60 Minutes

Changing Face

Well girls, you’ve done it. You are now international champs when it comes to Botox, among the biggest users in the world. In fact, Australians are spending around $300 million a year on what they call non-invasive treatments – new faces without plastic surgery. And it’s not just women of a certain age who are turning to the needle to help banish those little lines and imperfections. Botox fans are getting younger and younger, even wrinkle-free 20-somethings are into it. The way it’s going, the idea of letting nature take its course, of growing old gracefully, may soon be a thing of the past.

Reporter: Ellen Fanning

Producer: Kirsty Thomson

Rough Justice

Sometimes it’s hard to understand how our justice system works. Here’s an example, a case that, at first glance, defies rational explanation. A young cop tries to break up a wild pub brawl. In the process he’s crash tackled, head-butted, left permanently disabled, a physically broken man. So how come his attacker walked free? That’s a question Constable Matt Butcher will be asking for the rest of his life. And one you might be asking too, when we show you graphic video of the brawl. You’ll see why the verdict was called a gross miscarriage of justice, caused a public outcry, and raised fears that thugs will now declare open season on the police.

Reporter: Liam Bartlett

Producer: Hugh Nailon

Our Valiant Few

These days it seems everyone’s a hero. It’s one of those grossly over-used words. But there’s no doubt about the three men you’re about to meet. They’re the bravest of the brave, among our greatest heroes, ever. The only three surviving Australian winners of the Victoria Cross. They’re from three different generations and fought in three different wars, but they have so much in common. They’ve shown extraordinary courage, earned our highest military honour, but they say they’re just ordinary blokes. Just Diggers doing their job, looking out for their mates. Nonetheless, they are very special men, great Australians.

Reporter: Peter Harvey

Producer: Howard Sacre

Brute Force
You can see why they’re called the Riot Squad. They’re damn tough and they don’t muck about. They patrol some of Australia’s most dangerous streets, determined to stamp out violence fuelled by booze and drugs. In some ways, this is the last resort, a radical response to increasing street crime. And, after spending a few weekends with the men and women of the squad, we can tell you it sure is full-on, aggressive policing. What’s more, they’re quite open about it, there’s nothing touchy-feely about these cops. No wonder they’ve raised a few eyebrows. Critics who claim they cause more trouble than they’re worth.

On the Prowl
Let’s hear it for older women. At last, they’re getting a slice of the action. Blokes have always chased after younger women and got away with it. Now, older females are fighting for equal rights and getting them. They’re called cougars, for reasons that will become obvious. But don’t think they’re just celebrities like Demi Moore and Madonna. These days, more than a quarter of all Australian marriages are between older women and younger men. Add to that the older single girls who just want to have fun and you’ve got a real sexual revolution. As Karl Stefanovic discovered, the cougars are out, proud and on the prowl.

The Real Dolly
What can you say about Dolly Parton? That hair, that make-up, that figure. Even Dolly calls herself “a cartoon character I created”. Well, Mickey and Minnie, eat your heart out. Ms Parton is also the savviest woman in show business. For her, if there’s no business, there’s no show. Which is pretty amazing when you consider her background. The classic hillbilly kid from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, who grew up dirt poor in a family of 14. Now, of course, the Parton empire’s worth millions. And, at 63, she’s out to conquer Broadway. As Morley Safer reports, Dolly’s written a new musical based on her hit movie, 9 to 5.

Sunday, April 12 at 7.30pm on Nine

Hannah’s Choice

Hannah Jones is 13-years-old and she’s made her choice. She wants to die. And it seems no-one can stop her.

Her life has been one long struggle, most of it spent in hospital, operation after operation. First it was leukaemia, now it’s a deadly heart condition. Her doctors say Hannah’s only chance of survival is a transplant, but she says no. She’s suffered enough. It’s a decision that’s caused outrage around the world. Here’s a girl too young to vote, too young to have sex legally, yet she can decide whether she lives or dies. And not only that. Hannah’s mother and father fully support her decision.

Reporter: Liz Hayes

Producer: Phil Goyen

The Enemy Within

Be warned, there’s an enemy within. A lethal new computer bug called Conficker, out there, ready to pounce. It’s like one of those terrorist sleeper cells. No-one knows when or how it will strike. But ten million computers world-wide could already be infected. Obviously, it’s time to call in the experts, the super geeks with a mission to destroy these cyber monsters. And it’s quite a mission, as Lesley Stahl reports, last year, alone, the number of computer virus outbreaks tripled. Truly frightening when you consider that the main aim of the exercise is to invade your private life and steal your money.

