On This Day

TV History
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5 July 1964: The 1957 film Heaven Knows Mr Allison is broadcast on GTV9, Melbourne. Starring Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum, the film went on to become the decade’s highest rating movie screening — attracting a rating of 59 (per cent of households) across Melbourne and Sydney.

5 July 1971: Following the final of Pick-A-Box the previous week, the Seven Network launches Great Temptation, a prime-time spin-off of the daytime quiz show Temptation.

5 July 1972: The Melbourne debut of the ABC drama series Over There — a week after its debut in the same timeslot in Sydney. The 13-part series, set during World War II, told the story of Cyril Kirby (John Meillon), his brother Robert (John Hargreaves) and sister Elizabeth (Judy Morris) — with each episode focusing on a particular sibling.

5 July 1975: Brisbane TVQ0’s tenth birthday celebration featured a telethon for the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Sports Welfare Associations with guest appearances by personalities from the 0-10 Network, including stars of Number 96, The Box, Matlock Police and The Mike Walsh Show. Guests arrived via train from Sydney — emulating a similar venture from Sydney to Melbourne for the occasion of the TV Week Logie Awards.

5 July 1978: The Nine Network begins live via satellite coverage of the finals at Wimbledon.

5 July 1982: Mini-series Women Of The Sun, the first drama series to come from Channel 0/28 (SBS), makes its debut.

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5 July 1992: Ten in Melbourne presents its annual Deafness Appealathon, starting at midday with Bert Newton and continuing during program breaks throughout the afternoon. The appeal continues a tradition of telethons for Victoria’s Deafness Foundation hosted by the channel, dating back to 1974.

5 July 1995: The ABC documentary Peter Allen — The Boy From Oz traces the career of the late Peter Allen, from his beginnings at a bush pub at age 11.

5 July 1999: The Nine Network premieres children’s science fiction series Pig’s Breakfast.

5 July 2002: The Nine Network premieres children’s cartoon series Kangaroo Creek Gang.

5 July 2006: The Nine Network presents coverage of Game Three of the Rugby League State Of Origin — NSW versus Queensland — from Telstra Dome, Melbourne.

5 July 2007: The Nine Network premieres drama series Sea Patrol.

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This was a great show, from the makers of Heelers (who used some of its former stars and many guests), the photography was stunning. McCune was a coup and Stenlake was very good as were all. Sadly copped the same fate as shows like City Homicide, Rush and Offspring, which were under a government funding deal that ended. Also believe Sea Patrol was very expensive. These aforementioned shows’ ratings also took a big dip in the final season or two.

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YouTube: Johnson and Noddy

Starred Nick Russell, Eve Morey, Francis Greenslade, Mark Mitchell, Annie Jones, Geoff Paine, Lynda Gibson, George Kapiniaris.

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I see Gary Files thrre yoo.

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6 July 1973: ABC crosses to Wimbledon for live via satellite coverage of the Women’s Singles Final, followed the next night by the Men’s Singles Final.

6 July 1993: Game show Wheel Of Fortune clocks up its 2500th episode. Blood Brothers, a four-part series of Indigenous stories, debuts on SBS.

6 July 1997: SBS begins its coverage of the Tour de France, with a nightly half-hour highlights package at 7.30pm. The Nine Network premieres Kids, a factual series taking viewers behind the scenes at the Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney.

6 July 1999: Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show presents a 10th anniversary special, with host Kim Kilbey joined by two former hosts, Lisa Patrick and Jacki MacDonald, and a guest performance by guest star Raymond J Bartholomew (Brian Nankervis)

6 July 2003: SBS begins its coverage of the Tour de France, with a nightly half-hour highlights package at 6.00pm, repeated late at night.

6 July 2010: The Seven Network premieres Australia Versus with Tim Ross. Game show featuring comedians from the US, England and Ireland battling it out with Australian comedians.

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Jumping the gun with their 10th anniversary?

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7 July 1982: The Mike Walsh Show celebrates its 2000th episode with a prime-time special featuring highlights of the program which began in 1973. Special guests include David Frost and Toni Lamond.

7 July 1983: The mini-series Women Of The Sun, broadcast on SBS in Sydney and Melbourne a year earlier, is re-run on ABC to a national audience. The four-part series is broadcast as two double-episodes over two Thursday nights.

7 July 1993: The Seven Network news program Eleven AM reaches its 4000th episode.

7 July 1998: Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton celebrates its 1500th episode. Network Ten screens the Kylie Minogue concert special Kylie — Intimate And Live, including behind-the-scenes footage of two months of preparation, planning and rehearsal for Minogue’s Australian tour.

7 July 2002: Seven premieres Quizmaster with Simon Reeve, where contestants compete for the title of Australia’s Ultimate Master of Quiz and a total prize pool of $1 million. SBS begins its coverage of the Tour de France, with a nightly half-hour highlights package, repeated late at night.

7 July 2004: The Nine Network presents coverage of Game Three of the Rugby League State Of Origin — NSW versus Queensland — from Telstra Stadium, Sydney.

7 July 2006: Network Ten premieres children’s drama series H2O: Just Add Water.

7 July 2007: SBS begins its coverage of the Tour de France, with live coverage each late night and a half-hour highlights package the following evening.

