Whadjuk Noongar woman Narelda Jacobs is a television presenter for NITV’s The Point, Studio 10 and 10 News First Midday, and this year Jacobs will be joining the team of Going Places With Ernie Dingo as a guest host.
As part of NITV’s Always Was, Always Will be line up of programming inviting our audience to deepen their understanding of January 26 and what it meant to be Australian, Jacobs will be co-hosting a brand new prime-time program, Sunset Ceremony airing on NITV and SBS on Wednesday, January 25 at 7:30pm that will feature insightful discussion, ceremony, and performances.
SBS On Demand invited Jacobs to be our Guest Curator for January, selecting a special collection of her favourite documentaries and programs to be featured on the streaming platform. You can now, all streaming on SBS On Demand.
The Australian Wars
This landmark three-part documentary series is directed and hosted by Arrernte and Kalkadoon filmmaker Rachel Perkins, as she journeys across the country exploring the bloody battles fought on Australian soil, and the war that established the Australian nation, giving voice to the story of The Australian Wars and changing the narrative of our nation.
This ground-breaking documentary series explores the modern-day city of Sydney, which was the first battleground in the Australian Wars, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people who resisted their occupation as they were invaded by colonists, and Northern Australia, being the war’s final frontier.
Jacobs describes The Australian Wars series as a “must-see, Rachel Perkins tells the story in such a beautiful way of something that was so confronting for Australians to hear.”
Going Places with Ernie Dingo
Join iconic television personality and actor Ernie Dingo as he visits some of Australia’s most significant and captivating landmarks. Ernie is joined by elders and locals of the destinations, exploring the diverse inhabitants and the history of each majestic environment.
There are four series to enjoy on SBS On Demand, as Ernie travels to stunning areas such as the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Cradle Mountain, Kangaroo Island, Yirrkala, Broome, Lake Mungo and many more. Go on a journey of discovery with Ernie and our beautiful country in Going Places With Ernie Dingo.
Jacobs says “Going Places is a travel show with a difference –we get to meet the locals and they show us their favourite parts of where they live and we are also seeing it through Uncle Ernie’s eyes.”
In season 5, premiering this year on NITV and SBS, Jacobs joins the team alongside other special guest presenters helping Ernie Dingo to discover and explore more iconic destinations.
Ernie Dingo on Going Places
Life on the Outside
Life on the Outside is a ground-breaking three-part documentary series hosted by actor and activist Danielle Cormack who stars in the popular series Wentworth.
Over the one-hour episodes, you will follow the lives of four formerly incarcerated people in an experiment that sees them join the households of individuals and families who are prepared to offer them a spare room for their first one hundred days after being released from prison, in a bid to turn their lives around.
Jacobs says “You see the vulnerability of these people who were once inmates in prison, but they are not criminals for the rest of their life, and you see the generosity of Australians - it’s a beautiful three-part series.”
Life on the Outside on NITV
Alone
Alone is a reality adventure documentary series, as a group of ten participants are forced to use their wits when left in the wilderness with only a backpack and limited resources. The adventurers are subject to harsh weather conditions, hostile locations and aggressive wildlife as they struggle to survive.
Jacobs said her mind was blown and she was intrigued to watch this series after hearing about it through friends. “People were telling me the best season to start is season 7 in the Arctic, it was a really good introduction because all of the challenges that are thrown up, winter sets in and these people are completely alone.”
“There is an Australian season coming so if you are new to Alone, pick up some of the previous seasons so that once the Australian season drops you can jump straight in.”
There are eight seasons to view now on SBS On Demand.
Alone documentary series Credit: Brendan George Ko
Our Law
Our Law is a six-part documentary series as cameras are given intimate and candid access to Indigenous officers and cadets attempting to break the cycle of Indigenous incarceration and repair a troubled relationship between Aboriginal people and the police, while giving a voice to the communities being policed.
Jacobs says “The cadets that they follow through WA are adorable and to hear their back stories wins you over. To see them do their job that they are trained for, you feel the angst and the nerves and anxiety of them being on the beat. It opens the doors to what goes on in the WA Police force.”
Our Law series
Run Girl: Curious Australia
Australian Olympic athlete and refugee from Ethiopia, Bendere Oboya, is determined to show that anything is possible as she searches for identity, switching events from the 400m to 800m in pursuit of becoming the world’s best.
Run Girl follows Bendere’s story as she moves away from her family to Melbourne to begin training for the 800m race.
Jacobs describes how she felt watching this episode saying “it is shot so beautifully that you are on the track with her every time she takes a breath, when her feet hit the track you see the drive and desire of someone who has white line fever – it’s a beautiful story.”
Run Girl: Curious Australia Credit: Narelle Portanier
The Truth Tellers: 10 Years of NITV News
Hosted by Natalie Ahmat, The Truth Tellers: 10 Years of NITV News takes a special look back at the big news moments from the last decade. Past and present NITV journalists and presenters reflect on the stories that impacted them and talk about their most memorable moments on the job.
As the co-host of NITV’s The Point, Jacobs is featured in this documentary and says “I was really drawn to the stories of the colleagues that I’ve worked with at NITV and the history of how it started.”
“It was also a bit of a timeline of the last 10 years of First Nations stories and a lot of us can relate back to these stories and where were you when that story broke. Watching this will make you appreciate that there were First Nations journalists at NITV telling stories with their own lens.”
Natalie Ahmat on Truth Tellers