Reporter: Lesley Stahl, CBS 60 Minutes

Producer: Karen Sughrue

Liquid Gold

Sometimes you’ve got to admire their sheer audacity. Talk about selling ice to eskimos. We’re referring to those cunning folk flogging us all that bottled water. Think about it. You can get perfectly healthy stuff straight from the tap for almost nothing, yet millions of Australians are forking out more than $3 a litre for the bottled variety, double the price of petrol. Apparently, we spent more than half a billion dollars on bottled water last year. The question is, just what do we think we’re buying in those fancy bottles?

Reporter: Charles Wooley

Producer: Julia Timms

Wake Up Call

If you own a mobile phone, you must see this. For years, the experts have been arguing over them. Some say they’re perfectly safe, others claim they fry your brains. Well, an international team of doctors, including two of Australia’s finest surgeons, have just released their latest, comprehensive research. And, as the father of young children, it really made Liam Bartlett sit up and take notice. They say prolonged use of mobile phones could double the risk of malignant brain tumours. The deadliest of all cancers, the kind that leaves no survivors. With an entire generation now growing up hooked on their mobiles, that could be absolutely devastating.
Reporter: Liam Bartlett
Producer: Nick Greenaway

Backyard Revolution

If you’re sitting down to dinner, here’s a question for you. Do you really know what you’re eating, or where it comes from? Well, for a start, it’s probably loaded with fat, sugar and other nasties. Many experts say our food is so highly processed and so full of additives, it’s not really food at all. In fact, it’s making us sick. So, if you’ve had enough of tasteless vegetables, fruit that’s been sitting in a freezer somewhere for months and packaged food with less flavour than the cardboard it’s wrapped in, why not join the world-wide revolution. Grow your own, turn your backyard into a fruit and vege garden. 
Reporter: Liz Hayes
Producer: Stephen Rice

Wonder Boy

Terry Vo is not just one of the nicest young men you’ll ever meet, he’s also one of the most courageous. Four years ago, he was playing backyard basketball when a brick wall collapsed on top of him. Terry’s injuries were horrific. Both his hands and left leg were completely severed. But, in a world-first operation, a team of brilliant Perth surgeons re-attached his limbs. Tara Brown first met Terry in the days following the surgery as he began his long recovery. And, even then, his unstoppable spirit shone through. Terry’s now 14 and, as you’ll see, he’s one very inspirational young man.
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producer: Stephen Taylor

Sunday, March 29 at 7.30pm on Channel Nine

website Mind Power Every now and then, you see something that really does take your breath away. A kind of miracle. And this is one of them. Just try to imagine a computer that can read your mind. It’s not some wild fantasy, Liz Hayes has tested it and, to her astonishment, it works. The computer knew exactly what Liz was thinking. But that’s just the beginning.  This new technology can mean a whole new life for those suffering from “locked in” syndrome, people trapped in their own bodies, who can’t move or say a word. Liz has seen them actually write emails, send texts, and even speak, using nothing but their thoughts. Reporter: Liz Hayes Producer: Phil Goyen Breaking the Curse It’s a family curse handed down from generation to generation. And there’s only one radical way to stop it. The two young women you’re about to meet are just starting out in life, but there’s a huge shadow hanging over them. Stacey Gadd’s only 22, Krystal Barter is 25. They’ve watched their mothers and grandmothers fight breast cancer. And they know they could be next. Both have inherited a genetic flaw which is likely, sooner or later, to cause cancer. But Stacey and Krystal aren’t going to wait, they’ve decided to act now. A decision they hope and pray the next generation will never have to face. Reporter: Ellen Fanning Producer: Kirsty Thomson The Pirate Coast Often the best, most exciting, stories are the ones that seem impossible. You wonder, how on earth are we going to tell this one? For instance, how do you approach a gang of pirates, terrorising shipping on the high seas? With extreme caution and a posse of armed guards, for a start. These modern-day buccaneers have made a business out of hijacking cargo ships and tankers, holding the crews to ransom. And we’re talking millions and millions of dollars, cash. They operate from a desolate, lawless place where all foreigners are fair game for kidnappers. So lawless, that even Prime Minister Rudd warned us not to go there. Reporter: Liam Bartlett Producers: Howard Sacre, Paul Steindl ninemsn.com.au/sixtyminutes

