1999 in Australian television

Overview of the events of 1999 in Australian television

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The year 1999 in Australian television involved many events.

## Events[edit]

* 11 January – The ABC moves its long running children's series Play School from its long standing time-slot of 4pm weekdays, to 3:30pm.
* 1 February – QSTV becomes an affiliate of the Seven Network, becoming known as Seven Central.
* 13 February – A new Australian science fiction drama series for children Crash Zone produced by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in association with the Disney Channel begins its air on Seven Network.
* 19 February - Neighbours airs the famous Full Monty strip scene involving Karl Kennedy, Joel Samuels, Drew Kirk, Toadie Rebecchi and Billy Kennedy.
* March – WIN Television WA commences broadcasting to regional & remote Western Australia, ending the long-time monopoly held by Golden West Network.
* April – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? begins on Channel Nine and Adriana Xenides retires from Seven's Wheel of Fortune after 18 years as letter turner. She will be replaced by former model Sophie Falkiner. Xenides died from bowel cancer in 2010.
* 7 April – The famous Toyota Hilux Bugger TV commercial that originally aired in New Zealand goes to air for the first time on Australian television during a commercial break of an episode of The Panel on Network Ten.
* 9 April – American animated sitcom Family Guy debuts on the Seven Network.
* 19 April – Final episode of Australian talk show Strassman airs on Nine Network.
* 21 April - In Neighbours, Hannah Martin returns from France; Philip Martin's birthday
* 6 May – Musical director Geoff Harvey is sacked from the Nine Network after 38 years.[1]
* 28 May – Final episode of the Australian National morning program 11AM airs on the Seven Network. The show was axed after 24 years.
* May – The Seven Network becomes the first Australian television network to introduce a watermark on its on-air programs.
* 21 June - In Neighbours, Toadie Rebecchi loses his famous ponytail.
* 28 June – Australian drama series SeaChange returns to the ABC for a second season achieving recording ratings for the network.
* 1 July – Australian children's longest running series Mr. Squiggle celebrates its 40th year.
* 9 July – Australian children's longest running series Mr. Squiggle airs its final episode on the ABC.
* 13 July - In Neighbours, it was Sarah Beaumont and Peter Hannay's wedding.
* 19 August – A brand new Australian political satire sketch comedy television series called BackBerner presented by standup comic Peter Berner and noted Australian character actor Louise Siversen screens on the ABC.
* 31 August – American sitcom The King of Queens starring Kevin James premieres on the Nine Network.
* 20 September – British children's animated series Bob the Builder debuts on the ABC.
* 17 October – British six-part documentary series Walking with Dinosaurs debuts on the ABC.
* 20 October - In Neighbours, Philip and Hannah Martin and Ruth Wilkinson leave; Joe, Lyn, Steph, Flick and Michelle Scully arrive.
* 24 October – American crime drama series The Sopranos begins on the Nine Network.
* 19 November – Studio 9 Unplugged, a tribute special dedicated the famous studio rooms at GTV9 presented by Don Lane, goes to air on the Nine Network, ending a 40-year era of live television in that studio.
* 20 November – The final episode of Hey Hey It's Saturday airs on Nine Network. Before retiring, the creator, host and producer of the series Daryl Somers leaves Nine Network after 28 years.
* 23 November – The 1996 slasher film Scream starring David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox premieres on the Nine Network at 9:30pm.
* 26 November – British cooking programme The Naked Chef starring Jamie Oliver screens on the ABC. In Neighbours, the 1999 season final features the Millennium party plus the Scully house burns!
* 2 December – American animated science fiction sitcom Futurama created by Matt Groening the creator of The Simpsons debuts on the Seven Network.
* 13 December – Australian children's educational TV series Lift Off airs on ABC for the very last time at 10:00am.
* 31 December – ABC is the host Australian broadcaster of the international TV event 2000 Today, a 26-hour live telecast of new year celebrations around the world, commencing at 8:30pm (AEDST) on 31 December.
* Jana Wendt becomes presenter of the Australian television public affairs program Dateline.

