1985 in Australian television

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Events

Television

• 13 January – Australian children's live-action and puppet series The Maestro's Company begins on Network 0/28.
• 11 February – Ray Martin takes over Mike Walsh's old daytime slot, replacing The Mike Walsh Show with Midday with Ray Martin. The Mike Walsh Show continues and moves to 10:30pm weekdays as a late night talk show until Walsh departs the network in November .
• 18 February – Network 0/28 becomes known as SBS.
• 22 February – Seven Network screens a late night sketchy comedy series called The Eleventh Hour featuring a number of performers who later appear in The Comedy Company and Fast Forward.
• 4 March – The ABC launches a one-hour news and current affairs program called The National as a replacement for the traditional 7:00pm state-based news bulletins as well as its former current affairs program Nationwide. The new format, costing the national broadcaster a budgeted $25 million, turned out to be an expensive failure and lasted less than twelve months.
• 18 March – Neighbours premieres on the Seven Network. Six months later Neighbours is axed by HSV-7, but Network Ten bought the rights and picks up the soap and it becomes a massive hit for them.
• 24 March – Seven Network broadcasts Donald Duck's 50th Birthday a television special from The Wonderful World of Disney which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the world's famous cartoon character. It will first air on television for Australian viewers on Seven in Victoria that year and on Network Ten in New South Wales on 30 May 1987 and on Seven in Victoria again on 19 July the same year.
• 25 March – Neighbours debuts in Brisbane.
• 22 April – The 1980 film The Blues Brothers starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd premieres on the Seven Network.
• 8 June – Hey Hey It's Saturday moves to 6:30pm Saturdays. Then Hey Hey It's Saturday Night rebrands back to its original title.
• 30 June – SBS expands to Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Gold Coast.
• 13–14 July – ABC televises the worldwide Live Aid event, featuring concerts held around the world.
• August – The AUSSAT satellites are launched. The ABC will start its test transmission of its TV and radio networks via satellite in October to remote areas in rural Australia. The ABC service is officially inaugurated in January 1986.
• 24 October – The ABC Board has elected to abandon The National.

Debuts

• 13 January – The Maestro's Company (SBS)
• 14 January – Possession (Nine Network)
• 26 January – The Early Bird Show (Network Ten)
• 4 February – The Cartoon Connection (Channel Seven)
• 6 February – The Italians (ABC)
• 11 February – Midday (Nine Network)
• 22 February – The Eleventh Hour (Channel Seven)
• 4 March – The National (ABC)
• 4 March – The Cowra Breakout (Network Ten)
• 4 March – News Overnight (Channel Seven)
• 6 March – The Investigators (ABC)
• 7 March - Pressure Point (ABC)
• 7 March - The Fast Lane (ABC)
• 18 March – Neighbours (Channel Seven in 1985, Network Ten from 1986 onwards)
• 29 March – Friday Night Football (AFL) (Channel Seven)
• 17 April – It's a Knockout (Network Ten)
• 9 May – The Henderson Kids (Network Ten)
• 20 May – Now You See It (Channel Seven)
• 27 May – Bang Goes the Budgie (ABC)
• 14 June – Golden Pennies (ABC)
• 15 July – Butterfly Island (ABC)
• 16 July – Quantum (ABC)
• 8 August – Captain Cookaburra's Road to Discovery (ABC)
• 27 October – Anzacs (Nine Network)

