1981 in Australian television

This article is a summary of 1981 in Australian television.

Events

Television

• 15 February – Channel Nine Celebrates 25 Years Of Television, hosted by Bert Newton^[1]
• 2 March^{[citation needed]} – Network Ten introduces its new breakfast TV show, Good Morning Australia, marking the return of breakfast television to Australian television screens.
• 30 March – British sitcom To the Manor Born debuts on ABC.
• 10 April – The TV Week Logie Awards air on Network Ten for the first time.
• 23 May – Nine Network premieres a brand new sports program called Wide World of Sports.
• 27 July – Wheel of Fortune premieres on the Seven Network, hosted by Ernie Sigley with Adriana Xenides.
• 29 July – The Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer is broadcast across ABC and almost every commercial channel in Australia.
• 16 September – The Nine Network celebrates 25 years of television in Australia.
• 12 November – Final episode of the Australia soap opera The Restless Years airs on Network Ten.
• 15 November – The Nine Network premieres its Sunday morning political current affairs program Sunday, hosted by Jim Waley.
• 23 November – A Country Practice debuts on Seven Network.
• December – After a two year-battle, Rupert Murdoch's News Limited finally gains control of the Melbourne headquarters of Network Ten after appealing the decision by the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal which blocked the takeover.

Debuts

Program	Network	Debut date
And Here Comes Bucknuckle	ABC	26 January
Daily at Dawn	Seven Network	3 February
Good Morning Australia	Network Ten	2 March
Fatty and George	ABC	3 March
Outbreak of Love	ABC	15 March
Levkas Man	ABC	18 March
Wide World of Sports	Nine Network	23 May
Ratbags	Network Ten	2 June
I Can Jump Puddles	ABC	7 June
Holiday Island	Network Ten	17 June
Bellamy	Network Ten	26 June
Intimate Strangers	ABC	12 July
Wheel of Fortune	Seven Network	21 July
The New Price Is Right	Seven Network	7 September
The Nargun and the Stars	ABC	15 September
Sunday	Nine Network	15 November
A Country Practice	Seven Network	23 November
The National Today Show aka Today	Nine network	1981-

New international programming

• 4 February – Knots Landing (Seven Network)
• 10 February – Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Nine Network)
• 14 February – Freebie and the Bean (Network Ten)
• 21 February/26 June – Here's Boomer (21 February: Seven Network – Sydney, 26 June: Seven Network – Melbourne)
• 4 March – Worzel Gummidge (ABC)
• 4 March – Leatherstocking Tales (ABC)
• 8 March – To Serve Them All My Days (ABC)
• 14 March/7 May – The Sandbaggers (14 March: Nine Network – Sydney, 7 May: Nine Network – Melbourne)
• 30 March – To the Manor Born (ABC)
• 30 April – The Enigma Files (ABC)
• 4 May – Monkey (ABC)
• 12 May – / Drak Pack (Seven Network)
• 15 May – Romie-0 and Julie-8 (Seven Network)
• 22 May – The Devil and Daniel Mouse (Seven Network)
• 30 May – Magnum, P.I. (Network Ten)
• 5 June – Matt and Jenny (ABC)
• 20 June – Yes Minister (ABC)
• 15 July – Jukes of Piccadilly (ABC)
• 8 August – Richie Rich (Nine Network)
• 24 August – Walt Disney's Mickey and Donald (Seven Network)
• 26 August – The Swish of the Curtain (ABC)
• 2 September – Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World (Nine Network)
• 7 September – Wayne and Shuster (ABC)
• 7 October – God's Wonderful Railway (ABC)
• 22 October – / Tenko (ABC)
• 27 October – Huckleberry Finn and His Friends (Seven Network)
• 18 November – It's a Living (Nine Network)
• 18 November – Ladies' Man (Nine Network)
• 20 November – Goodtime Girls (Network Ten)
• 13 December – A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court (Network Ten – Melbourne)
• 21 December – How Bugs Bunny Won the West (Network Ten)
• 23 December – A Cosmic Christmas (ABC)
• 31 December – Hi-de-Hi! (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
The Nutty Squirrels Present	NRN	ABC	25 March

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)^[2]
• 60 Minutes (1979–present)
• Prisoner (1979–1986)

1980s

• Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
• Kingswood Country (1980–1984)
• Wheel of Fortune (1981–2008)
• A Town Like Alice, mini-series produced by Network Seven.

Ending this year

Date	Show	Channel	Debut
22 April	Levkas Man	ABC	18 March 1981
28 April	Daily at Dawn	Seven Network	3 February 1981
5 May	Fatty and George	ABC	3 March 1981
19 July	Intimage Strangers	ABC	12 July 1981
27 July	Skyways	Seven Network	9 July 1979
2 August	I Can Jump Puddles	ABC	7 June 1981
13 October	The Nargun and the Stars	ABC	15 September 1981
12 November	The Restless Years	Network Ten	6 December 1977
18 December	Bellamy	Network Ten	26 June 1981

Returning this year

TV movies

See also

• 1981 in Australia
• List of Australian films of 1981