Leigh Sales is not one to shy away from adventurous topics and in The Assembly, fifteen autistic journalism aspirants attend a course and then, over six episodes, prepare and gather to interview top Australian names. The entire process is overseen by Sales and she shines as organizer, coach, and mentor. Each episode is entertaining, each episode casts a light on certain of the fifteen, and there is even a final extra episode in which a handful discuss the experience. The trainees are extremely diverse, ranging from a brilliant woman in a wheelchair to a near-middle-aged man with little to distinguish him from a neurotypical Australian; all are keen as mustard and engaging. The six interviewees range from Anthony Albanese the Prime Minister to pop singer Delta Goodrem. Highlights were Sam Neill, battling health problems and so sweet; ex-footballer Adam Goode, inspiring and welcoming; and warm-heated, open comedian Hamish Blake. The show obliquely challenges society’s prejudices about autism in a refreshing manner. A mild series with a difference, The Assembly is well worth watching.
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