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Four Corners

Series 2019 · 40 episodes · Feb 4, 2019

  1. Four Corners season 59 episode 1 still

    Episode 1

    Escape from Saudi

    Feb 4, 2019

    Four Corners reporter Sophie McNeill reveals the story of Saudi asylum seeker Rahaf Al Qunun from inside a Bangkok hotel room capturing the high tension, despair and eventual jubilation when Rahaf is offered asylum in Canada.

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    Episode 2

    Meet the Scammers

    Feb 11, 2019

    Their voices are persuasive, their emails insistent and they have proven to be remarkably successful at conning countless people into handing over their money. Internet scamming began in the early days of email with appeals from Nigerian 'princes' asking for help to regain their missing money. From those amateurish beginnings, the scammers watched, learned and refined their techniques. What started out as a simple scam from West Africa has now morphed into a global enterprise, conning people on an industrial scale.

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    Episode 3

    Project Dragon

    Feb 18, 2019

    As China transforms into an economic powerhouse, billions of dollars have been illegally spirited out of the country. Mark Willacy reports on the bounty hunters chasing China's missing millions in Australia.

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    Episode 4

    Criminalising Women

    Feb 25, 2019

    Why are so many women going to prison? Across Australia, there are now more women in prison than ever before - and once they're out they're very likely to reoffend and end up back inside.

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    Episode 5

    Guilty: The Conviction Of Cardinal Pell

    Mar 4, 2019

    Four Corners reveals how Australia's highest ranking Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, was brought to justice. With the suppression order lifted on his conviction for sexually abusing two boys, the full story can now be told.

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    Episode 6

    The Mystery of the Missing Princess

    Mar 11, 2019

    In heart-stopping interviews and video we follow the story of Princess Latifa, daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - the ruler of Dubai whose horse won the 2018 Melbourne Cup, as she attempts to escape Dubai.

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    Episode 7

    The Uber Story

    Mar 18, 2019

    Uber is one of the most recognisable brands in the world. It's embedded in our language and revolutionised transport. How did the edgy digital disruptor upend an entire business model, outwit regulators and crush competitors?

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    Episode 8

    Under the Radar

    Mar 25, 2019

    The Christchurch terror attack brought to light the violent, disturbing right-wing extremist movement flourishing on the internet. Were authorities so focused on Islamic extremism that they failed to grasp this deadly threat?

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    Episode 9

    Climate of Change

    Apr 1, 2019

    The struggle to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. With a Federal election looming, we explore climate change policy: from electricity prices, the role of coal, the cars we drive, animals we breed and gas we export.

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    Episode 10

    Interference

    Apr 8, 2019

    New evidence of China's covert political influence campaign in Australia. We reveal secret Beijing-backed political activity and information gathering operations targeting politicians and Chinese dissenters in Australia.

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    Episode 11

    Orphans of ISIS

    Apr 15, 2019

    A grandmother's desperate journey to rescue her children and bring them home. Four Corners exclusively brings you the story of the Sharrouf children and their grandmother's fight to save them from a refugee camp in Syria.

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    Episode 12

    The Interrogation

    Apr 29, 2019

    Four Corners explores the controversial police technique putting innocent people behind bars, with a series of high-profile cases across America revealing a slew of wrongful convictions based on false confessions.

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    Episode 13

    Cash Cows

    May 6, 2019

    Universities that were cash strapped are now flush with billions of dollars brought in from fee paying international students. But there are growing concerns about the consequences of the overseas student boom.

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    Episode 14

    Inside the Watch House

    May 13, 2019

    It's almost three years since the shocking revelations of mistreatment in the NT's Don Dale youth detention centre. Four Corners investigates a new child detention crisis in another part of Australia. Mark Willacy reports.

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    Episode 15

    Abbott's End: How Tony Abbott Lost the Fight of His Political Life

    May 20, 2019

    The Battle for Warringah is one of this election's most intriguing. We examine the new style of campaigning and the future of the Liberal Party through the battle between Former PM Tony Abbott and Independent Zali Steggall.

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    Episode 16

    Notre-Dame in Flames

    May 27, 2019

    On April 15, the world watched in horror as the Notre-Dame Cathedral caught alight. Through interviews and video from fire authorities and eyewitnesses we follow the epic battle to save the 800-year-old architectural icon.

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    Episode 17

    Tremble and Obey

    Jun 3, 2019

    How the Chinese Communist Party crushed democracy. 30 years ago millions of students and citizens protested in Tiananmen Square calling for democracy. A trove of vision and audio reveals how the shocking events unfolded.

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    Episode 18

    Time Bomb: The Making of the Bourke Street Murderer

    Jun 10, 2019

    Louise Milligan investigates what led up to James Gargasoulas driving a car at high speed through Melbourne's Bourke Street killing six people, despite facing serious criminal charges and warnings he was a danger to others.

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    Episode 19

    Trump's Trade War

    Jun 17, 2019

    President Trump has ignited a massive trade war with China, slapping billions of dollars worth of tariffs on Chinese goods. Despite the rhetoric, questions are being asked about who has the most to lose from the conflict.

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    Episode 20

    Extinction Nation

    Jun 24, 2019

    Australia has one of the worst extinction rates on the planet, and growing. Four Corners goes into the field with leading scientists and conservation volunteers to document first hand the fight to save these wild creatures.

