Special

Friday August 8 at 7:00pm (G)

With the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympiad just hours away, the oldest, most populous nation on earth opens its doors to the rest of the world in CHINA REVEALED.

Saturday, 09 August
8.00am

2008, rage pulls on its sweatbands and reaches into the gym bag to bring you rage Gets Sweaty.

This special episode is made up of music videos that feature a wide variety of sports. Step into the boxing ring with Powderfinger, Fugees and True Live, limber up for some aerobics with Eric Prydz and Groove Armada and lace up your boots for football of all codes with Green Day, TISM and Spiderbait.

For more information visit http://abc.net.au/rage

Mount Hutt, near Christchurch, New Zealand has today been announced by MTV Networks Australia as the location for the third annual MTV Snow Jam. This year’s main event will take place on Saturday August 16 at world class luxury resort, Terrace Downs, in the valley of Mount Hutt and will be available to Australian viewers on Thursday August 28 at 4pm AEST. Terrace Downs will be transformed into a one day free music festival featuring back to back performances from local and international acts. The Grates, The Potbelleez, Opshop and Cut Off Your Hands are the first artists to join the bill with more acts to be announced soon.

Monday July 14
10:30pm

See our gorgeous Miss Australia, LAURA DUNDOVIC, take on the most stunning women in the world in the ultimate beauty contest, MISS UNIVERSE, held this year at the Diamond Bay Resort in Vietnam.

This spectacular event will see more than 80 countries from around the world represented, each contestant will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview as they compete to be crowned MISS UNIVERSE 2008.

Saturday, 28 June
10.10pm

Royalty and politicians, leading business, sport, film and entertainment names over the world celebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday at a spectacular concert in London's Hyde Park.

The concert audience has been set at 46,664, to signify Mr Mandela's Robben Island prison number. He was prisoner 466, incarcerated in 1964 and freed 27 years later. Mandela makes an appearance for his birthday concert - a rare occasion since he is now "retired from retirement''.

The 46664 concert on June 27 is part of Mandela's vision to raise funds to fight the global HIV epidemic. At the time of Mandela's release in 1990, South Africa recorded 120,000 people living with HIV. Today the number in South Africa is more than 5.5 million.

Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Concert will be repeated on ABC2 - Sunday, June 29 at 2:00pm

Sunday, June 1 at 10.15pm on ABC1

Chasing The Blake, follows four artists through one of Australia’s oldest and most controversial art awards,

the Blake Prize for Religious Art to see how God can speak to us through art.

God’s artists have traditionally worked with images of the crucifix, Mary or Jesus, or created golden Buddhas or elaborate sculptures.

Australia’s Blake Prize for Religious Art was established in 1951 by a Catholic Jesuit priest and a Jewish lawyer to push the boundaries of contemporary religious art. Both deplored the sentimental religious art found in places of worship at that time.

The prize was named after William Blake, an 18th century English poet, mystic and painter; an eccentric outsider whose works shocked and defied convention.

And from the start the Blake generated controversy. The abstract and experimental works shocked churches and those more used to traditional religious imagery.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations brought much of the country to a stand-still, and tears to the eyes of many Australians.

Saying Sorry-The Day the Nation Cried, on ABC TV's Message Stick (ABC1 - 1:30pm Sun 25th May, rpt 6pm Fri 30th May & ABC 2 - 4:30pm Mon 26th May), tells the story of that historic day in Canberra and the profound impact the apology had on members of the Stolen Generations, and the broader Australian community.

The program provides an historical understanding of the Stolen Generations story and insight into what is regarded by many Indigenous Australians and their supporters as the most significant step towards reconciliation and bridging the cultural divide in Australia.

8.30PM MONDAY / MAY 19

We're in for one helluva fight at the 19th Annual Great Debate. Witness six titans of tall tales and winning wit in one ginormous - and of course hilarious - battle.

Is Reality Better on TV? Debating in the affirmative is Team Captain Paul McDermott, Cal Wilson and Patton Oswalt (US Comedian). Battling for the Negative is Team Captain Stephen K Amos (UK comic), Julia Morris and Hamish Blake.

How will Moderator Corinne Grant fair in between this stellar cast of comedy show off's and big noters?

Saturday, 17 May 2008
10.10pm

Spicks and Specks star Adam Hills hosts Raw Comedy 2008, a showcase event featuring the best of Australia's up and coming comedians and Raw Comedy 2008 is the biggest and best yet .
The exhaustive search for tomorrow’s best and brightest young comedians has resulted in over 70 heats in every capital city and key regional centres around the country . Along the way 500 plus hopefuls have tried out for a place in the final with only 12 of the best acts making it through to the Final.
Recorded live at the Melbourne Town Hall in front of 1200 audience members the prestigious final has seen some of the biggest names in comedy launch careers off the back of this highlight event including Chris Lilley , Dave Callan, Adam Spencer, Tom Gleeson, Peter Helliar, Adam Richard, Cameron Knight, Michael Chamberlin, Terri Psiakis, Geraldine Hickey, Damian Callinan, Anthony Menchetti and Chris Franklin.

