Classic NZ TV Listings

TV History
1980

Today’s TV: Sunday 16 March 1975
from the NZ Listener

NZBC TV (AKTV2, WNTV1, CHTV3, DNTV2)
2.00pm Headline News and Weather (C)
2.05 Sunday Matinee - The Wooden Horse (1950)
3.44 Sunday Grandstand (C)
Includes rugby (1975 Five Nations Championship - highlights)
4.44 Filopat and Patofil (C)
4.52 Land of Birds (Starting today, part 1) (C)
5.19 The Basil Brush Show (C)
5.49 Headline News (C)
5.51 The Firm (C)
6.50 Regional Sport
Northsport (AKTV2)
Eye on Sport (WNTV1)
Sideline (CHTV3)
Southsport (DNTV2)’
7.00 Network News
7.15 Regional Weather and News
7.23 Country Calendar (C)
7.38 The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau (Part 3) (C)
8.27 Father, Dear Father (C)
8.53 Newsbrief (C)
8.55 Plain Speaking
8.59 The Regiment (Part 9) (C)
9.50 The Magpies
9.55 Bunny (C)
10.48 Late News and Weather (C)
10.54 Closedown

Today’s TV: Saturday 16 March 1985
from the NZ Listener

TV One
8.00am Fraggle Rock
8.30 That Girl in Wonderland
9.35 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (Rpt)
10.00 Get Smart (Rpt)
10.30 The Munsters (B&W) (Rpt)
11.00 Star Trek (Rpt)
Noon News
12.02 Saturday Matinee - Fort Massacre (1958)
1.20 Sport on One
Includes racing from Awapuni (the Evergreen Lodge Handicap, the Trumps Eulogy Stakes, the Higgins Mile, the BBA Awapuni Gold Cup, the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy and the Air New Zealand Handicap), equestrian (Horse of the Year) and bowls
6.00 Ready to Roll
6.30 News
7.00 The Cosby Show
7.30 Scarecrow and Mrs King
8.30 Sport on One Special - Harness Racing
1985 Great Northern Derby - live from Alexandra Park, Auckland
9.00 The Saturday Premiere Movie - Terror Among Us (1981)
10.30 Entertainment This Week
11.30 Late Movie (Bogart) - Three on a Match (1932) (B&W)
12.40am News
12.45 Closedown

TV2
Noon Our World - Natural World: Jet Set Wildlife (Rpt)
12.50 …And Mother Makes Five (Rpt)
1.10 Lottery!
2.00 Saturday Afternoon Movie - Unfaithfully Yours (1948) (B&W) (Rpt)
3.50 The People’s Court
4.15 More Real People
4.35 Julia Child & More Company (Rpt)
5.05 Emmerdale Farm (Double episode)
5.55 News
6.00 News Review
6.30 Metal Mickey
6.50 Preview 2
7.05 The Wine Programme (Part 4)
7.30 Foreign Correspondent
8.30 Saturday Playhouse - High Hopes (Part 4)
9.20 News
9.35 World Cinema - Aakrosh (1980)
A Hindi film with English subtitles
11.55 Closedown

1 Like
1981

Today’s TV: Wednesday 20 March 1996
from the NZ Listener

TV One
6.00am BBC World - The World Today
7.55 Te Karere (Rpt)
A repeat screening of the previous day’s bulletin
8.05 eTV, including:
8.05 Child Development: A Time to Grow (G)
8.35 The Creative Spirit (Final) (Rpt, G)
9.30 Labours of Eve (Part 5, final) (PGR)
10.00 Infomercials
Noon Midday (News)
1.00 The Bill (Rpt, AO)
2.00 Upstairs, Downstairs (Rpt, G)
3.00 Chatterbox (Rpt, G)
3.20 Bananas in Pyjamas (Rpt, G)
3.25 Johnson and Friends (G)
3.35 Beakman’s World (Rpt, G)
4.05 M-A-S-H (Rpt, G)
4.40 Te Karere
4.50 Neighbours (G)
5.25 EastEnders (G)
6.00 One Network News
7.00 Holmes
7.30 Coronation Street (G)
8.05 The Way We Were (G)
8.35 Peak Practice (AO)
9.40 Tonight (News)
10.00 60 Minutes: The Foreign Edition
11.05 London’s Burning (AO)
12.00am Infomercials
1.00 BBC World, including:
1.00 BBC World News
1.15 World Business Report
1.30 BBC Newshour Asia Pacific
2.25 The Andrew Neil Show
3.00 BBC World Headlines
3.05 Naked Hollywood
4.00 BBC World News
4.30 Time Out - Tomorrow’s World
5.00 BBC World News
5.15 World Business Report
5.30 Time Out - Jeremy Clarkson’s Motorworld (Continues to 6am)

TV2
6.10am The New Adventures of Pinocchio (Rpt, G)
6.35 The Huckleberry Hound Show (Rpt, G)
7.05 Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (Rpt, G)
7.30 The Smurfs (Rpt, G)
8.00 Snorks (Rpt, G)
8.30 Barney & Friends (Rpt, G)
9.00 Sesame Street (Rpt, G)
10.00 Shortland Street (Rpt, PGR)
10.30 Good Morning
Noon The Young and the Restless (PGR)
1.00 Days of Our Lives (G)
2.00 Ricki Lake (Rpt, AO)
3.00 The Bold and the Beautiful
3.30 Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (G)
4.00 Get Real (G)
4.30 ALF (Rpt, G)
4.55 The Brady Bunch (Rpt, G)
5.30 Home and Away (G)
6.00 Wheel of Fortune (G)
6.30 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Rpt, G)
7.00 Shortland Street (PGR)
7.30 Friends (Special hour-long episode) (PGR)
8.30 Wednesday Night at the Movies - Cliffhanger (1993) (AO)
10.30 Married… with Children (Rpt, AO)
11.00 Birdland (Final) (PGR)
12.00am Cops (AO)
12.30 Café Americain
1.00 Infomercials
2.00 Palace Guard (Rpt, AO)
3.00 Rachel Gunn, RN (G)
3.30 The Powers That Be (G)
4.00 Animaniacs (Rpt, G)
4.10 Face the Music (Rpt, G)
4.40 The New You Asked for It (Rpt, G)
5.10 All in the Family (Rpt, G)
5.40 Kenneth Copeland - Believer’s Voice of Victory (Continues to 6.10am)

TV3
6.30am The Magic Box (Rpt, G)
7.00 Treasures Parent Time (Rpt, G)
7.05 You and Me (Rpt, G)
7.30 Garfield and Friends (Rpt, G)
8.00 Gilligan’s Island (Rpt, G)
8.30 Infomercial
9.00 Sally Jessy Raphaël (PGR)
10.00 Graham Kerr’s Kitchen (Rpt, G)
10.35 Infomercial
11.05 General Hospital (PGR)
Noon The Oprah Winfrey Show (G)
1.00 Sally Jessy Raphaël (PGR)
1.55 The Love Boat (Rpt, G)
3.00 Treasures Parent Time (G)
3.05 You and Me (G)
3.35 Disney Adventure Afternoon, including:
3.35 DuckTales (Rpt, G)
4.00 TaleSpin (Rpt, G)
4.30 Gargoyles (G)
5.00 Thunder Alley (G)
5.30 Family Matters (G)
6.00 3 National News
7.00 Beyond 2000 (G)
7.30 Against All Odds (PGR)
8.00 Comedy Central (Final) (PGR)
8.30 Wednesday Night at the Movies - Platoon (1986) (Rpt, AO)
11.00 Nightline
11.30 Mancuso FBI (AO)
12.30am ABC World News Tonight
1.00 Donahue
2.00 Infomercials (Continues to 6.30am)

HBO
Noon Secrets (1992) (GA)
1.35 Arctic Blue (1993) (M)
3.10 Blank Check (1994) (GY)
4.45 They Live by Night (1949) (B&W) (G)
6.15 The Jewel of the Nile (1985) (GY)
8.00 Box Office America
8.30 Big Wednesday Goes West - Bad Girls (1994) (RP13)
10.15 The Lover (“L’Amant”) (1992) (R16)
A trilingual film (English, Cantonese and Vietnamese) with English subtitles if Cantonese or Vietnamese is spoken
12.10am Hardcore (1979) (R18)
2.00 Closedown

Orange
6.00am The Juice Music Television (Free to air, continued)
10.00 George & Alana
11.00 Designing Women
11.30 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Noon Coronation Street
12.30 Brookside
1.00 Love Connection
1.30 Supermarket Sweep
2.00 The City
2.30 Prisoner (aka “Prisoner: Cell Block H”)
3.00 The Tempestt Bledsoe Show
4.00 NBA Action
4.30 Basketball
NBA 1995/96 - Houston Rockets v Golden State Warriors; live from The Summit, Houston, Texas
7.00 Bewitched
7.30 Entertainers
8.30 Marker
9.30 Orange at the Movies - Salt on Our Skin (1992) (GA)
11.15 On the Buses
11.45 The Juice Music Television (Free to air, continues through the night)

Discovery/Trackside
6.00am Beyond 2000
7.00 Jack Thompson Down Under
8.00 A World Away
9.00 Wildlife Chronicles
9.30 In Care of Nature
10.00 Ancient Warriors
10.30 Archaeology
11.00 Ultrascience
11.30 Connections 2
Noon Trackside (Free to air)
Includes live racing from Arawa Park (NZ) and Australia and live greyhound racing from Queen Elizabeth II Park (NZ)
7.00 Beyond 2000
8.00 Wild Sanctuaries
8.30 Profiles of Nature
9.00 Millennium
10.00 Paleoworld
10.30 The Stars
11.00 Dreams of Flight
11.30 X-Planes
12.00am Invention
12.30 Next Step
1.00 Wings
2.00 Beyond 2000
3.00 Zoo Life with Jack Hanna
4.00 Jack Thompson Down Under
5.00 A World Away (Continues to 6am)

