1984 in Australian television

Events

Television

• January – English-born Australian businessman Alan Bond purchases STW9 Perth for just under $50 million.
• 9 January – British children's animated series Towser debuts on ABC before airing on ITV in the UK months later.
• 16 January – Australian situation comedy series Mother and Son debuts on ABC.
• 30 January – Perfect Match is launched in the 5:30 p.m. timeslot, bringing in record ratings for that timeslot and ensuring Ten's Eyewitness News won the 6–7 p.m. timeslot
• 3 February – Australia's first nationally televised telethon screens on Network Ten. It is a 26-hour effort to raise money for Australia's Olympic athletes.
• 18 February – The Nine Network's Hey Hey It's Saturday moves from a Breakfast Television format to the 9:30 p.m. timeslot, Primetime format and rebranded as Hey Hey It's Saturday Night.
• 2 April – British children's stop motion animated series, Paddington, debuts on ABC.
• 9 April – Guy Blackmore joins Eyewitness News.
• 20 April – The Royal Children's Hospital Appeal is televised on Seven Network on Good Friday in Melbourne.
• June – Christopher Skase purchases TVQ-0.
• 20 June – An electricity strike across Victoria cause all of Melbourne's TV stations to broadcast just two hours of programming closing down at 8:00 p.m.
• 26 July – French-American-Canadian animated series Inspector Gadget debuts on ABC at 5:30 p.m..
• July – Network Ten televises the 1984 Summer Olympics from Los Angeles. Also, all stations adopt a uniform on-air look for the first time.
• 8 October - Network Ten's long-running series, Prisoner, airs for the first time on British television under the title, "Prisoner: Cell Block H", on the ITV Yorkshire Television region. TVS and Channel Television follows in 1986, and eventually, all fourteen ITV regions will air the series, with most commencing in 1987 (Thames, Central, TSW and STV) and 1988 (Granada, Border, Tyne Tees, Grampian, Anglia, HTV Wales and West, and UTV in 1989).
• 19 October – Long running Australian current affairs program Dateline premieres on Network 0-28.
• 22 October – The first ever television incarnation of the popular koala, The New Adventures of Blinky Bill, debuts on ABC.
• The first televised federal election debate takes place.

Debuts

• 16 January – Mother and Son (ABC TV)
• 30 January – Perfect Match (Channel Ten)
• 18 February – Hey Hey It's Saturday Night (Channel Nine)
• 20 March – Waterfront (Channel Ten)
• 27 March – Eureka Stockade (Channel Seven)
• 1 June – Under Capricorn (Channel Nine)
• 11 June – Secret Valley (ABC TV)
• 2 July – Sweet and Sour (ABC TV)
• 16 July – Bodyline (Channel Ten)
• 30 July – The Love Game (Channel Seven)
• 17 October – City West (Network 0-28)
• 19 October – Dateline (Network 0-28)
• 22 October – The New Adventures of Blinky Bill (ABC TV)
• 5 November – The Gillies Report (ABC TV)
• 29 November – Brass Monkeys (Channel Seven)

