Foxtel to premiere Brian Walsh commemorative documentary The Great Entertainer
The Foxtel Group has commissioned original feature documentary The Great Entertainer on the life and iconic career of Brian Walsh, Foxtel’s longest serving director of television.
The feature documentary is slated for a world premiere at SXSW Sydney on October 16, ahead of its premiere on Foxtel and Binge on October 20, which coincided with Foxtel’s 30th birthday.
Walsh, died suddenly in March 2023 and was the driving force behind leading pay TV group Foxtel from its inception in 1995 and steering the media company through its three decades of expansion.
The doc, from Shadow Productions, is a comprehensive immersion into the life and legacy of the man that helped define Australian screen culture.
Working across radio, film distribution, television broadcasting and subscription television, Walsh is also remembered for his innate talent to identify and nurture rising stars. Instrumental in launching the careers of Australian performers that have evolved to the international stage including Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce.
In career highlights, Walsh is credited with re-launching Neighbours when it shifted to Network 10, launching the Foxtel brand and vision, commissioning a raft of some of Australia’s most successful and globally travelled television series including Colin From Accounts, Love My Way, Wentworth, Australia’s Next Top Model and Gogglebox Australia during his 28-year tenure at Foxtel.
“Brian was a visionary and the cultural heart of Foxtel for nearly three decades. He continually set the bar for premium and bold Australian storytelling and created countless memorable moments that launched careers and put Australian sport and television on the world’s stage. This documentary celebrates his remarkable legacy and unwavering passion for bringing Australian stories to the screen globally,” said Foxtel Group, director of scripted originals, Lana Greenhalgh.
The Great Entertainer features insights from a wide range of entertainment professionals including Hugh Jackman, Jason Donovan, Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer, Marcia Hines, Leah Purcell, Danielle Cormack, Deborah Hutton OAM and Wayne Pearce discussing his vision, creativity, and mentorship.
“Brian Walsh lived and breathed entertainment, with an unmatched instinct for talent and storytelling. He believed passionately in Australian stories and dedicated his life to nurturing the people who told them, leaving a legacy that continues to shape our industry today. It has been a privilege to tell his story,” said Shadow Productions EP Rudi McGregor.
The documentary was commissioned by the Foxtel Group and is financed in association with Screen NSW.
