1991 in Australian television

Overview of the events of 1991 in Australian television

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## Events

[edit]

### January

[edit]

* 2 January – British sitcom Mr. Bean starring Rowan Atkinson premieres on the ABC.[1]
* 13 January – Network Ten undergoes a major rebrand, launching as "The Entertainment Network" and introducing a new logo, which remained in use until October 2018.
* 17 January – Seven Network's long running breakfast program Sunrise makes its first broadcast.
* 22 January – Australian sitcom All Together Now premieres on Nine Network.

### February

[edit]

* 8 February – French-American-Canadian animated series Inspector Gadget ends its afternoon run on ABC. The series will later shift to air on Sunday mornings on 22 December of that year.
* 10 February – The Simpsons debuts on Network Ten at 7:30 pm with the first season episode, 'Bart the Genius'.
* 11 February – The ABC premieres the sitcom Eggshells starring Garry McDonald.

### March

[edit]

* March – Tony Barber and Alyce Platt announced that they will quit hosting the quiz show Sale of the Century.
* 15 March – Steve Vizard wins the 1991 Gold Logie.
* 16 March – The producers of soap opera Neighbours have reported that star Beth Buchanan (sister of ex-Hey Dad star Simone) is going to leave the series when her contract expires in June.
* 17 March – ABC debuts a new Sunday morning children's wrapper program called Couch Potato presented by Australian actor Grant Piro.
* 19 March – Australian children's series Johnson and Friends premieres in New Zealand on TVNZ's Channel 2 as part of the After 2 children's block.

### April

[edit]

* April – Glenn Ridge and Jo Bailey replace Tony Barber and Alyce Platt on Sale of the Century.
* 6 April – Network Ten's troubled soap opera Neighbours is set to lose a record number of cast members as many of them have contract renewals coming up. Ian Williams, who plays medical student Adam Willis, is confirmed to be leaving, while co-star Lucinda Cowden who plays Melanie Pearson is also believed to be quitting when their contracts expire.
* 30 April – ABC's live comedy series The Big Gig returns with a new series.
* 6 April – Network Ten's disgraced soap opera Neighbours is set to lose never more than 25 actors along with 200 crew people, being terminated from their roles as part of the severe revamp. The names were Ian Smith (Harold Bishop), Lucinda Cowden (Melanie Pearson), Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Gayle and Gillian Blakeney (Caroline & Christina Aleesi), Mark Little (Joe Mangel), Kristian Schimid (Todd Landers), Jeremy Angerson (Josh Anderson), Beth Buchanan (Gemma Ramsay), Amelia Frid (Cody Willis), Ben Guerens (Toby Mangel), Miranda Fryer (Sky Bishop) and Ian Williams (Adam Willis). Joining the shamed series will be former Cleo covergirl of the year Rachel Blakely and former models Scott Michaelson and Andrew Williams.

### May

[edit]

* 13 May – Triple J presenter and radio announcer Michael Tunn takes over as presenter of the Australian weekday magazine series The Afternoon Show.
* 15 May – Canadian teen drama series Degrassi High, the third in the Degrassi trilogy series makes its debut on ABC.
* 30 May – Australian sitcom All Together Now premieres in New Zealand, screening on Channel 2.
* 30 May – A spinoff of the Australian comedy series Hey Dad...! called Hampton Court airs on Seven Network running for only one season and a total of thirteen episodes. It was later axed after the final episode on 22 August.

### June

[edit]

* 1 June – Reruns of the classic ABC drama series Patrol Boat are now airing on Network Ten.
* 3 June – Neighbours premieres in America, airing on KCOP-TV in Los Angeles, CA. Two weeks later, the series debuts on WWOR-TV, New York.
* 10 June – British children's animated series Postman Pat and Tugs premiere on ABC.
* 15 June – Hey Hey It's Saturday begins airing on Channel 2 in New Zealand.
* 24 June – ABC debuts its new children's game show Big Square Eye hosted by ex-Neighbours star Bob La Castra.

### July

[edit]

* 4 July – British long running soap opera series EastEnders airs on ABC for the very last time due to the show not getting any more episodes from the UK[citation needed] where it originally came from, although it was later repeated on UKTV on cable television.
* 16 July – Australian live comedy series The Big Gig airs its final episode on ABC.
* 19 July – Ron Casey and Normie Rowe receive a massive punch-up live on Midday with Ray Martin. In Neighbours, Harold Bishop has had a massive heart attack in the Coffee Shop.
* 30 July – Johnson and Friends makes it debut in the UK on the BBC.