Horizon Pacific Television (HPTV)
ATV, Coast to Coast, Capital City, CTV, Southern
11.30am Infomercials (TV Shopping)
3.00pm BBC World
Includes BBC Newsroom, World Business Report, Asia Today and 24 Hours
4.00 BBC World Headlines
4.05 Naked Hollywood
5.00 Scratch
5.00-6.00 CTV ONLY - Susan Sells
5.30 Marketplace
6.00 BBC Newsday
6.30-7.00 COAST TO COAST & SOUTHERN ONLY - Farming New Zealand
7.00 News at Seven
7.30 Local Edition
7.30 CTV ONLY - George Balani
8.00 Homes and Gardens
8.30 Panorama
9.15 eTV - Smithsonian World (Part 7) (PGR)
10.20 Regional News
A repeat screening of the 7pm bulletin (News at Seven)
10.50 Marketplace (Rpt)
A repeat screening of tonight’s programme
10.50 ATV ONLY - BBC World News
10.50-11.50 CTV ONLY - Susan Sells (A repeat screening of tonight’s programme) (Rpt)
11.20 (approx) Closedown

Bays Television, Nelson
6.30pm Bays-Watch
7.00 Newsbreak
7.05 George Balani
7.35 Farming Canterbury
8.35 Newsbreak
8.40 The Outdoor Journal (G)
9.10 The South Bank Show (PGR)
10.10 60 Minutes
First shown on TVNZ (TV One)
11.10 Bays-Watch (Continues through the night)

CRY TV, Christchurch
11.00am Green Zone (Rpt)
A repeat screening of the previous day’s programme
1.00 Yellow Zone (Rpt)
A repeat screening of last night’s programme
4.00 Green Zone
6.00 Yellow Zone
9.00 Indigo Zone
12.00am Closedown

MAX: The Music Channel, Auckland
3.00pm The Beat
Includes The Bluebird Word (at 4.30pm), McDonald’s Most Wanted (at 5pm) and Libra Line (at 5.30pm)
5.35 The Nick & Steve Show
7.00 MAX Music Videos
9.00 Monitor
Includes Export Gold Gig Guide (at 9.10pm)
10.00 MAX Music VIdeos
11.00 Always Jammin’
Includes Export Gold Gig Guide (at 11.30pm)
12.00am Closedown

Today’s TV: Monday 20 March 2006 (Free-to-air channels only - except Māori TV)
from the NZ Listener

TV One
6.00am Breakfast
6.30 ASB Business
7.00 Breakfast
9.30 One Sport - 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games (Day session)
Day five - includes athletics (men’s and women’s walk final, track and field qualifying rounds), men’s and women’s triples lawn bowls finals, women’s weightlifting (69kg), men’s and women’s swimming heats
Noon Midday (News)
12.15 Te Karere
12.30 One Sport - 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games (Day session, continued)
Day five - includes athletics (men’s and women’s walk final, track and field qualifying rounds), men’s and women’s triples lawn bowls finals, women’s weightlifting (69kg), men’s and women’s swimming heats
6.00 One News
7.00 Close Up
7.30 One Sport - 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games (Evening session)
Day five - includes athletics finals (men’s and women’s 100m, women’s hammer throw, men’s shot put and 5000m), men’s hockey (NZ v Scotland), men’s and women’s individual squash finals, men’s and women’s gymnastics (apparatus finals), swimming finals)
10.30 Tonight (News)
10.40 One Sport - 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games (Evening session, continued)
Day five - includes athletics finals (men’s and women’s 100m, women’s hammer throw, men’s shot put and 5000m), men’s hockey (NZ v Scotland), men’s and women’s individual squash finals, men’s and women’s gymnastics (apparatus finals), swimming finals)
1.00am BBC World, including:
1.00 BBC News
1.30 Destination Music
2.00 BBC News
2.30 Asia Today
3.00 BBC News
3.30 HARDtalk
4.00 BBC News
4.30 Click
5.00 BBC News
5.30 BBC News Extra
5.45 World Business Report (Continues to 6am)

TV2
6.00am Creflo Dollar - Changing Your World
6.30 Play School (Rpt, G)
6.55 Hi-5 (Rpt, G)
7.25 Disney Club - Kim Possible (G)
7.55 The Tofus (G)
8.20 Clifford’s Puppy Days (Rpt, G)
8.45 Blue’s Clues (G)
9.10 The Go Show (Rpt, G)
9.35 Shortland Street (Rpt, PGR)
10.05 Infomercials
11.00 World Famous in New Zealand (Rpt, PGR)
11.30 Neighbours (Rpt, G)
Noon Extreme Makeover (Rpt, PGR)
1.00 McLeod’s Daughters (Rpt, G)
2.00 The Bold and the Beautiful (PGR)
2.30 House Call (Rpt, PGR)
3.00 ToddWorld (G)
3.25 Pocoyo (G)
3.35 Battle B-Daman (G)
4.00 SpongeBob SquarePants (Rpt, G)
4.30 Studio 2 (G)
5.00 Neighbours (G)
5.30 Gilmore Girls (G)
6.30 Friends (Rpt, G)
7.00 Shortland Street (PGR)
7.30 Mitre 10 Dream Home
8.30 Desperate Housewives (AO)
9.30 Grey’s Anatomy (AO)
10.25 Nip/Tuck (AO)
11.25 The L Word (Final) (AO)
12.35am Last Man Standing (Rpt, AO)
1.35 Infomercials
2.30 Northern Exposure (Rpt, G)
3.20 Mitre 10 Mega The Fence (Rpt, PGR)
4.40 How Safe…? (Rpt, PGR)
5.05 Neighbours (Rpt, G)
5.30 This Is Your Day with Benny Hinn (Continues to 6am)

TV3
6.00am Hillsong TV
6.30 Barney & Friends (Rpt, G)
6.55 Thomas & Friends (Rpt, G)
7.00 Tractor Tom (Rpt, G)
7.10 The Cramp Twins (Rpt, G)
7.35 Transformers: Armada (G)
8.00 Hey Arnold! (Rpt, G)
8.30 Bob the Builder: Project Build It (Rpt, G)
8.40 The Wiggles Show! (Rpt, G)
9.00 Infomercials
10.30 Home and Away (Rpt, G)
A repeat screening of last Friday’s programme
11.00 The Bernie Mac Show (PGR)
11.30 Reba (PGR)
Noon JAG (AO)
1.00 Dr Phil (AO)
2.00 Oprah (PGR)
3.00 Mona the Vampire (Rpt, G)
3.25 Sticky TV (G)
Includes The Fairly OddParents
4.30 Everybody Loves Raymond (Rpt, G)
5.00 The Simpsons (Rpt, G)
5.30 Home and Away (G)
6.00 3 News
7.00 Campbell Live
7.30 60 Minutes
8.30 Movie - Fight Club (1999) (Rpt, AO)
11.25 Nightline
11.40 Sports Tonight
11.55 skitHOUSE (PGR)
12.25am Scare Tactics (AO)
12.55 Infomercials
5.30 Joyce Meyer - Enjoying Everyday Life (Continues to 6am)

C4
4.00pm Select Live
7.00 Family Guy (PGR)
7.30 X-Air (PGR)
8.00 It’s Good to Be (PGR)
8.30 Holla Hour
9.30 Pimp My Ride (PGR)
10.00 C4 Profile
10.30 Blender
12.00am Closedown

Prime
6.00am Infomercial
6.30 Religious
8.00 Today
Live - via satellite from the Nine Network (TCN-9 Sydney)
10.00 Prime Sport - Cricket
NZ v West Indies - second test, day four; live from the Basin Reserve, Wellington
12.35pm The Dog Whisperer (G)
1.05 Prime Sport - Cricket (Continued)
NZ v West Indies - second test, day four; live from the Basin Reserve, Wellington
6.00 Prime News
6.30 Frasier (G)
7.00 Deal or No Deal (G)
7.30 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (G)
8.35 MythBusters (PGR)
9.35 Dog the Bounty Hunter (AO)
10.05 Reno 911! (AO)
10.35 The Late Show with David Letterman (PGR)
11.35 Fox News (Continues to 6am)

3 Likes
1982

Extra: Monday 31 March 1980
from the NZ Listener

TV One
11.35am Play School
Noon News
12.05 The Young and the Restless
12.30 See Here
12.40 Beauty and the Beast
1.05 Doc (Starting today)
1.30 Days of Our Lives
2.25 Fun Factory, including:
2.25 Sesame Street
3.25 Sooty (Rpt)
3.50 Atom Ant (Rpt)
4.10 Jigsaw (Rpt)
4.35 The Canal Children (Starting today, part one)
5.00 Project UFO
6.00 Detective School
6.30 News
7.00 Close to Home
7.30 Regional Programmes (Starting tonight)
Top Half (Auckland)
Today Tonight (Wellington)
The Mainland Touch (Christchurch)
7.30 South (Dunedin)
8.00 M-A-S-H
8.30 Minder
9.30 Soap
10.00 Dallas
10.55 News
11.00 Closedown

TV2
2.30pm Send in the Girls (Part 7, final)
3.20 Matinee Theatre - Kathy Karuks Is a Grizzly Bear
4.05 Make Mine Music (Rpt)
4.55 Royal Heritage (Rpt)
5.55 News
6.00 Doctor Who - Underworld (Part 3)
6.25 The Week with Two
6.30 A Place in History
7.00 Contact - Not So Long Ago (Part 2)
7.30 Telford’s Change (Part 7)
8.30 Kaleidoscope
10.00 News at Ten
10.20 World Cinema - Two Women (“La ciociara”) (1960) (B&W)
An Italian/German film with English subtitles
12.00am Closedown

The launch of regional news on TVNZ

@OnAir @TV4 If it is local, interesting and concerns people, then it is news.

