Classic TV Listings

TV History
1472

Melbourne TV listings: Wednesday, December 27, 1989
from The Age

ABV2
7.00 Andy Robson
7.31 Dennis the Menace
7.55 Storybreak
8.20 Sesame Street
9.20 PGR
9.30 Play School
10.00 Puddle Lane
10.15 Our Backyard
10.30 Simon & the Witch
10.45 Emma & Grampa
10.55 The Croc-Note Show
11.00 Running Scared
11.30 3-2-1 Contact
12.00 The Fully Ordained Meat Pie (documentary)
1.00 Writers Writing
1.30 Pals
1.55 Willo the Wisp
2.00 Square One Television
2.30 Do It
2.50 Little Blue
3.00 Sesame Street
3.58 Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
4.00 Play School
4.30 Mr. Squiggle & Friends
5.00 Inspector Gadget
5.25 The Ratties
5.30 The Campbells
6.00 Countdown Summer
6.30 EastEnders
7.00 ABC News
7.30 The 7.30 Report (summer edition)
8.00 Quantum (summer edition; ABC News at 8.28)
8.30 Sisterly Love
9.40 Aspel & Company
10.20 ABC News
10.30 English Soccer: highlights of Liverpool v. Manchester United
11.25 Carol Burnett & Friends
11.55 close

HSV7
6.00 Fame
7.00 Cartoon Connection
9.00 Beverly Hillbillies
9.30 Fat Cat & Friends
10.00 Perry Mason
11.00 Our House
12.00 Movie “Spider-Man”
2.00 Movie “Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge”
4.00 Wombat
4.30 Now You See It
5.00 Press Your Luck
5.30 Wheel of Fortune
6.00 Seven Nightly News
6.30 Family Feud
7.00 Hinch
7.30 ALF
8.00 Hogan Family (Tattslotto at 8.28)
8.30 Tennis: Hopman Cup (day 2)
12.00 Seven News Overnight (includes NBC’s Today)
2.00 East of Eden (final)
3.40 Night Heat
4.35 Superior Court
5.00 On Trial
5.30 Nearly Departed

GTV9
6.00 Animals of Africa
6.30 Secrets & Mysteries
7.00 ITN World News
7.30 The Wackiest Ship in the Army
8.30 Skippy
9.00 Here’s Humphrey
9.59 News
10.00 Animals, Animals, Animals
10.30 McHale’s Navy
11.00 General Hospital
12.00 Police Story
1.00 Sanford & Son
1.30 Days of Our Lives
2.30 Young and the Restless
3.30 Small Wonder
4.00 Curiosity Show
4.30 KTV
5.00 Mr. Merlin
5.30 Benson
6.00 National Nine News
6.30 Countdown to Auckland (a preview of the 1990 Commonwealth Games)
7.00 Growing Pains (Keno at 7.28)
7.30 Buck James
8.30 Movie “All Creatures Great & Small”
10.30 News
10.35 North and South II (part 5)
12.35 Ohara
1.35 Movie “The Kingfisher”
3.05 Movie “Wake Me When the War is Over”
4.35 Bonanza
5.30 The Young Doctors

ATV10
6.00 Lassie
6.30 Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
7.00 New Gidget
8.00 That Girl
8.30 Puttin’ on the Hits
9.00 Afterschool Specials “Mom’s on Strike”
10.00 Mulligrubs
10.30 Mama’s Family
11.00 Another World
12.00 Santa Barbara
1.00 Bold and the Beautiful
1.30 Donahue
2.30 The Rockford Files
3.30 Neighbours
4.00 Double Dare
4.30 CAB
5.00 Munsters Today
5.30 Best of Perfect Match
6.00 News (was still called Eyewitness News at the time?)
7.00 Henderson Kids II
7.30 Return to Eden (part 9)
8.30 Bronx Zoo
9.30 Private Eye
10.25 News
10.30 Crime Story
11.30 A Year in the Life
12.30 Movie “Over the Edge”
2.15 Submarine X-1
4.00 Emergency
5.00 Dallas