Sunday, March 8 at 7.30pm on Nine

Lethal Force

Such a tragic end, a terrible waste. Fifteen-year-old Tyler Cassidy, gunned down by Melbourne police.
How could such a thing happen? There seems little doubt Tyler was out of control that night. Confused, angry and armed with two knives. But it all could have ended so differently. For years, police in Victoria have wanted Tasers, stun guns, to help them subdue dangerous offenders. And Tyler’s mother is not alone when she says they would have saved her son’s life. On Sunday night, Michael Usher tells Tyler’s story, and finds out first hand how effective a Taser can be.

Reporter: Michael Usher

Producer: Hugh Nailon

The Venom Hunters

Liam Bartlett has just come back from a very scary assignment up in our remote north where the waters teem with deadly marine creatures. Box jelly fish, sea snakes, Cape York truly is the poisonous tip of Australia. Liam’s guides on this adventure were a bunch of gung-ho scientists who risk everything to milk these deadly animals for their venom. They’re convinced these highly-toxic poisons may in fact hold the key to incredible medical breakthroughs. All very well, but getting these nasty critters to part with their venom is not for the faint-hearted.

Reporter: Liam Bartlett

Producer: Howard Sacre

Red Hot Coldplay

It’s war, an all-out battle of the bands. Just like the good old days when the Beatles slugged it out with the Rolling Stones, now it’s U2 versus Coldplay. Who’s the biggest and the best. Well, Bono and the boys have been around a long time, but Chris Martin and Coldplay are giving them a run for their money. They’ve had four multi-platinum albums in a row. Their latest sold seven million copies and won a Grammy for rock album of the year. Then there’s the sell-out world tour, now storming across Australia. So, who are they and how do they do it? Steve Kroft hit the road with them to find out.

Reporter: Steve Kroft, CBS 60 Minutes

Producer: John Hamlin

ninemsn.com.au/sixtyminutes

Sunday, March 1 at 7.30pm on Nine

Our Story

The bitter divorce, the new romance, the spectacular wedding in the Bahamas. Lately, Greg Norman’s private life has been very public indeed. But through it all, he and Chris Evert have kept quiet, tried to duck reporters’ questions. Then came that interview with Norman’s ex-wife, Laura, the one where she gave them both an almighty spray. Maybe that changed Greg and Chrissie’s mind. Maybe they just thought it was time. Whatever the reason, on Sunday night, you’ll hear the untold story, their story, as they catch up with Eddie McGuire. In this exclusive interview, they speak openly about how and when they fell in love, their take on Laura and the bust up, and their plans for the future.
Reporter: Eddie McGuire
Producers: Stephen Taylor, Julia Timms

Rags to Riches

Sorry fellas, but you have to admit, Australian men aren’t exactly famous for their fashion sense. After all, you’re the ones who gave the world stubbies and thongs. But we are pleased to say, all that is changing. In fact, now Aussie blokes are telling the world’s most beautiful women what to wear. Two blokes in particular.
Peter Alexander and Henry Roth, are wowing them in America, the most cut-throat fashion market in the world. Peter makes pyjamas, very flash pyjamas. Henry creates spectacular bridal gowns. And both of them started from scratch, a real rags to riches story, you might say.
Reporter: Liz Hayes
Producer: Phil Goyen

The Perfect Storm

Every day we hear of millions being lost here, billions there. No wonder the global financial crash seems way beyond our comprehension. But this could have happened to any one of us. It’s the story of a company called Storm Financial, and how hundreds of ordinary mum and dad investors were left stranded. All they wanted was a nest egg for the future. What they got was heartache. They lost their savings, their homes, the lot. At least on Sunday night, they’ll see Storm’s boss face the music. But it’s also the story of the banks and loans that raise serious questions indeed. The kind that caused this whole global mess in the first place.
Reporter: Ellen Fanning
Producer: Jonathan Harley

It’s hard to think of a topic 60 Minutes has not covered in 30 years on air. With over 1200 programs and more than 3500 stories there is hardly a star the Nine Network flagship program hasn’t interviewed or a country it hasn’t visited.

From exposes and investigations to medical marvels, environmental disasters, reports from every war zone and front line, political grillings and all manner of mysteries, there has always been one constant in every 60 Minutes story: getting the viewer as close to the action as possible.

