Maltese DownUnder community TV show returns for fifth season

The community TV show Maltese DownUnder is returning to our screens for another season going to air on Channel 31 on Sunday 2nd September. This will be the fifth season of the Melbourne produced show, which showcases stories that are diverse and outside traditional Maltese circles to a broader audience.
“The production of the show is a massive commitment for me. To produce such a show you have to be a Jill of all trades!  You have to be able to organise guests, film and interview guests, edit the show, script and produce every episode and, of course, chase sponsors to make the show possible. And then update our social platforms to keep our followers engaged,” director and producer of Maltese DownUnder Marlene Scicluna said.
“It’s a full time job really and I wouldn’t be able to do it, if I was still in full time employment. Our viewers think there is a big team behind the show but this is far from reality. Funnily enough, we even had viewers asking us for employment!” she added.
Production of the show depends on financial backing from sponsors and this has proved to be quite a challenge.

“The mere fact we manage to get sponsors does say a lot about the quality of the show. But most people don’t realise that every time we start prepping for another season, we need to approach previous sponsors, send numerous emails, make numerous phone calls and try to find new sponsors. We re-invest everything into the show. Once we pay our broadcast fees to Channel 31 and production costs, it leaves us with hardly anything in reserve for later,” said Co-producer Mark Avellino.
“Every season we reach out to Maltese businesses in Melbourne as well as Maltese Associations, but money is very hard to come by!  So we would like to thank all our Season 5 sponsors who made this season possible,” Marlene Scicluna said.
Previous seasons of the show have featured sports people, authors, inventors, artists even a snake catcher.  Season 5 is promising to be yet another packed season featuring magicians, film makers, dancers, politicians and even a paranormal investigator.
Presented in Maltese and English, the show has attracted not only Australians of Maltese descent, who neither speak nor understand Maltese, but also viewers of various other ethnic backgrounds. This has made Maltese DownUnder the top multicultural show on Channel 31 and in the top 5 overall.
Maltese DownUnder will start screening on C31 (channel 44 in Melbourne) on Sunday 2nd  September at 4.00 pm with repeats on Tuesday at 2.30 pm and Friday at 12.30 pm. 
By popular demand, every episode will be available on demand every Monday on YouTube Channel Maltese DownUnder TV.