Events

*1 January – ''

Australia Live {{Use dmy dates, date=July 2013 ''Australia Live'' was a four-hour telecast, broadcast live on the Nine Network, on 1 January 1988 to open Australia's Bicentennial celebrations. The telecast crossed live to over 70 locations right across the countr ...

'', a four-hour celebration welcoming a year of celebrations for Australia's bicentennial of European settlement airs on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, SBS, the

Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...

and

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

solus stations. It also aired in the U.S. on A&E. *2 January –

Imparja Imparja Television (IMP) is an independent Australian television station servicing over , across six states and territories: Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It is based in Alice Sprin ...

starts broadcasting to remote Central Australia via

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...

It would have its official launch on 15 January. *17 January – The first episode of ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip ...

'' one of the longest running Australian TV soaps since ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...

'' airs on

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

*24 January – Ten launches ''Richmond Hill'', a

Grundy Organisation Reg Grundy Organisation (founded as Reg Grundy Enterprises, later known as both Reg Grundy Productions and Grundy Television and known informally as Grundy's) was an Australian-based multinational mass media company, primarily involved in tele ...

production, created by

Reg Watson Reginald James Watson (27 August 1926 – 8 October 2019) was an Australian television producer and screenwriter. He was executive producer on ''Crossroads (British TV series), Crossroads'' and created Australian media exports serials such as ' ...

. Billed as a sister-soap to ''Neighbours'', it airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 19:30-20:30. *January – Five months after ''Countdowns demise, Molly Meldrum returns to television and joins Nine's ''

Hey Hey It's Saturday ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire ...

'' as part of the weekly ''Molly's Melodrama'' segment. *18 January – ''

A Current Affair ''A Current Affair'' may refer to: * ''A Current Affair'' (Australian TV program), 1971–present Australian current affairs program that airs on Nine Network * ''A Current Affair'' (American TV program), a 1986–1998 American television news ...

'' launches on the Nine Network after a ten-year absence, hosted by

Jana Wendt Jana Bohumila Wendt ( ; born 9 May 1956) is an Australian Gold Logie award-winning television journalist, reporter and writer. Early life Wendt was born in Melbourne to Czech parents who emigrated to Australia in 1949. Wendt attended Presentat ...

. *24 January –

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...

unveils new logo, the "X" logo. *February –

launches ''

Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. It features two families who compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, the ...

''. *8 February – Canadian teen drama series ''

Degrassi Junior High ''Degrassi Junior High'' is a Canadian television series and the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. A successor but not a direct spin-off of ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'', it debuted on CBC o ...

'', the second in the

Degrassi ''Degrassi'' is a Canadian television franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler in 1979. It is centred on a multigenerational teen drama about an ensemble cast of teenagers attending the namesake Toronto school as they navigate their ad ...

trilogy series debuts on the

. *16 February – ''

The Comedy Company ''The Comedy Company'' was an Australian comedy television series first aired from 16 February 1988 until about 11 November 1990 on Network Ten, Sunday night and was created and directed by cast member Ian McFadyen, and co directed and produced ...

'' starring Mark Mitchell (Con The Fruitier),

Glenn Robbins Glenn Maxwell Robbins (born 30 December 1957) is an Australian comedian, writer, actor, television and radio presenter. Robbins has appeared on '' The Panel'', ''Thank God You're Here'' and ''Have You Been Paying Attention?''. He is best known ...

(Uncle Arthur),

Mary-Anne Fahey Mary-Anne Fahey (born 19 August 1955 as Mary-Anne Waterman) is an Australian actress, comedian and writer. Biography Fahey has starred in and written for numerous comedy programs including ''The Comedy Company'', ''Kittson Fahey'' (the first Au ...

(Kylie Mole), Ian McFayden,

Kim Gyngell Kym Gyngell (born 15 April 1952), sometimes also credited as Kim Gyngell, is an Australian comedian and film, television and stage actor. Gyngell won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1988 for his role as ...

(Col'n Carpenter), Chris Keogh,

Russell Gilbert Russell Gilbert (born 17 October 1959) is an Australian comedian and actor from Footscray, Victoria, best known for his radio and television appearances, on programs such as ''The Comedy Company'', ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' and ''Thank God You're ...

, Siobhan Tuke, Paula Gardener and Peter Rowsthorn debuts on Channel Ten (1988–1990). *7 March – The

begins airing their only

Rankin/Bass Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usual ...

animated series, ''

The Comic Strip The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The c ...

''. *12 March –

broadcasts its Australian premiere of the American police procedural television series ''

21 Jump Street ''21 Jump Street'' is an American police procedural television series that aired on the Fox network and in first run syndication from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focuses on a squad of youthful-loo ...

