1988 in Australian television

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Events

• 1 January – Australia Live, a four-hour celebration welcoming a year of celebrations for Australia's bicentennial of European settlement airs on the ABC, SBS, the Nine Network and regional solus stations. It also aired in the U.S. on A&E.
• 2 January – Imparja starts broadcasting to remote Central Australia via satellite It would have its official launch on 15 January.
• 17 January – The first episode of Home and Away one of the longest running Australian TV soaps since Neighbours airs on Seven Network
• 24 January – Ten launches Richmond Hill, a Grundy Organisation production, created by Reg Watson. Billed as a sister-soap to Neighbours, it airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 19:30-20:30.
• January – Five months after Countdown's demise, Molly Meldrum returns to television and joins Nine's Hey Hey It's Saturday as part of the weekly Molly's Melodrama segment.
• 18 January – A Current Affair launches on the Nine Network after a ten-year absence, hosted by Jana Wendt.
• 24 January – Network Ten unveils new logo, the "X" logo.
• February – Seven Network launches Family Feud.
• 8 February – Canadian teen drama series Degrassi Junior High, the second in the Degrassi trilogy series debuts on the ABC.
• 16 February – The Comedy Company starring Mark Mitchell (Con The Fruitier), Glenn Robbins (Uncle Arthur), Mary-Anne Fahey (Kylie Mole), Ian McFayden, Kim Gyngell (Col'n Carpenter), Chris Keogh, Russell Gilbert, Siobhan Tuke, Paula Gardener and Peter Rowsthorn debuts on Channel Ten (1988–1990).
• 7 March – The ABC begins airing their only Rankin/Bass animated series, The Comic Strip.
• 12 March – Nine Network broadcasts its Australian premiere of the American police procedural television series 21 Jump Street.
• 20 March – The Nine Network takes over the Rugby league rights from Network Ten, which they continue to broadcast to the present day.
• 26 March – In Neighbours, Daphne Clarke 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 ABC's current affairs program Four Corners presents a television special called Wither the ABC? which was a debate over the future direction of the national broadcaster. Hosted by Andrew Olle there will be interviews with ABC managing director David Hill, Gareth Evans, Max Walsh, Terry Hayes, Peter Luck and Ted Thomas.
• 28 March – Blah Blah Blah a new Australian comedy series premieres on Australian Broadcasting Corporation at 9:50pm and at 10:45pm. It was hosted by Andrew Denton which also marked his very first hosting role.
• 18 April – The ABC 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 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 returns to the Nine Network 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 Seven Network's Newsworld with Clive Robertson and Network Ten's Late Night Australia with Don Lane.
• 29 April – QSTV (now Seven Central) starts broadcasting to remote Eastern Australia via satellite.
• 20 May – Perth's third commercial television station NEW-10 opens, giving Perth the same number of stations as the eastern states.
• 18 May – In Neighbours, Madge Mitchell and Harold Bishop marry.
• 20 June – ABC debuts a new children's sketch TV series called Swap Shop (based on the British Saturday Morning children's programme of the same nameTemplate:Fact) 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 Neighbours, this was Charlene Robinson's final episode. Kylie Minogue leaves the show to focus on her recently launched recording career.
• 10 September – Brisbane's TVQ-0 becomes TVQ-10. On the same day, Toowoomba's DDQ-10 became DDQ-0.
• October – Lee Lin Chin defects from ABC Local Radio and moves to SBS Television.
• 3 October – Long running Australian soap opera Home and Away starts airing on Network 2 (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 Neighbours, 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 returns to the ABC with the very first serial of Season 24 Time and the Rani, which marked the first episode to star Sylvester McCoy 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 at 5:30 pm. The show will also end on 23 November with the last part of Remembrance of the Daleks to celebrate the series' 25th anniversary.
• November – Australian soap opera Home and Away airs on television in Canada for the first time on the country's already newly launched cable television channel YTV.
• 4 November – In Neighbours, Bronwyn Davies (Rachel Friend) and Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan) get together.
• Christopher Skase buys Perth's TVW-7 & SAS-7 from Alan Bond's Bell Group for $130 million, meaning that all stations in the Seven Network were owned by the one company for the first time.
• 12 December – Final episode of Neighbours for 1988 airs on Network Ten with a Ramsay Street Christmas Party and Jane Harris proposes to Mark Granger.

