1979 in Australian television

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This article is a summary of 1979 in Australian television.

Events

• February - The Government approves the application for ATV0 to convert its transmission to the Channel 10 frequency.
• 11 February - A brand new Australian weekly current affairs program 60 Minutes premieres on Nine Network. Based on the American newsmagazine television program of the same name, it has a lack lustre beginning, but will soon rise to become one of the highest-rating programs in Australia.
• 27 February - Australian prime time black comedy^{[ citation needed ]}/soap opera from Reg Grundy Productions Prisoner premieres on the 0-10 Network. It enjoys a large following both in Australia and around the world, particularly in the UK and parts of the US.
• April - The Special Broadcasting Service screens the first of a series of multi-language programs on ABC on Sunday mornings.
• 2 April - Australian actor Ron Blanchard and Alexander Bunyip the delightful character from the popular children's book The Monster That Ate Canberra by Michael Salmon present a brand new afternoon block for children called ARVO which also features programs such as Play School , Mr. Squiggle and Friends , Sesame Street , Basil Brush and The Famous Five .
• 24 April - American prime time soap opera Dallas premieres on The 0-10 Network.
• 28 June - Australian drama series Patrol Boat debuts on ABC.
• 1 July - Commercial television stations now required to screen ‘C’ classified programming, aimed solely at children aged 6 to 13, every weekday between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. Early ‘C’ classified programs include Simon Townsend's Wonder World (0–10), Stax (Seven) and Shirl's Neighbourhood (Seven). Commercial stations are also required to screen a minimum of 30 minutes each weekday, prior to 4:00pm, of programming aimed at pre-school viewers.
• 9 July - Crawford Productions's brand new soap opera Skyways begins it premiere on the Seven Network.
• 13 August - A brand new Australian environmental education series for children called Earthwatch debuts on ABC at 5:00pm as part of the ARVO lineup.
• 2 October - American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes debuts on Nine Network.
• November - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is taking control of TEN-10 Sydney and his bid to take over the Australian airline company which owns ATV0 Melbourne Ansett Australia, sparks a review into media ownership by the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal.
• 5 December - American sitcom Taxi premieres on Nine Network.

Debuts

Program	Network	Debut date
60 Minutes	Nine Network	11 February
Doctor Down Under	Seven Network	12 February
Prisoner	The 0-10 Network	27 February
The Oracle	ABC	12 March
Golden Soak	ABC	13 March
Bailey's Bird	Seven Network	25 March
ARVO	ABC	2 April
Love Thy Neighbour in Australia	Seven Network	9 April
Patrol Boat	ABC	28 June
Carrots	Seven Network	2 July
Skyways	Seven Network	9 July
Ride on Stranger	ABC	15 July
Top Mates	ABC	16 July
Earthwatch	ABC	13 August
Simon Townsend's Wonder World	The 0-10 Network	3 September
Shirl's Neighbourhood	Seven Network	1979
Wombat	BTQ-7	1979
The World Around Us	Seven Network	1979

New international programming

• 7 January – The Kenny Everett Video Show (ABC)
• 7 January – All Creatures Great and Small (ABC)
• 8 January/7 May – Michael Bentine's Potty Time (8 January: Seven Network - Melbourne, 7 May: Seven Network - Sydney)
• 11 January/4 September – CHiPS (11 January: Seven Network - Melbourne, 4 September: Seven Network - Sydney)
• 13 January – Baggy Pants and the Nitwits (The 0-10 Network)
• 21 January – The Governor (ABC)
• 24 January – Bagpuss (ABC)
• 1 February – Rumpole of the Bailey (ABC)
• 10 February/19 February – Mickey's 50 (10 February: Seven Network - Melbourne, 19 February: Nine Network - Sydney)
• 11 February – Vega$ (Nine Network)
• 15 February – The Incredible Hulk (1978) (Seven Network)
• 19 February – Mork and Mindy (Nine Network)
• 5 March – Battle of the Planets (The 0-10 Network)
• 10 March – The Mumbly Cartoon Show (Nine Network)
• 21 March – Peark (The 0-10 Network)
• 24 March – The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty (The 0-10 Network)
• 24 March – I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali (The 0-10 Network)
• 2 April – The Eagle of the Ninth (ABC)
• 19 April – Sword of Justice (The 0-10 Network)
• 24 April – Dallas (The 0-10 Network)
• 27 April – Blake's 7 (ABC)
• 8 May – Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk (ABC)
• 22 May – The Famous Five (1978) (ABC)
• 28 May – Roots: The Next Generations (The 0-10 Network)
• 31 May – Project U.F.O. (The 0-10 Network)
• 4 June – Danger UXB (ABC)
• 12 June – Lillie (Seven Network)
• 23 July – Dynomutt, Dog Wonder (Nine Network)
• 8 August – Gather Your Dreams (ABC)
• 10 August/24 November – Salvage 1 (10 August: Nine Network - Melbourne, 24 November: Nine Network - Sydney)
• 3 September – 1990 (ABC)
• 21 September – Supertrain (Nine Network)
• 2 October – Hazell (ABC)
• 2 October – Diff'rent Strokes (Nine Network)
• 3 October – Angie (Nine Network)
• 11 October – Circus (ABC)
• 15 October – Yogi's Space Race (Nine Network)
• 19 October – Out of Bounds (ABC)
• 7 November – A Special Sesame Street Christmas (Seven Network)
• 18 November – Bless Me, Father (Seven Network)
• 19 November – WKRP in Cincinnati (Nine Network)
• 19 November – SCTV (The 0-10 Network)
• 19 November – The Big Blue Marble (Nine Network)
• 21 November – Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (Seven Network)
• 21 November – Brothers and Sisters (Seven Network)
• 21 November – Joe & Valerie (Seven Network)
• 22 November – Return of the Saint (Seven Network)
• 24 November – David Cassidy: Man Undercover (Seven Network)
• 25 November – Mixed Blessings (Seven Network)
• 27 November – The Aphrodite Inheritance (ABC)
• 27 November – Disraeli (Seven Network)
• 5 December – Taxi (Nine Network)
• 11 December – Born and Bred (ABC)
• 13 December – Pennies from Heaven (ABC)
• 20 December – The Roller Girls (The 0-10 Network)
• 24 December – Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (ABC)

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 (1971–1988)
• Countdown (1974–1987)
• The Don Lane Show (1975–1983) ^[1]
• This is Your Life (1975–1980)
• Chopper Squad (1976–1979)
• In the Wild (1976–1981)
• Glenview High (1977–1979)
• 60 Minutes (1979–present)
• Prisoner (1979–1986)
• Doctor Down Under (1979–1980)

Ending this year

Date	Show	Channel	Debut
12 January	Cuckoo in the Nest	Seven Network	22 December 1978
18 February	Chopper Squad	The 0-10 Network	5 November 1976
24 February	Glenview High	Seven Network	27 September 1977
1979	ARVO	ABC	2 April 1979
1979	Super Flying Fun Show	Nine Network	1970

See also

• 1979 in Australia
• List of Australian films of 1979

References

1. "David Bowie on The Don Lane Show". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2024.