''. *20 March – The

takes over the

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

rights from

, which they continue to broadcast to the present day. *26 March – In ''

'',

Daphne Clarke Daphne Clarke (also Lawrence) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Elaine Smith. Daphne was created by Reg Watson as one of ''Neighbours twelve original characters. The producer had originally wan ...

becomes the first character in history to die to do so after being in a coma in a car crash four months earlier. *28 March – The

's current affairs program ''

Four Corners The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...

'' presents a television special called ''Wither the ABC?'' which was a debate over the future direction of the national broadcaster. Hosted by

Andrew Olle John Andrew Durrant Olle (28 December 194712 December 1995), always known as Andrew Olle, was a radio and television presenter on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, beginning his career in 1967 as a news cadet and, until his death, workin ...

there will be interviews with ABC managing director David Hill, Gareth Evans,

Max Walsh Maximilian Sean Walsh (8 May 1937 – 23 March 2022) was an Australian economic and political commentator, journalist, author and broadcaster. Walsh held senior positions with two of Australia's largest publishing companies and television netwo ...

Terry Hayes Terry Hayes (born 8 October 1951) is an English-born Australian screenwriter, producer and author best known for his work with the Kennedy Miller film production house and his debut novel ''I Am Pilgrim''. Biography Born in Sussex, England, Hay ...

Peter Luck Peter Anthony Luck (5 January 1944 – 6 September 2017) was an Australian author, TV journalist, producer and presenter. Career As a television personality, among the shows he worked on were ''This Day Tonight'', ''Four Corners'', ''Sunday'', ...

and Ted Thomas. *28 March – ''

Blah Blah Blah Blah, blah blah etc. may refer to: Music * ''Blah-Blah-Blah'' (Iggy Pop album), 1986, or its title song * ''Blah Blah Blah'' (Blahzay Blahzay album), 1996 * ''Blah Blah Blah'' (EP), 2018 by Armin van Buuren or the title song * ''Blah Bla ...

'' a new Australian comedy series premieres on

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

at 9:50pm and at 10:45pm. It was hosted by

Andrew Denton Andrew Christopher Denton (born 4 May 1960) is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie-nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program ''Enough Rope'' and ...

which also marked his very first hosting role. *18 April – The

launches an afternoon block for younger children at 4:30 pm called '' Stop at this Station''. This block will include animated television series from overseas such as ''

Alias the Jester ''Alias the Jester'' is a British animated series created by Cosgrove Hall Films, airing in 13 episodes on ITV starting on 13 November 1985. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired the show in 1987 during their after school timeslot and i ...

'' and the live-action series '' Tales from Fat Tulip's Garden''. *25 April – The 10:30 pm timeslot becomes an unlikely battle ground as

Graham Kennedy Graham Cyril Kennedy AO (15 February 1934 – 25 May 2005) was an Australian entertainer, comedian and variety performer, as well as a personality and star of radio, theatre, television and film. He often performed in the style of vaudevilli ...

returns to the

after a 13 years absence to co-host ''Graham Kennedy's News Show'' (re-titled '' Graham Kennedy's Coast to Coast'' when the show returns for 1989) up against

's ''Newsworld with Clive Robertson'' and

's ''Late Night Australia'' with

Don Lane Don Lane (born Morton Donald Isaacson, 13 November 1933 – 22 October 2009) was an American-born talk show host and singer, best known for his television career in Australia, especially for hosting ''Tonight with Don Lane'' and ''The Don Lane ...

. *29 April – QSTV (now

Seven Central QQQ is an Australian television station broadcasting in remote central and eastern areas of Australia, owned by Southern Cross Austereo. The station is available via satellite and terrestrial platforms – mostly through community retransmissio ...

) starts broadcasting to remote Eastern Australia via satellite. *20 May –

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

's third commercial television station

NEW-10 NEW is a television station broadcasting in Perth, Western Australia, and is a member of Network 10. Out of the three commercial stations, NEW generally rates the lowest overall, but usually rates highest in its target demographic (people aged 1 ...

opens, giving Perth the same number of stations as the eastern states. *18 May – In ''

'',

Madge Mitchell Madge Bishop (also Ramsay and Mitchell) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Anne Charleston. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 January 1986. Madge was introduced as th ...

and

Harold Bishop Harold Wayne Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ian Smith. The actor was offered the role by the show's creator and executive producer Reg Watson. Smith made his first screen appearance as H ...

marry. *20 June –

debuts a new children's sketch TV series called '' Swap Shop'' (based on the British Saturday Morning children's programme of the same name) at 4:30 pm. *June – After six months of middling ratings, Ten Network cancels struggling soap opera, ''Richmond Hill'', with production ending later in the year. Coincidentally, the new serial had just been purchased by the ITV network for broadcast in the United Kingdom. *17 July – In ''

'', this was Charlene Robinson's final episode.