Debuts

Domestic

• 17 January – Home and Away (Seven Network, 1988 – present)
• 18 January – A Current Affair (Nine Network)
• 27 January – Richmond Hill (Network Ten, 1988 – 1989)
• 29 January – Overseas and Undersold (ABC TV, 1988 – 1991)
• 7 February – Compass (ABC TV, 1988 – present)
• 16 February – The Comedy Company (Network Ten, 1988 – 1990)
• 29 February – c/o The Bartons (ABC TV, 1988)
• 27 March – Touch the Sun (ABC TV, 1988)
• 28 March – Blah Blah Blah (ABC TV)
• 10 April – The Dirtwater Dynasty (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 (Network Ten)
• 29 June – The Gerry Connolly Show (ABC TV, 1988)
• 10 July – House Rules (ABC TV, 1988)
• 25 July – The Oz Game (ABC TV, 1988 – 1989)
• 1 September – Bush Tucker Man (ABC TV 1988 – 1990)
• Family Feud (Seven Network, 1988 – 1996)

New international programming

• 3 January – Template:Flagicon Durrell in Russia (ABC TV)
• 3 January – Template:Flagicon Dinosaur! (Seven Network)
• 4 January – Template:Flagicon Spirit Bay (ABC TV)
• 12 January – Template:Flagicon A Pot of Gold (SBS TV)
• 13 January – Template:Flagicon Shell Game (Nine Network)
• 22 January – Template:Flagicon Our Backyard (ABC TV)
• 27 January – Template:Flagicon The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (ABC TV)
• 28 January – Template:Flagicon Skorpion (ABC TV)
• 29 January – Template:Flagicon Who Sir? Me Sir? (ABC TV)
• 1 February – Template:Flagicon The Tracey Ullman Show (ABC TV)
• 7 February – Template:Flagicon The Tale of the Bunny Picnic (Network Ten)
• 8 February – Template:Flagicon Degrassi Junior High (ABC TV)
• 9 February – Template:Flagicon Sledge Hammer! (Network Ten)
• 9 February – Template:Flagicon Hooperman (Network Ten)
• 13 February – Template:Flagicon The Inspector's Kids (SBS TV)
• 13 February – Template:Flagicon Thomas and Senior (SBS TV)
• 14 February – Template:Flagicon Dolly (Network Ten)
• 15 February – Template:Flagicon Tour of Duty (Network Ten)
• 16 February – Template:Flagicon The Dame Edna Experience (Seven Network)
• 17 February – Template:Flagicon Bill and Bunny (ABC TV)
• 18 February – Template:Flagicon Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills (Network Ten)
• 24 February – Template:Flagicon My Two Dads (Nine Network)
• 1 March – Template:Flagicon Erebus: The Aftermath (ABC TV)
• 3 March – Template:Flagicon Jake and the Fatman (Nine Network)
• 3 March – Template:Flagicon A Very Peculiar Practice (ABC TV)
• 6 March – Template:Flagicon Noble House (Network Ten)
• 7 March – Template:Flagicon The Comic Strip (ABC TV)
• 11 March – Template:Flagicon Rude Health (Nine Network)
• 12 March – Template:Flagicon 21 Jump Street (Nine Network)
• 14 March – Template:Flagicon The Story of English (SBS TV)
• 14 March – Template:Flagicon Tass is Authorized to Announce (SBS TV)
• 20 March – Template:Flagicon Sky Commanders (Seven Network)
• 21 March – Template:Flagicon The Children of Green Knowe (ABC TV)
• 22 March – Template:Flagicon Check It Out! (Network Ten)
• 2 April – Template:Flagicon Houston Knights (Nine Network)
• 3 April – Template:Flagicon Cosmos: Special Edition (Nine Network)
• 8 April – Template:Flagicon Chance in a Million (ABC TV)
• 17 April – Template:Flagicon The Lucie Arnaz Show (Network Ten)
• 17 April – Template:Flagicon An Audience with Peter Ustinov (ABC TV)
• 23 April – Template:Flagicon ALF: The Animated Series (Seven Network)
• 25 April – Template:Flagicon Dream Stuffing (ABC TV)
• 25 April – Template:Flagicon Charlie & Co. (Network Ten)
• 28 April – Template:Flagicon The Brothers McGregor (Network Ten)
• 28 April – Template:Flagicon The Duty Men (ABC TV)
• 4 May – Template:Flagicon Spear of the Nation: The Story of the African National Congress (SBS TV)
• 19 May – Template:Flagicon Unsolved Mysteries (Seven Network)
• 24 May – Template:Flagicon Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985) (Network Ten)
• 26 May – Template:Flagicon Ever Decreasing Circles (Seven Network)
• 9 June – Template:Flagicon Out of This World (Network Ten)
• 12 June – Template:Flagicon The Day the Universe Changed (SBS TV)
• 13 June – Template:Flagicon Brush Strokes (ABC TV)
• 15 June – Template:Flagicon Downtown (Nine Network)
• 16 June – Template:Flagicon A Perfect Spy (ABC TV)
• 22 June – Template:Flagicon Mann's Best Friends (Seven Network)
• 24 June – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (Nine Network)
• 27 June – Template:Flagicon Starman (Network Ten)
• 28 June – Template:Flagicon Gnostics (SBS TV)
• 30 June – Template:Flagicon Brothers (Seven Network)
• 4 July – Template:Flagicon AfterMASH (Network Ten)
• 4 July – Template:Flagicon Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea (ABC TV)
• 5 July – Template:Flagicon Half Nelson (Network Ten)