This simple but powerful driving force changed the face of New Zealand television on Monday 31 March 1980. On that night, the newly formed TVNZ made a concerted effort to bring television much closer to its national audience by launching a dedicated quartet of regional news programmes.

Screened five nights a week, Monday to Friday, at 7.30pm on TV One (now TVNZ 1), these half hour packages dedicated themselves to local news, current affairs and features - all in magazine-style formats. For the first time, from the Far North to Stewart Island, Kiwis were getting detailed, on-the-spot coverage of the issues that mattered to them right in their own backyards.

A nation divided (in a good way!)
To properly serve the entire country, TVNZ produced four distinct regional programmes from its studios in the four main centres. The line-up included:

  • Top Half (Auckland): Covering the upper North Island from Turangi to North Cape, this flagship programme was initially anchored by John Hawkesby, who was joined just a few months later by the soon-to-be-legendary Judy Bailey.
  • Today Tonight (Wellington): With Roger Gascoigne and Bill Manson as co-anchors, this programme cast a wide net. It covered the nation’s capital (including the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa), whilst also reaching out to Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and the top of the South Island (Nelson/Tasman, Marlborough and the West Coast).
  • The Mainland Touch (Christchurch): Serving the Canterbury region (while Nelson/Tasman, Marlborough and the West Coast were covered by Wellington’s Today Tonight), this programme became an immediate staple for viewers between Kaikoura and the Waitaki River (see below for more on The Mainland Touch).
  • 7.30 South (Dunedin): Serving the Otago and Southland regions, the programme was initially anchored by Gary Hoogvliet. As the year progressed, Bridget Wilson joined as co-anchor before Kevin Ramshaw took over as the sole anchor by mid-September.

Spotlight on Canterbury (The Mainland Touch)
A successor to the well tried and proven formula of the older NZBC/CHTV3 era The South Tonight (the others were This Day [and, later, Look North] in Auckland via AKTV2, Newsview in Wellington via WNTV1 and the Dunedin edition ofThe South Tonight via DNTV2), The Mainland Touch carried high expectations.

The programme was co-anchored by the likes of Rodney Bryant and Bob Sutton. Behind the camera, Bryan Allpress (Bryant’s former partner from the days of The South Tonight) served as producer.

The philosophy behind the programme was clear.

Paul France, who had previously travelled to Australia and Britain to study the impact of regional programming, was TVNZ’s regional programme editor out of Christchurch. He noted that The Mainland Touch was designed to combat regional isolation.

“Perhaps for too long people here have felt that all the news was coming from Auckland or Wellington. The half-hour news programme will meet the need for people here to have news about themselves.” - Paul France

Hitting the ground running
Preparation for The Mainland Touch was rigorous.

TVNZ’s Christchurch newsroom was staffed by eight reporters who also contributed to the Auckland-based national news service. In the weeks before its first broadcast, the team executed full ‘dry runs’ to ensure all staff were well prepared.

Bryant, Sutton and TVNZ’s then Christchurch regional news editor, John Knowles, also embarked on a promotional tour through rural Canterbury. The response was overwhelmingly favourable, proving to the network that there was no shortage of magazine-style items and hard news outside the city limits.

With a logo featuring a simple, elegant line drawing of the Christchurch Cathedral, which was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquake, The Mainland Touch aimed to provide a local follow-up to the broader issues of the day.

“It is about how we saw the day here in Canterbury.” - Paul France

The launch of these four regional programmes in 1980 marked a golden era for local television, proving that New Zealanders didn’t just want to look out at the world - they wanted to see themselves reflected on screen, too.

Extra: Saturday 31 March 1990
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
8.45am Teletext in Vision
9.00 Fish Course (Starting today, part 1) (G)
9.30 Vintage: A History of Wine (Starting today, part 1) (G)
10.00 A Ticket to the World (Starting today) (G)
10.55 The Spectacular World of Guinness Records (G)
11.15 Trapper John MD (G)
Noon Mother and Son (Starting today) (Rpt, G)
12.30 The Duchess of Duke Street (Starting today) (Rpt, G)
1.30 Dad’s Army (Rpt, G)
2.00 One World of Sport - Sports Saturday
Includes softball (men’s tri-series [US, Canada & NZ] and the first of five women’s tests [NZ v Australia]; live from Lion Red Park, Auckland) and horse racing (1990 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes; live from Te Aroha)
6.00 One Network News
6.30 Country Calendar (G)
7.00 It’s in the Bag (G)
7.30 Our World - Wild River No More (G)
8.30 Saturday Night at the Movies - The Name of the Rose (1986) (AO)
10.50 One Network News
11.00 At the Movies
11.30 Saturday Night at the Movies - Iceman (1984) (Rpt)
North Island viewers only
11.30 Saturday Night at the Movies - Risky Business (1983) (AO)
South Island viewers only; this film is being rescreened as when it played on 21 January 1990 parts of transmission was lost
1.15am Closedown

Channel 2
6.15am Teletext in Vision
6.30 The Breakfast Club, including:
6.31 Groovie Goolies (G)
7.00 Bugs Bunny in King Arthur’s Court (Rpt, G)
7.30 Denver, the Last Dinosaur (G)
8.00 What Now
10.00 RTR Sounz!
11.05 The Hogan Family (Final) (G)
11.30 Perfect Strangers (G)
Noon The Beverly Hillbillies (Rpt, G)
12.30 My Two Dads (Rpt, G)
1.00 Peaceable Kingdom (G)
2.00 Saturday Cinema - Mayerling (1968) (G)
4.30 Charles in Charge (Final) (G)
5.00 A Country Practice (G)
6.00 RTR Countdown (G)
6.30 Family Ties (G)
7.00 Growing Pains (G)
7.30 Major Dad (G)
8.00 Lotto (Live draw)
8.05 Who’s the Boss? (G)
8.30 21 Jump Street
9.30 Mission: Impossible
10.30 WWF Superstars of Wrestling (AO)
11.30 The Tracey Ullman Show
12.00am Midnight Movie - The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) (Rpt, AO)
1.30 Closedown

TV3
7.00am Early Bird Show, including:
7.00 Adventures of the Gummi Bears (G)
7.30 Garfield and Friends (G)
7.50 Walt Disney’s Mickey and Donald (G)
8.20 Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters (G)
8.50 The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show (G)
9.20 Get Smart (G)
9.50 3 Sport - Cricket
Richard Hadlee Testimonial Series - third match; live from Seddon Park, Hamilton
6.00pm 3 National News
6.30 The Wonderful World of Disney - Escape to Witch Mountain (1975, part 1) (G)
7.30 Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments (G)
8.30 Saturday Night at the Movies - Off Beat (1986)
10.30 3 Sport - Tennis
1990 Davis Cup - edited highlights
11.30 The Fall Guy (AO)
12.30am (approx) Closedown

2 Likes
1983

Yesterday’s TV: Monday 31 March 1975
from the NZ Listener

NZBC TV
2.00pm Headline News and Weather (C)
2.03 The Last Goon Show of All (C)
2.43 Challenger Sails South (C)
3.04 Here We Go Again (C)
3.29 Sesame Street
4.29 Make a Wish
4.51 Lassie’s Rescue Rangers (C)
5.16 Spot On (C)
5.41 Headline News
5.43 The Monkees (C)
6.08 This Week in Britain (C)
6.13 Artistic Techniques
6.27 Popco (C)
6.52 The Right to Know
7.00 Network News
7.20 Regional Weather and News
Look North (AKTV2)
Newsview (WNTV1)
The South Tonight (CHTV3)
The South Tonight (DNTV2)
7.40 The Tommy Steele Hour (C)
8.34 Taggart (C)
Click the NZ On Screen link below to watch

9.34 Newsbrief (C)
9.36 Naturalist Photographer: In Search of Wild Birds (C)
10.06 Gun in the Pulpit (C)
11.16 Late News and Weather
11.22 Closedown

The NZBC’s final night and the ‘other’ Taggart

For New Zealand broadcasting, Monday 31 March 1975 was more than just the end of a month; it was the end of an institution. At the stroke of midnight, the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) ceased to exist, dissolved to make way for three new State-owned corporations: Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Television One (TV One) and Television Two (TV2).

While the transition brought about the modern landscape of Kiwi media, the final night of the NZBC TV network was a poignant mix of old-school variety, burgeoning colour technology and a gritty police pilot that almost became a legend.

Taggart - the drama that never was
The crown jewel of that final evening’s schedule was a New Zealand-made police drama titled Taggart. Screening at 8.34pm, it holds the distinction of being the very last drama produced by the NZBC.

To clear up any confusion for fans of gritty Glaswegian procedurals: this was not the Scottish series starring Mark McManus. This Taggart was a homegrown Auckland affair. Conceived as a pilot for a series that never eventually materialised, it featured Bill Johnson in the title role of Detective Inspector Taggart.

Joining him was a powerhouse cast of New Zealand screen veterans:

  • Ian Mune as Detective Senior Sergeant Denby.
  • Louise Pajo as Detective P/W Johns.
  • Eddie Hegan as Senior Sergeant Tom Walker.
  • Laurie Dee (a renowned New Zealand entertainer) in his first ever dramatic role as Geoff Scott.

The pilot episode, titled “We Don’t Take Them Like That Anymore”, followed Taggart and Denby as they investigated a fatal hit and run. The stakes were raised when it was revealed the victim was the nephew of a senior Uniform Branch member, adding a layer of internal tension to a standard investigation.

Beyond the storytelling, Taggart was a technical pioneer. While previous dramas typically blended studio videotape with 16mm film for location shots, Taggart made use of videotape for everything.

By utilising early lightweight video cameras and EFP (electronic field production) equipment - courtesy of Vid-Com, a now-defunct independent production house out of Auckland - the production achieved a consistent look between the interiors (recorded at the NZBC’s Auckland studios) and exteriors. It was a glimpse into the high-efficiency future of television production.

