Aaron Fa'aoso is an actor, producer, director and Samu and Koedal man well known for his work in TV shows and documentaries such as Black Comedy, The Straits, East West, Blue Water Empire and many more.
This month on NITV, Strait to the Plate season two premieres as part of ‘The Summer of Us’, a season of programming that celebrates a decade of NITV on free-to-air.
Strait to the Plate is a six-part series produced and hosted by Fa’aoso, where he explores the cuisine, culture and communities of the Torres Strait Islander peoples through a collection of local dishes from around the area.
Throughout the episodes, Aaron journeys through the Guda Maluyligal, Maluyligal and Kaywalagal regions of the beautiful Torres Strait Islands where he immerses himself and the audience in culture as well as learning about each island’s history and local signature dishes, the language and their way of life.
SBS On Demand invited Fa’aoso to be our Guest Curator for December, selecting a special collection of his favourite documentaries and programs to be featured on the streaming platform. You can view this curated collection now, all streaming on
Going Places With Ernie Dingo
Join iconic television personality and actor Ernie Dingo as he visits some of Australia’s most significant and captivating landmarks. Ernie is joined by elders and locals of the destinations, exploring the diverse inhabitants and the history of each majestic environment.
There are four series to enjoy on SBS On Demand, as Ernie travels to stunning areas such as the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Cradle Mountain, Kangaroo Island, Yirrkala, Broome, Lake Mungo and many more.
Go on a journey of discovery with Ernie and our beautiful country in Going Places With Ernie Dingo. Fa’aoso also appears in some of the episodes, and season five of Going Places With Ernie Dingo will premiere on NITV and SBS in 2023. With more appearances of Fa’aoso to come!
Ernie Dingo on the Bruny Island Ferry while filming Going Places with Ernie Dingo.
Little J & Big Cuz
NITV’s Logie Award-winning animated children’s program, Little J & Big Cuz is another of Aaron’s top selections, with the series available to view on SBS On Demand.
If you haven’t already heard of this very special jarjums series, let me recap for you - Little J & Big Cuz is centred around five-year-old Little J, voiced by Larrakia woman and amazingly talented Miranda Tapsell, and his Big Cuz, voiced by multi-award-winning actor Deborah Mailman, as they live with their Nanna and Old Dog. Fun fact: Aaron stars in this series and is actually the voice of Old Dog!
Together, along with all of their friends – and Old Dog of course – Little J and his Big Cuz are finding out about Culture, community and Country.
Little J & Big Cuz has also been translated into several First Nations languages which you can also view on the SBS On Demand platform.
The in-language episodes include Djambarrpuyngu, Pitjantjatjara, Arrernte, Walmajarri, Yawuru, palawa kani, Torres Strait Creole, Noongar, Warlpiri, Gija and Wiradjuri.
Nanna and the kids in the desert, on Little J & Big Cuz.
The Australian Wars
This landmark three-part documentary series is directed and hosted by Arrernte and Kalkadoon filmmaker Rachel Perkins, as she journeys across the country exploring the bloody battles fought on Australian soil, and the war that established the Australian nation, giving voice to the story of The Australian Wars and changing the narrative of our nation.
This ground-breaking documentary series explores the modern-day city of Sydney, which was the first battleground in the Australian Wars, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people who resisted their occupation as they were invaded by colonists, and Northern Australia, being the war’s final frontier.
The Australian Wars, depicting Aboriginal man and an officer from the First Fleet
True Colours
True Colours is a four-part crime drama series filmed in the community of Amooguna in the Northern Territory. Rarriwuy Hick stars as Detective Toni Alma, who is assigned to investigate a suspicious car accident in Perdar Theendar, an Aboriginal community.
The task requires Detective Alma to navigate between two laws and solve the crime to identify the killer – who may be very close to home.
Co-created by Erica Glynn and Warren H Williams and written by Steven McGregor, Erica Glynn and Danielle McLean, True Colours is a murder mystery like nothing you have seen before, exploring culture, community and family, as audiences experience the Arrernte people, language, culture and land.
Rarriwuy Hick as Aboriginal detective Toni Alma in SBS/NITV drama True Colours.
Muhammad Ali
Aaron’s final selection in his Guest Curator line up is the four-part biography documentary series, Muhammad Ali, bringing to life one of the most well-known figures of the 20th century and a three-time heavyweight boxing champion.
Ali went from amateur boxing to an Olympic gold medallist and a heavyweight champion who wrote his own rules and captivated his millions of fans right across the world. When he returned to the boxing ring as an underdog, he reclaimed his title twice and became known as the most famous man on earth.
Muhammad Ali is an intimate portrait of an icon, telling the story of one of the most extraordinary athletes who insisted on being himself completely and became an inspiration to people all over the world. Still to this day he is known as one of the most incredible athletes the world has seen.
Cassius Clay holds up five fingers in a prediction of how many rounds it will take him to knock out Henry Cooper. London, England. May 27, 1963. Credit: Kent Gavin/Kent Gavin
This line-up of programming features Strait to the Plate season two starring Aaron Fa’aoso, Our Law, No Ordinary Black as well as the very best of our acquired content including Bran Nue Dae.
The NITV channel page will also feature the very best of NITV’s Jarjums programming, our sport, comedy, movies, documentaries and current affairs from the last decade.
