Airdate: Molly: The Real Thing

Seven’s love affair (and Nine’s nightmare) with Molly Meldrum is not over with a strategically-scheduled documentary Molly: The Real Thing airing next Sunday night.

The doco, which is produced by the same producers as the Molly miniseries, promises to go deeper into his life and career with TV footage across 1960s-1990s (even though Meldrum is still on air today). It has a roll-call of celebrity interviews reminiscing about a much-loved Aussie.

Produced by Mushroom Pictures, this feature documentary made over the past two years interviews people in music, film, sport, and business that orbit Molly Meldrum’s extraordinary life as they recall their personal Molly stories.

Over 50 high profile friends including; Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Hugh Jackman, Gene Simmons, Suzi Quatro, Tina Arena, Michael Gudinski, Kate Ceberano, Russell Morris, Colin Hay, Mark Seymour and Jimmy Barnes to name just a few, share their personal stories of the highs and lows of having the man in the hat in their life.

Memories of Molly will be shared by those closest to him. Stories that will make you laugh and cry, anecdotes that have never been told that will undoubtedly surprise viewers. We see Molly in television shows from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Never has there been such an in-depth look into the true story of Australia’s greatest music man.

Delta Goodrem emotionally discusses her connection with Molly’s adopted son Morgan, and why Molly’s support means so much to her. Kylie Minogue recalls his wonderful support at a time in her life when she didn’t feel that she had the music industry support in Australia.

Paul Hogan recalls Molly at the Sunbury Music Festival, while an emotional Steve Vizard talks about interviewing Molly hours before his accident in December 2011. Molly’s first girlfriend Sandy Breen shares exclusive pictures and letters and tells how he proposed to her way back in the 60s.

Ronnie Burns returns to the home they shared in the mid 1960s and tells the story of how Molly came to visit and stayed for nine years! Businessman and close friend Lindsay Fox recalls how his 50 year friendship with Molly began, and why Molly was found in his mother-in-law’s bed.

St Kilda Football Clubs Lenny Hayes and Nick Riewoldt talk about their No 1 ticket holder and what impact he has had on their AFL club. Melbourne Storm’s Billy Slater describes what it meant to look up to the corporate box from the playing field and see Molly waving a scarf in his first public appearance after his accident.

Molly’s younger brother Brian Meldrum talks about their early days growing up in country Victoria; their very happy childhood and how Ian was brought up by his mother and grandmother as his father Robert was off at war.

Together they celebrate his strengths, and embrace his flaws. The stories are supported by over 300 hundred personal photographs – most never seen before. Rare archival footage of Molly on Kommotion, and the television pitch for an Australian TV music show five years before Countdown.

Molly The Real Thing is a Mushroom Pictures production produced in association with the Seven Network. Producers Michael Gudinski, Paige McGinley and Bethany Jones, directed by Paige McGinley and Executive Produced by John Molloy and Mark Morrissey.

Molly: The Real Thing. A documentary with heart, and a whole lotta soul.

Sunday February 21 at 8.30pm on Seven