New international programming

• 3 January – USA St. Elsewhere (Channel Nine)
• 9 January – UK Towser (ABC TV)
• 11 January – USA Manions of America (Channel Nine)
• 30 January – USA The Kwicky Koala Show (Channel Seven)
• 8 February – UK The Last Song (ABC TV)
• 10 February – UK Just Liz (ABC TV)
• 13 February – USA The A-Team (Channel Ten)
• 15 February – USA Blue Thunder (Channel Nine)
• 18 February – USA The Gary Coleman Show (Channel Nine)
• 19 February – USA V (1983) (Channel Ten)
• 28 February – UK Boys from the Blackstuff (ABC TV)
• 2 March – USA Automan (Channel Ten)
• 4 March – UK Storybook International (Channel 0/28)
• 9 March – UK The Machine Gunners (ABC TV)
• 16 March – USA Jennifer Slept Here (Channel Nine)
• 2 April – UK Paddington (ABC TV)
• 3 April – UK Reilly, Ace of Spies (ABC TV)
• 13 April – UK Give Us a Break (ABC TV)
• 14 April – USA Newhart (Channel Nine)
• 15 April – UK/IRE The Irish R.M. (ABC TV)
• 13 May – USA Goodnight, Beantown (Channel Ten)
• 19 May – USA Gilligan's Planet (Channel Ten)
• 27 May – UK Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (ABC TV)
• 6 June – UK Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime (Channel Seven)
• 7 June – USA Scarecrow and Mrs. King (Channel Ten)
• 18 June – ITA AEIOU (ABC TV)
• 15 July – UK The Wind in the Willows (ABC TV)
• 17 July – UK All Electric Amusement Arcade (ABC TV)
• 20 July – UK Auf Weidersehen, Pet (ABC TV)
• 25 July – GER/JPN Maya the Honey Bee (Channel Ten – Melbourne)
• 26 July – FRA/USA/CAN Inspector Gadget (ABC TV)
• 30 July – UK Beau Geste (ABC TV)
• 6 August – USA Cagney and Lacey (Channel Seven)
• 10 August – UK Shine on Harvey Moon (ABC TV)
• 20 August – UK Educating Marmalade (ABC TV)
• 22 August – UK Alas Smith and Jones (ABC TV)
• 4 September – USA A Woman Called Golda (Channel Ten)
• 7 September – USA Rainbow Brite (Channel Seven)
• 17 September – UK Robin of Sherwood (Channel Nine)
• 21 September – UK Only Fools and Horses (ABC TV)
• 1 October – UK The Black Adder (Channel Seven)
• 6 October/16 November – USA Whiz Kids (6 October: Channel Seven – Melbourne, 16 November: Channel Seven – Sydney)
• 10 October – USA Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (Channel Nine)
• 14 October – USA V: The Final Battle (Channel Ten)
• 22 October/3 November – USA The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show (22 October: Channel Seven – Sydney, 3 November: Channel Seven – Melbourne)
• 22 October – USA Mr. Smith (Channel Seven)
• 23 October – UK The Dark Side of the Sun (ABC TV)
• 2 November – USA Big Bird in China (ABC TV)
• 3 November – USA Reggie (Channel Nine)
• 3 November – USA Heathcliff (Channel Nine)
• 7 November – UK Jane Eyre (1983) (ABC TV)
• 9 November – USA Don't Eat the Pictures (ABC TV)
• 11 November – USA Palmerstown, USA (Channel Nine)
• 14 November – USA Gloria (Channel Nine)
• 14 November – USA The Rousters (Channel Seven)
• 14 November – SWE Mika (Channel 0/28)
• 14 November – UK Sorry! (ABC TV)
• 16 November – USA Legmen (Channel Ten)
• 16 November – USA The Duck Factory (Channel Nine)
• 17 November – USA Manimal (Channel Seven)
• 17 November – USA Mr. T (Channel Ten)
• 20 November – USA Emerald Point N.A.S. (Channel Ten)
• 21 November – USA 3-2-1 Contact (ABC TV)
• 30 November – USA Wizards and Warriors (Channel Ten)
• 7 December – USA Just Our Luck (Channel Seven)
• 8 December – UK The Doombolt Chase (Channel Seven)
• USA Shirt Tales (Channel Seven)
• USA Donkey Kong (Channel Seven)
• ITA Mr. Hiccup (Channel 0/28)
• USA Masquerade (Channel Ten?)

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

• Four Corners (1961–present)

1970s

• Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999, 2009–2010)
• Young Talent Time (1971–1989)
• Countdown (1974–1987)
• 60 Minutes (1979–present)
• Prisoner (1979–1986)

1980s

• Kingswood Country (1980–1984)
• Sale of the Century (1980–present)
• Wheel of Fortune (1981–present)
• Sunday (1981–present)
• Today (1982–present)

Ending this year

Births

• 24 August – Erin Molan, journalist and TV presenter

References