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

leaves the show to focus on her recently launched recording career. *10 September – Brisbane's TVQ-0 becomes

TVQ-10 TVQ is the Brisbane television station of Network 10 in Australia. History In April 1964, the Postmaster-General's Department granted Universal Telecasters a broadcasting licence. The channel was allocated channel 0 (the 0 was pronounced as t ...

. On the same day,

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 C ...

's DDQ-10 became DDQ-0. *October –

Lee Lin Chin Lee Lin Chin is an Indonesian-born Australian television, radio presenter and journalist, best known for her association with the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) network and was the weekend presenter of ''SBS World News''. Lee Lin has been ...

defects from

ABC Local Radio ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites. Its programm ...

and moves to

SBS Television The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from the Australian Government. SBS operates six TV channels ( SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World ...

. *3 October – Long running Australian soap opera ''

'' starts airing on

Network 2 Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

(originally RTÉ2) in Ireland. *5 October – Ten Network's soap opera, ''Richmond Hill'', launches on the ITV network in Britain. Originally intended to air early evening across the country, its cancellation in Australia leads to it airing in a graveyard mid-afternoon slot and it makes no impact whatsoever. *24-25 October – In ''

'', Mrs. Mangel marries Englishman John Worthington, immigrate to the UK and lived happily ever after. *31 October – The British long running science fiction series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' returns to the

with the very first serial of

Season 24 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

Time and the Rani ''Time and the Rani'' is the first serial of the 24th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 7 to 28 September 1987. It was the first to feature Sylvester McCoy ...

, which marked the first episode to star

Sylvester McCoy Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the lon ...

as the Doctor. Because the show is no longer airing at an early evening timeslot, it now airs as part of the hit weekday afternoon magazine series ''

The Afternoon Show ''The Afternoon Show'' is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's former live flagship daytime show. It ran from 2004 until May 2010. The programme was dropped by RTÉ as part of its new season of television in 2010, to be replaced by two afternoon prog ...

'' at 5:30 pm. The show will also end on 23 November with the last part of

Remembrance of the Daleks ''Remembrance of the Daleks'' is the first serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The serial was first broadcast in four weekly episodes from 5 to 26 October 1988. It was written by Ben Aaronovi ...

to celebrate the series' 25th anniversary. *November – Australian soap opera ''

'' airs on television in Canada for the first time on the country's already newly launched cable television channel YTV. *4 November – In ''

'', Bronwyn Davies (Rachel Friend) and Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan) get together. *

Christopher Skase Christopher Charles Skase (18 September 19485 August 2001) was an Australian businessman who later became one of his country's most wanted fugitives, after his business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Majorca, Spain. Early life Sk ...

buys Perth's

TVW-7 TVW is a television station broadcasting in Perth, Western Australia, wholly owned by Seven West Media. It was the first television station in Western Australia, commencing broadcasting on 16 October 1959. It broadcasts a modulated 64-QAM signa ...

SAS-7 SAS, formerly SAS-7 and before that SAS-10, is a television station in Adelaide, South Australia. It is part of the Seven Network. History SAS-7 was originally known as SAS-10, an affiliate of what became Network Ten. It commenced broadcasting ...

from

Alan Bond Alan Bond (22 April 1938 – 5 June 2015) was an English-born Australian businessman noted for his high-profile and often corrupt business dealings. These included his central role in the WA Inc scandals of the 1980s, and what was at the time ...

's Bell Group for $130 million, meaning that all stations in the

were owned by the one company for the first time. *12 December – Final episode of ''

'' for 1988 airs on

with a Ramsay Street Christmas Party and Jane Harris proposes to Mark Granger.

Debuts

Domestic

* 17 January – ''

'' (Seven Network, 1988 – present) * 18 January – ''

'' (Nine Network) * 27 January – '' Richmond Hill'' (Network Ten, 1988 – 1989) * 29 January – '' Overseas and Undersold'' (ABC TV, 1988 – 1991) * 7 February – ''

Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

'' (ABC TV, 1988 – present) * 16 February – ''

'' (Network Ten, 1988 – 1990) * 29 February – '' c/o The Bartons'' (ABC TV, 1988) * 27 March – '' Touch the Sun'' (ABC TV, 1988) * 28 March – ''

'' (ABC TV) * 10 April – ''

The Dirtwater Dynasty ''The Dirtwater Dynasty'' is a five-part Australian drama miniseries, first screened on Network Ten in 1988. It was directed by Michael Jenkins and John Power.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, ...

