ABC2's blog

9:30pm – Tuesday, November 6 on ABC2

The Coolum economy relies on tourists swarming in to see the rare Cuckoo-Shrike. But there is a cat on the loose, and it’s killing Coolum’s drawcard. The dead birds have a distinctive signature – a laceration diagonally across their chests. Gregor (Barry Crocker) has seen this before: done by Napoleon, a killer cat from his past. And now he’s back from the dead.

Banks (Toby Truslove) thinks this is ludicrous, and blames a feral cat. Sergeant Lloyd (Patrick Brammall) puts Banks on the hunt for the killer cat – which is made even more difficult because the local teenage bully, Bosh, is out to get Banks for confiscating his roller blades. After tracking the cat to the local cemetery, Gregor confirms his suspicions – Napoleon has returned from the dead. Fearful for his life, Gregor drags Banks back to the caravan. But the van is no safe haven. It’s attacked violently.

While Gregor assumes it is Napoleon, Banks thinks it must be Bosh and his gang. Against Gregor’s desperate pleas, Banks decides to face the tormentor – but when he opens the door, he invites a world of trouble into the van.

8:30pm – Monday, November 5 on ABC2

Louis Theroux visits Central Valley, California – home to some of the most impoverished rural towns in America, where crystal-meth addiction is among the most prolific in the USA.

In Fresno, Louis finds a community ravaged by this cheap and highly addictive drug. It is hard to find anyone here whose life hasn’t been touched by this drug in one way or another.

As he infiltrates the town, Louis comes face to face with meth abuse as addicts invite him into their homes. He becomes surrounded by the madness of daily addiction and the meth-addled confusion which is breaking this society apart.

Louis sees its impact through the eyes of the local police force and meets Diane and Karl, a couple who have sustained their marriage, despite 25 years of meth addiction and the loss of the custody of their five children.

At residential centre Westcare, Louis sees the work being done to combat the destruction caused by the drug. Run by ex-addicts, the centre offers a six-month rehab programme. Louis sees the extraordinary challenges faced by the centre which deals with a whole range of issues, from old timers who repeatedly return to rehab programmes to young meth-addicted families, and babies who are born, hooked, to mothers who are trying to care for them while trying to kick their own habit.

At Westcare, Louis meets Senteka, the mother of a teenage daughter. Senteka is making a last-ditch attempt to kick meth in order to make up for missing her daughter’s childhood. As the majority of those attempting to kick their addiction eventually relapse, all Louis can do is hope that Senteka is telling the truth when she swears that she is ‘clean’.

Addiction is laid bare as Louis seeks out the stories and the people behind the drug.

9:30pm – Sunday, November 4 on ABC2

Five emerging filmmakers are giving an OPENING SHOT.

OPENING SHOT is an initiative between Screen Australian and ABC TV that gives voice to a new generation of filmmakers – with stories to match.

Five filmmaking teams, all with a director under 35 years, have been given the opportunity to create a prime time half hour film that not only develops their long form filmmaking skills but also fires an (opening) shot in to the national conversation about Australia today.

From the moral minefield of modern reproductive science to online hacktivism, these films share the voice of a generation tackling the issues that are important to them, and that have consequences for all of us.

What they collectively demonstrate is that while today’s younger generations may be disengaged from traditional party politics they are not disengaged from the issues that matter.

Are you ready to give them a shot.

In the first doco, Dating The H*Bomb, take a look at the mine field that is living and loving with the herpes virus. If using a condom is tricky to bring up when your date gets hot and heavy, try dropping the ‘H-Bomb’ – admitting you have genital herpes. Heidi, Hector and Michael candidly share intimate stories about life with the incurable and taboo herpes virus, from the shock of diagnosis to the search for true love. Re-enacted with puppets, these everyday Australians reveal what it’s like to negotiate love, sex and human relationships in the shadow of a disease that affects one in eight Australians.

8:30pm – Sunday, November 4 on ABC2

Born in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, 16-year-old Roger Nsengiyumva returns to his homeland … is reconciliation and forgiveness possible.

At 16, Roger Nsengiyumva has already made a name for himself as the star of the football movie Africa United. But there is something else about Roger that not many people are aware of. He was born in the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and only survived thanks to the raw courage of his mother. She spent 100 days hiding her newborn baby from the murderous gangs, and then bravely escaped to Britain after seeing her husband, Roger’s father, shot dead.

This is the story of Roger’s return to his homeland to discover the harrowing truths of his family history and to find out whether he can share his mother’s remarkable willingness to forgive those who destroyed both their lives.

