Obama-produced series romanticises crypto fraudsters

Welcome to what to watch, where we take you through what's on the box in November.

A side-splitting office comedy that tears into the podcasting world hits this month, while Muhummad Ali's career is given the biopic treatment.

Plus, crypto scammers Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison are put under the microscope, and Robodebt reminders loom in a shattering miniseries.

What's it about? This directorial debut from Darren Dale, producer and co-director of Blackfella Films (Total Control, Mabo, Redfern Now), is not an easy watch, but it is immensely important that you don't look away.

The four-part documentary series is an expansive chronicle of the shooting death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker at the hands of then-Northern Territory police officer Zachary Rolfe. The 2.6 seconds in the title refers to the amount of time between the first and second shots Rolfe fired at Walker during the fatal arrest. That minuscule time frame was at the centre of the ensuing murder trial and coronial inquiry into the death.

Dale is thorough in his depiction of the context prior to the shooting, the incident itself and the devastating aftermath through dozens of interviews with elders of the Yuendumu community, police officials and social workers who personally knew and cared for Walker.

But perhaps Dale's most sobering inclusion is unseen police body-cam footage, which devastatingly grounds a story that for most people existed in just headlines.

Perfect for: A well-rounded conversation about the failings of Australian society.

Where to watch: 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback is on SBS and SBS on Demand from November 10.

What's it about? November is truly the month for financial fraudsters. Just as the Elizabeth Holmes documentary, You Can See Everything, finally lands in Australian cinemas, a different tale of investor demise hits the small screen with Netflix's The Altruists.

Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions, the limited series follows the rise and fall of cryptocurrency wunderkinds Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison, the former of whom is serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for fraud.

Crowned by Netflix as "Gen Z's Bonnie and Clyde" (even though they are both born pre-1995), The Altruists spins a more cinematic story of the entwinement of the pair alongside the explosion of Bankman-Fried's FTX cryptocurrency exchange.

FTX was heralded as one of the frontrunners of the cryptocurrency boom of the last decade, but its reputation (as well as those of Bankman-Fried and Ellison) came crashing down after a 2022 CoinDesk article revealed that another one of Bankman-Fried's companies held a significant amount of FTX coin. This information in turn unveiled an $US8 billion hole in FTX's finances, leading to its bankruptcy and a huge ripple effect on the cryptocurrency industry.

Irish actor Anthony Boyle takes on wiry-haired Bankman-Fried in the series, but it's Julia Garner, as Ellison, who threatens to steal the show. Garner, of course, cut her teeth in 2022 playing the New York fraudster Anna Sorkin for another Netflix true crime miniseries, Inventing Anna.

Perfect for: Those who need a spoonful of salacious drama to deal with cryptocurrency stories.

Where to watch: The Altruists is on Netflix from November 19.

What's it about? There have been countless projects chronicling the awe-inspiring life of heavyweight champion Muhammed Ali, but few have the pedigree of The Greatest — the first scripted series authorised by the icon's estate.

Unlikely though it may seem, it was Australian producer Josh Hawley (Beat Bugs, Motown Magic) who secured Ali's life rights and also serves as executive producer on the graceful miniseries.

The eight-part series takes place largely over just four years, beginning in 1960 with an 18-year-old Cassius Clay winning gold at the Rome Olympics to his 1964 defeat of Sonny Liston to become US Heavyweight champion, which was Clay's final fight before changing his name to Muhammed Ali. Created and partially directed by Ben Watkins (Hand of God, Cross), The Greatest swerves between the dizzying ascent of Ali's stardom and the blanket racism the burgeoning champion faces in his Kentucky hometown.

Newcomer Jaalen Best proves a wise casting choice for Ali, with the relative unknown able to embody the character of the boxer without tipping into imitation. There are some moments which feel a little too didactic, and Ali superfans probably won't learn anything new, but The Greatest is a story you don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy.

Perfect for: A little history with your prestige drama.

Where to watch: The Greatest is streaming on Prime Video now.

What's it about? Between 2015 and 2019, hundreds of thousands of Australians were issued debt notices by the federal government for money they never owed. The debts originated in an automated system of income averaging which we have come to know as 'Robodebt'.

In Shakedown, a new ABC drama, the extraordinary story of Robodebt is laid bare. Front and centre is its impact on the people who received debt notices and their families, and those inside Centrelink who were forced to administer it.

The series is based on the book Mean Streak by Rick Morton, who covered Robodebt from its early days to its downfall. He came to know the people who fought to expose it, and the tragic stories of families left devastated by the system.

The performances are, at times, heart wrenching. Kate Box (Dustfall, Deadloch) plays Jenny Miller, whose son Rhys received multiple debt notices, before taking his life. Box's portrayal of Miller's grief and determination to see someone held accountable is powerful and raw.

Shakedown is a stark reminder of the power of collective action and perseverance; a story of how everyday people took the government on and won.

Perfect for: Anyone who's drawn to a social justice drama like Mr Bates v The Post Office or Toxic Town

Where to watch: Shakedown premieres on ABC TV and iview on November 22

What's it about? There are few industries more ripe for a take-down than the wild world of podcasts. Once lauded as a new space for conversations about art, politics and pop culture, the most popular podcasts of 2026 more often than not resemble a rotating circus of the worst people beaming clickbait opinions to headphones around the world (and they’re also all filmed now??).

New Aussie production The Sonny Disposition, from comedian Simon Taylor (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell), takes absolute joy at ridiculing the cutthroat world of podcasting. Taylor stars as the petulant Sonny, one half of a young-white-guys-talk-about-nothing interview podcast, alongside his nerdy co-host Toby (Oscar Robertson).

Currently third in the podcast ratings, Sonny will do anything to climb the rankings - whether that be compromising his values for a choice influencer interview or blowing his fiancee off to deal with the latest office meltdown, which will inevitably be left to sensible producer Angie (Claudia Greenstone) to clean up.

Born from the comedy series’s trendy real-life office filming location falling into Taylor’s lap (the original occupier had fled the country after their marketing company came under investigation for fraud), The Sonny Disposition takes the well-loved office sitcom format and aims its satire at pitch-perfect representations of fame-hungry podcasters.

Perfect for: Having a much needed laugh at the podcast landscape.

Where to watch: Streaming on Stan now and broadcast on 9Go! On November 11.