Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Thursday, 10pm and Saturday, 7pm. Ph 9565 5522.
Access News — Melbourne community TV, Channel 31, has excellent coverage of industrial, environmental and community actions throughout Victoria. Access News broadcasts every Monday at 8pm. Ph 9525 3551 to contact the producers or make a donation.
Anatomy of Desire — A thoughtful report about the way lesbian and gay sexuality has been looked at by society and scientists through the 20th century, this documentary poses the questions: is homosexuality caused by socialisation, is it physiologically based, or perhaps a complex interaction of both? SBS, Monday, August 17, 1.25am.
The Price We Pay — The threats posed by the increasing use of antibiotics, genes and hormones in meat and vegetables to "improve" animal mass and shelf life is explored in this program, which looks at the hazards of industrialised farming. SBS, Monday, August 17, 4pm.
The Games — This 13-part mockumentary about the organisation of a huge international sporting event to be held in Sydney in 2000 features John Clarke (Fred Dagg, Death in Brunswick) as the games' head of administration and logistics. His team includes Bryan Dawe. ABC-TV, Monday, August 17, 8pm.
Hello Sir: On Patrol in the Dutch East Indies — After the Japanese surrendered, Indonesia, led by Sukarno, declared its independence from the Netherlands. The Dutch government sent 120,000 troops to restore "peace and order". This program focuses on the memories of five Dutch soldiers, haunted by what they saw and did, sent halfway round the world and ordered to kill in a war many thought unjust. SBS, Monday, August 17, 11.55pm.
Burma Diary — A remarkable documentary in which film-maker Jeanne Hallacy spent almost five years visiting the Thai-Burma border, chronicling the lives of young people caught up in the revolutionary movement. The program explores their fight for democracy and how the brutality of Burma's military regime has affected their lives. SBS, Wednesday, August 19, 8pm.
Ms. Conceptions — A "candid, quirky" documentary that examines the "single mother by choice" controversy. ABC-TV, Friday, August 20, 12.25am.