1979 in Australian television
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- February - The Government approves the application for ATV0 to convert its transmission to the Channel 10 frequency.
- 11 February - A brand new Australian weekly current affairs program 60 Minutes premieres on Nine Network. Based on the American newsmagazine television program of the same name, it has a lack lustre beginning, but will soon rise to become one of the highest-rating programs in Australia.
- 27 February - Australian prime time black comedy[citation needed]/soap opera from Reg Grundy Productions Prisoner premieres on the 0-10 Network. It enjoys a large following both in Australia and around the world, particularly in the UK and parts of the US.
- April - The Special Broadcasting Service screens the first of a series of multi-language programs on ABC on Sunday mornings.
- 2 April - Australian actor Ron Blanchard and Alexander Bunyip the delightful character from the popular children's book The Monster That Ate Canberra by Michael Salmon present a brand new afternoon block for children called ARVO which also features programs such as Play School, Mr. Squiggle and Friends, Sesame Street, Basil Brush and The Famous Five.
- 24 April - American prime time soap opera Dallas premieres on The 0-10 Network.
- 28 June - Australian drama series Patrol Boat debuts on ABC.
- 1 July - Commercial television stations now required to screen ‘C’ classified programming, aimed solely at children aged 6 to 13, every weekday between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. Early ‘C’ classified programs include Simon Townsend's Wonder World (0–10), Stax (Seven) and Shirl's Neighbourhood (Seven). Commercial stations are also required to screen a minimum of 30 minutes each weekday, prior to 4:00pm, of programming aimed at pre-school viewers.
- 9 July - Crawford Productions's brand new soap opera Skyways begins it premiere on the Seven Network.
- 13 August - A brand new Australian environmental education series for children called Earthwatch debuts on ABC at 5:00pm as part of the ARVO lineup.
- 2 October - American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes debuts on Nine Network.
- November - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is taking control of TEN-10 Sydney and his bid to take over the Australian airline company which owns ATV0 Melbourne Ansett Australia, sparks a review into media ownership by the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal.
- 5 December - American sitcom Taxi premieres on Nine Network.
Debuts
| Program | Network | Debut date |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Minutes | Nine Network | 11 February |
| Doctor Down Under | Seven Network | 12 February |
| Prisoner | The 0-10 Network | 27 February |
| The Oracle | ABC | 12 March |
| Golden Soak | ABC | 13 March |
| Bailey's Bird | Seven Network | 25 March |
| ARVO | ABC | 2 April |
| Love Thy Neighbour in Australia | Seven Network | 9 April |
| Patrol Boat | ABC | 28 June |
| Carrots | Seven Network | 2 July |
| Skyways | Seven Network | 9 July |
| Ride on Stranger | ABC | 15 July |
| Top Mates | ABC | 16 July |
| Earthwatch | ABC | 13 August |
| Simon Townsend's Wonder World | The 0-10 Network | 3 September |
| Shirl's Neighbourhood | Seven Network | 1979 |
| Wombat | BTQ-7 | 1979 |
| The World Around Us | Seven Network | 1979 |
New international programming
- 7 January –
The Kenny Everett Video Show (ABC) - 7 January – All Creatures Great and Small (ABC)
- 8 January/7 May – Michael Bentine's Potty Time (8 January: Seven Network - Melbourne, 7 May: Seven Network - Sydney)
- 11 January/4 September –
CHiPS (11 January: Seven Network - Melbourne, 4 September: Seven Network - Sydney) - 13 January – Baggy Pants and the Nitwits (The 0-10 Network)
- 21 January –
The Governor (ABC) - 24 January – Bagpuss (ABC)
- 1 February – Rumpole of the Bailey (ABC)
- 10 February/19 February – Mickey's 50 (10 February: Seven Network - Melbourne, 19 February: Nine Network - Sydney)
- 11 February – Vega$ (Nine Network)
- 15 February – The Incredible Hulk (1978) (Seven Network)
- 19 February – Mork and Mindy (Nine Network)
- 5 March –
Battle of the Planets (The 0-10 Network) - 10 March – The Mumbly Cartoon Show (Nine Network)
- 21 March – Peark (The 0-10 Network)
- 24 March – The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty (The 0-10 Network)
- 24 March – I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali (The 0-10 Network)
- 2 April – The Eagle of the Ninth (ABC)
- 19 April – Sword of Justice (The 0-10 Network)
- 24 April – Dallas (The 0-10 Network)
- 27 April – Blake's 7 (ABC)
- 8 May – Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk (ABC)
- 22 May – The Famous Five (1978) (ABC)
- 28 May – Roots: The Next Generations (The 0-10 Network)
- 31 May – Project U.F.O. (The 0-10 Network)
- 4 June – Danger UXB (ABC)
- 12 June – Lillie (Seven Network)
- 23 July – Dynomutt, Dog Wonder (Nine Network)
- 8 August – Gather Your Dreams (ABC)
- 10 August/24 November – Salvage 1 (10 August: Nine Network - Melbourne, 24 November: Nine Network - Sydney)
- 3 September – 1990 (ABC)
- 21 September – Supertrain (Nine Network)
- 2 October – Hazell (ABC)
- 2 October – Diff'rent Strokes (Nine Network)
- 3 October – Angie (Nine Network)
- 11 October – Circus (ABC)
- 15 October – Yogi's Space Race (Nine Network)
- 19 October – Out of Bounds (ABC)
- 7 November – A Special Sesame Street Christmas (Seven Network)
- 18 November – Bless Me, Father (Seven Network)
- 19 November – WKRP in Cincinnati (Nine Network)
- 19 November –
SCTV (The 0-10 Network) - 19 November – The Big Blue Marble (Nine Network)
- 21 November – Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (Seven Network)
- 21 November – Brothers and Sisters (Seven Network)
- 21 November – Joe & Valerie (Seven Network)
- 22 November – Return of the Saint (Seven Network)
- 24 November – David Cassidy: Man Undercover (Seven Network)
- 25 November – Mixed Blessings (Seven Network)
- 27 November – The Aphrodite Inheritance (ABC)
- 27 November – Disraeli (Seven Network)
- 5 December – Taxi (Nine Network)
- 11 December – Born and Bred (ABC)
- 13 December – Pennies from Heaven (ABC)
- 20 December – The Roller Girls (The 0-10 Network)
- 24 December – Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (ABC)
Television shows
1950s
- Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959–1999)
1960s
- Four Corners (1961–present)
1970s
- Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999, 2009–2010)
- Young Talent Time (1971–1988)
- Countdown (1974–1987)
- The Don Lane Show (1975–1983)[1]
- This is Your Life (1975–1980)
- Chopper Squad (1976–1979)
- In the Wild (1976–1981)
- Glenview High (1977–1979)
- 60 Minutes (1979–present)
- Prisoner (1979–1986)
- Doctor Down Under (1979–1980)