NITV and Network 10’s co-commissioned four-part documentary series, The First Inventors, is a first of its kind between the broadcasters. Presented and narrated by Logie Award-winning actor and Tiwi Islander man Rob Collins, who leads a team of First Nations investigators, the docu-series uncovers more than 65,000 years of invention and innovation.
The series explores the world’s longest surviving culture, that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and also reflects this year’s NAIDOC Week theme of ‘For Our Elders’.
The First Inventors also connects to both SBS’s Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan and Paramount ANZ’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, by amplifying First Nations peoples’ stories and voices, celebrating the world’s oldest storytellers in an impactful way to create positive and sustainable societal change.
Across 10, 10 Play, NITV and SBS on Demand, The First Inventors is averaging 304,000 national viewers and reaching over 2.4 million Australians, set to increase with continuous on-demand viewing. The series was watched by an average of 31,000 viewers on 10 Play and SBS on Demand.
NITV has announced that The First Inventors is their most successful original commission in the last seven years. Episode one was watched by over 100,000 Total TV viewers on NITV and SBS on Demand, achieving the highest audience result for the First Nations media channel since 2016.
Tanya Denning-Orman, a Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and SBS’s director of Indigenous content, said: “We are incredibly proud of the way The First Inventors has broken new ground in illuminating the history of this continent, and enhancing our collective understanding as a nation of the more than 65,000 years of knowledges and cultures that continue to influence and enrich our lives. It’s fantastic to see the audience response as Australians connect with this incredible story of our country.”
Senior vice president content and programming, Paramount ANZ, Daniel Monaghan, said: “It’s an honour to host stories of the longest continuous civilisation on Earth. Not only will The First Inventors give all Australians the chance to learn more about the country we live on, but it will also help us to better understand the world we live in. Thank you to our friends at NITV, Screen Australia and Ronde Media for helping us to bring these incredible stories to light.”
The First Inventors is a Ronde Pty Ltd production for NITV and Network 10 with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with NITV.
The First Inventors is available now on 10 Play and SBS On Demand.
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Top Image: Rob Collins