After originally being scheduled to premiere on November 21st, the ABC is pushing back the release of its two part documentary series, Folau.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, an ABC spokeswoman said: “We are still working on the Folau documentary and clearing footage which has meant pushing it back in our schedule. A new transmission date will be announced shortly.”
Folau is set to examine the story of former Wallaby, Israel Folau, whose homophobic social media posts – saying that “Hell awaits” gay people, amongst others – caused a cultural flashpoint that eventually lead to his 2019 sacking from Rugby Australia.
A press release that announced the original launch date for the series promised that: “For the first time Israel Folau’s story is examined in all its multilayered complexity, featuring crucial Pasifika voices and exploring the nexus between freedom of religion and speech, protection from discrimination for the LGBTQIA+ community, and how far the workplace can reasonably go to balance the two.”
The first episode is set to examine Folau’s upbringing in the devout Christian traditions of the Pasifika community, as well as track his rise through three football codes – which eventually resulted in 73 appearances for the Wallabies.
The second part begins with Folau’s social media posts, and then tracks what happened in the time that followed, including the move to take his former employer to court.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age earlier this month, Folau director Nel Minchin – sister of Tim Minchin – said that “People asked ‘why would you do something like this when it was such a traumatic experience for people?’
“This is a conversation that continues to come up in different ways. And not just about religion, but other areas where people are speaking their opinions that get shut down for whatever reason.”
Whilst there has not been any announcement about what will instead fill the slot, Folau was originally to be followed by the premiere of A League of Her Own, a documentary about the Queensland Maroons’ women’s team.