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This week on Talking Heads, Peter Thompson's guest is Father Bob Maguire. Father Bob is a Catholic priest, community worker and media personality with a military style motto, 'no one left behind.' Although he was handy with a machine gun in his youth, and later became an army chaplain, Father Bob has devoted himself to those who don't fit the mould for assistance from traditional charities.

This week on Talking Heads, Peter Thompson talks to the man who brought us the 'Grim Reaper' - advertising guru Siimon Reynolds. Reynolds achieved great success at a very young age. He has made millions and bagged just about every advertising award going, but despite all the accolades he now devotes much of his time to the pursuit of inner peace.

Host Wil Anderson and Gruen regulars, Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft, will run an x-ray over the federal election - its advertising and all the other tricks political parties use to get their message out.

Peter Thompson's guest is one of Australia's most successful journalists. For many years the face of Channel Nine, Ray Martin has travelled the world, covered the big stories and interviewed the rich and famous. He's won five gold Logies, sparked a couple of Royal Commissions, and has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.

This week on Talking Heads, Peter Thompson chats with Australian writer Robyn Davidson. As a child Davidson had a well-developed fantasy of taking to the road with no possessions. Later her 1700 mile camel trek across Australia's red centre in 1977, described in her book Tracks, captured imaginations and hearts around the world. In the decades since, her journeys have ranged from torturous to extremely plush. On Talking Heads Davidson talks about her equally intriguing inner journey.

Andrew interviews comedienne, Lily Tomlin and hears the very different stories behind three amputees.

Host Wil Anderson and Gruen regulars, Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft, will run an x-ray over the federal election - its advertising and all the other tricks political parties use to get their message out.

This week on Talking Heads Peter Thompson is joined by John and Ros Moriarty, the husband and wife team behind the brilliantly coloured artwork on Qantas jumbos. Their company, Balrinji Design Studio, has grown from a kitchen table operation in 1983 to now being Australia's leading Indigenous art consultancy working across Australia, Japan, Europe and the USA.

Peter Thompson talks to Jill Perryman, the first local star of the big Broadway musicals.

Ondine is a three-act ballet originally created for The Royal Ballet by the choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton and composer Hans Werner Henze in 1958. In 1958 and through until 1966, Margot Fonteyn performed the star role of the water nymph Ondine. This 50th anniversary revival by The Royal Ballet and performed at the Royal Opera House brings new stars to the stage with Miyako Yoshida as Ondine and Edward Watson as the young mortal Palemon.

Andrew Denton interviews Australian television legend Michael Willesee.

Host Wil Anderson and Gruen regulars, Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft, will run an x-ray over the federal election - its advertising and all the other tricks political parties use to get their message out.

This week on Talking Heads Peter Thompson's guest is R&B singer Deni Hines. Hines grew up in the music industry sitting on the side of the stage while her mother, Marcia, performed around Australia. But she had no intention of becoming an entertainer. She wanted to be a forensic pathologist...that is, until she fell into a modelling contract and left school at 17.

This week on Talking Heads, Peter Thompson chats with 'Mr Clean-Up Australia' Ian Kiernan. As a young chap, Ian Kiernan threw rubbish out of cars and off the back of his boat. As he tells Talking Heads, he had no great desire to save the environment. The tremendous success of Clean-Up Australia Day and Clean-Up the World Day came much later.

For the first time during an Election, each week Wil Anderson, Todd Sampson, Russell Howcroft and guest panelists - political insiders and commentators - will examine the art and science of political persuasion. What works, what doesn't. We'll run a Gruen comb through this election, as well as previous Australian and overseas campaigns.

This week on Talking Heads, Peter Thompson chats with Meryl Tankard. Tankard is one of Australia's greatest choreographers, and one of its most controversial. A classically-trained ballerina, she turned her back on that traditional style and gained international acclaim taking contemporary dance to new and unorthodox heights.

Andrew talks to the man behind the nicknames 'feral abacus' and 'the visiting professor' - John Hewson and the multi-award winning performer, John Butler.

Hosted by Wil Anderson, with Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft, The Gruen Transfer lifts the lid on the business of persuasion. It is fast, furious and funny.