Paul Kelly & Missy Higgins To Appear On ABC Special About Kev Carmody

The ABC is loading its programming plate with wholesome creativity-centric goodness on Tuesday nights at 10pm from March, including a special about celebrated Indigenous musician Kev Carmody that features guest interviews with Paul Kelly and Missy Higgins.

Screening on Tuesday 15 March, Kev Carmody: Songman takes a thorough, emotive look at the From Little Things Big Things Grow co-writer and his life's journey to becoming one of the country's most highly venerated songwriters. In addition to the chats with Kelly and Higgins, fellow troubadour Dan Sultan will also appear on the program.

Songman is the first of four half-hour biographical shows in a series dubbed The Creatives, spotlighting Australian artists who have left an indelible mark on the nation's creative tapestry from across the realms of theatre, music, art and dance. Following Carmody's feature will be Michelle's Story (22 March, following dancer Michelle Ryan), Patricia Piccinini: A Dark Fairytale (29 March, following artist Patricia Piccinini) and John Bell: One Man Show (5 April, following renowned theatre identity John Bell).

In The Creatives' wake, ABC has lined up five half-hour interviews collectively titled Meet The Mavericks, in which inter-generational and/or inter-disciplinary identities pair up and engage in a good, old-fashioned chinwag. From 12 April, tune in to see painter and activist Ben Quilty with Indigenous filmmaker and visual artist Warwick Thornton; prize-winning sculptor, TV presenter and cross-dresser Grayson Perry with comedian and author Magda Szubanski; award-winning actor Miranda Tapsell with her mentor and fellow actor/director, Leah Purcell; Radio National host and cultural commentator Phillip Adams with musician, actor, activist and composer Tim Minchin; and veteran radio host, satirist, documentarian and author John Safran with "his British counterpart" (hey, when a presser is right, it's right), Jon Ronson.

Finally, in May, the more literary-inclined among you will be keen on the return of The Book Club, which celebrates its 10th year in 2016 and sees the return of host Jennifer Byrne with co-conspirators Marieke Hardy and Jason Steger. Additional favourites set to return include Michael Williams, Michael Robotham, Leigh Sales, Adam Liaw, Virginia Gay and Benjamin Law, among others.

The first episode will be a special focusing on best-selling Aussie author Andy Griffiths, and fans will be set through till the end of the year, as The Book Club is already locked in for its annual hour-long end-of-year special. And those who can't wait till May are cared for in the form of Bookish, a new weekly short-form program available on ABC Arts via iview.

The new Tuesday-night fare joins an existing spread of arts-based TV on ABC, including Matilda & Me, David Stratton's Story Of Australian Cinema, Stop Laughing … This Is Serious, Streets Of Your Town and Artsville. 

See what else is on tap at ABC Arts' iview page.