# First Contact (Australian TV series)

First Contact is an Australian reality television documentary series that aired on SBS One, SBS Two and NITV from November 2014. A second season aired in 2016. The show, produced by Blackfella Films and presented by Ray Martin, takes six European Australians on a journey across Australia, challenging their preconceived ideas about Indigenous Australians. In the second season, the non-Indigenous participants are all well-known Australians.

## Synopsis

The show documents the journey of six European Australians who are challenged over a period of 28 days about their pre-existing perceptions of Indigenous Australians.
First Contact shows some of the cultural divisions that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and highlights the lack of awareness many non-Indigenous Australians have about Indigenous Australians and the various different cultures and lifestyles they currently maintain. A stated premise is that 60% of European Australian have never had any contact with Indigenous people, a statistic that may explain the prevalence of the racist, unsympathetic and generally prejudicial attitudes that are often directed towards Indigenous Australians.
In making their "first contact" with Indigenous Australia, the selected six participants are taken to Aboriginal communities both in the city and the country, and are even processed into a regional prison at Roebourne in Western Australia, where social problems are particularly acute, resulting in incarceration of large numbers of Indigenous Australians, often for quite minor offences. The relationships between Indigenous people and local police in Roebourne are notoriously poor.

## Cast

(As themselves)

### Participants 2014

Series 1 participants were:
* Alice Lardner
* Bo-Dene Steiler
* Jasmine Johnston
* Trent Giles
* Sandy Clifford
* Marcus Solomon

### Major Indigenous contributors 2014

Indigenous contributors on series 2 included:
* Sharyn Derschow – Co-founder Linkidge Cross Communication Training Company
* Margaret Gudumurrkuwuy – Elcho Island Arts
* Marmingee Hand – School Teacher & Foster Carer for F.A.S.D children
* Marcus Lacey – traditional owner, Teacher & Tourist Business Operator
* Debra Maidment – Safe & Sober Support Service Program, Central Australia Aboriginal Congress
* Victor Morgan – Senior Educator, Education Centre Against Violence & Chair Link-Up NSW
* June Oscar AO – CEO Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre
* Emily Carter – Deputy CEO Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre
* Shane Phillips – CEO Tribal Warrior & Local Australian of the Year 2013
* Geraldine Stewart – Yipirinya School HIPPY Coordinator
* Tangentyere Council Night Patrol

### Participants 2016

Participants in the second series were:
* Natalie Imbruglia
* Ian Dickson
* David Oldfield
* Tom Ballard
* Renae Ayris
* Nicki Wendt

## Production

First Contact was filmed and set in New South Wales, home to the largest Indigenous Australian population of any state/territory, the Northern Territory, where Indigenous Australians make up a higher percentage of the population than in any other state or territory and Western Australia.
Darren Dale of Blackfella Films produced both series, while Jacob Hickey was series producer and writer for both. Rachel Perkins was executive producer on the first series, while Ronan Sharkey and Dora Weekley directed. Jacob Hickey was executive producer on the second series, while David Grusovin and Bruce Permezel directed.

## Broadcast

First Contact aired on SBS One, SBS Two, and NITV, from 18 November 2014.

## Discussion

After the first series aired, First Contact was the topic of an Insight episode, hosted by Stan Grant and featuring a discussion involving many of the people who were involved in the show.

## Series overview

| No. | Original air | Consolidated Australian viewers (Mainland Capitals) |
| 1 | 18 November 2014 | 508,000 |
| 2 | 19 November 2014 | 401,000 |
| 3 | 20 November 2014 | 452,000 |
The show is estimated to have had a cumulative reach of 1,847,000 Australian viewers.
| Season | Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Originally aired | DVD release | DVD features |
| Season | Season | Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | Region 4 | + |
| | 1 | 10 | 18 November 2014 | 20 November 2014 | 3 December 2014 | Single Disc Running time: 156 minutes |

## Episodes
### Season 1 (2014)

| No. | Title | Directed by | Original air date |
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Ronan Sharkey and Dora Weekley | 18 November 2014 (2014-11-18) |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Ronan Sharkey and Dora Weekley | 19 November 2014 (2014-11-19) |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Ronan Sharkey and Dora Weekley | 20 November 2014 (2014-11-20) |

### Season 2 (2016)

| No. | Title | Directed by | Original air date |
| 4 | "Episode 1" | David Grusovin and Bruce Permezel | 18 November 2016 (2016-11-18) |
| 5 | "Episode 2" | David Grusovin and Bruce Permezel | 30 November 2016 (2016-11-30) |
| 6 | "Episode 3" | David Grusovin and Bruce Permezel | 1 December 2016 (2016-12-01) |

## Adaptations

The series was adapted for Canadian television by APTN, which premiered First Contact in 2018.