'' (Network Ten, 1988) * 18 April – '' Stop at this Station'' (ABC TV, 1988 – 1990) * 19 April – '' Alien Years'' (ABC TV, 1988) * 23 April – '' Seven's Super Saturday'' (Seven Network, 1988 – 1990) * 27 April – '' The Last Resort'' (ABC TV, 1988) * 30 May – '' Mulligrubs'' (Network Ten, 1988 – 1996) * 20 June – '' Swap Shop'' (ABC TV, 1988 – 1989) * 28 June – ''

Just for the Record Just for the Record may refer to: * "Just for the Record" (''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)''), a 1969 episode of the British television series * ''Just for the Record'' (Barbara Mandrell album), 1979 * ''Just for the Record'' (Ray Stevens albu ...

'' (Network Ten) * 29 June – '' The Gerry Connolly Show'' (ABC TV, 1988) * 10 July – ''

House Rules House rules are unofficial modifications to official game rules adopted by individual groups of players. House rules may include the removal or alteration of existing rules, or the addition of new rules. Such modifications are common in board g ...

'' (ABC TV, 1988) * 25 July – '' The Oz Game'' (ABC TV, 1988 – 1989) * 1 September – ''

Bush Tucker Man Major Leslie James Hiddins AM (born 13 August 1946 in Brisbane, Queensland), known as "The Bush Tucker Man" is a retired Australian Army soldier and war veteran who is best known for his love and knowledge of the Australian bush. Hiddins is recog ...

'' (ABC TV 1988 – 1990) * ''

'' (Seven Network, 1988 – 1996)

New International Programming

* 3 January – '' Durrell in Russia'' (ABC TV) * 3 January – '' Dinosaur!'' (Seven Network) * 4 January – ''

Spirit Bay ''Spirit Bay'' was an aboriginal family television show of 13 half-hour episodes that aired on CBC Television and TVOntario from 1982 to 1987. The show focuses on the lives of townsfolk on an Ojibwe reservation town near MacDiarmid, Ontario. Here, ...

'' (ABC TV) * 12 January – '' A Pot of Gold'' (SBS TV) * 13 January – ''

Shell Game The shell game (also known as thimblerig, three shells and a pea, the old army game) is often portrayed as a gambling game, but in reality, when a wager for money is made, it is almost always a confidence trick used to perpetrate fraud. In conf ...

'' (Nine Network) * 22 January – '' Our Backyard'' (ABC TV) * 27 January – ''

The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd ''The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on NBC from May 21, 1987 to June 29, 1988 and on Lifetime from April 17, 1989 to April 13, 1991. It was created by Jay Tarses and stars Blair Brown in ...

'' (ABC TV) * 28 January – '' Skorpion'' (ABC TV) * 29 January – '' Who Sir? Me Sir?'' (ABC TV) * 1 February – ''

The Tracey Ullman Show ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' is an American television variety show starring Tracey Ullman. It debuted on Fox on April 5, 1987, the network's second original primetime series to air following '' Married... with Children'', and ran until May 26, ...

'' (ABC TV) * 7 February – ''

The Tale of the Bunny Picnic ''The Tale of the Bunny Picnic'' is a 1986 Easter TV special directed by Jim Henson and David G. Hillier. In the United States it was shown annually on HBO in the spring, usually during Easter time. It was later released on VHS in 1993. The film f ...

'' (Network Ten) * 8 February – ''

'' (ABC TV) * 9 February – ''

Sledge Hammer! ''Sledge Hammer!'' is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from September 23, 1986 to February 12, 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector ...

'' (Network Ten) * 9 February – ''

Hooperman ''Hooperman'' is an American comedy-drama television series which aired on ABC from September 23, 1987, to July 19, 1989. The show centered on the professional and personal life of San Francisco police Inspector Harry Hooperman, played by John Ri ...

'' (Network Ten) * 13 February – '' The Inspector's Kids'' (SBS TV) * 13 February – '' Thomas and Senior'' (SBS TV) * 14 February – '' Dolly'' (Network Ten) * 15 February – ''

Tour of Duty For military personnel, a tour of duty is usually a period of time spent in combat or in a hostile environment. In an army, for instance, soldiers on active duty serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of their service commitment. ...

'' (Network Ten) * 16 February – ''

The Dame Edna Experience ''The Dame Edna Experience'' is a British television comedy talk-show hosted by Dame Edna Everage. It ran for twelve regular episodes on ITV, plus two Christmas specials. This show was also aired in re-runs with Dutch subtitles in the Netherlan ...

'' (Seven Network) * 17 February – '' Bill and Bunny'' (ABC TV) * 18 February – ''

Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills ''Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills'' is an American sitcom starring Harvey Korman, Valerie Perrine and Sue Ball that was broadcast from April 25 to June 6, 1986 on Friday nights at 8:30 p.m ET on CBS. Summary Leo and Liz Green were ''nouveau riche'' so ...

'' (Network Ten) * 24 February – ''

My Two Dads ''My Two Dads'' is an American sitcom television series that was produced by Michael Jacobs (producer), Michael Jacobs Productions in association with TriStar Television, Tri-Star Television (later Columbia Pictures Television) and distributed b ...