### August

[edit]

* 9 August – Final episode of the Australian children's sitcom Pugwall screens on Nine Network.
* 13 August – Australian children's series Adventures on Kythera premiers on the Nine Network, its first broadcast in Australia. The series debuted in the UK and Ireland two years ago.
* 15 August – American talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show makes its debut on Network Ten as a late-night program.

### September

[edit]

* 7 September – Neighbours star Richard Huggett, who plays Jim Robinson's half-son Glen Donnelly has told producers that he will not be renewing his contract when it expires in November. He will be seen on air until February 1992.
* 7 September – Johnson and Friends premieres in South Africa on M-Net as part of their children's block K-T.V..
* 19 September – Network Ten's shamed soap opera Neighbours airs a tragic episode: Joe Mangel proposes to Melanie Pearson announce they will immigrate to the UK, Adam Willis leaves Ramsay Street for Europe, Harold Bishop is murdered off the coast while on holidays with Madge to Tasmania – this was the final episode.

### October

[edit]

* 25 October – In Neighbours, Joe Mangel, Melanie Pearson and Sky Bishop depart.
* 30 October – The second series of Johnson and Friends debuts at 4:30pm on ABC.

### November

[edit]

* 5 November – The hit long running British science fiction series Doctor Who returns on ABC after a long absence since its last air in mid 1990, starting off with the fourth serial of Season 17 Nightmare of Eden and ending with the seventh and final serial of Season 18 Logopolis in early 1992. A convention of the series is also being held at the local Noah's on the Beach hotel in Newcastle, New South Wales.
* 6 November – Star Trek: The Next Generation, a sequel to the American science fiction television series in the Star Trek franchise, premieres on the Nine Network and is shown every Wednesday at 7:30pm.
* 6 November – Johnson and Friends begins airing in Ireland on RTÉ Network 2 as part of The Den, a wrap-around programme for children.

### December

[edit]

* December – The Seven Network wins the 1991 ratings year with a record of 33.8% share for Total People. This is the fifth consecutive year the network had won in primetime.
* 3 December – American sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air starring American rapper Will Smith makes it debut on Nine Network. American teen sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose also debuts on Nine on the same day.
* 19 December – Australian children's television series Johnson and Friends is sold to television markets across Canada for the first time ever. The first television channel to air the series in Canada was Knowledge Network in British Columbia.
* 22 December – Inspector Gadget returns to the ABC after a very long absence with the series now broadcasting every Sunday morning.
* 27 December – Australian children's series Fat Cat and Friends airs on Seven Network for the very last time. The series was then cancelled due to the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal claiming that it was not educational enough and not clearly defined and it will might confuse young children.
* 30 December – Australian children's series The Book Place debuts on Seven Network.
* 31 December – The Northern New South Wales television market is aggregated, with Prime Television taking a Seven Network affiliation, NBN taking a Nine Network affiliation & NRTV (now Southern Cross Ten) taking a Network Ten affiliation.
* Whole year – Hey Hey It's Saturday tours Australia, celebrating the show's 20th Anniversary, touring Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, including the opening of Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast and Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood.

## Debuts

[edit]

### Domestic

[edit]

Program  | Network  | Debut date

|
|

Sunrise | Seven Network | 17 January
Ten Eyewitness News Late | Network Ten | 21 January
All Together Now | Nine Network | 22 January
Chances | Nine Network | 29 January
Extra | Nine Network | 9 February
Eggshells | ABC | 11 February
Landline | ABC | 11 March
Couch Potato | ABC | 17 March
Live and Sweaty | ABC | 22 March
The Life and Death of Sandy Stone | ABC | 29 April
Goodsports | Nine Network | 3 May
Act of Necessity | ABC | 8 May
Half a World Away | ABC | 22 May
Hampton Court | Seven Network | 30 May
Big Square Eye | ABC | 24 June
What's Cooking? | Nine Network | 1 July
Blockbusters | Seven Network | 15 July
DAAS Kapital | ABC | 15 July
Kids' Stuff | Network Ten | 27 July
Kelly | Network Ten | 10 August
Adventures on Kythera | Nine Network | 13 August
Brides of Christ | ABC | 4 September
Which Way Home | Network Ten | 22 September
Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures | Seven Network | 27 September
Rose Against the Odds | Seven Network | 29 September
Finders Keepers | ABC | 28 October
The Worst Day of My Life | ABC | 4 November
Animal Park | Seven Network | 24 November
The Miraculous Mellops | Network Ten | 25 November
Global Gardener | ABC | 29 November
The Book Place | Seven Network | 30 December

