April on SBS VICELAND is a cosplay, conspiracies and road-trip adventure

We also go behind the scenes of ‘Back To The Future’, horse around at London attractions after hours and welcome a new Australian short-form mystery series. This and much more, on SBS VICELAND this April.

One of the many spectacular and elaborate costumes seen in ‘Cosplay Culture’. Source: Distributor

Cosplay Culture

The vibrant fun of ‘Cosplay Culture’. Source: SBS VICELAND

How would you react if you saw Darth Vader, Lara Croft and Bilbo Baggins chatting over coffee? Or Captain America standing in the line for the loo behind Superwoman? Such oddness is commonplace in the Cosplay world where devotees embody their favourite characters, down to the finest details. From constructing their elaborate costumes and assuming fictional identities, cosplayers have formed a global community of fellow ‘adepts’, attending such conventions as Comicon and Otakuthon to live their passion. This doco dives deep into the fascinating subculture of Cosplay via participants from around the world.

Cosplay Culture premieres at 8.30pm, Saturday 1 April on SBS VICELAND, and is now streaming at SBS On Demand. 

Sue Perkins’ Big American Road Trip

‘Sue Perkins’ Big American Road Trip’. Source: Channel 4

English writer, comedian and TV presenter (The Great British Bake Off) Sue Perkins is no stranger to road trips. Previous such adventures have taken her through Alaska and along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, she hits the road in the US with her trusty campervan, living a taste of the increasingly popular #vanlife that’s taking the US, and Australia, by storm. In this two-part series, Perkins drives through the beautiful states of California and Colorado, taking iconic driving routes, in particular along the west coast, and into towering forests and serene vineyards, among many more natural treasures. Follow her adventures and gain her unique perspective on a nomadic lifestyle.  

Two-part series Sue Perkins’ Big American Road Trip premieres at 8.30pm, Tuesday 4 April, concluding on 11 April, on SBS VICELAND. Episodes will be avilable at SBS On Demand after they air. 

Secrets and Conspiracies movie season: Wednesday nights in April

Delve into these thrilling films on the theme of secrets and conspiracies, three Wednesday nights in April (no movie on Wednesday 19 April, due to the telecast of the Fleche-Wallonne cycling races). 

The Operative – 9.30pm, Wednesday 5 April

In this intense 2019 thriller from Israeli director Yuval Adler, Mossad section head Thomas (Martin Freeman, The Responder, now streaming at SBS On Demand) sends new recruit Rachel (Diane Kruger, Farewell, My Queen, Inglourious Basterds) to Tehran on an undercover mission. Going off script, she has an affair with her target, Farhad (Cas Anvar, The Expanse, Cardinal season 4, also streaming). As the resulting danger amps up, she wants out, but things get even more complicated and potentially threatening to Israel when Thomas refuses.

The Operative is also now streaming at SBS On Demand.

Unlocked – 9.30pm, Wednesday 12 April

Orlando Bloom and Noomi Rapace head up Michael Apted’s 2017 thriller in which Rapace plays Alice, a CIA interrogator lured into a ruse that puts not only her in danger, but the city of London under threat of biological attack. With the cast featuring Toni Collette, Michael Douglas and John Malkovich, this is a must-watch thrill-ride from the skilful pen of Peter O’Brien in his feature screenplay debut.

Unlocked will be available at SBS On Demand for 14 days after it airs:

The Last Full Measure – 9.35pm, Wednesday 26 April

With scenes set during the Vietnam War and the present day, writer/director Todd Robinson’s story focuses on whether William “Pits” Pitsenbarger deserves the highest military honour for his actions on the battlefield. He was contemporaneously recommended for the decoration but never received it. Why? What really happened during the operation in question? Based on a true story, this 2019 film stars Sebastian Stan and Alison Sudol, and features William Hurt and Christopher Plummer.

The Last Full Measure will be available at SBS On Demand after it airs. 

Impossible Engineering

The Singapore National Stadium. Source: Singapore Sports Hub

In this new ten-part iteration of Impossible Engineering, we discover more improbable realities and the ground-breaking pioneers whose work has made them possible. We visit Singapore’s national stadium featuring the world’s largest free-spanning dome, roam around the 12,000-square-metre reinforced deck of a heavy-lifting crane megaship on which stand two cranes, each capable of shifting the weight of the Eiffel Tower, explore the challenging restoration of the Battersea Power Station and check out the astounding ExoMars Rover. All that and many more (almost) impossible feats of engineering.

Season 6 of Impossible Engineering premieres at 7.35pm, Saturday 8 April on SBS VICELAND. Episodes continue weekly. Episodes will be available at SBS On Demand after they air. Other seasons are also streaming now at SBS On Demand. 

One Night In…

Alex Brooker (left) and Josh Widdicombe roller-coastering around in ‘One Night In…’. Source: Distributor

When everyone’s gone home for the night, comedians Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker rock up to some of Britain’s most well-known attractions with the sole aim of making mischief. They bring a mate or two (over the four episodes, fellow comedians Jon Richardson, Lucy Beaumont, Roisin Conaty, Aisling Bea, Guz Khan and Desiree Burch) along for the ride, and with the full run of the place and no queues to worry about, Josh and Alex and co. keep the shenanigans and accompanying laughs coming. Visit Legoland, the Natural History Museum, theme park Alton Towers and London Zoo. It’s deliciously naughty and loads of fun.

One Night In… premieres at 8.30pm, Tuesday 18 April on SBS VICELAND. Episodes continue weekly. Episodes will be available at SBS On Demand after they air. 

Marty and Doc: The Inside Story of a Phenomenon

‘Marty and Doc: The Inside Story of a Phenomenon’. Source: Distributor

Almost 40 years after we first met Doc Brown and Marty McFly, this French doco shares the obstacle-riddled back story to the highest-grossing film of 1985, including that the script was rejected over 40 times. The makers and believers reveal how Back To The Future eventually got off the ground (well, when Steven Spielberg is your guardian angel…) to become a trilogy beloved by a generation. Director Nathalie Amsellem also asks why the time travelling cinema classic has continued to resonate with younger audiences. Narrated by breakout star Lison Daniel, we hear from Huey Lewis, Lea Thompson (Marty’s mum), Claudia Wells (Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer), screenwriter Bob Gale and others, about Robert Zemeckis’ movies and the DeLorean’s finest moment.

Marty and Doc: The Inside Story of a Phenomenon premieres at 8.30pm, Saturday 22 April on SBS VICELAND. The documentary will be available at SBS On Demand for a limited time after it airs. 

Appetite

‘Appetite’. Source: SBS

When a food delivery goes missing on the streets of Sydney, an unlikely trio of fellow riders find themselves entangled in a mystery to uncover the truth and, along the way, expose a multinational food delivery behemoth. This mystery is an SBS On Demand Digital Original short-form series, made up of 6 episodes of 10 minutes each.

Appetite premieres exclusively in Australia at 9.30pm on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand, Saturday 22 April. The hour-long version will go to air. You also have the option of streaming each 10-minute episode at SBS On Demand.

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