• 6 July – Template:Flagicon The Telebugs (ABC TV)
• 7 July – Template:Flagicon Hot House People (ABC TV)
• 10 July – Template:Flagicon Foofur (Seven Network)
• 11 July – Template:Flagicon The Comedians (Network Ten)
• 15 July – Template:Flagicon Fortunes of War (ABC TV)
• 16 July – Template:Flagicon Werewolf (Nine Network)
• 18 July – Template:Flagicon Frank's Place (Nine Network)
• 20 July – Template:Flagicon The Disappearance of John Avlakiotis (SBS TV)
• 20 July – Template:Flagicon Powerhouse (ABC TV)
• 22 July – Template:Flagicon Tales from the Lower Town (SBS TV)
• 23 July – Template:Flagicon The Taste of Health (SBS TV)
• 1 August – Template:Flagicon Beauty and the Beast (1987) (Seven Network)
• 6 August – Template:Flagicon Popeye and Son (Seven Network)
• 8 August – Template:Flagicon The New Adventures of Beans Baxter (ABC TV)
• 8 August – Template:Flagicon Don't Miss Wax (ABC TV)
• 8 August – Template:Flagicon Worlds Beyond (ABC TV)
• 11 August – Template:Flagicon Me and Mom (Nine Network)
• 15 August – Template:Flagicon Fresno (Nine Network)
• 23 August – Template:Flagicon Joy and Shadows (SBS TV)
• 23 August – Template:Flagicon Floodtide (ABC TV)
• 24 August – Template:Flagicon Dead Entry (ABC TV)
• 24 August – Template:Flagicon AIDS Now (SBS TV)
• 28 August – Template:Flagicon The Fear (ABC TV)
• 30 August – Template:Flagicon Blackadder II (Seven Network)
• 5 September – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Worzel Gummidge Down Under (ABC TV)
• 19 September – Template:Flagicon The Japan Project (SBS TV)
• 23 September – Template:Flagicon The New Statesman (Seven Network)
• 24 September – Template:Flagicon BraveStarr (Nine Network)
• 24 September – Template:Flagicon Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures (Nine Network)
• 24 September – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Dinosaucers (Nine Network)
• 1 October – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Bionic Six (Network Ten)
• 1 October – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin (Network Ten)
• 2 October – Template:Flagicon Maharajas (ABC TV)
• 4 October – Template:Flagicon Sable (Network Ten)
• 7 October – Template:Flagicon Buddy (ABC TV)
• 9 October – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy (Seven Network)
• 10 October – Template:Flagicon Alice in Wonderland (1985) (Nine Network)
• 18 October – Template:Flagicon One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage (Seven Network)
• 28 October – Template:Flagicon The Haunting of Barney Palmer (ABC TV)
• 5 November – Template:Flagicon Hot Shots (Seven Network)
• 8 November – Template:Flagicon Down and Out in Beverly Hills (Seven Network)
• 9 November – Template:Flagicon Tumbledown (ABC TV)
• 13 November – Template:Flagicon Mickey's 60th Birthday (Seven Network)
• 15 November – Template:Flagicon Crazy Like a Fox (Network Ten)
• 20 November – Template:Flagicon I Married Dora (Network Ten)
• 21 November – Template:Flagicon Steel Riders (Network Ten)
• 22 November – Template:Flagicon Hannay (ABC TV)
• 23 November – Template:Flagicon Outlaws (Nine Network)
• 24 November – Template:Flagicon Prospects (ABC TV)
• 24 November – Template:Flagicon J.J. Starbuck (Nine Network)
• 24 November – Template:Flagicon Women in Prison (Nine Network)
• 28 November – Template:Flagicon Your Mother Wouldn't Like It (ABC TV)
• 28 November – Template:Flagicon The Highwayman (Network Ten)
• 29 November – Template:Flagicon The Slap Maxwell Story (Seven Network)
• 1 December – Template:Flagicon The Law & Harry McGraw (Network Ten)
• 1 December – Template:Flagicon King and Castle (ABC TV)
• 3 December – Template:Flagicon The Old Men at the Zoo (ABC TV)
• 3 December – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Quo Vadis? (ABC TV)
• 4 December – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Race for the Bomb (ABC TV)
• 5 December – Template:Flagicon C.A.B. (Network Ten)
• 5 December – Template:Flagicon The New Gidget (Network Ten)
• 16 December – Template:Flagicon The Body Electric (ABC TV)
• 19 December – Template:Flagicon The Ghosts of Motley Hall (ABC TV)
• 21 December – Template:Flagicon Jack and Mike (Network Ten)
• 24 December – Template:Flagicon Christmas Everyday (ABC TV)
• 25 December – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Fox Tales (ABC TV)
• 26 December – Template:Flagicon The December Rose (ABC TV)
• 30 December – Template:Flagicon Clarence (ABC TV)
• 31 December – Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Treasure Island in Outer Space (ABC TV)
• Template:Flagicon Creepy Crawlies (SBS TV)
• Template:Flagicon Playbox (Nine Network)
• Template:Flagicon 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

