1994 in Australian television

Overview of the events of 1994 in Australian television

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## Events

[edit]

* 18 January – Australian police drama series Blue Heelers premieres on Seven Network.
* 28 January – American animated series Rugrats makes its debut on ABC at 5:30 pm.
* 31 January – American children's action TV series Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers debuts on Seven Network.
* 31 January – A sequel to the Australian family film Clowning Around called Clowning Around II airs on Seven Network.
* February – Derryn Hinch has taken over Ray Martin's place as host of the Australian award-winning daytime talk program Midday.
* 7 February – Nicky Buckley replaces Jo Bailey as Glenn Ridge's co-host on Sale Of The Century, where she would remain for the next 6 years.
* 10 February – American science fiction television series The X-Files makes it debut on Network Ten.
* 11 February – The ABC has signed a deal to sell its children's TV series Bananas in Pyjamas to various countries around the world. The series has been sold for broadcasting in the UK, Cyprus, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Portugal, Iceland, Canada, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, South Africa, Namibia and Ireland. A deal is about to be signed with a Japanese network to air the series and ABC Enterprises executives will fly over to the USA for the New York Toy Fair and talks on how to crack the lucrative US market.
* 27 February – Network Ten launches Heartbreak High, a brand new schoolroom drama which was a spinoff of the 1993 Australian romantic comedy feature film The Heartbreak Kid.
* 28 February – Australian long running children's TV series Mr Squiggle returns to ABC for a brand new series at 3:55 pm.
* 3 March – British long running science fiction series Doctor Who airs on ABC for the last time in its original run at 4:30 am with the fourth and final part of the sixth and final serial of Season 22 Revelation of the Daleks.
* 5 March – American animated series Animaniacs premieres on the Nine Network as part of their What's Up Doc? block.
* 21 March – Final episode of the Australian comedy series Mother and Son airs on ABC.
* 24 March – American sitcom Frasier starring Kelsey Grammer premieres on the Nine Network.
* 27 March – The Animals of Farthing Wood, a British children's animated series based on the books by Colin Dann premieres on ABC at 8:00 am as part of Couch Potato.
* 31 March – Australia's iconic and long running soap Home and Away begins premiering on NBC in Namibia.
* 10 April – Australian children's TV series Lift Off has spawned into a game show titled EC Plays Lift Off with Mr. Fish as the host and only running for 13 episodes. It will air on ABC on every Sunday morning as part of Couch Potato.
* 11 April – Australian children's comedy series The Ferals premieres on ABC.
* 11 April – Michael Tunn, the host of the ABC's Afternoon Show returns with a brand new music series called Loud as a replacement for the weekday afternoon magazine show that was axed in late 1993. The show includes music videos as well as reviews on movies and video games, feature stories on youth culture, musicians talking about their favourite music videos and on location interviews with bands and will be shown from Monday to Thursday at 5:30 pm.
* 13 April – A Country Practice switches over to air on Network Ten following its final air on Seven Network in 1993.
* 16 April – American children's TV series Barney & Friends premieres on Nine Network.
* 30 April – The Tasmanian television market is aggregated, with TasTV (now WIN Television) taking a Nine Network affiliation & Southern Cross taking a dual Seven and Ten affiliation.
* 9 May – Frontline a satirical look at current affairs television from Australian comedy group The D-Generation and starring Rob Sitch as anchor Mike Moore starts airing on the ABC.
* 16 May – A brand new Australian game show for children called A*mazing debuts on Seven Network. Hosted by James Sherry and airing at 4:30 pm, the show pitted teams from two different primary schools against each other during the course of a week. Points gained by each contestant during the week would be totalled up to decide the winning school at the end of each week.
* 20 May – SBS commences transmission in Darwin.
* 23 May – Australia's favourite koala Blinky Bill returns to television with a brand new animated series on ABC at 4:30 pm. The series had previously aired in Germany, Hong Kong, the UK, Singapore, Ireland and on UK forces television before airing in its homeland.
* 1 June - Australian soap opera Home and Away airs on television in the United States for the first time on the country's newly launched cable television channel FX. It would take years to bring the soap opera to America.
* 16 June – Final episode of the Australian music series Loud airs on ABC.
* 20 June – Australian teen game show Vidiot returns to the ABC for a brand new series with Scott McRae taking over as presenter.
* 30 June – ABC has expired the rights to the long running British science fiction series Doctor Who. The series itself will no longer continue to air on the Australian free for air public broadcaster until 2003, but will soon air on cable television on UKTV in 1996. The ABC will also broadcast the television movie of the series in July of the same year.
* 1 August – Melbourne's ATV10 celebrates 30 years of transmission.
* 17 August – Australian comedy series Hey Dad..! hosts its final original episode on Seven Network.
* 18–28 August – The Commonwealth Games are televised live on Network Ten from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
* 8 September – ABC debuts The Human Animal, a six-part British nature documentary series written and presented by Desmond Morris described as "a study of human behaviour from a zoological perspective", travels the world to filming the diverse customs and habits of various regions while suggesting common roots.
* 23 September – Iconic Australian drama series Banjo Paterson's The Man From Snowy River: The McGregor Saga starring Andrew Clarke and Wendy Hughes premieres on the Nine Network.
* 29 September – The fourth episode of ABC's The Human Animal includes sexually explicit scenes when it depicted a couple making love by using tiny endoscopic cameras placed inside both bodies to show intimate orifices. It also depicts the insertion of a man's erect penis into a woman's vagina and the subsequent orgasm.
* October – In Neighbours, the Kennedy family (Susan, Karl, Libby, Billy, Mal) arrive at No. 28, Doug and Pam Willis leave for Darwin, Julie Martin is killed in the Murder Mystery Weekend.
* 16 October – The Nine Network rebrands its on-air graphics.
* 19 October – A television special known as The Very Best of the Don Lane Show airs on Nine Network at 8:30 pm. It features Don Lane introducing some of the memorable segments to have come from the popular variety show that ran from 1975 to 1983, including footage of guest stars Mel Brooks, Billy Connolly, James Randi, Charlton Heston, Bob Hope, Liza Minnelli, Robin Williams, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Allen, John Farnham, Peter Sellers and Johnny O'Keefe. This special was remastered for a DVD release in 2004.
* 5 November – A Country Practice (1981–1993 on Channel 7) revival attempt on Network Ten backfires and is swiftly cancelled due to low ratings.
* 26 November – The popular television character Ossie Ostrich leaves Hey Hey It's Saturday after 23 years as Daryl Somers' co-host. When the show returns in 1995, Somers will host solo.
* The infamous TAC Nightshift commercial depicting A Volkswagen Kombi goes to air on television for the very first time.
* The 1994 FIFA World Cup is broadcast live from the United States and is shown on SBS and Prime Television.
* Community Television starts with long-term trials of stations in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
* The ABC purchases an Australian children's television programme from the creators of Johnson and Friends called Boffins about tiny alien like creatures called Boffins who spent their days in kitchen cupboards and surrounding areas, trying to discover science behind how the world works. The series was never broadcast in Australia but it did air in several other countries such as Singapore, Israel, Malaysia, Brunei, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Canada, Africa and the Middle East. The complete series will be released on VHS in Australia the following year by ABC Video and Roadshow Entertainment featuring all thirteen episodes.
* American children's animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles changes it schedule to mornings as part of Agro's Cartoon Connection on Seven Network.

