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.
- 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.
- 14 January – During the Molly's Melodrama segment, Mr Wonderful makes an appearance to receive a massive punch-up with Molly Meldrum (later Red Symons joined in) live on Hey Hey It's Saturday.
- 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), Maryanne 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).
- 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.
- 25 April - The 10.30pm 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’s Newsworld with Clive Robertson and 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 name) at 4:30pm.
- 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.
- 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 5:30pm. The show will also end on 23 November with the last part of Remembrance of the Daleks to celebrate the series' 25th anniversary.
- 4 November – In Neighbours, Bronwyn Davies and Henry Ramsay get together.
- 27 November - Jo Beth Taylor gets slimmed at the end of the grand final on Australia's Funniest Home Video Show.
- 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.
Debuts
Domestic
- 17 January – Home & Away (Seven Network)
- 18 January – A Current Affair (Nine Network)
- 16 February – The Comedy Company (Network Ten, 1988 – 1990)
- 29 February – The Bartons (ABC TV, 1988)
- 28 March - Blah Blah Blah (ABC TV)
- 20 June – Swap Shop (ABC TV, 1988 – 1990)
- Family Feud (Seven Network, 1988 – 1996)
- Mulligrubs (Network Ten, 1988 – 1996)
New International Programming
- 3 January
– Dinosaur! (Seven Network) - 4 January –
Spirit Bay (ABC TV) - 1 February – The Tracey Ullman Show (ABC TV)
- 8 February – Degrassi Junior High (ABC TV)
- 24 February – My Two Dads (Nine Network)
- 20 March – Sky Commanders (Seven Network)
- 21 March –
The Children of Green Knowe (ABC TV) - 22 March – Check It Out! (Network Ten)
- 8 April – Chance in a Million (ABC TV)
- 27 June – Starman (Network Ten)
- 30 June – Brothers (Seven Network)
- 4 July – After M*A*S*H (Network Ten)
- 4 July –
Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea (ABC TV) - 5 July – Half Nelson (Network Ten)
- 6 July – The Telebugs (ABC TV)
- 8 August – Dream Stuffing (ABC TV)
- 8 August – The New Adventures of Beans Baxter (ABC TV)
- 8 August – Don't Miss Wax (ABC TV)
- 8 August – Worlds Beyond (ABC TV)
- 23 August – Floodtide (ABC TV)
- 5 September –
Worzel Gummidge Down Under (ABC TV) - 23 September – The New Statesman (Seven Network)
- 4 October – Sable (Network Ten)
- 28 November – Your Mother Wouldn't Like It (ABC TV)
- 29 November – The Slap Maxwell Show (Seven Network)
- 1 December – The Law & Harry McGraw (Network Ten)
- 1 December – King and Castle (ABC TV)
- 19 December – The Ghosts of Motley Hall (ABC TV)
- 21 December – Jack and Mike (Network Ten)
- 25 December –
Fox Tales (ABC TV) - 26 December – The December Rose (ABC TV)
- The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin (Network Ten)
- ALF: The Animated Series (Seven Network)
- Popeye and Son (Seven Network)
- Dinosaucers (Nine Network)
- BraveStarr (Nine Network)
- Tales from Fat Tulip's Garden (ABC TV)
Television shows
1950s
- Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959–1999)
1970s
- Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999)
1980s
- Wheel of Fortune (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004 – present)
- Neighbours (1985 – present)
- Sunday (1981–2008)
- Today (1982 – present)
Ending this year
| Date | Show | Channel | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 1988 | Romper Room | Seven Network/NBN Television | 1963 |
| 1 December 1988 | Young Talent Time | Channel Ten | 24 April 1971 |
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