The final schedule
The final night was presided over by the legendary Marama Martin, who served as the evening’s announcer at the NZBC’s Wellington studios. The line-up was a fascinating snapshot of a medium in transition, featuring a mix of black-and-white (B&W) and colour programming.

But as the screen faded to black after closedown (at approximately 11.22pm), the NZBC was consigned to history. At 2pm the next day, New Zealanders woke up to a new era as TV One (now TVNZ 1) opened transmission for the very first time.

The Auckland studios that hosted the Taggart interiors would eventually become the home of TV2 (now TVNZ 2), which launched on 30 June 1975. The dissolution of the NZBC was a massive shake-up that paved the way for the competitive, creative and increasingly colourful television landscape we know today.

Today’s TV: Tuesday 1 April 1975
from the NZ Listener

TV One
2.00pm News (C)
2.05 Harriet’s Back in Town (C)
2.33 Medical Centre (C)
3.30 Prisma
3.45 Play School (C)
4.10 Spot On (C)
4.35 Filopat and Patafil (C)
4.40 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids (C)
5.05 The Kids from 47A (C)
5.30 Something Else (C)
6.00 The Amazing World of Kreskin (C)
6.30 News (C)
Including regional news from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin
7.00 This Is Television One (Opening special) (C)
9.00 Tonight at Nine (C)
9.30 War and Peace (Preview) (C)
10.05 Justice (C)
11.05 Closedown

A brave new world - the turbulent birth of TV One and TV2

The dawn of Tuesday 1 April 1975 was more than just a date on the calendar for New Zealanders; it was the birth of a new era in broadcasting. The monolithic NZBC was gone, replaced by RNZ, TV One and TV2.

While the transition promised a fresh start, the arrival of modern, competitive television was anything but smooth. From technical glitches at the brand new Avalon studios to a public backlash against ‘Australian style’ presentation, the launch of our modern networks was a true baptism of fire.

TV One - the first day of the future
TV One officially took to the airwaves at 2pm on 1 April with a brief news bulletin read by Bill McCarthy. This was followed at 2.05pm by Harriet’s Back in Town, a British drama series about a divorcee’s new life.

The most significant change for regular viewers came at 6.30pm.

The old NZBC model of long regional news magazines was scrapped. Instead, TV One introduced a comprehensive half hour national bulletin with a strictly timed 10-minute regional opt-out. This streamlined approach was a clear signal that the new network prioritised a fast-paced, professional identity.

Opening night - a less-than-perfect premiere
At 7pm TV One screened a two-hour opening night special from the newly minted Avalon Television Centre in Lower Hutt. Though Avalon was the crown jewel of the new system, it wasn’t yet fully functional. In fact, due to incomplete facilities, daily transmissions actually had to originate from the old WNTV1 studios at Waring Taylor Street until August.

The special itself was, by most accounts, a bit of a disaster. It was plagued by:

  • fluffed lines and awkward performances;
  • faulty microphones and a major camera failure; and
  • an atmosphere of uncertainty as performers struggled with the ‘hyped-up’ image they were forced to project.

The ‘clobbering machine’
The public response was swift and brutal.

Alan Morris (CEO of TV One at the time) and Bill Munro (the network’s director of programming at the time) had both arrived from senior roles at the ABC in Australia. They brought with them a competitive, personality-driven style that New Zealanders simply weren’t ready for.

The phones at TV One ‘went crazy’ with complaints. Viewers felt the network was trying too hard to distance itself from the NZBC. Munro famously identified this backlash as the work of the ‘clobbering machine’ - the Kiwi tendency to knock anything that seems too ‘flash’ or pretentious. Eventually, the network softened its image, though it successfully established iconic personalities like newsreaders Dougal Stevenson and Bill McCarthy and weather girl Tina Carline.

The arrival of TV2
While TV One was finding its feet, TV2 was struggling just to get on air.

Led by then CEO Allan Martin with Kevan Moore as then director of programming, TV2 faced massive logistical hurdles. Essential transmission equipment had to be air-freighted into the country at a cost of $200,000.

TV2 finally launched at 1pm on the afternoon of Monday 30 June 1975, beginning its life with the US soap Search for Tomorrow. Its start was even more limited than its predecessor’s:

  • transmission was initially restricted to Auckland and Christchurch; and
  • in Christchurch, a faulty aerial at Sugarloaf meant locals couldn’t watch anything until 6pm!

Where was the Goodnight Kiwi?
Interestingly, the first night of TV One ended at approximately 11.05pm with no sign of the Goodnight Kiwi. That iconic piece of New Zealand culture didn’t actually make its debut until the launch of TV2 later that year.

On 1 April the night ended with the British legal drama, Justice (starring Margaret Lockwood as a female barrister), and a simple fade to black.

The 1975 reshuffle was a messy, expensive and often confusing time for New Zealand television. Yet, despite the technical failures and the ‘clobbering’ from the public, it laid the foundation for the competitive and vibrant media landscape we enjoy today.

3 Likes
1984

Do you have any listings which Australian TV imports aired on TV One in New Zealand between 1975-1980?

2 Likes
1985

Today’s TV: Sunday 10 April 1977 (Easter Sunday)
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
11.00am Open Mind
Noon News
12.05 Crossroads
12.30 The Big Match
1.15 Sunday Matinee - A Man Called Peter (1955) (Rpt)
3.10 Survival
3.35 The Harry Secombe Show (Rpt)
4.20 Appearances (Rpt)
4.35 Spot On
5.05 Paddington
5.10 The Wonderful World of Disney - The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (Part 2)
6.00 There Once Was a Man
6.30 News
6.45 Sunday’s World
7.00 Show of the Week - 1977 BAFTA TV Awards
8.00 When the Boat Comes In
8.50 News
9.00 Seven Days - Getting Together (Part 1)
9.30 Offerings
9.35 Microbes and Men (Part 6, final)
10.25 Hunting Horns (Part 2)
10.55 News and Weather
11.00 Closedown

South Pacific Television (SPTV)
Noon Kaleidoscope (Rpt)
A repeat screening of last Friday’s programme
1.00 Action on Sunday - The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953)
2.20 Sportsworld
4.40 On the Mat
5.10 The High Chaparral
6.00 Weekend Edition (News)
6.15 Landscape
6.35 Doctor Who - The Monster of Peladon (Part 4)
7.00 Stars on Sunday
7.30 Family
8.20 Sunday Feature - The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
9.50 Weekend Edition (News)
10.00 Sunday Feature - The Agony and the Ecstasy (Continued)
10.45 Music for Guitar
Followed by Closedown

Today’s TV: Friday 10 April 1987
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
10.45am Teletext in Vision
This programme is unlisted - even though it is shown for 15 minutes before the start of TV One’s daily programming
11.00 The Richard Simmons Show (Rpt)
11.20 Kōhanga Reo
11.30 Creepy Crawlies
11.40 Rainbow
Noon Midday News
12.10 The Young and the Restless
1.05 Days of Our Lives
1.55 The Liver Birds (Rpt)
2.30 Dynasty (Rpt)
3.25 Too Close for Comfort
3.50 Love Songs
4.20 Crossroads
4.45 Mork & Mindy (Rpt)
5.15 The Young Doctors
5.45 Te Karere
6.00 M-A-S-H (Rpt)
6.30 Network News
Includes regional programmes: Top Half (Auckland), Today Tonight (Wellington), The Mainland Touch (Christchurch) and The South Tonight (Dunedin)
7.30 Coronation Street
8.00 Lytton’s Diary (Series premiere, part 1)
9.00 Fourth Estate
9.15 Kaleidoscope
10.00 The Friday Night Movie - Meatballs (1979)
11.50 Closedown

TV2
11.45am Teletext in Vision
This programme is unlisted - even though it is shown for 15 minutes before the start of TV2’s daily programming
Noon Friday Matinee - With a Song in My Heart (1952) (Rpt)
2.10 Animals, Animals, Animals (Rpt)
2.30 Play School
2.55 Alphabet Zoo
3.05 Sooty (Starting today)
3.20 Cantinflas
3.30 After School, including (all times approx):
3.35 Troubles with T-Bag
4.00 The Smurfs (Rpt)
4.30 God’s Wonderful Railway (Part 4) (Rpt)
5.00 The Henderson Kids
6.00 Sons and Daughters
6.30 Head of the Class
7.00 Perfect Strangers
7.30 Magnum PI
8.30 Porridge (Rpt)
9.00 Dallas
10.00 Eye Witness
Current affairs, “WorldWatch” and a news update
11.00 Heartbeat City
12.00am Closedown

1 Like
1986

Today’s TV: Saturday 17 April 1993
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
8.05am eTV, including:
8.05 Psychology: The Study of Human Behaviour (Starting today) (Rpt, G)
8.30 French in Action (Starting today) (Rpt, G)
9.00 Learning Curves (Rpt, G)
9.30 Palmers Garden Show (Rpt, G)
A repeat screening of last night’s programme
10.30 Burke’s Backyard (G)
11.30 Stan Waterman’s Blue Planet (G)
Noon CBS Evening News
12.30 One World of Sport - Netball
1993 Caltex Cup - Hearts v Gisborne High School Old Girls; live from Cowles Stadium, Christchurch
2.00 One World of Sport - Rugby Sevens
1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens - NZ v Netherlands/USA, Western Samoa v Canada; highlights
4.00 One World of Sport - Rugby: NZ’s Big Game
1993 Super 10 - Queensland v Auckland; live from Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
6.00 One Network News
6.30 Country Calendar (G)
7.00 Last of the Summer Wine (Starting tonight) (Rpt, G)
7.40 Barrymore (G)
8.30 The Best of British - Inspector Morse: Happy Families (AO)
10.30 Saturday Movie on One - Privates on Parade (1983) (AO)
12.20am The Film Club - Kid Blue (1973) (Rpt, AO)
2.20 Closedown