New international programming

• 5 January – Template:Flagicon The Bounder (Channel Seven)
• 5 January – Template:Flagicon Hallelujah! (Channel Seven)
• 12 January – Template:Flagicon Rubik, the Amazing Cube (Network Ten)
• 20 January – Template:Flagicon Sorrell and Son (ABC)
• 4 February – Template:Flagicon V (1984) (Network Ten)
• 7 February – Template:Flagicon Duty Free (Channel Seven)
• 13 February – Template:Flagicon Spitting Image (Nine Network)
• 22 February – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Joni Jones (SBS)
• 26 February – Template:Flagicon The Cosby Show (Nine Network)
• 28 February – Template:Flagicon Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (Stacy Keach) (Channel Seven)
• 4 March – Template:Flagicon Bananaman (ABC)
• 9 March – Template:Flagicon Terrahawks (Channel Seven)
• 22 March – Template:Flagicon Chocky (ABC)
• 24 March – Template:Flagicon Donald Duck's 50th Birthday (Channel Seven - Melbourne)
• 4 April – Template:Flagicon The Edison Twins (Nine Network)
• 22 April – Template:Flagicon Danger: Marmalade At Work (ABC)
• 22 April – Template:Flagicon Fresh Fields (ABC)
• 29 April – Template:Flagicon Going Great (Nine Network)
• 29 April – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Ulysses 31 (ABC)
• 3 May – Template:Flagicon Chocky's Children (ABC)
• 6 May – Template:Flagicon Spacewatch (ABC)
• 6 May – Template:Flagicon The Wind in the Willows (1985) (ABC)
• 6 May – Template:Flagicon Barbara's World of Horses and Ponies (ABC)
• 9 May – Template:Flagicon Murder, She Wrote (Nine Network)
• 25 May – Template:Flagicon Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery (SBS)
• 14 June Template:Flagicon One by One (ABC)
• 14 June – Template:Flagicon Sharon and Elsie (ABC)
• 5 July – Template:Flagicon Time Out (SBS)
• 13 July – Template:Flagicon The Biskitts (Nine Network)
• 14 July – Template:Flagicon Muppet Babies (Network Ten)
• 15 July – Template:Flagicon Just Good Friends (ABC)
• 16 July – Template:Flagicon The Young Ones (ABC)
• 19 July – Template:Flagicon The Little Rascals (Channel Seven)
• 20 July – Template:Flagicon Monchhichis (Nine Network)
• 31 July – Template:Flagicon Swallows and Amazons Forever! (ABC)
• 5 August – Template:Flagicon The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (ABC)
• 9 August – Template:Flagicon Children of the Dog Star (ABC)
• 10 August – Template:Flagicon Alvin and the Chipmunks (Ruby-Spears version) (Network Ten)
• 15 August – Template:Flagicon Home to Roost (Channel Seven)
• 7 September – Template:Flagicon Goldie Gold and Action Jack (Network Ten)
• 9 September – Template:Flagicon Pink Panther and Sons (Network Ten)
• 10 September – Template:Flagicon Mistral's Daughter (Nine Network)
• 12 September – Template:Flagicon Miami Vice (Nine Network)
• 16 September – Template:Flagicon Eyes (SBS)
• 16 September – Template:Flagicon Dungeons & Dragons (Channel Seven)
• 5 October – Template:Flagicon Dragon's Lair (Network Ten)
• 8 October – Template:Flagicon Expedition Adam 84 (ABC)
• 8 October – Template:Flagicon Winter Sunlight (ABC)
• 29 October – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Voltron: Defender of the Universe (ABC)
• 31 October – Template:Flagicon Sea of Faith (ABC)
• 11 November – Template:Flagicon Cover Up (Channel Seven)
• 11 November – Template:Flagicon Double Dare (1985) (Channel Seven)
• 11 November – Template:Flagicon Charles in Charge (Channel Seven)
• 12 November – Template:Flagicon Oh Madeline (Nine Network)
• 12 November – Template:Flagicon Off the Rack (Nine Network)
• 12 November – Template:Flagicon Jessie (Channel Seven)
• 13 November – Template:Flagicon 50/50 (Nine Network)
• 19 November – Template:Flagicon Glitter (Network Ten)
• 21 November – Template:Flagicon Moving (ABC)
• 22 November – Template:Flagicon Kate & Allie (Channel Seven)
• 23 November – Template:Flagicon She-Ra: Princess of Power (Channel Seven)
• 25 November - Template:Flagicon Finder of Lost Loves (Network Ten)
• 27 November – Template:Flagicon Hot Pursuit (Channel Seven)
• 16 December – Template:Flagicon Blott on the Landscape (ABC)
• 23 December – Template:Flagicon Eye to Eye (Nine Network)
• 30 December – Template:Flagicon Two Marriages (Channel Seven)
• 31 December – Template:Flagicon The Max Headroom Show (ABC)
• Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Snorks (Nine Network - Adelaide)
• Template:Flagicon Willo the Wisp (ABC)
• Template:Flagicon The Adventures of Portland Bill (ABC)

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 Michael Bentine's Potty Time	ABC	Channel Seven
Template:Flagicon Gustavus	SBS	ABC
Template:Flagicon Speed Buggy	Channel Seven	ABC
Template:Flagicon Atom Ant	Channel Seven	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)
• Prisoner (1979 – 1986)

1980s

• Wheel of Fortune (1981 – 2006, 2008)
• Sale of the Century (1980 – 2001)
• Sunday (1981 – 2008)
• Today (1982 – present)
• Perfect Match (1984 – 1989, 2002)
• Neighbours (1985 – present)

Ending this year

Date	Show	Channel	Debut
21 April	The Gillies Report	ABC TV	1984
7 August	Five Mile Creek	Seven Network	1983
19 August	Bang Goes the Budgie	ABC TV	27 May 1985
31 October	Anzacs	Nine Network	27 October 1985
November	New Faces	Nine Network	1963
November (Late Night)	The Mike Walsh Show	Nine Network	1973
November	The Ernie Sigley Show	Nine Network	1968
1985	The New Price Is Right	Seven Network	7 September 1981

See also

• 1985 in Australia
• List of Australian films of 1985