### International

[edit]

Program  | Network  | Debut date

|
|

Mr. Bean | ABC | 2 January
Traffik | Nine Network | 6 January
Ann Jillian | Nine Network | 7 January
Homeroom | Nine Network | 14 January
Totally Hidden Video | Network Ten | 21 January
/ East of the Moon | ABC | 22 January
Alien Nation | Network Ten | 22 January
White Again | SBS | 23 January
Take Me Home | ABC | 29 January
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! | Nine Network | 4 February
The Legend of Zelda | Nine Network | 8 February
The Simpsons | Network Ten | 10 February
Heartland | Nine Network | 10 February
Octopus 4 | SBS | 17 February
Smith and Jones in Small Doses | SBS | 17 February
Twin Peaks | Network Ten | 18 February
The Paradise Club | ABC | 18 February
Campaign | ABC | 19 February
The Nutt House | Seven Network | 28 February
/ Something Is Out There | Nine Network | 7 March
Grim Tales | ABC | 11 March
The Trap Door | ABC | 17 March
The Trials of Life | ABC | 17 March
French and Saunders | ABC | 18 March
The Great Moghuls | SBS | 24 March
Maid Marian and Her Merry Men | ABC | 25 March
Tiny Toon Adventures | Nine Network | 26 March
Charlie Chalk | ABC | 1 April
No Job for a Lady | ABC | 1 April
/ Friday the 13th: The Series | Network Ten | 5 April
Guys Next Door | Seven Network | 6 April
Saved By the Bell | Seven Network | 6 April
Gumby Adventures | ABC | 22 April
The Flash | Nine Network | 9 May
Mancuso, F.B.I. | Seven Network | 9 May
South of the Border | ABC | 13 May
Degrassi High | ABC | 15 May
Blackeyes | ABC | 26 May
Alfonso Bonzo | ABC | 27 May
The Manageress | ABC | 27 May
Anything But Love | Network Ten | 29 May
Wake, Rattle and Roll | Network Ten | 3 June
Billy Webb's Amazing Stories | ABC | 4 June
Blackadder Goes Forth | Seven Network | 6 June
Postman Pat | ABC | 10 June
TUGS | ABC | 10 June
Top of the Hill | Nine Network | 17 June
// The Further Adventures of SuperTed | ABC | 17 June
House of Cards | ABC | 19 June
Tender Is the Night | ABC | 23 June
French Fields | ABC | 24 June
Alvin and the Chipmunks (Murakami-Wolf-Swenson/DIC Entertainment version)  | ABC | 4 July
Zorro (1990) | Network Ten | 8 July
The Civil War | SBS | 15 July
Capital City | ABC | 23 July
Equal Justice | Network Ten | 23 July
Dink, the Little Dinosaur | Network Ten | 27 July
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes | Network Ten | 27 July
/ Piggsburg Pigs! | Network Ten | 28 July
Today's Gourmet | SBS | 3 August
/ The Ghost of Faffner Hall | Network Ten | 4 August
The Josephine Baker Story | Network Ten | 5 August
The Oprah Winfrey Show | Network Ten | 5 August
This is David Lander | SBS | 6 August
Mr. Fixit | ABC | 6 August
Grandma Bricks of Swallow Street | ABC | 12 August
Flower Street | SBS | 26 August
Strangers | ABC | 28 August
The Muppets at Walt Disney World | Seven Network | 1 September
Tom and Jerry Kids | Seven Network | 5 September
Five Minute Wonder | ABC | 11 September
I'm Telling! | Seven Network | 19 September
Police Squad! | Seven Network | 19 September
The Arsenio Hall Show | Nine Network | 19 September
Commander Crumbcake | Network Ten | 28 September
Telling Tales | SBS | 29 September
In Living Color | Network Ten | 29 September
Drop the Dead Donkey | SBS | 1 October
Captain Planet and the Planeteers | ABC | 7 October
The All-New Candid Camera | Network Ten | 7 October
Tom's Midnight Garden (1988 version)  | ABC | 11 October
/ Peter Pan and the Pirates | Network Ten | 26 October
Bobby's World | Network Ten | 26 October
The Fanelli Boys | Seven Network | 5 November
Star Trek: The Next Generation | Nine Network | 6 November
Little Wizards | Network Ten | 17 November
Super Force | Nine Network | 18 November
Lucky Chances | Seven Network | 27 November
Beverly Hills 90210 | Network Ten | 29 November
Rescue 911 | Nine Network | 2 December
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Nine Network | 3 December
Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Nine Network | 3 December
/// Red Empire | ABC | 4 December
A Family for Joe (TV movie)  | Seven Network | 6 December
Joint Account | ABC | 8 December
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage | Seven Network | 9 December
Hull High | Seven Network | 10 December
A Family for Joe (TV series)  | Seven Network | 10 December
Baby Talk | Nine Network | 13 December
Married People | Nine Network | 13 December
Dear John (USA) | Nine Network | 16 December
Evening Shade | Nine Network | 19 December
Wings | Nine Network | 19 December
Maniac Mansion | Network Ten | 23 December
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship | ABC | 25 December
Fireman Sam: Snow Business | ABC | 25 December
My Family and Other Animals | Network Ten | 28 December
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson | Seven Network | 29 December
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary | Seven Network | 31 December
The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda | Seven Network | 1991
Gravedale High | Seven Network | 1991
TaleSpin | Seven Network | 1991
Captain N: The Game Master | Seven Network | 1991
Sherlock Hound | Nine Network | 1991