Channel 2
6.30am Hammerman (G)
7.00 The Chipmunks Go to the Movies (Rpt, G)
7.30 Dog City (G)
8.00 What Now
Includes Mr Bogus (at 8.05pm), Rugrats (at 8.30pm), Doug (at 9.10pm) and Back to the Future (at 10.10pm)
11.00 Pepsi RTR Countdown (G)
Noon In Concert (G)
1.00 Saturday Cinema - Leonard Part 6 (1987) (G)
2.40 Laff-a-Bits (G)
3.00 Evening Shade (G)
3.30 All Together Now (G)
4.00 WKRP in Cincinnati (G)
4.30 A Different World (G)
5.00 Life Goes On (G)
6.00 The Ren & Stimpy Show (Starting tonight) (Rpt, G)
6.30 Noel’s House Party (G)
7.30 Saturday Night at the Movies - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (Rpt, G)
8.00 Lotto (Live draw)
8.05 Saturday Night at the Movies - The Empire Strikes Back (Continued)
10.00 Dream On (PGR)
10.30 Aussie League on 2
1993 NSWRL/Winfield Cup - Parramatta v Canberra; highlights
11.30 The Saturday Late Movie - The Right Stuff (1983, part 2) (Rpt, AO)
1.25am Closedown

TV3
6.30am The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (G)
7.00 Garfield and Friends (Double episode) (Rpt, G)
8.00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Double episode) (G)
The second episode (at 8.30am) is a repeat
9.00 Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters (G)
9.30 My Secret Identity (G)
10.00 Planet of the Apes (PGR)
11.00 Robin of Sherwood (Rpt, G)
Noon 3 Mini-Series - The Fremantle Conspiracy (Part 2, final) (PGR)
2.00 Movie Matinee - Lady in the Corner (1989) (G)
4.00 The Magical World of Disney (Movie) - Young Harry Houdini (1987) (Rpt, G)
6.00 3 National News
6.30 Disney Special - The Dream Is Alive: The 20th Anniversary of Walt Disney World (G)
7.30 Classic Family Movie Season - Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968) (G)
9.30 Benny Hill in the USA (Rpt, AO)
10.30 Late Movie - Midnight Cowboy (1969) (Rpt, AO)
12.50am Late Movie - Von Richthofen and Brown (aka “The Red Baron”) (1971) (Rpt, G)
2.50 The Secret World (AO)
3.20 (approx) Closedown

Sky Movies (HBO)
6.50am A Journey Through Fairyland (1985) (G)
8.30 Steel (aka “Lock Down and Die”) (1979) (GA)
10.15 Short Film - Postscript (1990) (GA)
10.30 Outrage (1985) (GA)
Noon Nostalgia at Noon - Things to Come (1936) (B&W) (G)
1.30 The Heavenly Kid (1985) (RP13)
3.00 Space Firebird (G)
5.15 The Spirit of ‘76 (1990) (GY)
6.40 Jaffas Showtime
7.00 Cadbury Premiere Gold - Three Men and a Little Lady (1990) (GA)
8.45 The Two Jakes (1990) (R16)
11.00 The Perfect Weapon (1991) (R18)
12.30am Renegades (1989) (RP16)
2.15 The Rainbow (1989) (R13)
4.00 Cross Country (1983) (R16) (Continues to 6am)

Canterbury Television (CTV), Christchurch
6.00am Welcome to Canterbury
This programme repeats at 7am, 8am, 9am, after closedown, midnight and 1am
10.15 Farming Canterbury
11.00 Trackside
Live racing from Ellerslie, Hastings and Riccarton
5.00pm Canterbury Top 20 (G)
6.00 Happy Days (G)
6.30 Maverick (B&W) (G)
7.30 CTV Sportsnight
Includes rugby, hockey (Liquorland SHL 6-a-side Hockey Tournament) and harness racing from Forbury Park
10.00 Canterbury Top 20 (Rpt, G)
A repeat screening of tonight’s programme; includes live harness racing from Albion Park, Brisbane (at 10.40pm, 11.10pm and 11.40pm)
11.00 Closedown

Today’s TV: Thursday 17 April 2003 (Free-to-air channels only)
from the NZ Listener

TV One
6.00am Breakfast
6.10 Te Karere
A repeat screening of the previous day’s bulletin
6.30 TelstraClear Business
7.00 Breakfast
9.00 Gardening Australia (Rpt, G)
9.30 How’s Life? (Rpt)
A repeat screening of last night’s programme
10.00 Good Morning
Noon Midday (News)
12.25 EastEnders (PGR)
1.00 Crossroads (PGR)
1.30 A Taste of New Zealand (Rpt, G)
1.45 Model Behaviour (PGR)
2.20 Shipwrecked (PGR)
2.50 Doctors (PGR)
3.25 Emmerdale (PGR)
3.55 Bite Sized (G)
4.10 6ixth Sense with Colin Fry (G)
4.40 Te Karere
4.55 Cheers (Rpt, G)
5.30 How’s Life?
6.00 One News
7.00 Holmes
7.30 Coronation Street (Double episode) (PGR)
8.35 Merseybeat (AO)
9.45 Face to Face with Kim Hill
10.15 Foreign Assignment
10.45 The Last Word
Interviews and a wrap of the day’s events with Pam Corkery; includes Late Edition with Neil Waka (news)
11.15 Tagata Pasifika
11.50 Men Behaving Badly (Rpt, AO)
12.25am BBC World, including:
12.25 BBC News
12.30 World Business Report
1.00 BBC News
1.30 Decisive Weapons
2.00 BBC News
2.30 Asia Today
3.00 BBC News
3.30 HARDtalk
4.00 BBC News
4.15 World Business Report
4.30 Talking Movies
5.00 BBC News
5.30 World Business Report
5.45 Sport Today (Continues to 6am)

TV2
6.00am Creflo Dollar - Changing Your World
6.30 Destiny Television
7.00 Beyblade (Rpt, G)
7.25 Disney Club - Aladdin (G)
7.50 Hi-5 (Rpt, G)
8.25 Blue’s Clues (Rpt, G)
8.50 Clifford the Big Red Dog (G)
9.15 Bumble (Rpt, G)
9.40 Shortland Street (Rpt, PGR)
10.05 Infomercials
11.35 Home and Away (Rpt, G)
12.05pm The Young and the Restless (PGR)
1.00 Days of Our Lives (PGR)
2.00 Ricki Lake (AO)
3.00 Oscar and Friends (Rpt, G)
3.05 Andy Pandy (G)
3.10 Buzz & Poppy (G)
3.20 Classic Cartoons (G)
3.25 WNTV
5.00 Big Wolf on Campus (G)
5.30 Neighbours (G)
6.00 Flipside
6.30 Two Guys and a Girl (Rpt, G)
7.00 Shortland Street (PGR)
7.30 Police Ten 7 (PGR)
8.00 Hell’s Kitchen (PGR)
Chef Rick Rutledge-Manning puts aspiring chefs through a culinary boot camp with the top trainee winning co-ownership of the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant for one year. Please note that this show was produced locally for TVNZ and had no relation to the original British format or the hugely popular US format.
8.30 McLeod’s Daughters (PGR)
9.30 The Sopranos (AO)
10.40 The Job
11.05 Queer Nation (AO)
11.35 The Ellen Show (G)
12.10am Movie - My Life Is Pink (“Ma vie en rose”) (1997) (AO)
A French film with English subtitles
1.40 Movie - Frequent Flyer (1996) (AO)
3.15 Movie - Hard Justice (1995) (Rpt, AO)
4.50 I Am Weasel (Double episode) (Rpt, G) (Continues to 6am)

TV3
6.00am Bayless Conley
6.30 Teletubbies (Rpt, G)
6.55 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (Rpt, G)
7.00 The New Woody Woodpecker Show (Rpt, G)
7.25 Pokémon (Rpt, G)
7.50 Brum (G)
8.00 House of Mouse (Rpt, G)
8.30 Untalkative Bunny (Rpt, G)
8.35 Bananas in Pyjamas (Rpt, G)
8.40 Bob the Builder (Rpt, G)
8.50 Angelina Ballerina (G)
9.05 Sesame Street (Rpt, G)
9.30 Infomercials
10.30 Rhoda (Rpt, G)
11.00 Power of Attorney (G)
11.30 Home and Away (Rpt, G)
A repeat screening of last night’s programme
Noon School Holiday Matinee - You Lucky Dog (1998) (Rpt, G)
2.00 Oprah (Rpt, G)
3.00 Elmo’s World (G)
3.15 Suzy’s World (Rpt, G)
3.25 Sticky TV (G)
Includes Arthur (at 3.30pm), Wannabes (at 4.15pm) and Transformers: Armada (at 4.30pm)
5.00 Home and Away (G)
5.30 Judge Judy (G)
6.00 3 News
7.00 Home Improvement (Rpt, G)
7.30 60 Minutes
8.30 3’s Thursday Doco - ICU
9.30 24 (AO)
10.30 Nightline
11.00 3 Documentary - Obesity: Deadly Epidemic
12.00am ABC World News Tonight
12.20 Movie - Death Benefit (1996) (Rpt, PGR)
1.55 Home and Away (Rpt, G)
A repeat screening of tonight’s programme
2.20 ABC World News Tonight (Rpt)
A repeat screening of tonight’s programme
2.45 Movie - A Town Turned to Dust (1998) (Rpt, AO)
4.15 Movie - Crying Child (1996) (Rpt, PGR)
5.55 Teletubbies (Rpt, G) (Continues to 6.20am)

TV4
6.00am Teletrader (Continued)
9.00 Infomercials
6.00pm Boy Meets World (Rpt, G)
6.30 Power of Attorney (Rpt, G)
7.00 Most Wanted (PGR)
7.30 King of the Hill (PGR)
8.00 Family Guy (Rpt, PGR)
8.30 Angel (AO)
9.30 Movie - Deceit (1989) (Rpt, AO)
11.15 Infomercials
12.00am Closedown