SBS
12.55pm Dance-Lines (UK)
2.05 Movie “The Greedy Man” (Greece)
3.45 Movie “The Prince Beyond the Seven Seas” (Germany)
5.10 How Mr. Waterman Got His Trumpet Back (Czechoslovakia)
5.35 Movie “Happiness is Called Jonas” (Czechoslovakia)
6.30 World News
7.00 The Monk & the Honeybee (part 1 of 3; UK)
7.30 The Drum Machine
8.20 Paintbox
8.30 Comfessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man (part 2 of 5; Germany)
9.30 Roanoak (part 2 of 3; UK)
10.00 Dance Black America (US documentary)
12.00 Movie “The Understanding” (Greece)
1.50 close

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1473

Yes. It became Ten Evening News in January 1990

1 Like
1474

Renaissance TV began on Channel 31 eighteen years ago. It’s a pity it never really lasted but it was really a defacto advertorial for Primelife retirement homes. I imagine the commercial stations were what put an end to it

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1475

It was later expanded to Channel 31 Sydney (pre-TVS) in June 2002. There was a change of transmitter from top of Optus Tower in North Sydney to the ABC Tower in Gore Hill to coincide with the Sydney launch.

At my home location near Campbelltown, reception of Channel 31 improved quite dramatically with the transmitter change.

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1476

RTV paid for Channel 31 in Melbourne to upgrade its transmitter too

1477

With Denise Drysdale’s cooking/gardening show (of which she later claimed she didn’t get paid properly for) and a travel show with Tony Barber.

1478

Melbourne TV listings: Monday, April 21, 1986
from The Age

ABV2
8.00 Sesame Street
9.00 Kimba the White Lion
9.25 Magic Roundabout
9.30 Play School
10.00 Hunter
10.15 Alexander Bunyip’s Billabong
10.20 Science Topics
10.40 Geography Today
11.00 Writing
11.20 Lower Primary Science
11.35 Don & Pete
11.40 Northern Australian Documentaries
12.00 A New World (For Sure)
12.30 Voting
1.00 ABC News
1.05 Buongiorno Italia
1.30 Music Match
1.50 Watch
2.07 The World at War
3.00 Sesame Street
4.00 Play School
4.30 Mr. Squiggle & Friends
5.00 Astroboy
5.25 Roger Ramjet
5.30 Metal Mickey
5.55 Danger Mouse
6.00 Edge of the Wedge
6.30 Come and Get It
6.35 Doctor Who
7.00 ABC News
7.30 Open All Hours
8.00 Full House
8.25 Four Corners
9.20 Bluebell (part 7 of 8)
10.15 The Road to Wembley: second semifinal
11.15 Soccer: highlights of Southampton v. Liverpool
12.15 close

HSV7
7.00 Marvel Superheroes
7.30 The Jetsons
8.00 Leave It to Beaver
8.30 Rocket Robin Hood
9.00 The Onedin Line
10.00 Romper Room
10.55 Home Update
11.00 Eleven AM
12.00 Movie “Sunday in New York”
2.00 Cop Shop
3.00 The Man from UNCLE
4.00 Wombat
4.30 The Tripods
5.00 Wheel of Fortune
5.30 The Goodies
6.00 Family Ties
6.30 Seven National News
7.00 Day by Day
7.30 Sons and Daughters
8.30 Movie “Flash Gordon”
10.40 Newsworld
11.30 Chalk & Cheese
12.00 Seven News Overnight (includes NBC’s Today)