### Channels[edit]

#### New channels[edit]

* 4 April – Australian Christian Channel[2]
* 1 October – Oh![3]

## Debuts[edit]

### Free-to-air[edit]

#### Domestic[edit]

Program  | Network  | Debut date

|
|

The Adventures of Sam | ABC TV | 29 January
Thunderstone | Network Ten | 12 February
Crash Zone | Seven Network | 13 February
Wipeout | Seven Network | 15 February
Hi-5 | Nine Network | 12 April
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Nine Network | 18 April
The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime | Seven Network | 31 May
See How They Run | ABC TV | 6 June
Pig's Breakfast | Nine Network | 5 July
The Mick Molloy Show | Nine Network | 10 July
Sunday Sunrise | Seven Network | 25 July
The Big Breakfast | Seven Network | 2 August
Dog's Head Bay | ABC TV | 16 August
BackBerner | ABC TV | 19 August
The 10:30 Slot | ABC TV | 20 August
High Flyers | Network Ten | 28 August
Unreal TV | Network Ten | 5 September
Flipper and Lopaka | Seven Network | 10 September
Rove | Nine Network | 22 September
Chuck Finn | Seven Network | 18 October
Bananas in Pyjamas: Surprise Party | ABC TV | 18 October
Y? | Nine Network | 1 November
Ground Force | Seven Network | 1999

#### International[edit]

Program  | Channel  | Debut date

|
|

Percy the Park Keeper | Nine Network | 2 January
/ WildC.A.T.S. | Network Ten | 6 January
Aquila | ABC TV | 10 January
Chicago Sons | Nine Network | 12 January
Daria | ABC TV | 12 January
Dawson's Creek | Network Ten | 19 January
/ The New Adventures of Robin Hood | Network Ten | 22 January
Gulliver's Travels | Nine Network | 30 January
World's Wildest Police Videos | Network Ten | 1 February
Vanity Fair (1998) | ABC TV | 7 February
Maggie | Network Ten | 7 February
Godzilla: The Series | Network Ten | 7 February
Jesse | Nine Network | 8 February
The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star | ABC TV | 10 February
The Hello Girls | ABC TV | 11 February
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Network Ten | 13 February
Celebrity Deathmatch | Network Ten | 18 February
Big Train | ABC TV | 22 February
CatDog | ABC TV | 24 February
Power Rangers in Space | Seven Network | 25 February
The Magnificent Seven | Seven Network | 27 February
Rude Awakening | Network Ten | 4 March
Is It Legal? | Seven Network | 12 March
Faces in Contemporary Greece Song | SBS | 20 March
/ Animal Crackers | ABC TV | 24 March
Lesley Garrett Tonight | ABC TV | 27 March
/ Titanic | Nine Network | 30 March
The Jamie Foxx Show | Nine Network | 31 March
Ted Sieger's Wildlife | ABC TV | 5 April
Family Guy | Seven Network | 9 April
Rocky and the Dodos | ABC TV | 16 April
Echo | ABC TV | 24 April
Becker | Network Ten | 24 April
World's Most... | Nine Network | 10 May
Animorphs | ABC TV | 10 May
/ Dumb Bunnies | Seven Network | 15 May
Zoo Olympics | ABC TV | 18 May
Eye of the Storm | ABC TV | 6 June
League of Gentlemen | ABC TV | 9 June
Psychos | ABC TV | 9 June
Sir Bernard's Stately Homes | ABC TV | 9 June
Fantasy Island (1998) | Network Ten | 11 June
Claude's Crib | Seven Network | 14 June
Charmed | Network Ten | 18 June
/ Croc Files | Network Ten | 28 June
The Treasure Seekers | ABC TV | 4 July
Bimble's Bucket | Nine Network | 4 July
Supernatural: The Unseen Powers of Animals | ABC TV | 9 July
Brother's Keeper | Network Ten | 11 July
Rick Stein's Seafood Odyssey | ABC TV | 14 July
Bodyguards | Network Ten | 17 July
The Planets | ABC TV | 21 July
Will & Grace | Seven Network | 22 July
// Albert the Fifth Musketeer | ABC TV | 23 July
Stanley's Dragon | ABC TV | 25 July
L.A. Doctors | Network Ten | 26 July
The Fantastic Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor | Nine Network | 31 July
The Wild Thornberrys | ABC TV | 2 August
Maisy | ABC TV | 6 August
The Worst Witch | ABC TV | 8 August
Births, Marriages and Deaths | ABC TV | 15 August
The New Woody Woodpecker Show | Network Ten | 15 August
The Prince and the Pauper (1996) | ABC TV | 15 August
For Your Love | Nine Network | 19 August
Looking for Miracles | Nine Network | 22 August
Raging Planet | Seven Network | 23 August
Lisa | ABC TV | 27 August
The First Snow of Winter | ABC TV | 30 August
/ George and Martha | ABC TV | 30 August
The King of Queens | Nine Network | 31 August
Inspector Rex | SBS | 2 September
Blue's Clues | Nine Network | 6 September
Sex and the City[4] | Nine Network | 6 September
Brimstone | Nine Network | 6 September
Dinnerladies | ABC TV | 8 September
Dilbert | Network Ten | 9 September
Voltron: The Third Dimension | Seven Network | 9 September
Push | Network Ten | 9 September
Red Shoe Diaries | Network Ten | 11 September
Hallo Aus Berlin | ABC TV | 15 September
The Powerpuff Girls | Seven Network | 16 September
Police Academy: The Series | Nine Network | 18 September
The Martin Short Show | Nine Network | 20 September
The Wombles (1997) | ABC TV | 20 September
Bob the Builder | ABC TV | 20 September
/ Martial Law | Seven Network | 25 September
Significant Others | Network Ten | 30 September
Crusade | Nine Network | 30 September
Walking with Dinosaurs | ABC TV | 17 October
Eureka Street | ABC TV | 17 October
Feds | Network Ten | 17 October
/ Gogwana | ABC TV | 18 October
Sopranos, The The Sopranos[5] | Nine Network | 24 October
Boiling Point | Nine Network | 27 October
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries | ABC TV | 29 October
/ Archibald the Koala | ABC TV | 10 November
Blood on the Carpet | ABC TV | 16 November
Shingalana the Little Hunter | Network Ten | 20 November
Robot Wars | Nine Network | 21 November
Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island | SBS | 23 November
The Naked Chef | ABC TV | 26 November
Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane | Seven Network | 28 November
It's Like, You Know... | Nine Network | 29 November
Turks | Network Ten | 29 November
Hyperion Bay | Nine Network | 29 November
Providence | Seven Network | 30 November
Futurama | Seven Network | 2 December
/ Fly Tales | ABC TV | 6 December
The Norm Show | Nine Network | 7 December
Project G.e.e.K.e.R. | Network Ten | 7 December
That '70s Show | Seven Network | 9 December
Maggie Winters | Nine Network | 10 December
Eye of the Wolf | ABC TV | 12 December
Wing Commander Academy | Network Ten | 14 December
Hiller and Diller | Seven Network | 16 December
Michael Hayes | Nine Network | 16 December
Voyage | SBS | 19 December
Vengeance Unlimited | Nine Network | 23 December
// Catherine the Great | Nine Network | 29 December
Sonic Underground | Seven Network | 1999
Histeria! | Nine Network | 1999
Basket Fever | Seven Network | 1999
Costello | Seven Network | 1999
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer | Unknown  | 1999