Prime
6.00am Here’s Lucy (G)
6.30 Here’s Humphrey (G)
7.00 Joyce Meyer - Life in the Word
7.30 This Is Your Day with Benny Hinn
8.00 National Nine Early News
Live via satellite (from Australia’s Nine Network via TCN-9 Sydney)
9.00 Today
Live via satellite (from Australia’s Nine Network via TCN-9 Sydney)
11.00 The Late Show with David Letterman (Rpt, G)
A repeat screening of last night’s programme
Noon Just the Ten of Us (G)
12.30 One on One (G)
1.00 National Nine Morning News
Live via satellite (from Australia’s Nine Network via TCN-9 Sydney)
1.30 Pacific Drive (PGR)
2.00 Blue Heelers (G)
3.00 Fresh: Cooking with the Australian Women’s Weekly (G)
3.30 Murphy Brown (G)
4.00 Y? (G)
4.30 Don’t Eat the Neighbours (G)
5.00 Head of the Class (G)
5.30 M-A-S-H (G)
6.00 Hogan’s Heroes (G)
6.30 The Nanny (G)
7.00 Seinfeld (PGR)
7.30 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (G)
8.30 Animal Doctor (PGR)
9.00 RPA (AO)
9.30 Water Rats (AO)
10.30 Good Guys Bad Guys (AO)
11.30 The Late Show with David Letterman (G)
12.25am Closedown

2 Likes
1987

Did not know King Of a Hill and Family Guy had a slot on TV4, I thought it always a TV3 thing that moved to C4 after 2005?

3 Likes
1988

From memory - the first season, maybe 2 of Family Guy aired on 3 before it moved to TV4

3 Likes
1989

Animation tuesday/thursdays were a thing. Swapped nights with sci-fi programmes at some stage. Such memories… sigh.

1 Like
1990

Yes, buy I remember Family Guy screened on 3 in 2006 as part of yo-yoing between TV3 and C4 before Four launched in 2011 where it was put on a Thursday night animation slot. Nowadays TVNZ has the rights and it is set to return to TVNZ Duke from 27 April

2 Likes
1991

Think the first series of Australian crime drama Wildside from ABC aired on TV3 the first season by mid-1999 it moved to TV4

1 Like
1992

Today’s TV: Thursday 18 April 1985
from the NZ Listener

TV One
11.30am Play School (Rpt)
11.55 You and Your Child (Rpt)
Noon News
12.02 The Young and the Restless
12.55 See Here
1.05 Beauty and the Beast
1.35 Days of Our Lives
2.30 You and Your Child (Rpt)
A repeat screening of today’s programme
2.35 Play School (Rpt)
A repeat screening of today’s programme
3.00 Sesame Street
4.00 After School, including (all times approx):
4.05 Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
4.30 Namesake
4.35 Video Dispatch
5.00 The Flintstones (Rpt)
5.30 Viewfinder
6.00 Taxi (Rpt)
6.30 News
Includes regional programmes: Top Half (Auckland), Today Tonight (Wellington), The Mainland Touch (Christchurch) and The South Tonight (Dunedin)
7.30 Coronation Street (Double episode)
8.30 Close Up
9.30 ‘Allo ‘Allo!
10.00 The Professionals (Rpt)
11.05 News
11.10 Closedown

TV2
2.30pm Prisoner
3.25 General Hospital
3.50 Love, Sidney (Rpt)
4.15 Thursday Afternoon Movie - Claudia and David (1946) (B&W)
5.45 News
5.50 Te Karere
6.00 The Young Doctors
6.30 Three’s Company
7.00 George and Mildred (Rpt)
7.30 Knight Rider
8.30 Dynasty
9.30 Eye Witness News
10.00 Lou Grant (Final)
10.55 Prisoner (Rpt)
11.55 Closedown

Today’s TV: Tuesday 18 April 1995
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
6.00am BBC World - The World Today (Continued)
7.00 Beyond 2000 (Rpt, G)
7.50 UK Today (Rpt, G)
8.00 eTV, including:
8.00 Antarctica: The Last Frontier (Rpt G)
9.00 Ethnic Cooking (Rpt, G)
9.30 Beyond Communism: The People of Perestroika (Part 3) (G)
10.00 Infomercials
11.00 The Flying Doctors (Rpt, G)
Noon The Midday Movie - Carefree (1938) (B&W) (Rpt, G)
1.55 Luv (Starting today) (AO)
2.30 Newhart (G)
3.00 Chatterbox (Rpt, G)
3.20 Posy Narkers (G)
3.30 The Greedysaurus Gang (Rpt, G)
3.35 The Adventures of the Black Stallion (G)
4.10 Dad’s Army (Rpt, G)
4.45 Te Karere
5.00 The Upper Hand (G)
5.30 Wheel of Fortune
6.00 One Network News
7.00 Holmes
7.30 Coronation Street (Double episode) (G)
8.35 Tuesday Documentary - Heartland: French Pass (G)
Click the NZ On Screen link below to watch

9.40 Pie in the Sky (PGR)
10.45 Sportsnight
11.15 One Network News - Late Edition
11.25 Yes, Prime Minister (Rpt, G)
12.00am The Manageress (Starting tonight) (Rpt, PGR)
1.00 BBC World, including:
1.00 BBC Newshour
2.00 BBC World News
2.15 World Business Report
2.25 Time Out - Holiday
3.00 BBC World News
3.15 Panorama
4.00 BBC World News
4.25 Time Out - Film ‘95 with Barry Norman
5.00 The World Today (Continues to 7am)

TV2
6.10am Wonder World! (G)
6.35 The Adventures of T-Rex (Rpt, G)
7.05 Samurai Pizza Cats (Rpt, G)
7.35 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (Rpt, G)
8.00 Barney & Friends (Rpt, G)
8.40 Sesame Street (Rpt, G)
9.40 Chatterbox (Rpt, G)
10.00 Shortland Street (Rpt, PGR)
10.30 Santa Barbara
11.30 The Susan Powter Show
Noon The Young and the Restless (G)
1.00 Days of Our Lives (G)
2.00 Ricki Lake (G)
2.55 The Bold and the Beautiful
3.25 Son of a Gunn (G)
4.00 Taz-Mania (G)
4.30 Doug (Rpt, G)
5.00 The Beverly Hillbillies (B&W) (Rpt, G)
5.30 Neighbours (G)
6.00 Home and Away (G)
6.30 The Simpsons (Rpt, G)
7.00 Shortland Street (PGR)
7.30 The Nanny (G)
8.00 Seinfeld (PGR)
8.30 The Tuesday Night Movie - In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance (1994) (AO)
10.20 Newsnight
10.50 Sex (Rpt, AO)
11.50 Cops (Double episode) (AO)
12.45am ‘Allo ‘Allo! (Double episode) (Rpt, AO)
1.50 Man O Man (Rpt, G)
2.40 Top of the Pops (Rpt, PGR)
3.15 Neighbours (Double episode) (Rpt, G)
4.00 Face the Music (Rpt, G)
4.30 Ricki Lake (Rpt, PGR)
5.15 Paradise Beach (Rpt, G)
5.45 M-A-S-H (Rpt, G) (Continues to 6.10am)

TV3
6.30am Fraggle Rock (G)
7.00 You and Me (G)
7.25 The New Adventures of Gilligan (G)
7.55 My Three Sons (G)
8.25 That Girl (G)
8.55 Infomercial
9.25 Give Us a Clue (Rpt, G)
9.55 Treasures Parent Time (G)
10.00 You and Me (G)
10.25 Infomercial
11.00 Morning Cooking, including:
11.00 What’s Cooking? (G)
11.30 The Graham Kerr Show (G)
Noon Donahue (PGR)
1.00 Sally Jessy Raphaël (AO)
2.00 The Price Is Right (G)
2.30 General Hospital (PGR)
3.30 The Love Boat (G)
4.30 Get Smart (G)
5.00 The Oprah Winfrey Show (G)
6.00 3 National News
7.00 Hogan’s Heroes (G)
7.30 Star Trek: The Next Generation (PGR)
8.30 Tuesday Night at the Movies - Freejack (1992) (AO)
10.50 Nightline
11.25 Dangerous Curves (AO)
12.25am ABC World News Tonight
12.55 America’s Most Wanted (AO)
1.50 Infomercials (Continues to 6.30am)

HBO
Noon Amos & Andrew (1993) (GA)
1.35 Hercules (1983) (GY)
3.15 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) (B&W) (G)
5.00 Stompin’ at the Savoy (1992) (GA)
6.30 Hero (aka “Accidental Hero”) (1992) (GA)
8.30 Westpac Showcase - Belle de Jour (1967) (R18)
A French film with English subtitles
10.15 Leap of Faith (1992) (GA)
12.00am Late Night (R18)
12.30 Pure Country (1992) (GY)
2.25 Closedown

Orange
6.00am The Juice Night Train (Free to air, continued)
7.00 The Juice Traffic Jam (Free to air)
10.00 Mother’s Day
10.30 Growing Up Together
11.00 Jones & Jury
11.30 Alice
Noon The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
12.30 Three’s Company
1.00 Love Connection
1.30 Supermarket Sweep
2.00 Loving
2.30 Prisoner (aka “Prisoner: Cell Block H”)
3.00 Jenny Jones
4.00 Rolonda
5.00 Cartoon Classics
6.00 Love Connection
6.30 Brookside
7.00 Real Stories of the Highway Patrol
7.30 They Came from Outer Space
8.30 Destiny Ridge
9.30 China Beach
10.30 Night Court
11.00 Second City Television (aka “SCTV Network”)
11.30 The Juice Late Night (Free to air)
1.00am The Juice Night Train (Free to air, continues to 7am)

