Aaron Swartz was a young internet prodigy facing computer fraud charges when he took his own life.
Source: ABC
TV editor Lyndall Crisp selects The Internet’s Own Boy as her pick of the week on free-to-air television.
The Internet’s Own BoySunday, 8.30pm, ABC2
Aaron Swartz was a precocious child with extraordinary learning abilities. As a teenager he was a computer programming prodigy and as an adult he was a political activist hellbent on making the world a better place. Described as “the brightest light on the internet … an astonishing intellect”, he was — like his hero Tim Berners-Lee who invented the world wide web and gave it away for nothing — not interested in money. We’ll never know what he might have achieved because last year, aged 26, he committed suicide in his Brooklyn apartment. Using family home movies, clips from old interviews and conversations with the people closest to him, this fascinating documentary profiles the young genius. Swartz was facing 13 charges of wire fraud, computer fraud and unauthorised access to a computer according to antiquated legislation that carried a 35-year prison term. He devised a brilliant system that allowed him to access general information and make it commonly available. The company he targeted didn’t want to pursue the charges, but the US government insisted the case go on as a deterrent to others. There were also political reputations at stake. Swartz’s lawyer was sure he could win the case, but fear of what might lie ahead terrified Swartz. An outpouring of grief and anger flooded the internet following his death. A tragic story well told.
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Saturday, 6.30pm, ABC
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The Graham Norton Show
Sunday, 9.30pm, Ten
It’s fair to mention this show again because I haven’t for a while (at least two weeks). It’s so jolly good. A laugh a minute. In this episode Norton’s guests include Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Luke Evans and Lenny Kravitz. Grant tells the story of his first audition in Hollywood in front of a famous director who projectile-vomited halfway through the first page of the script. And Thompson tells how she made two co-stars in Mr Banks laugh by taking off her bra and putting two Mickey Mouse stickers on her nipples. Love her!
Gough Whitlam — In His Own Words
Sunday, 8.30pm, SBS One
Much has been written and said about this giant of Australian politics since he died, aged 98, in Sydney on October 21. Most of it was good, but many people still harbour doubts, even bitterness, about the former Labor prime minister’s legacy. No one, surely, can deny that in so many ways he was a shining light on a sea of mediocrity. This documentary, commissioned by SBS, was filmed 12 years ago. It was the last television interview Gough Whitlam did. In it, he talks about his remarkable 50 years in public life. It charts his earliest days in parliament, his rise as deputy leader, then leader, of the ALP and finally his success in ending 23 years of Liberal government. A chance to hear it from him.
Michael Mosley: Should I Eat Meat?
Monday, 7.30pm, SBS One
As the BBC’s medical correspondent, Michael Mosley has put himself through some of the weirdest tests to get the facts for a good story. Here he ups his daily intake of red meat to 130g to see what impact it will or won’t have on his health. As the man behind the phenomenally successful (commercially) 5:2 diet, Mosley knows all about sensible eating. But he has always wondered about how much red meat is too much. Apart from the ethical argument that we should all be vegetarians, there’s at least one good reason we should stand back from the barbie: cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in the Western world. Yet, despite speaking to experts in Britain and US, Mosley doesn’t find the answer. I say pass the lamb chops and don’t think too much about it.
Salamander
Monday, 11pm, SBS One
Sorry to see this fine Belgian drama moved to such an ungodly hour on a school night, but thank heavens for the record button. Paul Gerardi (Filip Peeters) is a detective with Brussels police suspended for insisting on pursuing a private-bank robbery. The embarrassing contents of 66 safety deposit boxes were stolen but the robbery was not reported because they belonged to VIPs who have a lot to lose. Although his wife and daughter have been threatened and he’s a wanted man, Gerardi refuses to back off after three people connected to the robbery are murdered. Here, in the fourth of 12 episodes, the mastermind behind the robbery is revealed to be millionaire Gil Wolfs (Vic de Wachter), who wants each of the 66 owners — who belong to a secret group called Salamander — eliminated.
The Melbourne Cup Carnival
Tuesday, 10am, Seven
It’s that time of year again. Although Melbourne Cup Day has become something of a social event, serious horse people say the $3 million Cox Plate is the more important race. That aside, the first Tuesday in November has gained traction as the event, particularly among fashionistas who wouldn’t know one end of a horse from another. But hey, it’s fun to dress up and knock back a few champers. And it’s not just locals watching the 24 thoroughbreds compete; it’s estimated that about 650 million people across the world tune in at 3pm. The $6 million prize money may have something to do with that; the past four winners — Fiorente (Irish), Green Moon (Irish), Dunaden (French) and Americain (American) — were imports. The whole day is covered live.
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Madam Secretary
Thursday, 8.30pm, Ten
College professor and former CIA analyst Elizabeth McCord (Tea Leoni) hesitated when President Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine) wanted to appoint her secretary of state after the incumbent was killed in a suspicious plane crash. But once behind the desk she established herself as a tough negotiator and no-nonsense leader. In five episodes so far, she has helped two American teenagers facing execution in Syria, brokered a peace treaty between China and Japan, and managed sensitive negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Here in The Call, McCord asks the president to help with a tricky situation in West Africa.
Classical Destinations — Salzburg
Friday, 6pm, SBS One
Remember Aled Jones, the young Welsh boy with a voice like an angel until it broke? His rendition of Walking In the Air was goose-bump material. By the time he was 16 he’d sold six million albums and sung for pope John Paul II and the Queen (presumably not at the same time). He then took up acting, appearing in theatre and on radio and television. In this gorgeous series combining fabulous scenery and music, Jones, now 43, visits the cities that influenced the great composers, beginning with Salzburg, home of Mozart.
Better Homes and Gardens
Friday, 7pm, Seven
No matter how realistic your renovation budget it will always end up costing you more. In Small Budget, Big Makeover, Rob Palmer and the team show how to stretch the dollar. I love this show: it’s full of interesting stuff told in short, sharp takes. A fish recipe, Versailles’ gardens and a new hi-tech dog tag ... something for everyone.
