Hot Picks: I Was Actually There

The co-creator of ABC’s hugely successful You Can’t Ask That, Kirk Docker, applies his aptitude for unpicking the human experience to some of the most defining moments in recent history in his latest documentary series for the broadcaster, I Was Actually There.

The new six-part-series looks at stories ranging from huge international events such as the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami to more local, but still globally significant, events, such as Australian Football League player Nicky Winmar taking a stand against racism in 1993 – a moment that has become etched into Australian sporting folklore.

“When you’re looking at the news, it tends to be told from one point of view,” says ABC Commercial head of content sales Karen Quinn. “Everyone gets the same footage and the same message, but what this show does is retell history through the eyes of the people who can tell you what it meant to actually be there.”

The series offers a mix of what Quinn describes as tragic and uplifting tales – a balance the producers felt was important to get right – with the common thread of making each story feel deeply personal throughout.

“Docker likes to make programmes from the angle of wanting to understand [individuals],” Quinn says. “You feel the emotion through the programme. No one is being judged.”

Nodding to the format’s potential to travel to buyers worldwide, Quinn adds: “There’s no international border when it’s personal. Often historical subjects that are world-renowned are ones people can’t relate to, but this brings us into these stories. These are people’s memories, and that will find a resonance with viewers around the world.”

Quinn says the format’s straightforward premise is as important as its international resonance – “the simplicity is what makes it brilliant”.

The six-parter has already made a major impact in its native Australia, with the first two episodes landing more than 1 million viewers each for ABC and rating in the top 30 for all demographics, according to the Australian website TV Tonight. After just two weeks, the series is the third highest-rating documentary on ABC this year to date.

All these factors have combined to pique interest from buyers in several territories, Quinn hints, with both the format and the finished tape launching at Mipcom.

“Some territories want to be able to tell their own stories, others just want a good story to tell their audiences,” she notes.

An additional boon for the format is that it is budget-friendly, relying mainly on talking heads and archive footage that is often readily available. Many of the participants in the ABC series also supply their own footage, helping to keep down costs.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of social commentary interview format You Can’t Ask That – ABC’s most successful show, with more than 30 series airing around the world – Docker’s new format is already in development for a second series with ABC, and Quinn is optimistic about its future.

“I Was Actually There is a simple, fresh idea, and it’s utterly brilliant,” she says.