1984 in Australian television

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

Program	New network(s)	Previous network(s)	Date
Template:Flagicon Hong Kong Phooey	Channel Seven	Channel Nine
Template:Flagicon Roger Ramjet	ABC TV	Channel Seven
Template:Flagicon Jabberjaw	Channel Seven	Channel Nine

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

Date	Show	Channel	Debut
7 February	Waterloo Station	Channel Nine	2 February 1983
21 March	Waterfront	Channel Ten	20 March 1984
23 July	Cop Shop	Channel Seven	28 November 1977
2 August	Sweet and Sour	ABC TV	2 July 1984
7 November	Australia You're Standing In It	ABC TV	26 September 1983
1 September	Kingswood Country	Channel Seven	30 January 1980
1 December	Carson's Law	Channel Ten	24 January 1983

Births

• 24 August – Erin Molan, journalist and TV presenter

See also

• 1984 in Australia
• List of Australian films of 1984