# 1998 in Australian television

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]

## Events

* February – Kim Kilbey starts hosting Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, replacing long-time host Jo Beth Taylor.
* 12 February – British Swiss children's animated TV series Pingu (which started off as a segment on the Seven Network's The Book Place) makes its debut on ABC, starting off with the first two episodes at 8:25 am. It will later broadcast several more episodes on 24 March at 3:55 pm and again in several months on weekdays at 10:25 am, 9:25 am, 7:25 am (for Sundays), 8:25 am (for a second time) and at 4:55 pm (until 1 January 1999 in all states and on 8 January 1999 in Western Australia).
* 16 February – The pink rabbit Mixy from The Ferals/Feral TV presents her very own children's weekday morning block on ABC starting from 7:30 am to 10:00 am.
* 16 February – British children's TV series Teletubbies debuts on ABC.
* 18 February – Australian talk show The Panel debuts on Network Ten.
* 24 February – Australian hospital drama series All Saints debuts on the Seven Network.
* 27 March – Darwin finally gets a second commercial television station when TND-34 opens, taking a Seven Network affiliation.
* WIN Television WA is granted a licence to expand its broadcast into regional & remote Western Australia.
* 27 April - Network Ten launches game show Battle Of The Sexes, hosted by Ed Phillips, also that night, Network Ten begins Fast Forward’s Funniest Moments, featuring sketch highlights from the former Seven Network comedy show for 12 episode run. Fast Forward’s Funniest Moments was digitised and was released on DVD in 2004 as part of the Fast Forward In Rewind collection.
* 10 May – Australian drama series SeaChange debuts on ABC.
* 24 June – In the magic moment of Neighbours 13-year history, here was one now-infamous incident, Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) has a massive fight with Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodbourne) about his feud with serial bombshell Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Charles), and slaps him in the face very hard.
* 29 June – British sitcom Father Ted premieres on the ABC two years after its debut on the Nine Network.
* 7 July - GMA with Bert Newton celebrates its 1500th episode. The show began as The Morning Show in 1992 and took on the Good Morning Australia name the following year. That night, 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.
* 20 July – Hey Hey It's Saturday launches its Red Faces documentary series and spin off Gonged But Not Forgotten, premieres at 8:30 pm, on the Nine Network
* 31 July – The Wiggles' first self-titled television series, screens on the Seven Network.
* 22 August – British pop duo the Lighthouse Family perform on the Nine Network variety program Hey Hey It's Saturday.
* 5 October – Pokémon makes it debut on Network Ten.
* 12 October – Nine Network debuts a brand new talk show called Strassman presented by American ventriloquist and comedian David Strassman at 9:00 pm.
* 22 November – The 1995 film Babe premieres on the Seven Network.
* 27 November – After 25 years, The Midday Show is retired by the Nine Network. A Current Affair draws with a final goodbye with Ray Martin in the hot-seat before retiring for the very last time. Martin was replaced by Mike Munro from December 1998. Martin returns to the program 5 years later. On the same night, Brian Naylor retires from reading Melbourne's National Nine News after 20 years; he is replaced by Peter Hitchener.
* December – The remote Central & Eastern Australia markets are aggregated, with Imparja taking a Nine Network affiliation & Seven Central (formerly QSTV) taking a joint Seven & Network Ten affiliation.
* 20 December – The pay television station, Disney Channel Australia introduced pay television Foxtel to a children's group called The Wiggles who debuted in a TV special taking place in Disneyland, California titled The Wiggles in Disneyland, this was later screened on the Seven Network. Future Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman hosts the 1998 Carols in the Domain, live on the Seven Network.
* 21 December – Network Ten debuts a brand new children's series aimed at pre-schoolers called In the Box, replacing The Music Shop.
* 24 December – Australian children's TV series Misery Guts which only ran for 13 episodes premieres on Nine Network.