## Debuts

[edit]

Program  | Network  | Debut date

|
|

Kate Ceberano and Friends | ABC TV | 17 January
Blue Heelers | Seven Network | 18 January
Level 23 | Network Ten | 24 January
Alan Jones Live | Network Ten | 31 January
Man O Man | Seven Network | 5 February
Under the Skin | SBS TV | 16 February
The Bob Morrison Show | Nine Network | 22 February
Heartbreak High | Network Ten | 27 February
The Times | Seven Network | 14 March
Denton | Seven Network | 15 March
Ballzup! | ABC TV | 20 March
Heartland | ABC TV | 23 March
The AFL Footy Show | Nine Network | 24 March
The Big Byte | SBS TV | 24 March
EC Plays Lift Off | ABC TV | 10 April
The Reading, Writing Roadshow | ABC TV | 11 April
The Ferals | ABC TV | 11 April
Loud | ABC TV | 11 April
Consumer Power | ABC TV | 13 April
The Zone | Nine Network | 30 April
Frontline | ABC TV | 9 May
Sydney Weekender | Seven Network | 14 May
A*mazing | Seven Network | 16 May
The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | ABC TV | 2 June
Stampede | ABC TV | 10 June
Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left | Seven Network | 19 June
Strike It Lucky | Nine Network | 11 July
The Battlers | Seven Network | 13 July
Total Recall | Seven Network | 15 August
Ocean Girl | Network Ten | 29 August
The NRL Footy Show | Nine Network | 1 September
Janus | ABC TV | 1 September
Living in the 90s | ABC TV | 1 September
Wedlocked | Seven Network | 7 September
Banjo Paterson's The Man From Snowy River: The McGregor Saga | Nine Network | 23 September
The Liberals: 50 Years of the Federal Party | ABC TV | 12 October
Big Girl's Blouse | Seven Network | 13 October
Halifax f.p. | Nine Network | 9 November
Escape from Jupiter | ABC TV | 26 November

