
31/05/2024
Connected TV is becoming a bigger deal for consumers and advertisers, according to a new report from TVision....
31/05/2024
By Craig Anderton
Let's get right to what this sounds like. It's not quite feedback or tape reverse, it's well, listen to what it does in this blue...
31/05/2024
31 May 2024
VEON discloses April YTD trading update at its AGM Amsterdam, 31 May 2024 07:00 CEST -
VEON April YTD 2024 Highlights
Total revenue of USD 1,278 ...
31/05/2024
31 May 2024
VEON Announces Its New Board, Names Founder Augie Fabela as Chairman Amsterdam, 31 May 2024, 16.00 CET: VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam...
31/05/2024
May 31st, 2024
TRIBECA FESTIVAL AND OPEN AI ANNOUNCE SORA SHORTS'
Five Commissioned Short Films Created Using Sora Debut at 2024 Tribeca Festival
New ...
31/05/2024
In-Venue Technology Wrap-Up: How 4K, IP, and More are Changing the Game Pres Gam...
31/05/2024
UEFA Champions League Final 2024: The host broadcast facts and figures for Real ...
31/05/2024
UEFA Europa Conference League Final 2024: Bringing the broadcast to global TV sc...
31/05/2024
Willow Offers Free 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup Preview via DirecTV, Verizon, ...
31/05/2024
Women's College World Series: ESPN Brings Live Drone, Two-Point Cabled, and ...
31/05/2024
SVG College Summit Brings Video-Production Industry Together in Atlanta in the M...
31/05/2024
UEFA Champions League Final 2024: CBS Sports' UCL Today Studio Show Is Pitch...
31/05/2024
Back to All News
Master of the House' Unveils a Scandalous Tale of Power and Greed on July 18
Entertainment
31 May 2024
GlobalThailand
Link copied to ...
31/05/2024
Back to All News
JEEtu Bhaiya is Back: Kota Factory' Season 3 Arrives on Netflix June 20
Entertainment
31 May 2024
GlobalIndia
Link copied to clipboar...
31/05/2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
With around 9,000 employees, Ground Transportation Systems is a global leader in Rail Signaling and Train Control Systems, Telec...
31/05/2024
RT 2FM is the home of music this summer, entertaining listeners across the day and night, with the best music, chat and interviews providing the soundtrack to ...
31/05/2024
After the 2008 financial crisis and increased risk-management regulations that f...
31/05/2024
RT Supporting the Arts: What's On this June
Watch our promo: RT Supporting the Arts | What's on YouTube
This June, RT is delighted to support Lim...
30/05/2024
When to Upgrade Software or Firmware This post is from our blog and news archive. The information may be out of date. Please contact us for further information ...
**Watch the trailer here**