## Debuts
### Domestic

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| Breakers | Network Ten | 2 February |
| Mixy | ABC TV | 16 February |
| The Panel | Network Ten | 18 February |
| Hot Streak | Seven Network | 23 February |
| All Saints | Seven Network | 24 February |
| Kings in Grass Castles | Seven Network | 29 March |
| Bananas in Pyjamas: Bumping and a Jumping | ABC TV | 13 April |
| Denise | Seven Network | 20 April |
| Battle of the Sexes | Network Ten | 27 April |
| SeaChange | ABC TV | 10 May |
| The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) | ABC TV | 11 May |
| Live and Kicking | Seven Network | 20 May |
| Petals | ABC TV | 1 June |
| Bobtales | SBS TV | 29 June |
| Gonged But Not Forgotten: Australia's Best & Worst of Red Faces | Nine Network | 20 July |
| The Wiggles // Let’s Wiggle | Seven Network | 31 July |
| The Games | ABC TV | 17 August |
| Search for Treasure Island | Seven Network | 17 August |
| Something Stupid | Seven Network | 31 August |
| Driven Crazy | Network Ten | 4 September |
| Changing Rooms | Nine Network | 23 September |
| Stingers | Nine Network | 29 September |
| Skippy: Adventures in Bushtown | Nine Network | 8 October |
| House From Hell | Network Ten | 8 October |
| The Toothbrush Family (season 2) | Network Ten | 10 October |
| Ketchup: Cats Who Cook | Network Ten | 10 October |
| The Big Cheez | Network Ten | 10 October |
| Strassman | Nine Network | 12 October |
| The Day of the Roses | Network Ten | 18 October |
| A Difficult Woman | ABC TV | 18 October |
| The Russell Gilbert Show | Nine Network | 19 October |
| Hazards, Disasters and Survival | ABC TV | 26 October |
| Too Much Medicine? | ABC TV | 12 November |
| Global Village | SBS TV | 30 November |
| In the Box | Network Ten | 21 December |
| Misery Guts | Nine Network | 24 December |