### International Programming

[edit]

Program  | Network  | Debut date

|
|

States of Mind | SBS TV | 2 January
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 | Nine Network | 3 January
Great Crimes and Trials of the 20th Century | ABC TV | 7 January
Sandino | SBS TV | 8 January
The Late Show with David Letterman | Nine Network | 12 January
Kings Without Crowns | SBS TV | 16 January
Coast of Dreams | SBS TV | 19 January
A Very Merry Widow | SBS TV | 19 January
Super Mario World | Nine Network | 20 January
Grace & Favour | Network Ten | 28 January
Rugrats | ABC TV | 28 January
/ Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers | Seven Network | 31 January
Biker Mice from Mars | Network Ten | 31 January
// Clowning Around II | Seven Network | 31 January
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog | Network Ten | 31 January
/ Funnybones | ABC TV | 1 February
/ Where's Wally? | ABC TV | 2 February
Missing Persons | Nine Network | 2 February
NYPD Blue | Network Ten | 3 February
Calling the Shots | ABC TV | 3 February
/ Eek! The Cat | Network Ten | 3 February
Anglo-Saxon Attitudes | ABC TV | 6 February
The X-Files | Network Ten | 10 February
Flesh 'n' Blood | Seven Network | 13 February
Doug | Network Ten | 13 February
Davis Rules | Nine Network | 17 February
Tooth Fairy, Where Are You? | ABC TV | 18 February
A Child's Garden of Verses | ABC TV | 18 February
Here's How! | ABC TV | 22 February
To Play the King | ABC TV | 24 February
Gallowglass | ABC TV | 27 February
Body & Soul | Nine Network | 1 March
Sightings | Seven Network | 1 March
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act | ABC TV | 2 March
Animaniacs | Nine Network | 5 March
Forever Knight | Nine Network | 9 March
Italianissimo | ABC TV | 12 March
Ashenden | ABC TV | 20 March
Boy Meets World | Seven Network | 23 March
Dave's World | Nine Network | 24 March
Frasier | Nine Network | 24 March
/ The Animals of Farthing Wood | ABC TV | 27 March
Almost Home | Seven Network | 29 March
Here and Now | Seven Network | 30 March
Kevin's Cousins | ABC TV | 1 April
Ferris Bueller | Nine Network | 1 April
Out All Night | Nine Network | 2 April
Blood and Honey | ABC TV | 3 April
Northwood | ABC TV | 11 April
The Hat Squad | Nine Network | 15 April
Barney & Friends | Nine Network | 16 April
Old Bear Stories | ABC TV | 18 April
Rat-a-Tat-Tat | ABC TV | 20 April
Mathica's Mathshop | ABC TV | 20 April
Walker, Texas Ranger | Nine Network | 28 April
Today's Gourmet | SBS TV | 30 April
In Suspicious Circumstances | Seven Network | 4 May
The Full Wax | ABC TV | 7 May
Hit and Run | SBS TV | 11 May
Grace Under Fire | Seven Network | 15 May
Miffy | ABC TV | 16 May
His and Hers (USA) | Seven Network | 17 May
The Greedysaurus Gang | ABC TV | 23 May
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Seven Network | 25 May
Kinsey | ABC TV | 30 May
Discover America: The West | SBS TV | 31 May
Where I Live | Seven Network | 3 June
Ready or Not | ABC TV | 17 June
// Deepwater Haven | Network Ten | 19 June
Beakman's World | Network Ten | 19 June
Key West | Seven Network | 22 June
Great Scott! | Nine Network | 24 June
Kevin and Co. | ABC TV | 27 June
Between the Lines | Seven Network | 28 June
// Madeline (TV series)  | ABC TV | 28 June
Philbert Frog | ABC TV | 28 June
Behaving Badly | ABC TV | 3 July
// Conan the Adventurer | Network Ten | 4 July
A Touch of Frost | Seven Network | 8 July
Murder Most Horrid | ABC TV | 11 July
The Admiral and the Princess | ABC TV | 15 July