GTV9
6.00 National Nine Early Morning News
6.30 Today
9.00 Here’s Humphrey
10.00 General Hospital
11.00 The Sullivan
11.30 National Nine Morning News
12.00 Midday with Ray Martin
1.30 Days of Our Lives
2.30 Young and the Restless
3.30 Lucy Show
4.00 C’mon Kids
5.00 Bugs Bunny Show
5.30 Diff’rent Strokes
6.00 National Nine News
6.30 Willesee
7.00 Sale of the Century
7.30 Knight Rider
8.30 Dynasty
9.30 The Colbys (premiere)
10.30 News
10.35 Cover Up
11.35 The Young Doctors
12.05 Movie “The Marcus-Nelson Murders”
2.55 Movie “Morning Departure”
4.40 Thrillseekers
5.10 Bonanza

ATV10
6.00 Daybreak
7.00 Good Morning Australia
9.00 Fat Cat & Friends
9.30 And Mother Makes Three
10.00 Another World
11.00 Good Morning Melboure
12.00 Movie “Scruples”
2.00 Ten Eyewitness News
2.30 Carson’s Law
3.30 Silver Spoons
4.00 Off the Dish
4.30 Simon Townsend’s Wonder World!
5.00 Good Times
5.30 Perfect Match
6.00 Ten Eyewitness News
7.00 Neighbours
7.30 David Johnston Collection “Queen Elizabeth II: 60 Glorious Years”
8.30 Movie “Let’s Do It Again”
10.30 Ten Eyewitness News
10.40 The Golden Years of Television
12.00 Hotel
1.00 American Video Awards
3.00 close

SBS
11.00 Tales from the Shell (Czechoslovakia)
11.10 The Morning Star (Greece)
12.00 Movie “Heart Tremors” (Hungary)
1.30 close
5.30 The Electric Company
6.00 Soccer: National League highlights
7.00 News
7.30 The Way of the Warrior (1 of 8; UK)
8.10 Sneak Preview
8.30 10 Herenstraat (6 of 7; Netherlands)
9.35 Movie “The Legend of a Boxer” (Hong Kong)
11.25 close

1479

Fat Cat and Friends was on its second last year on Ten before moving to Seven in 1988.

2 Likes
1480

The only reason it switched channels (from Ten to Seven) was because of Ten and Seven swapping Network affiliation in Adelaide (where Fat Cat And Friends were produced by SAS10 later SAS7).

Fat Cat And Friends screened on Seven between 1988 and 1991 before being axed due to the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal claimed that the program was not educational enough and was “not clearly defined and encouraging of bestial adoration”. There was also a question of gender—namely, that Fat Cat did not appear to have one. The character being mute was also a clear issue despite the precedent of Humphrey B. Bear

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1482

I wonder why Australia had such a formal switch-over to color. In almost every other country I can think of, color was introduced more gradually, depending on the financial resources and programming strategies of each broadcaster, yet in Australia, the transition was almost like the switch to digital – done on a single day chosen by the regulator.

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1483

Never knew Ten had a 2.00 Afternoon bulletin. Must not have last long, but interesting.

Also what was 6.00 Daybreak ?

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1484

early morning news

1485

This would’ve been about the time Northern Star, an offshoot of Frank Lowy’s Westfield, acquired the network and huge amounts of money was pumped into the asset to try to make it competitive with Nine. News was expanded, hence the early morning and afternoon news bulletin listings, as was drama production. This was a period in Ten’s history where they were successful and competitive thanks to hits like Perfect Match and Neighbours. The success couldn’t be sustained because of the financial difficulties created by the 1987 stock market crash.

3 Likes
1486

Errrr…what? :rofl:

1487

A breakfast tv show on Ten! lol

One wonders what would have happened if they kept Good Morning Australia (the breakfast version) on through the 90s and 00s. Would it eventually be competitive against Today?

Of course axing it was a masterstroke as it eventually led to the highly successful Cheez TV, which went on to kill Agro.

1488

I thought it was fairly competitive (although certainly not beating Today) in the mid to late 80’s before the co-hosts around KAK kept on revolving.

1 Like
1489

Because it was a big deal, Australia was one of the very last developed countries to allow colour broadcasting, and it probably wouldn’t have happened until an even later date without the efforts of the Whitlam Government (Menzies and his communication minister were opposed to Colour TV despite demands from the PMG at the time to introduce it almost 10 years earlier).