'' (Nine Network) * 1 March – '' Erebus: The Aftermath'' (ABC TV) * 3 March – ''

Jake and the Fatman ''Jake and the Fatman'' is an American crime drama television series starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from September ...

'' (Nine Network) * 3 March – ''

A Very Peculiar Practice ''A Very Peculiar Practice'' is a surreal black-comedy drama set in the health centre of a British university, produced by the BBC, which ran for two series in 1986 and 1988. The two series were followed by a 90-minute made-for-television film, ...

'' (ABC TV) * 6 March – '' Noble House'' (Network Ten) * 7 March – ''

'' (ABC TV) * 11 March – '' Rude Health'' (Nine Network) * 12 March – ''

'' (Nine Network) * 14 March – ''

The Story of English ''The Story of English'' is an Primetime Emmy Award, Emmy Award-winning nine-part television series, produced in 1986, detailing the development of the English language. ''The Story of English'' is also a companion book, also produced in 1986. ...

'' (SBS TV) * 14 March – '' Tass is Authorized to Announce'' (SBS TV) * 20 March – ''

Sky Commanders ''Sky Commanders'' is an animated television series made by Hanna-Barbera with the co-production of Toei Animation. It premiered in July 1987 as part of ''The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera'' and lasted for thirteen episodes. It was based on t ...

'' (Seven Network) * 21 March – ''

The Children of Green Knowe ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (ABC TV) * 22 March – '' Check It Out!'' (Network Ten) * 2 April – ''

Houston Knights ''Houston Knights'' is an American crime drama television series set in Houston, Texas. The show ran on CBS from March 11, 1987 to June 7, 1988 and had 31 episodes. Summary The core of the series is the partnership between two very different c ...

'' (Nine Network) * 3 April – '' Cosmos: Special Edition'' (Nine Network) * 8 April – ''

Chance in a Million ''Chance in a Million'' is a British sitcom broadcast between 1984 and 1986, produced by Thames Television for Channel 4. The series was co-written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen and starred Simon Callow and Brenda Blethyn. The producer a ...

'' (ABC TV) * 17 April – ''

The Lucie Arnaz Show ''The Lucie Arnaz Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from April 2 until June 11, 1985. It was based on the British sitcom '' Agony''. Premise Dr. Jane Lucas is a psychologist who answers questions from the public on her radio show (" ...

'' (Network Ten) * 17 April – '' An Audience with Peter Ustinov'' (ABC TV) * 23 April – '' ALF: The Animated Series'' (Seven Network) * 25 April – ''

Dream Stuffing ''Dream Stuffing'' is a British television sitcom which aired on Channel 4 in early 1984. The series followed the exploits of two working class young women, Mo (Amanda Symonds) and Jude (Rachel Weaver), who share a flat in a council tower block ...

'' (ABC TV) * 25 April – '' Charlie & Co.'' (Network Ten) * 28 April – ''

The Brothers McGregor ''The Brothers McGregor'' is a British situation comedy series set in Liverpool, and a spin-off of ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', featuring two characters that originally appeared in the soap for one episode in May 1982. The show ran fo ...

'' (Network Ten) * 28 April – '' The Duty Men'' (ABC TV) * 4 May – '' Spear of the Nation: The Story of the African National Congress'' (SBS TV) * 19 May – ''

Unsolved Mysteries ''Unsolved Mysteries'' is an American mystery documentary television show, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting cold cases and paranormal phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by Raymond Burr, Karl ...

'' (Seven Network) * 24 May – ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1985) (Network Ten) * 26 May – ''

Ever Decreasing Circles ''Ever Decreasing Circles'' is a British sitcom which ran on BBC1 between 1984 and 1989, consisting of four series and one feature-length special. It was written by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, and it reunited them with Richard Briers, who ha ...

'' (Seven Network) * 9 June – '' Out of This World'' (Network Ten) * 12 June – ''

The Day the Universe Changed ''The Day the Universe Changed: A Personal View by James Burke'' is a British documentary television series written and presented by science historian James Burke, originally broadcast on BBC1 from 19 March until 21 May 1985 by the BBC. The ser ...

'' (SBS TV) * 13 June – ''

Brush Strokes ''Brush Strokes'' is a British television sitcom, broadcast on BBC television from 1986 to 1991. Written by Esmonde and Larbey and set in south London, it depicted the (mostly) amorous adventures of a wisecracking house painter, Jacko (Karl Ho ...

'' (ABC TV) * 15 June – ''

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

'' (Nine Network) * 16 June – ''

A Perfect Spy ''A Perfect Spy'' (1986) is a novel by British author John le Carré about the mental and moral dissolution of a high-level intelligence-officer. Major aspects of the novel are lifted from the real life of the author, including the relationsh ...