Teddy Trucks | ABC TV | 15 July
Glenroe | SBS TV | 18 July
Supercities | SBS TV | 19 July
Jo Brand Through the Cakehole | Seven Network | 21 July
Dolphin Stories | SBS TV | 21 July
Ooh La La | SBS TV | 22 July
Great Chefs of San Francisco | SBS TV | 23 July
Switch | SBS TV | 26 July
/ Thicker than Water | ABC TV | 31 July
Do-It-Yourself Mr. Bean | ABC TV | 5 August
As Time Goes By | ABC TV | 8 August
Knight Rider 2000 | Network Ten | 10 August
/ Highlander: The Series | Seven Network | 11 August
Back to School Mr. Bean | ABC TV | 12 August
Underbelly (UK) | ABC TV | 14 August
/ Orson and Olivia | ABC TV | 19 August
Space Age: The Quest for Planet Mars | SBS TV | 21 August
SeaQuest DSV | Network Ten | 28 August
Models Inc. | Network Ten | 30 August
Mad About You | Network Ten | 30 August
/ Counterstrike | Network Ten | 1 September
Burke's Law (1994) | Network Ten | 2 September
The Human Animal | ABC TV | 8 September
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Nine Network | 10 September
/ Tales of the City | ABC TV | 11 September
Café Americain | Seven Network | 14 September
Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie | ABC TV | 17 September
Good Advice | Nine Network | 19 September
Countess Dora | SBS TV | 21 September
So Haunt Me | ABC TV | 22 September
The Lodge | ABC TV | 26 September
Sea Dragon | ABC TV | 26 September
Seven Signs | SBS TV | 27 September
Wallace and Gromit | ABC TV | 30 September
Noel's House Party | Nine Network | 30 September
Exosquad | Network Ten | 15 October
Mansion: Great Houses of Europe | SBS TV | 18 October
Discovering Japan | ABC TV | 19 October
Shortland Street | SBS TV | 24 October
Side by Side | ABC TV | 29 October
The Sinbad Show | Seven Network | 1 November
The Dreamstone | ABC TV | 6 November
The Riff Raff Element | ABC TV | 12 November
Budgie the Little Helicopter | ABC TV | 18 November
Tumbledown Farm | ABC TV | 18 November
Scarlett | Nine Network | 20 November
Bottom | ABC TV | 22 November
Ricki Lake | Network Ten | 28 November
The John Larroquette Show | Nine Network | 28 November
Byrds of Paradise | Network Ten | 28 November
Real Stories of the Highway Patrol | Nine Network | 30 November
The Mommies | Seven Network | 1 December
Renegade | Nine Network | 1 December
Diagnosis: Murder | Nine Network | 1 December
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | Nine Network | 3 December
Cobra | Seven Network | 3 December
Babylon 5 | Seven Network | 3 December
/ Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Nine Network | 5 December
Sea Trek | ABC TV | 8 December
Open a Door | ABC TV | 11 December
// The Little Engine That Could | ABC TV | 11 December
Prince Cinders | ABC TV | 11 December
The Nightmare Years | Seven Network | 12 December
Byker Grove | ABC TV | 13 December
Three Stars | SBS TV | 16 December
Rubbish, King of the Jumble | ABC TV | 18 December
Wild Palms | Nine Network | 19 December
Success | SBS TV | 23 December
Mole's Christmas | Seven Network | 24 December
Jolly Old St. Nicholas | Seven Network | 24 December
Noddy and Father Christmas | ABC TV | 25 December
The Mousehole Cat | ABC TV | 25 December
Brains & Brawn (1993) | Seven Network | 26 December
Twins of Destiny | ABC TV | 27 December
What's Up Doc?: A Salute to Bugs Bunny | ABC TV | 28 December
See How They Grow | ABC TV | 29 December
The World of Hammer | SBS TV | 31 December
Mighty Max | Seven Network | 1994
/ Tales from the Cryptkeeper | Network Ten | 1994
Bonkers | Seven Network | 1994
Marsupilami | Seven Network | 1994