7 July 2010: The Nine Network presents coverage of Game Three of the Rugby League State Of Origin — NSW versus Queensland — from ANZ Stadium, Sydney.

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Amazing to think this milestone occured over 30 years ago and the show would still go on for years after that

Who would go on to It’s Academic, Weekend Sunrise, The Force, Million Dollar Minute, among other specials. At the network on/off since the late 70s as a teenager, starting in Perth and a Kerry Stokes favourite. But all went pear-shaped at the start of COVID four years ago…

This became a bit of a cult favourite, was very popular with primary aged and pre-teens in the mid-2000s and gave us the likes of since fairly big local and even overseas actors in Phoebe Tonkin and Angus McLaren to name a couple.

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and some very strange adult men

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8 July 1982: Network Ten premieres weekly current affairs program The Reporters with host Steve Cosser and reporters Ken Burslem, Mary Delahunty, Scott Chisolm and Chris Hawkins.

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8 July 1992: ABC premieres mini-series The Leaving Of Liverpool, starring Kevin Jones, Christine Tremarco, John Hargreaves, Bill Hunter, Pamela Rabe and Colin Moody. SBS interview series Face The Press presents its 100th episode as three former Prime Ministers — Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke — face questions about Australia in the 21st Century.

8 July 1997: Blue Heelers reaches its 150th episode.

8 July 2000: Richard Wilkins hosts the premiere of weekly half-hour series Before They Were Stars (Nine), featuring early work of famous Australians before they were stars, including Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Elle Macpherson.

8 July 2001: Do Or Die, a two-part mini-series set in London and Sydney, premieres on the Seven Network. Starring Martin Sacks, William McInnes and Tom Long. SBS begins its coverage of the Tour de France, with a nightly half-hour highlights package at 6.00pm, repeated late at night.

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The same Steve Cosser who, seven or eight years later, would have a role in running the whole network.

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Huh!?

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The same Mary Delahunty would join the ABC a few years later as anchor of the 7pm Victorian bulletin.

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9 July 1970: ABC presents Project Australia, marking the launch of the microwave link between the east and west coasts of Australia, allowing the transmission of program material across the country.

9 July 1974: ABC in Melbourne premieres the six-part comedy series And The Big Men Fly, based on the stage play about a fictional Australian rules football team and its search for a star player. The series made its debut in Sydney on 28 July, and later in other states.

9 July 1979: The debut of the Seven Network‘s airport drama Skyways, starring Tony Bonner, Bruce Barry, Ken James, Tina Bursill, Brian James, Joanne Samuel, Deborah Coulls, Judy Morris and Bartholomew John. Screening back-to-back with Cop Shop two nights a week, it was axed after two years.

9 July 1997: SBS premieres four-part series An Australian Odyssey. British presenter Oz Clarke explores the history of Australian wine, visits famous wine areas and the influence of immigrants on Australia’s wine culture.

9 July 2001: The Nine Network premieres children’s drama series Outriders, starring Kate Raison, Abbie Cornish, Luise Helm, Oliver Ackland and Mark Furze.

9 July 2007: The Seven Network premieres factual series Surf Patrol, following the work of volunteer surf lifesavers.

9 July 2017: The Nine Network premieres Australian Ninja Warrior with hosts Rebecca Maddern and Ben Fordham.

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I believe Kylie and Jason guest starred on this show when they were kids.

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they played brother and sister.

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Fixed.

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10 July 1991: Bruce Spence, Hugo Weaving and American actress Rosanna Arquette star in the Australian-made telemovie Wendy Cracked A Walnut (ABC), telling the story of a housewife who yearns for the romance and passion she finds in pulp novels.

10 July 1992: ABC premieres a four-part documentary series, Track Record, tracing the history of Australian railways.

10 July 1997: The Nine Network premieres Moment Of Truth, a ten-part series following ordinary Australians at critical moments in their lives. Hosted by Jennifer Keyte.

10 July 1998: In Melbourne, Seven‘s coverage of the AFL State Of Origin — Allies versus Victoria — from Brisbane, is up against Nine‘s coverage of the EJ Whitten Legends Game — a charity match featuring retired football stars in honour of the late Ted Whitten.

10 July 1999: The Nine Network premieres The Mick Molloy Show, a comedy-variety show with Mick Molloy and regulars including Bob Franklin, Judith Lucy, Tony Martin and Pete Smith. The show was cancelled after eight episodes.

10 July 2003: ABC premieres comedy series Fat Cow Motel, starring Brendan Cowell and Kate Atkinson.

10 July 2004: ABC premieres nostalgia series The Way We Were, hosted by Mark Trevorrow. The first episode looks at how children’s television has changed over the years and features guest appearances by Nancy Cato (The Magic Circle Club, Adventure Island), Rob Morrison and Deane Hutton (The Curiosity Show) and Pat Lovell (Mr Squiggle).

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Nine was throwing a lot of stuff at the wall back in 1999.

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Trying to ‘replace’ Hey Hey in 1999 with something that was new wasn’t very successful for Nine.

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