### Changes to network affiliation

[edit]

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.

#### Domestic

[edit]

Program  | New network(s)  | Previous network(s)  | Date

|
|
|

Patrol Boat | Network Ten | ABC | 1 June

#### International

[edit]

Program  | New network(s)  | Previous network(s)  | Date

|
|
|

Rocky and Bullwinkle | ABC | Nine Network | 26 August
Married... With Children | Nine Network | Network Ten | 27 August
Magilla Gorilla | Seven Network | Nine Network | December
Casper and the Angels | Seven Network | ABC | 1991

## Television shows

[edit]

ABC TV

* Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959–1999)
* Four Corners (1961–present)
* Rage (1987–present)
* G.P. (1989–1996)

Seven Network

* Wheel of Fortune (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004–06)
* A Country Practice (1981–1994)
* Home and Away (1988–present)
* Family Feud (1988–1996)
* Fast forward (1989–1992)

Nine Network

* Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
* A Current Affair (1971–1978, 1988–present)
* Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999)
* The Midday Show (1973–1998)
* 60 Minutes (1979–present)
* Sunday (1981–2008)
* Today (1982–present)
* The Flying Doctors (1986–1991)
* Australia's Funniest Home Video Show (1990–present)
* Golden Fiddles (1991)

Network Ten

* Neighbours (1985–present)
* E Street (1989–1993)
* Til Ten (1989–1991)

## Ending this year

[edit]

Date | Show | Channel | Debut

|
|
|

2 February  | Rafferty's Rules | Seven Network | 1987
10 May  | Overseas and Undersold | ABC | 1988
16 July  | The Big Gig | ABC | 1989
7 August  | The New Adventures of Blinky Bill | ABC | 1984
9 August  | Pugwall | Nine Network | 13 June 1989
22 August  | Hampton Court | Seven Network | 30 May 1991
25 August  | Golden Fiddles | Nine Network | 18 August 1991
30 August  | A Big Country | ABC | 1968
23 September  | Which Way Home | Network Ten | 22 September 1991
9 October  | Brides of Christ | ABC | 4 September 1991
23 November  | The Cartoon Company | Nine Network | 1986
23 November  | The C Company | Nine Network | 1990
1 December  | The River Kings | ABC | 10 November 1991
9 December  | The Worst Day of My Life | ABC | 4 November 1991
20 December  | Global Gardener | ABC | 29 November 1991
27 December  | Fat Cat and Friends | Network Ten
Seven Network | 1972
27 December  | Til Ten | Network Ten | 1989

## See also

[edit]

* 1991 in Australia
* List of Australian films of 1991

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Trioli, Virginia (2 January 1991). "TeleScope: The delight of laughing at the misfortune of others". The Age. No. 42305\. p. 12. Retrieved 25 November 2021.

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Years in Australian television

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