### Film debuts[edit]

### 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

|
|
|

Good News Week | Network Ten | ABC TV | 21 March

#### International[edit]

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

|
|
|

Brambly Hedge | ABC TV | Nine Network | 31 August
Adventures in Rainbow Country | Nine Network | ABC TV | 19 November
The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Seven Network | Nine Network | 29 November
/ Monster Maker | ABC TV | Network Ten | 25 December

### Subscription Television[edit]

#### International[edit]

Program  | Channel  | Debut date

|
|

Oh Yeah! Cartoons Oh Yeah! Cartoons [6] | Nickelodeon | 24 January
Animorphs Animorphs[7] | Nickelodeon | April
Brothers Flub The Brothers Flub[7] | Nickelodeon | 5 April
Wimzie's House Wimzie's House[8] | Nickelodeon | 3 May
Birdz Birdz[8] | Nickelodeon | 16 May
Rocket Power Rocket Power[9] | Nickelodeon | 7 December
The Powerpuff Girls | Cartoon Network | 1999
I am Weasel | Cartoon Network | 1999
/ Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy | Cartoon Network | 1999
/ Bob and Margaret | The Comedy Channel | 1999
The Mr. Potato Head Show | Fox Kids  | 1999
Bruno the Kid | Fox Kids  | 1999
The Worst Witch | Nickelodeon | 1999
Big Wolf on Campus | Fox Kids  | 1999
Stressed Eric | The Comedy Channel | 1999
Billy | Nickelodeon | 1999
Wiggly Park | Nickelodeon | 1999

### 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  | Previous network  | Date

|
|
|

Lift Off | Disney Channel | Fox Kids  | 2 February

#### International[edit]

Program  | New network  | Previous network  | Date

|
|
|

EastEnders [10] | UKTV | ABC TV | 5 February
Student Bodies | Fox Kids  | Disney Channel | 1999

### Subscription premieres[edit]

This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian subscription television that had previously premiered on Australian free-to-air television. Programs may still air on the original free-to-air television network.