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    Episode 21

    Shadow Commander: Iran's Military Mastermind

    Jul 1, 2019

    In increasingly alarming scenes, the US and Iran are facing off in the Middle East. Tensions have escalated, driven by concerns over the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities which have led to fears of military conflict.

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    Episode 22

    Cash Splash

    Jul 8, 2019

    Two years on from the investigation into water theft in the Murray-Darling Basin that sparked a royal commission, we return to the river system to investigate new concerns about how the plan to rescue it is being carried out.

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    Episode 23

    Tell the World

    Jul 15, 2019

    We uncover disturbing evidence of how China is effectively operating the world's largest prison. In Xinjiang province the Uyghur population is rounded up, detained or monitored using AI technology and mass surveillance tools.

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    Episode 24

    Hero or Villain: The Prosecution of Julian Assange (Part 1)

    Jul 22, 2019

    Julian Assange is one of the most influential figures of our time. The Australian born founder of WikiLeaks harnessed technology to champion free speech and the right to know. But is he a hero or villain?

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    Episode 25

    Hero or Villain (Part 2) The United States Vs Julian Assange

    Jul 29, 2019

    In 2016 Donald Trump enjoyed Wikileaks damaging Hillary Clinton's campaign. Now President Trump wants to imprison the publisher of the leaks. We explore Julian Assange's activities while sheltering in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

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    Episode 26

    Britain's Brexit Crisis

    Aug 5, 2019

    How the UK's plan to leave Europe turned into a nightmare. Three years after the UK voted to leave the EU, key negotiators and politicians reveal what happened and how new PM Boris Johnson intends to resolve the crisis.

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    Episode 27

    Betting on Boris

    Aug 12, 2019

    Can Boris Johnson deliver Brexit and keep the Kingdom together? Phil Williams explores his career from journalist to politician, through epic gaffes, scandals and a colourful turn of phrase to become Britain's 77th PM.

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    Episode 28

    Cracking Up

    Aug 19, 2019

    From shoddy workmanship to lax laws, Australia's apartment building crisis is leaving owners out of pocket and in some cases homeless. Industry insiders reveal a litany of failures that could leave defects for years to come.

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    Episode 29

    Secrets, Spies and Trials

    Aug 26, 2019

    National security versus the public's right to know. The extraordinary steps Australia's government took to prosecute a former spy and his lawyer for conspiring to reveal secret intelligence operations aimed at a foreign government.

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    Episode 30

    Rebellion: On The Frontline of Hong Kong's Uprising

    Sep 2, 2019

    For 12 weeks Hong Kong has been convulsed by turmoil as pro-democracy flash mob protestors rise up against mainland Chinese rule. We go on the frontline to witness the escalating violence and chaos with extraordinary footage.

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    Episode 31

    Health Hazard

    Sep 9, 2019

    How your postcode can determine the quality of care you get. Medical staff speak out about the standard of hospital care after a series of catastrophic incidents resulting in preventable death, injury or permanent disability.

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    Episode 32

    Fake News: The Battle of the Social Networks

    Sep 16, 2019

    Social media has transformed how we communicate and share thoughts. But it has morphed into the perfect platform for orchestrated disinformation campaigns, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish real from fake info.

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    Episode 33

    After Death

    Sep 23, 2019

    Dying is an expensive business with the billion-dollar funeral industry virtually unregulated. We reveal the dubious tactics of some in the industry, from price gouging, unethical conduct and questionable treatment of bodies.

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    Episode 34

    Married to Islamic State: The Women Australia Doesn't Want

    Sep 30, 2019

    For the first time former brides of Islamic State tell their stories of life in the caliphate. Tracing their journeys from quiet Australian suburbia to the streets of the Middle East, they beg to be allowed home to Australia.

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    Episode 35

    Killer Nurse

    Oct 7, 2019

    Sir Trevor McDonald investigates the extraordinary case of one of Britain's worst serial killers: Beverly Allitt, a young female nurse who murdered and attacked children in her care.

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    Episode 36

    Red Flags

    Oct 14, 2019

    Australia's universities are embroiled in a growing geopolitical storm amid rising concerns over expanding Chinese power abroad. Is Australian technology and know-how being used to help strengthen China's repressive regime?

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    Episode 37

    Reprehensible Conduct

    Oct 21, 2019

    The scandalous case of Lawyer X and the underbelly murder investigations. Prominent figures reveal the story of cops, criminals, murder and betrayal, and how the actions of Victoria Police have undermined the justice system.

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    Episode 38

    Click to Change Your Life

    Oct 28, 2019

    It's sold as a dream job - an 'influencer' lifestyle where you can work flexible hours from home and earn a commission. But social media marketing and selling schemes are accused of using illegal pyramid selling practices.

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    Episode 39

    Person of Interest

    Nov 4, 2019

    The man wrongly accused in the William Tyrrell child abduction investigation, Bill Spedding, speaks publicly for the first time. How did a single-minded approach by police lead to a raft of mistakes and missed opportunities.

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    Episode 40

    Digi Kids

    Nov 11, 2019

    Why too many young Australians are struggling with literacy in the digital age. Louise Milligan examines the way reading and writing is being taught in our schools to find out what is going wrong.