Horizon Pacific Television (HPTV)
ATV, Coast to Coast, Capital City. Southern
3.00pm BBC World News
3.30 Film ‘95 with Barry Norman
4.00 BBC Newsday
5.30 Marketplace (G)
6.00 BBC Newsday
6.30 Wildlife International (G)
7.00 News at Seven
7.30 Northwood (PGR)
8.00 BBC World News
8.30 TAANZ Travel Travel (G)
9.00 The New Statesman (AO)
9.30 60 Minutes
A repeat screening of Sunday’s programme; first shown on TV2
10.30 World Business
11.00 Closedown

CTV
6.00am Welcome to Canterbury (Continued)
4.45pm Teletext
5.00 Susan Sells
6.00 George Balani at 6
7.00 TAANZ Travel Travel (G)
7.30 CTV’s World Tonight
8.30 Luchre Libre (G)
9.30 Boating World (G)
10.00 Susan Sells
A repeat screening of tonight’s programme
10.45 CTV’s World Tonight (Late edition)
11.45 Welcome to Canterbury (Continues through the night)

Bays Television, Nelson
7.00pm Bays-Watch
7.30 Homes and Gardens (Rpt, G)
8.00 TAANZ Travel Travel (G)
8.30 Bays Market (G)
9.00 Poldark (PGR)
10.00 George Balani (G)
11.00 Bays-Watch

CRY Television, Christchurch
11.00am Green Zone - The Bluebird Jason & Leighton Show (Rpt)
A repeat screening of the previous day’s programme
1.00pm Yellow Zone (Rpt)
A repeat screening of last night’s programme
4.00 Green Zone - The Bluebird Jason & Leighton Show
6.00 Yellow Zone
9.00 CD Red Zone
12.00am Closedown

MAX: The Music Channel, Auckland
4.00pm The Beat
Includes McDonald’s Most Wanted and The Bluebird Word
6.00 The Serious Fun Show
9.00 The Zone
12.00am Closedown

2 Likes
1993

Extra: Monday 21 April 1980
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
11.35am Play School
Noon News
12.02 The Young and the Restless
12.30 See Here
12.40 Beauty and the Beast
1.05 Doc
1.30 Days of Our Lives
2.25 Fun Factory, including:
2.25 Sesame Street
3.25 Sooty (Rpt)
3.45 Little Blue
4.05 Jigsaw
4.30 The Canal Children (Part 4)
5.00 Project UFO
6.00 Detective School
6.30 News
7.00 Close to Home
7.30 Regional Programmes
Top Half (Auckland)
Today Tonight (Wellington)
The Mainland Touch (Christchurch)
7.30 South (Dunedin)
8.00 M-A-S-H
8.30 Minder
9.30 Soap
10.00 Dallas
10.55 News
11.00 Closedown

TV2
2.30pm John Halifax, Gentleman (Part 2)
3.20 Matinee Theatre - Young Pioneers’ Christmas (1976)
4.40 The Great Composers (Rpt)
5.05 Explorers (Starting today, part 1) (Rpt)
5.55 News
6.00 Doctor Who - The Ribos Operation (Part 2)
6.25 The Week with Two
6.30 A Place in History (Part 4)
7.00 Contact - Not So Long Ago (Part 5)
7.30 Telford’s Change (Part 10, final)
8.20 Kaleidoscope
10.00 News at Ten
10.30 World Cinema - Rapture (1965) (B&W)
12.10am Closedown

Extra: Saturday 21 April 1990
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
8.45am Teletext in Vision
9.00 Fish Course (Part 4) (G)
9.30 Vintage: A History of Wine (Part 3) (G)
10.00 A Ticket to the World (G)
10.55 The Spectacular World of Guinness Records (G)
11.15 Trapper John MD (G)
Noon Mother and Son (Rpt, G)
12.30 The Duchess of Duke Street (Rpt, G)
1.25 Dad’s Army (Rpt, G)
2.00 One World of Sport - Sports Saturday
Includes cycling (the Tour of Wellington Cycle Race), rugby (Waikato v North Auckland - highlights), truck racing (from Ruapuna) and live racing from Ellerslie (Excelsior 1400m, TVNZ Stakes, Tourist Handicap), Riccarton (Great Northern Stakes, Meadow Mushroom Stakes, Race Images Stakes) and Randwick (the Sydney Cup)
6.00 One Network News
6.30 Country Calendar (G)
7.00 It’s in the Bag (G)
7.30 Our World - Wild South: Mirrorworld (G)
Click the NZ On Screen link below to watch

8.30 Saturday Night at the Movies - Being There (1979) (Rpt, PGR)
10.55 One Network News
11.05 At the Movies
11.35 One World of Sport - Basketball 1990
1990 Rheineck Basketball League (round six) - U-BIX Palmerston North v Mita North Harbour Vikings; highlights
12.35am Closedown

Channel 2
6.15am Teletext in Vision
6.30 The Breakfast Club, including:
6.31 Groovie Goolies (G)
7.00 Ring Raiders (Starting today) (G)
7.30 Denver, the Last Dinosaur (G)
8.00 What Now
10.00 RTR Sounz!
11.05 Life in the Fridge Exists (G)
11.30 Perfect Strangers (G)
Noon The Beverly Hillbillies (Rpt, G)
12.30 My Two Dads (Rpt, G)
1.00 Peaceable Kingdom (G)
2.00 Saturday Cinema - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) (B&W) (Rpt, G)
4.00 The Adventures of Black Beauty (Rpt, G)
4.30 The Hogan Family (G)
5.00 A Country Practice (G)
6.00 RTR Countdown (G)
6.30 Family Ties (G)
7.00 Top Town (Final) (G)
8.00 Lotto (Live draw)
8.05 Who’s the Boss? (G)
8.30 21 Jump Street (G)
9.30 Unsub (Series premiere) (AO)
10.30 WWF Superstars of Wrestling (AO)
11.30 Cops (Hour-long series premiere) (AO)
12.30am The Tracey Ullman Show
1.00 Closedown

TV3
7.00am EBS, including:
7.00 Adventures of the Gummi Bears (G)
7.30 Garfield and Friends (G)
7.50 Walt Disney’s Mickey and Donald (G)
8.20 Slimer! (G)
9.00 The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show (G)
9.30 Get Smart (G)
10.00 Shakedown (G)
11.00 Welcome Back Kotter (Rpt, G)
11.30 She’s the Sheriff (G)
Noon Country Clips (G)
1.00 AfterMASH (G)
1.30 Movie Matinee - Captain Mephisto and the Transformation Machine (1966) (B&W) (G)
Includes footage from “Manhunt of Mystery Island”, the 1945 movie serial
3.30 Movie Matinee - Hit Parade of 1943 (aka “Change of Heart”) (1943) (B&W) (G)
5.00 Shakedown: The 2nd Edition (G)
5.45 3 National News
6.00 Home and Away (G)
6.30 The Wonderful World of Disney - Hero in the Family (Part 1) (G)
7.30 Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments (G)
8.30 Saturday Night at the Movies - Ladykillers (1988) (AO)
10.30 The Fall Guy (AO)
11.30 Sara (AO)
12.00am Closedown

Top Town

If you grew up in New Zealand in the 80s and 90s, Saturday nights were defined by three things: fish and chips, the live Lotto draw and the chaotic, oversized spectacle of Top Town.

While the 1980s saw the show reach peak popularity, 1990 was a particularly special year for the series (which, after two years, was no longer sponsored by Griffin’s). It was a year of ‘home turf’ pride and a changing of the guard that fans still talk about today.

The Kawerau connection
Going into the 1990 season, all eyes were on Kawerau. The Bay of Plenty powerhouse had stormed the competition a year earlier, taking the title and earning the right to host the following year’s festivities.

At 7pm on the evening of Saturday 14 April 1990, Channel 2 (now TVNZ 2) screened a massive hour-long highlights package. It was a whistle-stop tour of the six national heats held in Gore, Ashburton, Marton, Wairoa, Cambridge and Kaitaia. The energy was electric, setting the stage for one of the most memorable finals in the show’s history.

Showdown at Tarawera Park
Just one week later (21 April), the circus rolled into Tarawera Park in Kawerau.

The atmosphere was classic Top Town: slippery slopes, giant foam obstacles and local heroes pushing themselves to the limit for town pride. Despite Kawerau having the home-ground advantage and the momentum of their ‘89 win, it wasn’t meant to be a back-to-back victory for the hosts.

In a stunning performance, Wairoa rose to the occasion. They dominated the obstacles to take home the 1990 title, proving that the East Coast was a force to be reckoned with.

The end of an era
While Wairoa was celebrating, 1990 also marked a bittersweet milestone for the show. It was the final year of the ‘original’ production run of Top Town. Though the format would be revived in later years (2009, in particular), nothing quite captured the magic of those Saturday nights in the late 20th century - where a whole town’s reputation rested on how fast you could carry a bucket of water across a greased log.

3 Likes
1994

Wow the infamous “The Last Word” with Pam Corkery experiment which was yet another revolving door of TVNZ’s attempt to unseat the ever popular TV3 Nightline. Had some good guests but didn’t even last a full year before the axe. Bill Ralestons news revolution didn’t quite go to plan in 2003. A year later they would launch One News Tonight with Eric Young and Kate Hawkesby which ran right up until 2024.

