The new series of Mint Pictures production Great Australian Walks premieres on SBS and SBS On Demand this week. The second series of the show triples the attraction for viewers. There’s not one great host, but three this time around.
Joining original host Julia Zemiro on the series are additional hosts Gina Chick and Susie Youssef.
Mint Pictures creative director Dan Goldberg told Mediaweek: “They are all fabulous in their own right, but as a trio they offer diversity on all levels.” Goldberg explained that each host fronts separate episodes – Zemiro hosts three, including the season opener, Chick, the winner of the first season of Alone Australia, does three and Youssef does four.
Julia Zemiro hosted the first series of 10 episodes solo. “That was a huge amount of work,” said Goldberg. “We shoot the episodes in record speed and it’s a lot of travelling to each destination and then walking.”
The first series of Great Australian Walks went to air last year – exactly 12 months ago. Goldberg said as soon as SBS saw the ratings for the first episodes they started talks with Mint Pictures about a recommission.
“It was great the series quickly found an audience. I was apprehensive because you just never know how something will go after you deliver it to the network. The series has a calming, soothing tone about it and it takes viewers to places that they either want to go to or they might have already been to.”
The producers keep the location costs down by keeping the crew small. This series had two cameras, a sound person, a producer, a director and a runner. “We also have a dedicated drone operator,” said Goldberg explaining how the show secures its wonderful aerial images of the Australian landscape.
Mint Pictures crew with Julia Zemiro (far left) at Uluru for Great Australian Walks on SBS
How to go walking with Mint Pictures
“We are looking for walks that everyone can do on this series,” said Goldberg. “We want them to be easy to moderate and prefer something that can be finished in one day. Maybe 10 to 15 kilometres.
“It’s not just about epic scenery. The walk is a device for us to meet local people who tell stories about the locations.”
Before the Mint Pictures team arrive, there has been a visit already from a producer or writer on a recce (reconnaissance trip). “We go for two or three days and cast the contributors,” said Goldberg. “There might have already been some pre-screening for that from the office in Sydney. We also research the walk thinking about places to stop, use the drone, a whole lot of considerations.”
While weather is an important factor. Goldberg said because they are making a documentary, they usually go with what is provided by nature. “In Uluru recently we had a day of rain and we just had to embrace it. That then becomes part of the story. We just don’t have the budget to sit around and wait maybe up to a week for the rain to pass.”
In series two of Great Australian Walks the producers were largely greeted by sunshine, but there is a hint of wind and rain in some episodes.
The production was originally pitched during Covid-19 when walking was “one of the last things we were legally allowed to do” explained Goldberg. “In season one, there were parts of the country we weren’t able to get to. With borders open, season two has been able to travel across the whole country.”
Cinematographer Bruno Kataoka (left) and Dan Goldberg at Uluru
Mint Pictures and SBS
The production house and the broadcaster have a long relationship. “We have been working with them for the last decade or so,” said Mint’s creative director. “We have done many documentaries, and we love working with them. Our DNA and their DNA is fairly similar so we tend to pitch a lot of content to them.”
Two of the senior team as SBS curating this content includes Joseph Maxwell, SBS head of unscripted, and Bernadine Lim – senior commissioning editor for documentaries and hands-on for Great Australian Walks.
When is the next Slow TV?
One gripe Mediaweek has with SBS is the disappearance of the Slow TV format after some spectacular series that Mint Pictures delivered.
“It’s not all over,” said a hopeful Goldberg. “Every now and then we rekindle the conversation because we loved making Slow TV.” He reminded us the first series featured the great Australian train journey The Ghan and it had very strong audience numbers.
“The most staggering thing was the show was a subject on talkback radio for five days in a row – either claiming it was the best piece of television they had seen, or the worst thing they had ever seen! [Laughs]
“You know you have struck a nerve when you crop up so much on talkback radio.”
The first Slow TV special from Mint Pictures and SBS featured The Ghan
Other slow TV programs tracked the Indian Pacific Sydney to Perth train, a memorable Kimberley cruise from Broome to Darwin and then a detailed peak inside a chocolate factory at Cadbury in Tasmania and Victoria.
Another recent production from Mint Pictures was Hitler’s Jewish Soldier?, also on SBS, the first in the 2024 season of Australia Uncovered.
The feature-length version from Mint Pictures, titled The Jewish Nazi?, won best feature documentary at Cannes World Film Festival late last year.
See also: SBS’s ‘Australia Uncovered’ documentary collection explores untold Aussie stories
What’s next from the production house?
That is always a frustrating question when talking to a TV producer. There is always stuff in the pipeline, but they either pretend they don’t know what’s next or claim they are not allowed to tell. The latter is the case here. Although Goldberg did buckle a little about what he is now working on.
“We have just been commissioned to make a six-part series. I can’t reveal the details, but I can tell you it involved four big names. We are in pre-production. We are also in production on a five-part podcast series. It is with an international network and it’s our first podcast.
“We are also in negotiation with a major publisher for a spin-off from some of our properties.” How about a Ghan coffee table book? Yes please!
Mint Pictures is also continuing to work with Rachel Griffiths. She has hosted two series about Australian art with the pro co. “We are developing a third series with her.”