#### Domestic[edit]

Program  | Subscription network  | Free-to-air network  | Date

|
|
|

Driven Crazy | Nickelodeon[7] | Network Ten | March
Minty / Minty | Nickelodeon[11] | ABC TV | 7 August

#### International[edit]

Program  | Subscription network  | Free-to-air network  | Date

|
|
|

The Forgotten Toys | Nickelodeon | ABC TV | 4 October
3rd Rock from the Sun | Fox8 | Seven Network | 21 October
Family Guy | Fox8 | Seven Network | 28 November

## Specials[edit]

Program  | Channel  | Debut date

|
|

1999 Kids' Choice Awards 1999 Kids' Choice Awards[8] | Nickelodeon | 29 May
Wayne's Best Dares Wayne's Best Dares[11] | Nickelodeon | 19 September

## Television shows[edit]

ABC

* Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959–1999)
* Four Corners (1961–present)

Seven Network

* Wheel of Fortune (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004–present)
* Home and Away (1988–2005, 2005–present)
* Blue Heelers (1994–2006)
* The Great Outdoors (1993–present)
* Today Tonight (1995–present)
* All Saints (1998–present)

Nine Network

* Today (1982–present)
* Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
* A Current Affair (1971–1978, 1988–2005, 2006–present)
* Australia's Funniest Home Video Show (1990–2000, 2000–2004, 2005–present)
* The AFL Footy Show (1994–present)
* The NRL Footy Show (1994–present)
* Water Rats (1996–2001)
* Burgo's Catch Phrase (1997–2001, 2002–2003)

Network Ten

* Neighbours (1985–1989, 1989–present)
* GMA With Bert Newton (1991–2005)

## Ending / Resting this year[edit]

Date | Show | Channel | Debut

|
|
|

2 January  | The Toothbrush Family (season 2)  | Network Ten | 1998
2 January  | Ketchup: Cats Who Cook | Network Ten | 1998
21 January  | Wildlife with Olivia Newton-John | Nine Network | 1995
22 January  | Law of the Land | Nine Network | 1993
1 February  | Misery Guts | Nine Network | 1998
5 February  | The Cartoon Connection | Seven Network | 1997
19 April  | Strassman | Nine Network | 1998
23 April  | The Adventures of Sam | ABC | 29 January 1999
1 May  | Big Sky | Network Ten | 1997
28 May  | 11AM | Seven Network | 1982
26 June  | The Adventures of Lano and Woodley | ABC | 1997
2 July  | Wildside | ABC | 1999
9 July  | Mr. Squiggle and Friends | ABC | 1959
30 July  | Sunrise | Seven Network | 1991
28 August  | The Mick Molloy Show | Nine Network | 10 July 1999
27 September  | Live and Kicking | Seven Network | 1998
3 November  | Breakers | Network Ten | 1998
8 November  | Dog's Head Bay | ABC | 16 August 1999
20 November  | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Channel Nine | 1971
22 November  | Petals | ABC | 1998
25 November  | What's Cooking? | Nine Network | 1991
29 November  | Heartbreak High | Network Ten
ABC | 1994
13 December  | Lift Off | ABC | 1992
13 December  | Medivac | Network Ten | 1996
24 December  | What's Up Doc? | Nine Network | 1993

## See also[edit]

* 1999 in Australia
* List of Australian films of 1999

## References[edit]

1. ^ "When loyalty means nought". The Courier-Mail. News Limited. 27 April 1999. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
2. ^ Browne, Rachel (4 April 1999). "Preacher Beadman Spreads The World". The Sun-Herald. Sydney, Australia. p. 37.
3. ^ Melloy, Neil (9 September 1999). "Oh! We had better name the show". Courier Mail. p. 24.
4. ^ Sikes, Gini (22 August 1999). "The XXX factor". The Sun-Herald. Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media. p. 5. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
5. ^ Curtis, Quentin (24 October 1999). "Analysing the Mafia". The Sun-Herald. Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media. p. 6. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
6. ^ Nick Nooze. 3. Nickelodeon (Australia). 1998.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
7. ^ a b c Nick Nooze. 4. Nickelodeon (Australia). 1999.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
8. ^ a b c "What's New On Nick? – May 1999". Nickelodeon (Australia). 1999. Archived from the original on 8 May 1999. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
9. ^ Nick Nooze. Summer. Nickelodeon (Australia). 1999.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
10. ^ Conway, Andrew (1 February 1999). "New Today for Dalley". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media. p. 2\. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
11. ^ a b Nick Nooze. 5. Nickelodeon (Australia). 1999.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)

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1999 in television

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Years in Australian television

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