'' (ABC TV) * 22 June – ''

Mann's Best Friends ''Mann's Best Friends'' is a British television sitcom Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television tr ...

'' (Seven Network) * 24 June – / ''

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future ''Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future'' is a science fiction-action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian and American syndication. A toy line was ...

'' (Nine Network) * 27 June – ''

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 ...

'' (Network Ten) * 28 June – ''

Gnostics Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...

'' (SBS TV) * 30 June – ''

Brothers A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

'' (Seven Network) * 4 July – ''

AfterMASH ''AfterMASH'' is an American sitcom television series produced as the first spin-off (second overall) and a continuation of ''M*A*S*H'' that aired on CBS from September 26, 1983 to May 31, 1985. It was developed as the sequel series as it takes ...

'' (Network Ten) * 4 July – ''

Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea ''Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea'' ( French: ''Les Mondes Engloutis'', "The Engulfed Worlds") is a 1985-1987 French animated series created by Nina Wolmark. The series consists of 52 episodes, each between 20 and 25 minutes in length, div ...

'' (ABC TV) * 5 July – ''

Half Nelson A nelson hold is a grappling hold which is executed by one person from behind the opponent, generally when both are on the mat face down with the opponent under the aggressor. One or both arms are used to encircle the opponent's arm under the armpi ...

'' (Network Ten) * 6 July – '' The Telebugs'' (ABC TV) * 7 July – '' Hot House People'' (ABC TV) * 10 July – ''

Foofur ''Foofur'' is an American traditionally animated children's television series from ''Kissyfur'' creator Phil Mendez that was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions with SEPP International S.A. Airing on NBC from 1986 to 1988, the show was about t ...

'' (Seven Network) * 11 July – '' The Comedians'' (Network Ten) * 15 July – '' Fortunes of War'' (ABC TV) * 16 July – ''

Werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...

'' (Nine Network) * 18 July – ''

Frank's Place ''Frank's Place'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on CBS for 22 episodes during the 1987-1988 television season. The series was created by Hugh Wilson and executive produced by Wilson and series star and fellow ''WKRP in Cincinna ...

'' (Nine Network) * 20 July – '' The Disappearance of John Avlakiotis'' (SBS TV) * 20 July – '' Powerhouse'' (ABC TV) * 22 July – '' Tales from the Lower Town'' (SBS TV) * 23 July – '' The Taste of Health'' (SBS TV) * 1 August – ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987) (Seven Network) * 6 August – ''

Popeye and Son ''Popeye and Son'' is an American animated comedy series based on the ''Popeye'' comic strip created by E.C. Segar and published by King Features Syndicate. Jointly produced by Hanna-Barbera and King Features subsidiary King Features Entertainment, ...

'' (Seven Network) * 8 August – ''

The New Adventures of Beans Baxter ''The New Adventures of Beans Baxter'' is an adventure/comedy television series that aired 1987 on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television network. It was created by Savage Steve Holland, who also wrote and directed most of the 17 episodes. Th ...

'' (ABC TV) * 8 August – '' Don't Miss Wax'' (ABC TV) * 8 August – '' Worlds Beyond'' (ABC TV) * 11 August – ''

Me and Mom ''Me and Mom'' is an American detective comedy/drama series that aired on ABC from April 5, 1985 to May 17, 1985. Premise Set in San Francisco, the series centered on private eye Kate Morgan and her mother Zena Hunnicutt, a wealthy socialite and ...

'' (Nine Network) * 15 August – ''

Fresno Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

'' (Nine Network) * 23 August – '' Joy and Shadows'' (SBS TV) * 23 August – ''

Floodtide ''Floodtide'' is a 1949 British romantic drama film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Gordon Jackson, Rona Anderson, John Laurie and Jimmy Logan. The film was one of the four of David Rawnsley's films that used his "independent frame" ...

'' (ABC TV) * 24 August – '' Dead Entry'' (ABC TV) * 24 August – '' AIDS Now'' (SBS TV) * 28 August – '' The Fear'' (ABC TV) * 30 August – ''

Blackadder II ''Blackadder II'' is the second series of the BBC sitcom '' Blackadder'', written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986. The series is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–16 ...

'' (Seven Network) * 5 September – / ''

Worzel Gummidge Down Under ''Worzel Gummidge Down Under'' is a New Zealand-British television series adapted from the books written by Barbara Euphan Todd and the British fantasy series television programme produced and broadcast in the United Kingdom named ''Worzel Gummid ...

'' (ABC TV) * 19 September – '' The Japan Project'' (SBS TV) * 23 September – ''

The New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members o ...