3 Likes
1995

Papers Past have added the Listener 1960-69.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19600617.2.45.2

3 Likes
1996

Extra: Tuesday 21 March 1978
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
Noon News
12.05 The Young and the Restless
12.30 Forearmed
12.35 Beauty and the Beast
1.00 Good Day
1.20 Days of Our Lives
2.15 Play School
2.45 Rooms
3.15 Nice One
3.20 Pardon My Genie
3.45 Valley of the Dinosaurs (Rpt)
4.05 My Favourite Martian
4.30 Nice One
4.35 Room 222 (Rpt)
5.05 Daktari (Rpt)
6.00 Hogan’s Heroes (Rpt)
6.30 News
Includes regional news from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin
7.00 Close to Home
300th episode - click the NZ On Screen link below to watch

7.30 It Ain’t Half Hot Mum
8.00 When the Boat Comes In
9.00 All in the Family
9.30 News
9.40 This Week - The Intelligence Game (Part 5, final)
10.10 The Avengers (Rpt)
11.00 News and Weather
11.05 Closedown

South Pacific Television (SPTV)
3.00pm Search for Tomorrow
3.25 Chic Chat, including:
3.25 Romper Room
3.55 Rainbow
4.15 Felix the Cat
4.25 Clutch Cargo (Rpt)
4.30 Hey Hey It’s Andy, including:
4.30 The Devlins
5.00 Batman (Rpt)
5.30 Gidget (Rpt)
6.00 News at Six
6.30 The Adventurer
7.00 Please Sir!
7.30 Family
8.30 Eye Witness
9.00 Starsky & Hutch
10.00 News at Ten
10.30 Radio with Pictures
11.30 (approx) Closedown

Close to Home’s 300th episode

Step back in time to a Tuesday evening in late March 1978. Muldoon is Prime Minister, there are only two channels on the dial and the entire nation is settling in for a milestone moment in our television history.

The big story of the night was the 300th episode of New Zealand’s beloved soap, Close to Home, which was shown on TV One (now TVNZ 1) at 7pm. By 1978, the Hearte and Paget clans were like actual neighbours to most of us as Kiwis.

In this episode, the community gathered to celebrate baker Ken Paget’s birthday. But as is the way in Wellington’s most dramatic suburb, the birthday candles weren’t the only sparks flying. The episode is best remembered for the long-awaited engagement announcement between David Paget (Stephen Tozer) and Christine Lorvatz (Heather Lindsay).

While Ken (Harry Lavington) was busy feeling his age - having recently returned from a funeral - the younger generation provided the hope. Riki Winiata (Jim Moriarty) was the first to offer congratulations, turning the birthday bash into a dual celebration. It was a classic script from series co-creator Michael Noonan, balancing the bitter with the sweet.

Staying on TV One immediately after Close to Home, the tone shifted from domestic drama to broad military farce with the BBC sitcom, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum.

Viewers were treated to the episode, “Flight to Jawani”, at 7.30pm that night. In that episode, the Royal Artillery Concert Party is sent to perform at a remote air base where the station troops haven’t seen a woman in years.

The solution? The entire concert party drags up to perform. The problem? The ‘starved’ audience is so convinced by the disguise that they chase the terrifying ‘women’ all the way back to their plane. Keep an eye out for the famous continuity error in this episode: a sticker of Snoopy is visible on the plane door (a character who wouldn’t be created until five years after the show’s 1945 setting).

Gordon Harcourt
For those with a sharp eye for NZ TV history, there’s a wonderful ‘before they were famous’ moment.

Long before he became a household name fighting for consumer rights and holding rogue traders to account on Fair Go, a very young Gordon Harcourt appeared in the credits.

Harcourt played a character named Eddie in the 300th episode of Close to Home. It serves as a fascinating piece of trivia for a man who would go on to have a prolific career - not just as a reporter, but as a producer for the BBC’s HARDtalk and a major voice in Kiwi broadcasting.

Seeing a person like Harcourt as a child actor in 1978 is a true time-capsule moment for any TV buff like me.

Please Sir!
Scheduled right up against the emotional highs of Close to Home was the chaotic British sitcom, Please Sir!, on South Pacific Television (SPTV - now TVNZ 2).

If you flipped over to SPTV at that time (immediately after The Adventurer at 6.30pm), you would have found 5C in a rebellious mood. In “Vive La Revolution”, the students of Fenn Street Secondary School decide the official school magazine is too boring. Instead, they launch their own underground publication, The Fenntasy.

Meanwhile, the long-suffering Mr Price attempts a health crusade by trying to ban the local shop from selling cigarettes and sweets to the pupils. It was a classic example of the ‘us vs them’ dynamic that made the show a hit.

@TV4 @OnAir What do you think?

2 Likes
1997

Today’s TV: Friday 15 May 1981
from the NZ Listener

TV One
6.15am Sports Special - Football
1981 FA Cup final - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City; full replay (from 6.30am)
8.15 (approx) Closedown
10.35 Play School
11.00 Food, Wine and Friends
11.25 Yoga with Sandra Riddle
11.30 Dad’s Army (Rpt)
Noon News
12.02 Al Oeming: Man of the North
12.25 See Here Specials - Express Your Feelings
12.35 Beauty and the Beast
1.05 The New Dick Van Dyke Show (Rpt)
1.30 The Waltons (Rpt)
2.15 Country Calendar (Rpt)
2.30 Play School (Rpt)
A repeat screening of today’s programme
2.55 King Rollo
3.00 Chic Chat
3.15 Join In
3.30 After School, including:
3.30 Oscar the Rabbit in Rubbidge
3.45 The Super Globetrotters
4.05 Heidi
4.35 Peppermint Pig
5.05 Animals in Action
5.30 The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist
6.00 A Big Country
6.30 News
7.00 Coronation Street
7.25 The Week with One
7.30 Regional Programmes
Top Half (Auckland)
Today Tonight (Wellington)
The Mainland Touch (Christchurch)
7.30 South (Dunedin)
7.55 Telethon Report
8.00 Fourth Estate
8.15 Peter McIntyre
8.30 Kaleidoscope
9.30 Pilger’s Mexico
10.20 Encore - The Fight Against Slavery (Rpt)
12.00am News
12.05 Closedown

TV2
2.30pm Rumpole of the Bailey (Rpt)
3.25 Friday Afternoon Movie - The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
5.05 The New Adventures of Wonder Woman (Rpt)
6.00 News at Six
6.30 Pathfinders
7.30 BJ and the Bear
8.30 Hill Street Blues
9.30 Mainly Mahoney
10.00 News at Ten
10.30 Friday Feature - Magnum PI
Movie-length series premiere
12.05am Closedown

Today’s TV: Wednesday 15 May 1991
from the NZ Listener and The Press

TV One
10.15am Teletext in Vision
10.30 Classics on One - Blue Lamp (1950) (B&W) (Rpt, G)
Noon No Place Like Home (Rpt, PGR)
12.35 Film on One - The Phantom Treehouse (1984) (G)
2.05 Quantum (Rpt, PGR)
2.25 Matinee on One - Dream One (1983) (PGR)
4.15 The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Rpt, G)
4.45 Take the High Road (G)
5.15 Te Karere
5.25 Me and My Girl (Rpt, G)
6.00 One Network News
6.30 Holmes
7.00 Sale of the Century (G)
7.30 Coronation Street (G)
8.00 Bergerac (PGR)
9.10 Boys from the Bush (AO)
10.15 One Network News
10.45 48 Hours (AO)
11.45 Yellowthread Street (AO)
12.55am Closedown

Channel 2
6.15am Teletext in Vision
6.30 Gumby Adventures (Rpt, G)
7.00 ITN World News
7.25 Top Cat (Rpt, G)
8.00 ITN World News (Rpt)
A repeat screening of the 7am bulletin
8.25 Precious Pupp (Rpt, G)
8.40 Sesame Street (G)
9.40 Play School (Rpt, G)
10.05 Aerobics Oz Style (G)
10.30 Neighbours (Rpt, G)
11.05 Santa Barbara (G)
Noon The Young and the Restless
1.00 Days of Our Lives (G)
2.00 FM (Rpt, G)
2.30 After 2, including:
2.33 Play School (Rpt, G)
3.00 Rainbow (Rpt, G)
3.15 The Raggy Dolls (Rpt, G)
3.30 Snorks (Rpt, G)
4.00 Captain Planet and the Planeteers (G)
4.30 COPS (Rpt, G)
5.00 The Bugs Bunny Show (G)
5.30 Wheel of Fortune (G)
6.00 Blind Date (G)
6.30 M-A-S-H (Rpt, G)
7.00 Neighbours (G)
7.30 Quantum Leap (PGR)
8.30 Star Movie - Satisfaction (1988) (AO)
10.20 Entertainment Tonight
11.20 Dear John (G)
11.55 Closedown

TV3
Noon NBC Nightly News
Live - via satellite
12.30 She’s the Sheriff (Rpt, G)
1.00 The Bold and the Beautiful (PGR)
1.30 Another World (PGR)
2.30 The Oprah Winfrey Show (G)
3.20 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (Rpt, G)
3.30 The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (G)
4.00 The All-New Mickey Mouse Club (G)
4.30 Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (G)
5.00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (G)
5.30 Home and Away (G)
6.00 3 National News
7.00 Hey Dad..! (G)
7.30 Alien Nation (PGR)
8.30 Mobil Sport
Includes motorsport (1991 500cc Grand Prix - Gran Premio de España), bungy jumping, football (1991 FA Cup final preview and National League highlights), basketball (1991 Rheineck Basketball League round-up), Olympic profile, Women in Sport and more
10.30 Nightline
11.00 Hell Town (AO)
12.00am (approx) Closedown

Sky Movies
Noon White Water Summer (1987) (GY)
2.00 My Brilliant Career (1979) (G)
4.00 Around the World in 80 Days (1990) (G)
5.00 Little David’s Adventure (1986) (G)
6.00 The Place at the Coast (1987) (GY)
8.00 The Jerk (1979) (GA)
10.00 Spotlight - Powaqqatsi (1988) (G)
11.45 Echoes of Paradise (1987) (R13)
1.14am Closedown

1998

Couldn’t they find anything in those 2 hours?

1999

@ElCapitanCranky TV One (now TVNZ 1) only opened transmission at 6.15am on the morning of Friday 15 May 1981 with a replay of that year’s FA Cup final. Transmission ended about two hours later and TV One’s regular programming commenced at 10.35am with Play School.