### International

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| Ghost Stories | Network Ten | 1 January |
| Ramadan Journeys | SBS TV | 4 January |
| The Lazarus Man | Seven Network | 8 January |
| Campus Cops | Network Ten | 17 January |
| The Merchant of Venice (1996) | ABC TV | 17 January |
| All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series | Seven Network | 20 January |
| The Last Frontier | Seven Network | 22 January |
| Big Bad Beetleborgs | Network Ten | 2 February |
| The Great American Sex Scandal | Seven Network | 4 February |
| Jumanji | Network Ten | 6 February |
| Men in Black: The Series | Network Ten | 6 February |
| / Nostromo | ABC TV | 6 February |
| Soul Man | Seven Network | 8 February |
| Stickin' Around (TV series) | ABC TV | 8 February |
| Veronica's Closet | Nine Network | 9 February |
| Just Shoot Me! | Network Ten | 11 February |
| / Pingu | ABC TV | 12 February |
| Team Knight Rider | Network Ten | 13 February |
| Teletubbies | ABC TV | 16 February |
| Extreme Dinosaurs | Network Ten | 16 February |
| Materials We Need | ABC TV | 16 February |
| Stephen Hawking's Universe | ABC TV | 21 February |
| Midsomer Murders | Nine Network | 27 February |
| Dharma and Greg | Seven Network | 1 March |
| Goode Behavior | Seven Network | 2 March |
| / The Little Lulu Show | ABC TV | 6 March |
| Jonathan Creek | ABC TV | 6 March |
| Homeboys in Outer Space | Seven Network | 13 March |
| // White Fang | Seven Network | 14 March |
| One West Waikiki | Seven Network | 24 March |
| Toonsylvania | Nine Network | 28 March |
| Kipper | ABC TV | 8 April |
| Sometime, Never | ABC TV | 13 April |
| Soul Music | ABC TV | 17 April |
| Buddies | Seven Network | 20 April |
| The Angry Beavers | ABC TV | 21 April |
| Our Mutual Friend (1998) | ABC TV | 26 April |
| Pauly | Seven Network | 27 April |
| Fly by Night | Seven Network | 27 April |
| / Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation | Network Ten | 4 May |
| Mummies Alive! | Seven Network | 5 May |
| Hypernauts | Nine Network | 9 May |
| Spirits of the Jaguar | ABC TV | 10 May |
| Big Cat Diary | ABC TV | 13 May |
| Around the World in 80 Dreams | Seven Network | 14 May |
| Bureau of Alien Detectors | Network Ten | 15 May |
| Extreme Ghostbusters | Network Ten | 18 May |
| Power Rangers Turbo | Seven Network | 21 May |
| True Tilda | ABC TV | 24 May |
| Hairy Maclary | ABC TV | 1 June |
| The Forgotten Toys (TV series) | ABC TV | 1 June |
| The Morph Files | ABC TV | 1 June |
| Wyrd Sisters | ABC TV | 5 June |
| Radetzky March | SBS TV | 8 June |
| Freaky Stories | ABC TV | 8 June |
| / Tabaluga | Seven Network | 13 June |
| A Respectable Trade | Nine Network | 14 June |
| Jungle Cubs | Seven Network | 20 June |
| Space: Above and Beyond | SBS TV | 28 June |
| Land of the Tiger | ABC TV | 28 June |
| // The Adventures of the Black Stallion | Seven Network | 28 June |
| Baywatch Nights | Network Ten | 30 June |
| Merlin | Nine Network | 5 July |
| The Animal Shelf | ABC TV | 7 July |
| Enid Blyton's Enchanted Lands | ABC TV | 7 July |
| EZ Streets | Network Ten | 8 July |
| Deadly Games | Seven Network | 14 July |
| Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | SBS TV | 18 July |
| Game On | ABC TV | 23 July |
| Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Nine Network | 8 August |
| Working | Seven Network | 9 August |
| Reckless | Seven Network | 12 August |
| Oscar and Friends | ABC TV | 12 August |
| The Scold's Bridle | ABC TV | 16 August |
| Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher | Nine Network | 17 August |
| The Human Body | ABC TV | 20 August |
| / Minty | ABC TV | 20 August |
| Ally McBeal | Seven Network | 24 August |
| Fall from Grace | Network Ten | 24 August |
| Mad TV | Nine Network | 27 August |
| In the Red | ABC TV | 30 August |
| Plotlands | ABC TV | 4 September |
| Science Court | Seven Network | 5 September |
| Airport | Nine Network | 23 September |
| Cow and Chicken | Seven Network | 24 September |
| The Visitor | Seven Network | 24 September |
| The Roseanne Show | Network Ten | 28 September |
| The Magical World of Margaret Mahy | ABC TV | 28 September |
| Mr. Rhodes | Seven Network | 1 October |
| USA High | Seven Network | 3 October |
| Pokémon | Network Ten | 5 October |
| A Season in Purgatory | Network Ten | 12 October |
| Aliens in the Family (1996) | Seven Network | 21 October |
| Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Seven Network | 21 October |
| In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great | ABC TV | 24 October |
| How Do You Want Me? | ABC TV | 2 November |
| Ultraviolet | ABC TV | 4 November |
| Brooklyn South | Nine Network | 5 November |
| 1914-1918 | ABC TV | 5 November |
| The New Adventures of Zorro (1997) | Nine Network | 7 November |
| The Cola Conquest | ABC TV | 21 November |
| The Jerry Springer Show | Network Ten | 26 November |
| Delia's How to Cook | ABC TV | 26 November |
| The Love Boat: The Next Wave | Network Ten | 29 November |
| The Life of Birds | ABC TV | 29 November |
| La Femme Nikita | Nine Network | 30 November |
| Felicity | Seven Network | 30 November |
| Tarzan: The Epic Adventures | Nine Network | 30 November |
| Looking After Jo Jo | ABC TV | 1 December |
| The Net | Network Ten | 2 December |
| PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Network Ten | 2 December |
| Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place | Seven Network | 3 December |
| Townies | Seven Network | 3 December |
| The Ambassador | Seven Network | 3 December |
| Alright Already | Network Ten | 3 December |
| V.I.P. | Network Ten | 4 December |
| Brambly Hedge | Nine Network | 5 December |
| / More Tales of the City | Nine Network | 6 December |
| Kids Say the Darndest Things | Nine Network | 8 December |
| Storm Warning | Network Ten | 14 December |
| The Boss | ABC TV | 14 December |
| Invasion America | Nine Network | 14 December |
| The Gregory Hines Show | Nine Network | 19 December |
| Meego | Nine Network | 19 December |
| Father Christmas and the Missing Reindeer | Seven Network | 23 December |
| / Oscar's Orchestra | ABC TV | 28 December |
| / Poltergeist: The Legacy | Seven Network | 29 December |
| Meet the Ancestors | SBS TV | 30 December |
| Project ALF | Seven Network | 30 December |
| Koki | ABC TV | 31 December |

