Stowaways, stuck ships and the wild history of Aussie TV: it's all on SBS VICELAND

It's like a big bag of brightly coloured licorice allsorts on SBS VICELAND this month, so to help you decide what you're going to go for, here's a round-up of the highlights.

Mitch McTaggart is exploring The Back Side of Television Source: Doug Half Watched / SBS VICELAND

Whether you want to take a wild ride though the highlights, lowlights and odd obsessions of Australian television with Mitch McTaggart, discover exactly how a very big ship got stuck in the Suez, or step behind the scenes in Hollywood, November on SBS VICELAND has it all.

The stunts and stars of Hollywood

There's a lot more to Hollywood than what we see on screen. In November, SBS VICELAND's Wednesday night Hollywood season features a series of documentaries that take a deeper dive, from learning more about stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise and Al Pacino, to meeting some of the stuntwomen who are often the hidden stars of on-screen action. It's a double bill every Wednesday, with each documentary paired with a matching film, from DiCaprio's Gangs of New York  to Tom Cruise in Legend. The season kicks off with How It Feels To Be Free, a documentary that looks at how six Black women harnessed their celebrity to change history, advance the civil rights movement and reshape the narrative of Black female identity in Hollywood. 

Hollywood season starts 3 November. Find all the details here:

Return of the Taliban

Desperate days and nights in 'Return of the Taliban' Source: Adam Desiderio

The full military withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan would plunge the country and its people into chaos as the deadline loomed and the Taliban accelerated its takeover. VICE news reporters were on the ground in Afghanistan to witness the final days of the longest American war; from the frontlines of battle to the desperate scenes at the airport, this is a frontline account of the Taliban's return to power, reported by a team who have covered the country and the war for a generation.

See Return of the Taliban at 7.30pm, Sunday 7 November on SBS VICELAND.

Dark Side Of The 90s

Faces, losses, highlights, lowlights: Dark Side of the 90s Source: Getty Images

The 90s were a time of quick change and big culture shifts. Dark Side of the 90s dives into it all, from the influence of TV talk shows to the sunny success of Baywatch, from the superstar models claiming the runways to doomsday cults. 

See the 10-episode series Mondays 8.30pm from 8 November on SBS VICELAND. The full series will also be available at SBS On Demand from 8.30pm on 8 November. 

The Back Side Of Television

From the cynical mind of Mitch McTaggart, this brand new three-part comedy series explores all the ridiculous, depressing and outright shameful moments in the wild history of Australian television. We're revisiting moments that may have stuck in your mind and some you've probably forgotten, but diving deeper to reveal so much more – how they happened, why they happened, and what happened after. Following on from companion SBS VICELAND show The Last Year of Television, which summarises the past year in Aussie TV, The Back Side of Television dives into all of it. 1950s to now – nothing is off limits.

The three-part series starts 9.20pm Monday 15 November on SBS VICELAND and continues for the following two weeks. Episodes will also be available at SBS On Demand as they go to air. Watch the trailer to get in the mood:

Stuck In The Suez

The Ever Given, 'Stuck in the Suez' Source: Getty Images

23 March 2021... the shipping world holds its breath: the Ever Given, one of the largest container ships in the world, has run aground, stuck sideways in the Suez Canal, completely blocking one of the world's busiest shipping routes. How did it happen – and how did a huge salvage operation, working day and night, finally free the giant ship?

See Stuck in the Suez at 8.30pm, Saturday 20 November on SBS VICELAND. It will also be available at SBS On Demand. 

Murdered By A Mob

Bijan Ebrahimi Source: Ebrahimi Family

This documentary examines the murder of Iranian refugee Bijan Ebrahimi, beaten to death and his body set alight after neighbours thought he was a paedophile. Two police officers were jailed for failing to protect him and two were dismissed from the force. Reports found evidence of 'racial bias' in the police, and 'institutional racism' in the local council. This film explores what allowed this barbaric, medieval-like act to happen in 21st century Britain. 

See Murdered By A Mob at 8.20pm Sunday 21 November on SBS VICELAND. The documentary will also be available at SBS On Demand from 8.30pm on 21 November. 

The Man Who Fell From The Sky

The search to understand what happened in 'The Man Who Fell From the Sky' Source: SIlverlining TV

This compelling documentary is the result of a five-year investigation into the heart-wrenching story of two men who stowed away in the wheelwell of a plane from Johannesburg to London. Film-maker Rich Bentley undertakes an obsessive quest for the truth behind who they were, why they undertook such a risky journey and what happened after. His search takes him across the globe and results in a discovery that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. 

See The Man Who Fell From The Sky at 8.30pm Tuesday 30 November on SBS VICELAND. The documentary will be available at SBS On Demand after it airs.