4 Likes
1490

I checked the Sydney listings for that day on the Sydney Morning Herald and the 2pm bulletin only aired in Melbourne. TEN10 aired Carson’s Law at 2pm and McHale’s Navy at 3pm.

2 Likes
1491

Sydney TV listings: Monday, April 21, 1986
from Sydney Morning Herald

There are a couple of schedule differences between the Sydney and Melbourne commercial stations, as I mentioned on a previous post.

ABN2
8.00 Sesame Street
9.00 Kimba the White Lion
9.25 Magic Roundabout
9.30 Play School
10.00 Hunter
10.15 Alexander Bunyip’s Billabong
10.20 Science Topics
10.40 Geography Today
11.00 Writing
11.20 Lower Primary Science
11.35 Don & Pete
11.40 Northern Australian Documentaries
12.00 A New World (For Sure)
12.30 Voting
1.00 ABC News
1.05 Buongiorno Italia
1.30 Music Match
1.50 Watch
2.07 The World at War
3.00 Sesame Street
4.00 Play School
4.30 Mr. Squiggle & Friends
5.00 Astroboy
5.25 Roger Ramjet
5.30 Metal Mickey
5.55 Danger Mouse
6.00 Edge of the Wedge
6.30 Come and Get It
6.35 Doctor Who
7.00 ABC News
7.30 Open All Hours
8.00 Full House
8.25 Four Corners
9.20 Bluebell (part 7 of 8)
10.15 The Road to Wembley: second semifinal
11.15 Soccer: highlights of Southampton v. Liverpool
12.15 close

ATN7
6.00 Aerobicise
6.30 To Rome with Love
7.00 Cartoon Connection
8.30 Mr. Ed
9.00 Romper Room
10.00 Van Der Valk
11.00 Eleven AM
12.00 Movie “Les Miserables”
3.00 Streets of San Francisco
4.00 Wombat
4.30 Lassie
5.00 Wheel of Fortune
5.30 Trivial Video Show
6.00 Seven National News/Mossop Report
7.00 Terry Willesee Tonight
7.30 Sons and Daughters
8.30 Movie “Losin’ It”
10.25 Newsworld
11.30 Not Necessarily the News
12.00 Seven News Overnight (includes NBC’s Today)

TCN9
6.00 National Nine Early Morning News
6.30 Today
9.00 Here’s Humphrey
10.00 The Young Doctors
10.30 General Hospital
11.30 National Nine Morning News
12.00 Midday with Ray Martin
1.30 Days of Our Lives
2.30 Young and the Restless
3.30 The Sullivans
4.00 C’mon Kids
5.00 Lucy Show
5.30 Happy Days
6.00 National Nine News
6.30 Willesee
7.00 Sale of the Century
7.30 Knight Rider
8.30 Dynasty (Go Lotto at 8.27)
9.30 The Colbys (premiere)
11.30 News
11.35 America’s Cup Update
12.05 Movie “The Marcus-Nelson Murders”
2.55 Movie “Morning Departure”
4.40 Thrillseekers
5.10 Bonanza

TEN10
6.00 Daybreak
7.00 Good Morning Australia
9.00 Good Morning Sydney
10.00 Fat Cat & Friends
10.30 Another World
11.30 Ten Eyewitness News
12.00 Movie “Scruples”
2.00 Carson’s Law
3.00 McHale’s Navy
3.30 Graham Kennedy’s Blankety Blanks
4.00 Off the Dish
4.30 Simon Townsend’s Wonder World!
5.00 Good Times
5.30 Perfect Match
6.00 Ten Eyewitness News
7.00 Neighbours
7.30 Return to Eden
8.30 Movie “Good Guys Wear Black”
10.25 Bellamy
11.25 The Rockford Files
12.25 Sink or Swim
12.55 Religious Programming
1.00 close