### Subscription television
#### Domestic

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| Funhouse | Fox Kids | January |

#### International

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| Good & Evil | thecomedychannel | January |
| The Wacky World of Tex Avery | The Disney Channel | January |
| Pepper Ann | The Disney Channel | January |
| Nightmare Ned | The Disney Channel | January |
| Paul Merton in Galton & Simpson's | arena | 1 January |
| Extreme Machines | Discovery Channel | 6 January |
| Guiding Light | FOX Soap | 12 January |
| Singled Out | MTV Australia | 1 April |
| Renford Rejects | Nickelodeon | 5 June |
| Journey of Allen Strange, The The Journey of Allen Strange | Nickelodeon | 1 July |
| Family Affairs | UKTV | 3 July |
| CatDog | Nickelodeon | 10 October |
| Wild Thornberrys, The The Wild Thornberrys | Nickelodeon | 12 December |
| Franklin | Nickelodeon | 1998 |
| // The Adventures of Paddington Bear | Nickelodeon | 1998 |
| / The 3 Friends and Jerry | Nickelodeon | 1998 |
| Breaker High | Fox Kids | 1998 |
| / The Adventures of Sinbad | Fox Kids | 1998 |
| Bear in the Big Blue House | The Disney Channel | 1998 |
| // The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures | Nickelodeon | 1998 |
| Kassai and Luk | Nickelodeon | 1998 |
| Austin Stories | The Comedy Channel | 1998 |
| Rex the Runt | The Comedy Channel | 1998 |
| / Captain Star | The Disney Channel | 1998 |
| Pond Life | The Comedy Channel | 1998 |
| / Pocket Dragon Adventures | Fox Kids | 1998 |
| Student Bodies | The Disney Channel | 1998 |
| The All New Captain Kangaroo | Fox Kids | 1998 |
| Space Goofs | Fox Kids | 1998 |
| The Adventures of Dawdle the Donkey | Fox Kids | 1998 |
| The Big Comfy Couch | The Disney Channel | 1998 |
| Chicken Minute | The Disney Channel | 1998 |
| The Kidsongs Television Show | The Disney Channel | 1998 |

### Telemovies
#### International

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| King Leek | arena | 29 January |

### Specials
#### International

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| Paul Reiser: Three and Half Blocks From Home | thecomedychannel | 18 January |

### Changes to network affiliation

This is a list of programs which made their premiere on an Australian television network that had previously premiered on another Australian television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network. This occurs predominantly with programs shared between subscription television networks.

#### Domestic

| Program | New network(s) | Previous network(s) | Date |
| The Gift | ABC TV | Nine Network | 28 December |

#### International

| Program | New network(s) | Previous network(s) | Date |
| Murder, She Wrote | Nine Network | Network Ten | 1 February |
| Keeping Up Appearances | Seven Network | ABC | 28 March |
| Heartbeat | Seven Network | ABC | 6 April |
| The New Archies | Network Ten | Nine Network | 8 May |
| / Father Ted | ABC | Nine Network | 29 June |
| Jim Henson's The Storyteller | ABC | Network Ten | 7 July |
| / A Christmassy Ted | ABC | Nine Network | 23 December |

### Subscription premieres

This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian subscription television that had previously premiered on Australian free-to-air television. Programs may still air on the original free-to-air television network.