8:30pm – Saturday, November 3 on ABC2

Step back into the real, dour and chilling world of spies and counterspies. Alec Leamas (Richard Burton) is a burnt-out British agent who refuses to ‘come in from the cold’ to take a desk job – but instead launches into the most dangerous assignment of his career, stalking East German agent, Fiedler (Oskar Werner).

John Le Carre’s best-selling novel provides the basis for this breathtaking thriller of espionage, intrigue, crosses and double crosses. First-rate performances from the entire cast are matched by a tension-packed and brilliantly-plotted screenplay, with masterful direction from Martin Ritt.

6:00am – Wednesday, October 31 on ABC2

During The Big Boo!, ABC4Kids Halloween line-up, preschoolers can enjoy gentle spookiness with special Halloween inspired shows kicking off at 6am.

From lake monsters and making ghost costumes to mysterious sounds and pumpkin decoration, preschooler’s favourite shows – Giggle and Hoot, Bananas in Pyjamas, Timmy Time and Charlie and Lola, just to name a few – get into the Halloween spirit.

Timmy Time: Wednesday, October 31 at 8.18am & 1.48pm on ABC4Kids It’s Halloween and Timmy and his friends are having lots of spooky fun, hollowing out pumpkins and making party decorations.

Charlie and Lola: Wednesday, October 31 at 9.02am on ABC4Kids Charlie, Lola, Lotta and Marv have been growing a pumpkin all through summer for the Halloween party at school and it’s enormous. Everyone has decided what fancy dress costumes to wear, except for Lola.

Bananas in Pyjamas: Wednesday, October 31 at 9.20am & 5.48pm on ABC4Kids When Rat promises the Bananas he can make their pumpkin grow big in time for Halloween – you can be sure he’s about to play one of his sneaky tricks again.

9:30pm – Friday, November 2 on ABC2

As the most recently transitioned woman in the group, Sarah must find a place to live. So far, being with the other participants has given her hope: she’s got six friends to call on for support, she looks and feels better, and has taken the enormous step of coming out to her mother.

Now she wants to make a new life in liberal, free-thinking Brighton. But can she find housemates who want her to move in.

Everyone talks and thinks about relationships. Fifty-two-year-old Karen is still recovering from surgery that inverted her penis to create the vagina she’s always wanted. Previously she preferred women, but now she’s starting to date a man and that gets the group thinking about the difficulties of dating.

At 26, Donna is a beautiful transwoman and decides she’s ready to find her perfect man.

On the last day of their time together, the group members invite their parents and friends to the house to celebrate a remarkable summer. In the emotional high point of the series, the participants make speeches about what they’ve learned from one another.

9:00pm – Tuesday, October 30 on ABC2

When a mysterious stranger summons Malory and her intrepid ISIS agents to Monaco, all bets are off! Well, actually all bets are on. Because Monaco is basically one giant casino and Archer has $4 million in untraceable bearer bonds. Also, it’s Grand Prix week, so you can just forget getting a hotel room.

Archer is an animated half-hour comedy set at ISIS, an international spy agency, where global crises are merely opportunities for its highly trained employees to confuse, undermine, betray and royally screw each other.

8:45pm – Friday, November 2 on ABC2

The biggest West End shows, the most famous pop acts, the world’s most successful dance teachers and the most incredible cast of characters TV will ever see all pass through London’s Pineapple Dance Studios.

Blurring the lines between reality, comedy and drama to create a new genre of ‘performance documentary’, this series gives exclusive access to the world-famous dance space, capturing every bit of drama – from auditions to dance-offs, spray-tans to pop meltdowns.

It features a host of unique and outrageous characters; from millionaire founder Debbie Moore to the hilarious artistic director Louie Spence, a truly groundbreaking, must-see television phenomenon that has taken the UK by storm.

This week at Pineapple, Louie joins an audition panel for a new girl band. Meanwhile, dance teacher and soon-to-be pop star, Andrew, is up on the roof of the studio recording some more pearls of wisdom for his YouTube channel.

9:00pm – Thursday, November 1 on ABC2

The Warehouse Comedy Festival is back, once again throwing open the doors of an old saw tooth warehouse and turning it into a pop-up comedy venue, to capture the live energy and laughs of the smartest and funniest Australian comedians from the festival circuit, before their shows are lost forever.

First up is Lawrence Mooney, winner of Melbourne Fringe Best Comedy Award 2011. Lawrence invites you to come along on a journey of hilarious Sub-urbanity.

Lawrence of Suburbia is a metaphorical camel ride through the spiritual tundra of the suburbs, shining a comic light on where we’ve come from and where we’re headed. It asks the vital question, ‘What the hell is going on out there?’