## 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

|
|
|

A Country Practice | Network Ten | Seven Network | 13 April
Kaboodle | ABC TV | Seven Network | 27 June
Ship to Shore | ABC TV | Nine Network | 2 October

### International

[edit]

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

|
|
|

Unsolved Mysteries | Network Ten | Seven Network | 15 January
The Black Adder | ABC TV | Seven Network | 8 April
Fawlty Towers | Seven Network | ABC TV | 14 April
Executive Stress | Network Ten | ABC TV | 22 April
Blackadder II | ABC TV | Seven Network | 13 May
The Wonderful World of Disney | Network Ten | Nine Network, Seven Network | 5 June
Blackadder the Third | ABC TV | Seven Network | 10 June
Blackadder Goes Forth | ABC TV | Seven Network | 24 June
Woof! | ABC TV | Nine Network | 9 October
The Woman Who Raised a Bear as Her Son | ABC TV | SBS TV | 11 December
Blackadder's Christmas Carol | ABC TV | Seven Network | 24 December

## Specials

[edit]

Program  | Channel  | Debut date

|
|

No Cure for Cancer No Cure for Cancer | Nine Network | 6 April

## Television

[edit]

ABC TV

* Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959–1999)
* Four Corners (1961–present)
* Rage (1987–beyond)
* G.P. (1989–1996)
* Foreign Correspondent (1992–present)
* The Damnation of Harvey McHugh (1994)

Seven Network

* Wheel of Fortune (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004-beyond)
* A Country Practice (1981–1994)
* Home and Away (1988–present)
* Family Feud (1988–1996)
* Real Life (1992–1994)
* The Great Outdoors (1993–2006, 2007)
* Full Frontal (1993–present)

Nine Network

* Sunday (1981–2008)
* Today (1982 – present)
* Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
* A Current Affair (1971–1978, 1988–2005, 2006–present)
* Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999)
* The Midday Show (1973–1998)
* 60 Minutes (1979–present)
* The Flying Doctors (1986–1991)
* Australia's Funniest Home Video Show (1990–2000, 2000–2004, 2005–present)
* Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999)
* Getaway (1992–present)
* Our House (1993–2001)
* Money (1993–2000)

Network Ten

* Neighbours (1985 – present)
* E Street (1989–1993)
* Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton (1991–2005)
* Sports Tonight (1993–2011)

## Ending this year

[edit]

Date | Show | Channel | Debut

|
|
|

22 January  | Let the Blood Run Free | Channel Ten | 1990
4 February  | Supermarket Sweep | Channel Nine | 1992
16 March  | Newlyweds | Channel Seven | 1993
20 March  | Kideo | ABC | 1993
21 March  | Mother and Son | ABC | 1984
28 April  | Alan Jones Live | Channel Ten | 31 January 1994
4 May  | Under the Skin | SBS | 16 February 1994
13 May  | Blockbusters | Channel Seven | 1991
27 May  | All in a Day's Work | ABC | 1992
1 June  | Heartland | ABC | 23 March 1994
16 June  | Loud | ABC | 11 April 1994
27 June  | The Adventures of Blinky Bill | ABC | 23 May 1994
3 July  | EC Plays Lift Off | ABC | 10 April 1994
8 July  | Paradise Beach | Channel Nine | 1993
16 August  | The Bob Morrison Show | Channel Nine | 22 February 1994
17 August  | Hey Dad...! | Channel Seven | 1987
18 August  | The Damnation of Harvey McHugh | ABC | 2 June 1994
14 October  | Strike It Lucky | Channel Nine | 11 July 1994
5 November  | A Country Practice | Channel Ten (Channel Seven, 1981–1993)  | 18 April 1994
25 November  | Man O Man | Channel Seven | 5 February 1994
1 December  | Real Life | Channel Seven | 1992
9 December  | Stampede | ABC | 10 June 1994
14 December  | Live and Sweaty | ABC | 1991
24 December  | Video Smash Hits | Channel Seven | 1990

## See also

[edit]

* 1994 in Australia
* List of Australian films of 1994

## References

[edit]

* v
* t
* e

(1993 <-)  1994 in television (1995 ->)

* Australia
* Belgium
* Brazil
* Canada
* Croatia
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Ireland
* Italy
* Japan
* Netherlands
* Philippines
* Poland
* Portugal
* Spain
* Sweden
* United Kingdom
* Scotland
* United States

* v
* t
* e

Years in Australian television

* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

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