#### Domestic

| Program | Subscription network | Free-to-air network | Date |
| Crocadoo | Cartoon Network | Nine Network | 5 January |

#### International

| Program | Subscription network | Free-to-air network | Date |
| Traffik | UKTV | ABC TV | 4 January |
| Adventures of Tintin, The/ The Adventures of Tintin | Cartoon Network | ABC TV | 5 January |
| 99 - 1 | arena | | 11 January |
| Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | UKTV | ABC TV | 17 January |
| The Fear | UKTV | ABC TV | 22 January |
| Lillie | UKTV | Seven Network | 2 April |
| South Park | The Comedy Channel | SBS TV | 2 June |
| Seinfeld | TV1 | Nine Network Network Ten | 6 July |
| Woof! | Nickelodeon | Nine Network ABC TV | 5 September |
| Demon Headmaster, The The Demon Headmaster | Nickelodeon | ABC TV | 5 September |
| Delta Wave | Nickelodeon | | 5 September |
| American Gothic | TV1 | Network Ten | 5 December |
| Chronicles of Narnia, The The Chronicles of Narnia | Nickelodeon | ABC TV | 6 December |
| The Adventures of Sinbad | Fox Kids | Network Ten | 1998 |
| King of the Hill | Fox8 | Seven Network | 1998 |
| // Secret Life of Toys | Fox Kids | ABC TV | 1998 |

## Television shows

ABC
* Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959–1999)
* Four Corners (1961–present)
Seven Network
* Wheel of Fortune (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004–06)
* Home and Away (1988–present)
* Blue Heelers (1994–2006)
* The Great Outdoors (1993–present)
* Today Tonight (1995–present)
Nine Network
* Today (1982–present)
* Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
* A Current Affair (1971–1978, 1988–present)
* Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999)
* Midday (1985–1998)
* 60 Minutes (1979–present)
* Australia's Funniest Home Video Show (1990–2000, 2000–2004, 2005–present)
* The AFL Footy Show (1994–present)
* The NRL Footy Show (1994–present)
* Water Rats (1996–2001)
* Burgo's Catch Phrase (1997–2001, 2002–2003)
* The Price is Right (1993–1998)
Network Ten
* Neighbours (Seven Network 1985, Network Ten 1986–present)
* GMA with Bert Newton (1991–2005)
* Totally Full Frontal (1998–1999)

## Ending / resting this year

| Date | Show | Channel | Debut |
| 10 February | Raw FM | ABC TV | 1997 |
| 15 March | Children's Hospital | ABC TV | 1997 |
| 14 April | Li'l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers | ABC TV | 6 March 1998 |
| 13 June | Challenger | Channel Nine | 1997 |
| 23 June | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Channel Nine | 1997 |
| 6 July | Magic Mountain | ABC TV | 1997 |
| 24 July | The Silver Brumby | Network Ten | 1996 |
| 19 August | The Genie from Down Under | ABC TV | 1996 |
| 18 September | Battle of the Sexes | Channel Ten | 27 April 1998 |
| 21 September | Bobtales | SBS TV | 29 June 1998 |
| 30 September | Crocadoo | Channel Nine | 1996 |
| 2 October | The Price Is Right | Channel Nine | 1993 |
| 5 October | Something Stupid | Channel Seven | 31 August 1998 |
| 8 November | A Difficult Woman | ABC TV | 18 October 1998 |
| 15 November | Who Dares Wins | Channel Seven | 1996 |
| 17 November | Skippy: Adventures in Bushtown | Channel Nine | 8 October 1998 |
| 19 November | House From Hell | Channel Ten | 8 October 1998 |
| 23 November | Healthy, Wealthy and Wise | Channel Ten | 1992 |
| 23 November | State Coroner | Channel Ten | 1997 |
| 23 November | The Russell Gilbert Show | Channel Nine | 19 October 1998 |
| 27 November | Driven Crazy | Channel Ten | 4 September 1998 |
| 27 November | The Music Shop | Channel Ten | 1996 |
| 27 November | Hot Streak | Channel Seven | 23 February 1998 |
| 27 November | The Midday Show | Channel Nine | 1985 |
| 27 November | In Melbourne Tonight | Channel Nine | 1996 (II) |
| 18 December | Where You Find the Ladybird | Channel Ten | 1996 |
| 1998 | A*mazing | Channel Seven | 1994 |
| 1998 | Time Masters | Channel Seven | 1996 |