The Feed: Oct 12 – 15

This week The Feed investigates Bendigo’s division over a mosque proposal; explores the Australian adoption system and Marc Fennell sits down with William Shatner and Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte.

Mosque Development Divides Rural Community
The rural Victorian town of Bendigo does not normally make the national news bulletins but lately the town has been appearing regularly. The proposal for a mosque to be built in Bendigo has had more than 500 locals submit submissions against it, and this weekend the town is bracing itself for anti-Islamic protests as both locals and outsiders from right wing groups plan to make their opposition heard. The Feed spent the weekend in Bendigo to follow the protest and to hear the voices of locals who are for and against the mosque.

Marc Fennell meets RJ Mitte
Hollywood has a disability problem. RJ Mitte is the 23-year old actor who shot to fame as Bryan Cranston’s son in the iconic show Breaking Bad. He has mild cerebral palsy in real life and is on a mission to show the world just how little it’s going to stop him. He’s walking the catwalks of Europe for Vivienne Westwood and speaking around the world. He sits down with Marc Fennell to open up about how he supported his family as a kid when his mother was in a horrific car crash and how he has been driven to succeed.

Adoption in Australia
Across Australia, the adoption rate of children in long term foster care is extremely low. Even though there are currently over 43,000 children in out-of-home care, last year only 89 found a new home through adoption. Of all the states, NSW has the best record, and it’s recently brought in new laws designed to streamline the adoption process. For some, adopting their foster child has proved relatively easy, and there have been calls by others to copy the NSW model nationwide. But are the law changes fair, and will they actually have any effect?

Captain Kirk: William Shatner
An actor, director, author and singer, William Shatner has lived long and prospered – but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing at warp speed. As Shatner brings his Broadway show (and distinctive voice) to Australia, he sits down with Marc Fennell to talk about the highs and the lows of his illustrious career.

Monday – Thursday at 7:30pm, on SBS 2.