A new Government, a new economic direction, but what does the Federal Budget mean for you? ABC TV will provide the best analysis and dissect all the details in this comprehensive coverage on the night.

7:30PM
THE TREASURER’S BUDGET SPEECH 2008

8:00PM
BUDGET SPECIAL 2008
Tuesday May 13, 2008
Live from Parliament House, Canberra, the Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan will deliver his first federal budget, and the ABC will bring it to you in full: live and uninterrupted. Host Kerry O'Brien will lead a panel discussion on the analysis of the politics and economics of Budget 2008.
ABC TV's coverage will begin live from the House of Representatives chamber with the Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan, delivering his budget speech. ABC TV News Political Correspondent, Chris Uhlmann, will provide a news breakdown and economic wrap of the details of the Budget.

ABC TV will ensure that every Australian has the opportunity to be involved in the Prime Minister’s Vision 2020 Summit next weekend.

ABC1 will cover live (EST) both the opening and closing sessions of the summit, being held at Parliament House, Canberra.

ABC2 offers live (EST) continuous coverage of all 15.5 hours of the event, which will be hosted by Phillip Williams, the Political Editor for the 7.30 Report and a former foreign correspondent. The sessions will also be streamed.

The Vision Summit, which aims to bring together the best and brightest brains, will see 1000 leading Australians debate and develop long–term options for the nation in 10 critical areas.

The Summit will be co-chaired by the Prime Minister Mr Rudd and Professor Glyn Davis, Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.

Friday, April 25 at 6.30pm on ABC2

Lone Pine was one of the three attacks planned in order to create a diversion for a British landing in Suvla Bay. At 5:30pm on August 6th, 1915 these men attacked when the sun was at their backs, and in the Turkish eyes. By 6pm the same day the trenches were taken, but the ANZACs defended and endured the Turkish counter attacks on their former trenches for five days, eventually gaining complete control of the Lone Pine objective. During the attack, many men ran over the top of the Lone Pine trenches to discover massive numbers of Turkish reinforcements waiting in the depression behind the front line. However they never lived to tell the tale as they were killed instantly. In 1920, these bodies were found and were commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial dedicated to the missing.

STATE BY STATE ABC ANZAC COVERAGE INCLUDES:
NSW (all times listed below are in the local state or territory time)
9.00am - Live coverage of the ANZAC Day March from Sydney's Martin Place.
1pm - Gallipoli Dawn Service.
On the 25th of April, 1915, the ANZACs were involved in their first major military operation, on the shores of Gallipoli. Those who landed that fateful morning were new to the horrors of war, but amazed all by trying their best and achieving more than many believed possible. This was where the ANZAC legend was born.
Jennifer Byrne will be in Gallipoli to host the ABC TV coverage of the commemorative Gallipoli Dawn Service.
2pm - Villers-Bretonneux Memorial Service
The 90th Anniversary ANZAC Day Dawn Service broadcast from the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux.
VICTORIA
9am - Live coverage ANZAC Day March (VIC)
1pm - Gallipoli Dawn Service
2pm - Local Victorian ANZAC Day Memorial Service
2.30pm - Villers-Bretonneux Memorial Service
QUEENSLAND

6.30PM SATURDAY / APRIL 12

This possibly could be the best named
program this week in the TEN program
highlights!
The makers of “It's Me Or The Dog”
have created this one-hour special
hosted by everyone's favourite dog
trainer Victoria Stilwell.
It's Me Or The Fat Dog run the rule over
three rotund hounds who are representative
of England's epidemic of pet
obesity.
It’s not just Britain’s humans who are
battling the bulge – their furry friends
are following suit. There are between 3
and 4 million fat pets in the UK – that’s
more than the population of Wales!
The program's triumvirate of 'porky
pooches' includes Gizmo the Chihuahua,
Jess the Daschund and the particularly
unfortunate Hattie the Beagle,
whose dreadful diet has resulted in
swelling and frequent and horrific flatulence.

8.30PM MONDAY / MARCH 31

Hosted by Good News Week's Paul McDermott,
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival's
Opening Night Gala is the highlight of the Australian
comedy calendar.
A bit glamorous and a bit rock ’n' roll, this year's
performers include some of the biggest names
from stage, screen and radio including Rove, Arj
Barker, Dave Hughes, Fiona O'Loughlin, Frank
Woodley, Jason Byrne (Ireland), Julia Morris, Monty
Python's Spamalot, Stephen K Amos, Tripod,
Umbilical Brothers and Wil Anderson.
And while the audience is having the time of their
lives, they are also helping to save lives – and
all they have to do is laugh! Proceeds from the
Gala’s live performance and the broadcast on TEN
are donated to Oxfam Australia to support their
projects around the world.