Program	New network(s)	Previous network(s)	Date
Template:Flagicon It Ain't Half Hot Mum	Seven Network	ABC TV
Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Zoom the White Dolphin	SBS TV	ABC TV
Template:Flagicon Who Will Comfort Toffle?	ABC TV	SBS TV
Template:Flagicon Murder She Wrote	Network Ten	Nine Network

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)
• 60 Minutes (1979–present)

1980s

• Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
• Wheel of Fortune (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004–present)
• Sunday (1981–2008)
• Today (1982–present)
• Neighbours (1985–present)
• The Flying Doctors (1986–1993)
• Rage (1987–present)
• Home and Away (1988–present)
• The Comedy Company (1988–1990)
• Seven's Super Saturday (1988–1990)

Ending this year

Date	Show	Channel	Debut
17 March 1988	c/o The Bartons	ABC TV	29 February 1988
14 April 1988	The Dirtwater Dynasty	Network Ten	10 April 1988
1 May 1988	Touch the Sun	ABC TV	27 March 1988
3 August 1988	The Gerry Connolly Show	ABC TV	29 June 1988
15 November 1988	Emma: Queen of the South Seas	Channel Ten	14 November 1988
December 1988	Romper Room	Channel Seven/NBN Television	1963
1 December 1988	Young Talent Time	Channel Ten	24 April 1971
13 December 1988	The Last Resort	ABC TV	27 April 1988
18 December 1988	House Rules	ABC TV	10 July 1988
23 December 1988	Good Morning Melbourne	Channel Ten	1981

See also

• 1988 in Australia
• List of Australian films of 1988