SBS
11.00 Cartoons
11.10 The Morning Star (Greece)
12.00 Movie “Heart Tremors” (Hungary)
1.30 close
5.30 The Electric Company
6.00 Soccer: National League highlights
7.00 News
7.30 The Way of the Warrior (1 of 8; UK)
8.10 Sneak Preview
8.30 10 Herenstraat (6 of 7; Netherlands)
9.35 Movie “The Legend of a Boxer” (Hong Kong)
11.25 close

1 Like
1492

Canberra/Southern NSW, Thursday 8 March 1984
from TV Week

ABC (TV Week carried separate listings for Canberra/NSW and Shepparton; the stations had slight differences in programming, mainly Saturday afternoon sports and some schools programs)
8.00 Sesame Street
9.00 Larry the Lamb
9.15 Noddy
9.30 Play School
10.00 For Schools: Walrus
10.20 For Schools: Waterloo Street
10.40 For Schools: The Magic Bag
11.00 For Schools: Families of the World
11.20 For Schools: Talkabout
11.40 For Schools: Lower Primary Science
noon For Schools: Computers in Action
12.30 For Schools: Shakespeare in Perspective
1.00 News/Weather
1.11 For Schools: Kontakte
1.35 For Schools: Behind the News
1.55 For Schools: For the Juniors
2.15 test pattern/music
2.40 For Schools: The Human Body
3.00 Sesame Street
4.00 Play School
4.30 Antenna (premiere)
5.00 Star Blazers
5.25 Danger Mouse
5.30 Metal Mickey “Taking the Mickey”
5.54 Come & Get It
6.00 Home
6.30 Doctor Who
6.54 Regional News
7.00 News/Weather
7.30 1915 “Your Country Needs You”
8.20 Nationwide
8.50 Human Brain “The Self” (premiere)
9.40 News/Weather
9.50 Encounters
10.20 Evening Music (Sydney Symphony)
10.40 close

WIN4 Wollongong
6.30 Reflections
6.35 Jazzercise
7.00 Today
9.00 Fat Cat & Friends
9.25 Courageous Cat
9.35 One Day at a Time
10.00 Young Doctors
10.30 Donahue (PGR)
11.30 News
noon Mike Walsh (PGR)
1.30 Days of Our Lives (PGR)
2.30 Young & the Restless (PGR)
3.30 Ace
4.00 Wonder World [C]
4.30 Flipper [C]
5.00 New Price is Right
5.30 Get Smart
6.00 News/Weather
7.00 Sale of the Century
7.30 Love Boat (PGR)
8.30 Carson’s Law (PGR)
9.30 Lou Grant “Dogs” (PGR)
10.30 Movie “Pick-Up on 101”
12.20 News
12.50 Late Movie “The Trackers”
2.05 Reflections
2.10 close

NBN3 Newcastle
7.00 News
7.30 Cartoon Carnival
9.05 Romper Room
9.35 Here’s Humphrey
10.30 Eight is Enough (PGR)
11.30 Family Feud
11.55 News
noon Mike Walsh (PGR)
1.30 Days of Our Lives (PGR)
2.25 Community Noticeboard
2.30 Sons & Daughters
3.00 Young & the Restless (PGR)
3.55 Go Health [C]
4.00 Wombat [C]
4.30 Flipper [C]
5.00 Happy Days
5.30 New Price is Right
6.00 News/Weather
7.00 Sale of the Century
7.30 A Country Practice
8.30 News
8.35 Willisee Special: The Ultimate Struggle
9.30 Cagney & Lacey “Grandest Jewel Thief” (PGR)
10.30 Bowls Highlights: NBN-Carlton International Tournament
11.30 Laramie
12.30 close

