Fresh Content Dropping on SBS On Demand This Week
SBS On Demand is rolling out a compelling slate of new and recently added content, offering something for every taste. From gripping true crime documentaries and vibrant cultural explorations to acclaimed film collections and twisty crime dramas, viewers have a wealth of options to dive into.
New This Week: Must-Watch Releases
This week, SBS On Demand is debuting several highly anticipated titles that promise to captivate audiences.
Australia’s Greatest Conman? – Arriving on 24 February, this two-part docuseries delves into the astonishing story of John Friedrich. In the 1980s, Friedrich presented himself as a decorated leader of an elite rescue squad, securing lucrative government contracts and hundreds of millions in loans. However, behind this facade lay one of Australia’s most audacious scams, with his downfall revealing a deception worth an estimated $900 million in today’s currency. Walkley Award-winning journalist Marc Fennell leads the investigation, unearthing the truth through exclusive interviews with prominent figures like Kerry O’Brien, Hugh Riminton, and Richard Fidler, alongside Friedrich’s former associates and adversaries. Prepare for a true-crime thriller that’s stranger than fiction.
House of Blak: Miss First Nation – Also premiering on 24 February, this docuseries celebrates the electrifying return of the nation’s fiercest Blak drag pageant. Since 2017, Miss First Nation has been a pivotal platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drag excellence. This character-driven series follows eight Indigenous drag performers as they compete for the coveted Miss First Nation title, showcasing a powerful celebration of pride, visibility, and community.
This Is Ballroom – This 2024 film, available from 25 February, transports viewers to Rio de Janeiro and its surrounding areas. Here, LGBTQ+ youth of colour are reimagining Ballroom culture on their own terms. The documentary offers an engaging portrait of the dramas, the mesmerising voguing performances, and the art of “shade” within this vibrant subculture. Fifty years after Ballroom’s origins in New York, Rio is clearly embracing its own fiery expression of the art form.
Marcella Season 3 – From 28 February, delve into the latest instalment of this twisty, dark, and unpredictable crime series penned by Hans Rosenfeldt, the acclaimed writer behind The Bridge. Starring Golden Globe nominee Anna Friel, Marcella follows a detective battling her own mind. In Season 3, Marcella Backland, having seemingly buried her past identity, is now operating as Keira. She’s embedded deep within the duplicitous Maguire crime family in Belfast, tasked with infiltrating them and gathering intelligence to bring about their downfall. The season picks up after Marcella uncovered the origins of her destructive fugue episodes, offering her a chance to escape that fractured self.
Recently Added: A Curated Selection
SBS On Demand has also bolstered its library with a range of recently added gems.
Film Collection: The Oscar Goes To… – Launched on 21 February, this collection is the perfect way to get into the Oscar spirit. It features a selection of Academy Award-winning films from the past five decades. Highlights include critically acclaimed titles such as The Zone of Interest, Apocalypse Now Redux, Pulp Fiction, Casablanca, The Big Short, Adaptation, Michael Clayton, Parasite, Blood Diamond, Memoirs of a Geisha, Thelma & Louise, Gravity, and The Hurt Locker. A selection of these films will also air on SBS World Movies nightly at 8:30 pm.
A Spy Among Friends – This compelling six-episode series, added on 19 February, is based on Ben Macintyre’s New York Times best-selling book. It dramatises the true story of Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) and Kim Philby (Guy Pearce), two British spies and lifelong friends. Philby, history’s most notorious British defector and Soviet double agent, orchestrated a deeply personal betrayal that, at the height of the Cold War, significantly impacted British and American intelligence operations. The series explores themes of intimate duplicity, loyalty, trust, and treachery.
Fallen Season 2 – Also arriving on 19 February, the second season of Fallen continues the story of Iris (Sofia Helen) as she settles into her role as head of the Cold Case Unit in Malmö. A new case emerges with the discovery of a body buried near a manor house outside Ystad. As the investigation progresses, Iris receives a cryptic message from a former colleague, setting in motion a series of unexpected and potentially dangerous consequences.
The Danish Woman – This intriguing series, available from 19 February, introduces Ditte Jensen (Trine Dyrholm), a retired Danish Secret Service agent who embodies the spirit of Rambo, Napoleon, and Pippi Long Stocking. Seeking anonymity, she moves to Reykjavik to tend to her garden. However, her innate nature as an elite soldier and warrior cannot be suppressed. The apartment building soon becomes her new battlefield as she uses her deep-rooted sense of justice to intervene in her neighbours’ problems, believing the end always justifies the means. The series is written and directed by Benedikt Erlingsson, co-written by Ólafur Egill Egilsson.
Going Places with Ernie Dingo Season 7 – Beloved host Ernie Dingo returns for a new season of Going Places, premiering on 20 February. This season sees Ernie travelling across Australia, accompanied by new co-host Brooke Blurton, while Mark Coles Smith and Rae Johnston also return. Together, they embark on more adventures, exploring beautiful locations and connecting with fascinating people to share stories and yarns.