Australia’s leading public affairs program celebrates 30 years with a special edition that highlights some of the most memorable interviews and events that have shaped our generation when 60 Minutes returns on Sunday, February 22 at 7.30pm – presented by Liz Hayes, Tara Brown, Liam Bartlett, Charles Wooley and Peter Harvey.

When 60 Minutes premiered on Sunday, February 11, 1979 it was a monumental gamble. Before then, Nine’s Sunday night audience was comfortable with Hawaii Five-0. The idea of sitting through an hour of current affairs was a foreign one – literally – as the program was based on the American 60 Minutes that began on the CBS network in 1968. 

The critics said it wouldn’t last and at first the audience seemed to agree. But within 12 months it became a success and audiences responded to a format that, for the first time, had Australians reporting the big stories around the world with a refreshing new personality and attitude, rather than being dispassionate observers.

Since then the program has become a Sunday night staple in Australian households, fending off challenges from more than 150 shows on rival channels, including the best of British and American drama and sitcoms.

60 Minutes set out to get the story in what has become its unique journalistic style – don’t cover the Great Flood, interview Noah. By telling it through the eyes of those involved, by personalising stories and issues and writing in a relaxed, contemporary fashion, 60 Minutes broke new ground in the staid world of current affairs reporting. However, spectacular pictures and exotic locations can only tell part of the story. It’s the people who entrusted 60 Minutes to tell their story that have really given the program its life.

With the most recognisable roll-call of reporters on Australian television, including Jana Wendt, Richard Carleton, Ray Martin, George Negus, Charles Wooley, Ian Leslie, Jeff McMullen, Mike Munro, Jennifer Byrne, Tracey Curro, Tara Brown, Peter Overton, Ellen Fanning and Liam Bartlett, 60 Minutes has enjoyed almost continual dominance over three decades, not only winning its timeslot but also often ranking as the most watched program of the week.

Sustaining its reputation among viewers and critics alike, 60 Minutes has been at the forefront of investigative journalism – like The Chelmsford File (1980), Ray Martin’s award-winning investigation into psychiatric abuse at Chelmsford Hospital in Sydney which led to police investigations, coronial inquiries and a Royal Commission that identified more than 40 suspicious deaths.

In The Miranda Downes Case (1987), Ian Leslie’s interview with the main suspect in the murder of Miranda Downes led to Ernie Knibb being charged and later convicted of the crime, while The Sting (1997), a six-month investigation by Liz Hayes and her team, led to the capture and arrest in Honduras of Australia’s most wanted fugitive, the paedophile Robert “Dolly” Dunn.

Some reports have even led to the textbooks being rewritten. In 2006 Liam Bartlett, along with a group of seven Sydney diving enthusiasts, solved one of our greatest maritime mysteries by locating the wreck of the Japanese midget submarine that got into Sydney Harbour in 1942.

Interviews are the backbone of every 60 Minutes story, and the formula for a good interview has many elements, but often it’s as simple as just being direct. Occasionally the people being interviewed resent the questions, as in Peter Overton’s testy exchange with Tom Cruise (2005), who told Overton to “put your manners back in” after a question about his ex-wife, Nicole Kidman. Or Mike Munro’s dilemma in 1986 before interviewing Dolly Parton: is it the height of rudeness to ask a beautiful woman the size of her enormous bust? He did anyway. Then in 1996 Tracey Curro asked a fairly innocuous question to Pauline Hanson, but the answer – “Please explain?” – became part of the Australian language.

60 Minutes has never been afraid to ask the tough questions. George Negus set the benchmark with The Woman at Number 10 (1981), a tense and terse encounter with Britain’s Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. “Why do people stop us in the street and tell us you’re pig-headed?” he asked her. “Could you tell me who has stopped you in the street and said that?” she demanded in reply.

There are also the stories of incredible people who have been so inspirational, like Tara Brown’s emotional report Out of Control (2008) about Bianca Saez. A teenager with the worst case of Tourette’s syndrome in Australia, Bianca had a deep brain stimulation operation after seeing a 60 Minutes story that dramatically improved her condition and changed the Saez family’s life forever.

Join Liz Hayes, Tara Brown, Liam Bartlett, Charles Wooley and Peter Harvey for a special presentation that highlights some of the most memorable interviews and events that have shaped our generation when 60 Minutes celebrates 30 years:

Sunday, February 22 at 7.30pm on Nine