CTC7 Canberra
7.00 Today
9.00 Here’s Humphrey
9.55 Cartoon
10.00 Jazzercise
10.30 Coronation Street (PGR)
11.00 Eleven AM
noon Mike Walsh (PGR)
1.30 Days of Our Lives (PGR)
2.25 News
2.30 The Restless Years (PGR)
3.35 New Adventures of Batman
4.00 You Asked for It [C]
4.30 Lassie [C]
5.00 Get Smart
5.30 Hogan’s Heroes
6.00 News
7.00 Sale of the Century
7.30 A Country Practice
8.27 News
8.30 Carson’s Law (PGR)
9.30 Prisoner (AO)
10.30 Love Thy Neighbor
11.00 Late Movie “Strangers When We Meet”
1.15 close

CBN8 Orange/CWN6 Dubbo/MTN9 Griffith
9.00-10.00 Here’s Humphrey
noon Mike Walsh (PGR)
1.35 News
1.45 Sullivans
2.15 Days of Our Lives (PGR)
3.05 Young & the Restless (PGR)
4.00 Flipper [C]
4.30 Wonder World [C}
4.55 (CBN/CWN) Around the Schools
(MTN) School’s In
5.00 Beverly Hillbillies
5.30 New Price is Right
6.00 (CBN/CWN) Market Report
(MTN) Regional News/Weather
6.08 (CBN/CWN) Regional News/Weather
6.30 National News/Weather
7.00 Sale of the Century
7.30 A Country Practice
8.30 Weather
8.35 Quincy “Quincy’s Wedding” (pt 1)
9.30 Knots Landing “Living Dangerous” (PGR)
10.25 (CBN/CWN) Rural Roundup
(MTN) Farm Topics
10.30 That’s Entertainment
10.35 The Restless Years (PGR)
11.30 (CBN/CWN) Market Report
(MTN) Local News
11.40 (CBN/CWN) Local News
mid. close

RVN2 Wagga Wagga/AMV4 Albury
10.29 Program Highlights
10.30 Here’s Humphrey
11.30 News
noon Mike Walsh (PGR)
1.30 Days of Our Lives (PGR)
2.30 Sons & Daughters
3.00 At Home
3.10 Family Feud
3.35 Smurfs
4.00 Wonder World [C]
4.30 Jackanory Playhouse [C]
4.55 Cartoons
5.00 Fraggle Rock [C]
5.35 Videobreak
5.40 The Little People
6.10 Regional News
6.30 News/Weather
7.00 Sale of the Century
7.30 Love Boat “Prisoner of Love” (PGR)
8.30 A-Team “The Rabbit That Ate Las Vegas” (PGR)
9.30 Cop Shop (PGR)
10.25 Drive
10.30 Charlie’s Angels “Nips and Tucks” (PGR)
11.25 News
11.50 close

GMV6 Shepparton
9.25 Morning Meditation
9.30 Educational Access Television (GMV only aired this on Wed/Thurs, signing on at 10.25 during the rest of the week)
10.00 Animal World
10.30 Here’s Humphrey
11.25 Here’s Lucy
11.55 Regional News
noon Mike Walsh (PGR)
1.30 Days of Our Lives (PGR)
2.30 It’s an Odd Country
2.35 The Restless Years (PGR)
3.30 Popeye Show
4.00 Children’s Hour [C; Lassie/Wonder World]
5.00 Muppet Show
5.30 New Price is Right
6.00 Regional News
6.30 National News
7.00 Sale of the Century
7.30 A Country Practice
8.30 Carson’s Law (PGR)
9.30 Movie “Death Train”
11.20 News
12.10 close

Network 0-28 Canberra
5.10 People You Meet
5.30 Once Upon a Time…Man (Spanish dub; this series was French-produced and co-produced with a consortium of international broadcasters, mainly European)
6.00 Rock Around the World
6.30 Love Story (Hong Kong)
7.00 Lineup 28
7.30 News
8.00 World News Report
8.30 Curro Jimenez (Spain)
9.28 News/Weather
9.30 Movie “Ellas of the 16th Division” (Greece)
11.00 The Bondage Field (Ireland)
mid. close

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