The following is a list of events relating to

television in Ireland Television in the Republic of Ireland is available through a variety of platforms. The digital terrestrial television service is known as Saorview and is the primary source of broadcast television since analogue transmissions ended on 24 October ...

from 1986.

Events

*29 September – Long running Irish afternoon chat show ''

Live at 3 ''Live at 3'' is a popular Irish afternoon chat show broadcast live on RTÉ 1. Presented by Thelma Mansfield and Derek Davis, it was RTÉ's flagship daytime show from 1986 until 1997. Ireland's most successful Daytime TV programme, reaching aud ...

'' begins on

RTÉ 1 (RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while ...

. *29 September – RTÉ Television airs the first edition of ''

Dempsey's Den ''The Den'' was a long-running popular children's television strand of Ireland's public broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. First broadcast on 29 September 1986 on RTÉ1, it moved to Network 2 two years later. Initially a continuity strand ...

'', a series presented by

Ian Dempsey Ian Dempsey (born 16 January 1961) is an Irish presenter of television and breakfast radio. He is the long-running presenter of the breakfast show on Today FM, self-titled ''The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show'', which runs from 6-9 am each weekday. ...

with puppets Zig and Zag. ''Dempsey's Den'' presented children's afternoon programmes. *1 October – Welsh children's animation ''

SuperTed ''SuperTed'' is a Welsh superhero animated television series about an anthropomorphic teddy bear with superpowers, created by writer and animator Mike Young. Originally created by Young as a series of stories to help his son overcome his fear o ...

'' begins its screening debut on

as part of ''

''. The series is translated and dubbed into an Irish language. *9 November – The current affairs series '' Questions and Answers'' first goes on air. It is presented by

Olivia O'Leary Olivia O'Leary (born 1949) is an Irish journalist, writer and current affairs presenter. Education Educated at St Leo's College, Carlow and at University College Dublin (UCD), she worked with the ''Nationalist'' and ''Leinster Times'' in Carlo ...

Debuts

RTÉ 1

*14 January – ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' (Ruby Spears version) (1983–1987) *10 April – ''

Butterfly Island ''Butterfly Island'' is a 1985 Australian children's show. The first season cost $1.6 million, the second $3.2 million.Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', AFTRS 1993 p 96 This was the first mainstream Australian TV show wh ...

'' (1985–1987) *13 August – / ''

The Campbells ''The Campbells'' is a Scottish-Canadian television drama series, produced by Scottish Television and CTV from 1986 to 1990. The series starred Malcolm Stoddard as James Campbell, a Scottish doctor living in 1830s Upper Canada with his three ...

'' (1986–1990) *11 September – '' Pajo's Junkbox'' (1986–1988) *29 September – ''

'' (1986–2010) *29 September – ''

'' (1986–1997) *30 September – '' Rapid Roulette'' (1986–1990) *30 September – ''

The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in order ...

'' (1984) *1 October – ''

'' (1983–1986) *25 October – '' Saturday Live'' (1986–1999) *9 November – '' Questions and Answers'' (1986–2009) *Undated – '' Muppet Babies'' (1984–1991)

RTÉ 2

*30 September – ''

Spaceflight Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such as satellites in or ...

'' (1985) *8 October – ''

Chocky ''Chocky'' is a science fiction novel by British writer John Wyndham. It was first published as a novelette in the March 1963 issue of ''Amazing Stories'' and later developed into a novel in 1968, published by Michael Joseph. The BBC produce ...

'' (1984) *9 October – ''

Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears ''Adventures of the Gummi Bears'' is an American animated television series, created by Disney CEO Michael Eisner, produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and distributed by Buena Vista Television. The series, loosely inspired by the gummy ...

'' (1985–1991) *2 December – ''

Starman ''StarMan'' is a 1996 fantasy novel by Australian writer Sara Douglass. It follows the second book in the series, '' Enchanter'', with Axis marching north with his army to confront a formidable enemy. Background ''StarMan'' was first published ...

'' (1986–1987) *25 December – ''

Fox Tales ''Fox Tales'' is a 1976 anthology of 16 animal-centered fairy tales from around the world that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders. These tales are written for a slightly younger level of reader than Manning-Sanders' more famil ...

'' (1986–1988)

Changes of network affiliation

Ongoing television programmes

1960s

*'' RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock'' (1961–present) *'' RTÉ News: Six One'' (1962–present) *'' The Late Late Show'' (1962–present)

1970s

*''

Sports Stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

'' (1973–1997) *''

The Late Late Toy Show ''The Late Late Toy Show'' is an annual, special edition of the Irish chat show '' The Late Late Show''. Airing annually on RTÉ One near the end of November or early December to coincide with the holiday shopping season, the ''Toy Show'' showca ...

'' (1975–present) *''

RTÉ News on Two ''RTÉ News on Two'' was a late night news programme that aired each Monday to Thursday on Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ Two. The transmission time of this programme varied each night. It generally aired between 10:45pm and 11:30pm. It ...

'' (1978–2014) *''

Bosco Bosco may refer to: People Given name Bosco * Bosco (drag queen) (born 1993), Drag Queen * Bosco Lin Chi-nan (born 1943), Taiwanese bishop * Bosco Frontán (born 1984), Uruguayan soccer player * Bosco Hogan (born 1949), Irish actor * Bosco Lo ...

'' (1979–1996) *''

The Sunday Game ''The Sunday Game'' is RTÉ's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ2 every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ2's longest-running shows, having been on air since 197 ...

'' (1979–present)

1980s

*''

Today Tonight ''Today Tonight'' is an Australian current affairs television program produced by the Seven Network. It aired from January 1995 to November 2019 in Adelaide and Perth. Editions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were previously produced befo ...

'' (1982–1992) *''

Mailbag ''Mailbag'' is an Irish TV programme which was presented by Arthur Murphy and broadcast on RTÉ One for a fourteen-year period, from 1982 to 1996. The presentation, which was initially 10 minutes in length, dealt with viewers letters concerni ...

'' (1982–1996) *''

Glenroe ''Glenroe'' was a television drama series broadcast on RTÉ One in Ireland between September 1983, when the first episode was aired, and May 2001. A spin-off from ''Bracken'' — a short-lived RTÉ drama itself spun off from ''The Riordans'' � ...

'' (1983–2001) *''

MT-USA ''MT-USA'' (''Music Television — USA'') was an Irish music television programme broadcast between February 1984 and 1987. Known for the slogan, "Music Television USA - Music never looked better", it was produced by Green Apple Productions, co- ...

'' (1984–1987)

Ending this year

*23 February – '' Davis at Large'' (1984–1986) *23 April – ''

Leave It To Mrs O'Brien ''Leave It to Mrs O'Brien'' is an Irish television sitcom that aired on RTÉ Two, RTÉ 2 for two series from 1984 to 1986. Starring Anna Manahan in the title role, it was based on the stories of Angela McFadden. Plot Set in a local parochial hou ...

'' (1984–1986)

References

{{Years in TV by country, 1986 1980s in Irish television