'' (Seven Network) * 24 September – ''

BraveStarr ''BraveStarr'' is an American space Western animated series that aired 65 episodes from September 1987 to February 1988 in syndication. The show was created a year after Mattel had released a line of action figures. ''BraveStarr'' was the last a ...

'' (Nine Network) * 24 September – '' Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures'' (Nine Network) * 24 September – / ''

Dinosaucers ''Dinosaucers'' is a 1987 animated television series co-produced in the United States and Canada, produced by DIC Animation City and distributed in syndication in the US by Coca-Cola Telecommunications. The show was created by producer Michael ...

'' (Nine Network) * 1 October – / ''

Bionic Six is a 1987 animated television series. It was produced by Universal Television and animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha (now TMS Entertainment) and distributed, through first-run syndication, by MCA TV, years before the latter company became NBCUniver ...

'' (Network Ten) * 1 October – / ''

The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin ''The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin'' is a children's animated television series based on Teddy Ruxpin, an animatronic teddy bear created by Ken Forsse and distributed by toy manufacturer Worlds of Wonder. Produced in 1986–7 for television syndic ...

'' (Network Ten) * 2 October – ''

Maharajas Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

'' (ABC TV) * 4 October – ''

Sable The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...

'' (Network Ten) * 7 October – ''

Buddy Buddy may refer to: People *Buddy (nickname) *Buddy (rapper), real name Simmie Sims III (1993–Present) *Buddy Rogers (wrestler), ring name of American professional wrestler Herman Gustav Rohde, Jr. (1921–1992) *Buddy Boeheim (born 1999), Amer ...

'' (ABC TV) * 9 October – / ''

The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy ''The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy'' is a 1988 Australian-New Zealand mini series based on the Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford University Press, 1996 p225 It was written by David ...

'' (Seven Network) * 10 October – ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1985) (Nine Network) * 18 October – '' One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage'' (Seven Network) * 28 October – '' The Haunting of Barney Palmer'' (ABC TV) * 5 November – '' Hot Shots'' (Seven Network) * 8 November – '' Down and Out in Beverly Hills'' (Seven Network) * 9 November – ''

Tumbledown ''Tumbledown'' is a 1988 BBC Television drama film set during the Falklands War. Directed by Richard Eyre, it stars Colin Firth, Paul Rhys, and David Calder. Synopsis The film centres on the experiences of Robert Lawrence MC (played by Col ...

'' (ABC TV) * 13 November – ''

Mickey's 60th Birthday ''Mickey's 60th Birthday'' is a 1988 American live-action/animated television special broadcast on ''The Magical World of Disney'' on November 13, 1988 on NBC. As the title suggests, it was produced for the 60th anniversary of the Mickey Mouse ...

'' (Seven Network) * 15 November – '' Crazy Like a Fox'' (Network Ten) * 20 November – ''

I Married Dora ''I Married Dora'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 22, 1987 to January 8, 1988. It was created by Michael J. Leeson. Synopsis Los Angeles architect and single father Peter Farrell (Daniel Hugh Kelly) was dependent upon his ...

'' (Network Ten) * 21 November – '' Steel Riders'' (Network Ten) * 22 November – '' Hannay'' (ABC TV) * 23 November – ''

Outlaws An outlaw is a person living outside the law. Outlaws or The Outlaws may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Outlaws'' (1950 film), an Italian crime film * ''Outlaws'' (1985 film), a French film * ''The Outlaws'' (2017 film), a Sou ...

'' (Nine Network) * 24 November – '' Prospects'' (ABC TV) * 24 November – ''

J.J. Starbuck ''J.J. Starbuck'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on NBC from September 26, 1987, to June 28, 1988. The series follows cornpone-spouting Jerome Jeremiah "J.J." Starbuck, a billionaire Texan who wears ten-gallon hats, cowbo ...

'' (Nine Network) * 24 November – ''

Women in Prison This article discusses the incarceration of women in correctional facilities. As of 2013 across the world, 625,000 women and children were being held in penal institutions, and the female prison population was increasing in all continents.

'' (Nine Network) * 28 November – ''

Your Mother Wouldn't Like It ''Your Mother Wouldn't Like It'' was a children's sketch show broadcast on ITV between 1985 and 1988. A unique aspect of the show was that the performing cast were almost entirely children. The show was produced by Central Television at their ...

'' (ABC TV) * 28 November – '' The Highwayman'' (Network Ten) * 29 November – ''

The Slap Maxwell Story ''The Slap Maxwell Story'' (sometimes seen in print as ''The "Slap" Maxwell Story'') is a sitcom broadcast in the United States by ABC as part of its 1987–88 lineup. It starred Dabney Coleman as "Slap" Maxwell, an egocentric sportswriter for ...

'' (Seven Network) * 1 December – ''

The Law & Harry McGraw ''The Law & Harry McGraw'' is an American mystery crime drama television series created by Peter S. Fischer and a spin-off of ''Murder, She Wrote'' that aired on CBS from September 27, 1987, to February 10, 1988. Plot The series stars Jerry Or ...

'' (Network Ten) * 1 December – ''

King and Castle ''King and Castle'' is a British television crime drama series, made by Thames Television and screened on ITV, that first broadcast on 20 August 1985. The series stars Derek Martin as Ronald King, a Detective Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police ...

'' (ABC TV) * 3 December – ''

The Old Men at the Zoo ''The Old Men at the Zoo'' is a novel written by Angus Wilson, first published in 1961 by Secker and Warburg and by Penguin books in 1964. It was adapted, with many changes—nuclear bombing of London, not present in the novel, is added—into ...

'' (ABC TV) * 3 December – ///// '' Quo Vadis?'' (ABC TV) * 4 December – /// ''

Race for the Bomb ''Race for the Bomb'' (french: La Course à la bombe) is a 1987 television 3-parts miniseries about the Manhattan Project, starting from the initial stages of scientific discovery that led to the creation of the atomic bomb, discovery of the Ulam-T ...

'' (ABC TV) * 5 December – ''

C.A.B. ''C.A.B.'' is a British television programme which was produced by Thames Television for CITV, Children's ITV. The drama revolved around Colin Freshwater (Felipe Izquierdo) and Franny Barnes (Louise Mason) and the strange happenings in their jun ...

'' (Network Ten) * 5 December – ''

The New Gidget ''The New Gidget'' is an American sitcom sequel to the original 1965–66 sitcom ''Gidget''. It aired in syndication from September 15, 1986, to May 12, 1988. The series was produced by original ''Gidget'' series producer Harry Ackerman and was la ...

'' (Network Ten) * 16 December – '' The Body Electric'' (ABC TV) * 19 December – ''

The Ghosts of Motley Hall ''The Ghosts of Motley Hall'' is a British children's television series written by Richard Carpenter. It was produced and directed by Quentin Lawrence for Granada Television, and broadcast between 1976 and 1978 on the ITV network. The series r ...

'' (ABC TV) * 21 December – ''

Jack and Mike ''Jack and Mike'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Sara Davidson that aired on ABC from September 16, 1986, until March 24, 1987. Premise Shelley Hack plays Jackie, a newspaper columnist for the fictional ''Chicago Mirror'' ...

'' (Network Ten) * 24 December – '' Christmas Everyday'' (ABC TV) * 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 ...

'' (ABC TV) * 26 December – ''

The December Rose ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (ABC TV) * 30 December – ''

Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...

'' (ABC TV) * 31 December – // ''

Treasure Island in Outer Space ''Treasure Island in Outer Space'' ( it, L'isola del tesoro) is a 1987 Italian science fiction television miniseries directed by Antonio Margheriti. Plot It is based on the 1883 novel ''Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson, setting the s ...

'' (ABC TV) * ''

Creepy Crawlies ''Creepy Crawlies'' was a stop motion animation series created by Cosgrove Hall. The series consisted of 52 ten-minute episodes, which were broadcast on CITV, Children's ITV between 1987 and 1989. All episodes were written by Peter Reeves and di ...

'' (SBS TV) * '' Playbox'' (Nine Network) * '' Pursuit of Happiness'' (Unknown)

Changes to network affiliation

This is a list of programs which made their premiere on an Australian television network that had previously premiered on another Australian television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network. This occurs predominantly with programs shared between subscription television networks.

International

Television shows

1950s

* '' Mr. Squiggle and Friends'' (1959–1999)

1960s

* ''

'' (1961–present)

1970s

* ''

'' (1971–1999, 2009–2010) * ''

Young Talent Time ''Young Talent Time'' is an Australian television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten. The original series ran from 1971 until 1988 and was hosted by singer-songwriter and record producer Johnny Youn ...

'' (1971–1988) * ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...

'' (1979–present)

1980s

* ''

Sale of the Century ''Sale of the Century'' (stylized as ''$ale of the Century'') is an American television game show that originally debuted on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being th ...

'' (1980–2001) * ''

Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or ''Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Art * ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-Jo ...

'' (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004–present) * ''

Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...

'' (1981–2008) * ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...

'' (1982–present) * ''

'' (1985–present) * ''

The Flying Doctors ''The Flying Doctors'' is an Australian drama TV series produced by Crawford Productions that revolves around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. T ...

'' (1986–1993) * '' Rage'' (1987–present) * ''

'' (1988–present) * ''

'' (1988–1990) * '' Seven's Super Saturday'' (1988–1990)

Ending this year

References

{{Years in Australian TV

Events

Debuts

Domestic

New International Programming

Changes to network affiliation

International

Television shows

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

Ending this year

See also

References