# 1999 in Australian television

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
The year 1999 in Australian television involved many events.

## Events

* 11 January – The ABC moves its long running children's series Play School from its long standing time-slot of 4pm weekdays, to 3:30pm.
* 1 February – QSTV becomes an affiliate of the Seven Network, becoming known as Seven Central.
* 13 February – A new Australian science fiction drama series for children Crash Zone produced by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in association with the Disney Channel begins its air on Seven Network.
* 19 February - Neighbours airs the famous Full Monty strip scene involving Karl Kennedy, Joel Samuels, Drew Kirk, Toadie Rebecchi and Billy Kennedy.
* March – WIN Television WA commences broadcasting to regional & remote Western Australia, ending the long-time monopoly held by Golden West Network.
* April – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? begins on Channel Nine and Adriana Xenides retires from Seven's Wheel of Fortune after 18 years as letter turner. She will be replaced by former model Sophie Falkiner. Xenides died from bowel cancer in 2010.
* 7 April – The famous Toyota Hilux Bugger TV commercial that originally aired in New Zealand goes to air for the first time on Australian television during a commercial break of an episode of The Panel on Network Ten.
* 9 April – American animated sitcom Family Guy debuts on the Seven Network.
* 19 April – Final episode of Australian talk show Strassman airs on Nine Network.
* 21 April - In Neighbours, Hannah Martin returns from France; Philip Martin's birthday
* 6 May – Musical director Geoff Harvey is sacked from the Nine Network after 38 years.
* 28 May – Final episode of the Australian National morning program 11AM airs on the Seven Network. The show was axed after 24 years.
* May – The Seven Network becomes the first Australian television network to introduce a watermark on its on-air programs.
* 21 June - In Neighbours, Toadie Rebecchi loses his famous ponytail.
* 28 June – Australian drama series SeaChange returns to the ABC for a second season achieving recording ratings for the network.
* 1 July – Australian children's longest running series Mr. Squiggle celebrates its 40th year.
* 9 July – Australian children's longest running series Mr. Squiggle airs its final episode on the ABC.
* 13 July - In Neighbours, it was Sarah Beaumont and Peter Hannay's wedding.
* 19 August – A brand new Australian political satire sketch comedy television series called BackBerner presented by standup comic Peter Berner and noted Australian character actor Louise Siversen screens on the ABC.
* 31 August – American sitcom The King of Queens starring Kevin James premieres on the Nine Network.
* 20 September – British children's animated series Bob the Builder debuts on the ABC.
* 17 October – British six-part documentary series Walking with Dinosaurs debuts on the ABC.
* 20 October - In Neighbours, Philip and Hannah Martin and Ruth Wilkinson leave; Joe, Lyn, Steph, Flick and Michelle Scully arrive.
* 24 October – American crime drama series The Sopranos begins on the Nine Network.
* 19 November – Studio 9 Unplugged, a tribute special dedicated the famous studio rooms at GTV9 presented by Don Lane, goes to air on the Nine Network, ending a 40-year era of live television in that studio.
* 20 November – The final episode of Hey Hey It's Saturday airs on Nine Network. Before retiring, the creator, host and producer of the series Daryl Somers leaves Nine Network after 28 years.
* 23 November – The 1996 slasher film Scream starring David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox premieres on the Nine Network at 9:30pm.
* 26 November – British cooking programme The Naked Chef starring Jamie Oliver screens on the ABC. In Neighbours, the 1999 season final features the Millennium party plus the Scully house burns!
* 2 December – American animated science fiction sitcom Futurama created by Matt Groening the creator of The Simpsons debuts on the Seven Network.
* 13 December – Australian children's educational TV series Lift Off airs on ABC for the very last time at 10:00am.
* 31 December – ABC is the host Australian broadcaster of the international TV event 2000 Today, a 26-hour live telecast of new year celebrations around the world, commencing at 8:30pm (AEDST) on 31 December.
* Jana Wendt becomes presenter of the Australian television public affairs program Dateline.

### Channels
#### New channels

* 4 April – Australian Christian Channel
* 1 October – Oh!

## Debuts
### Free-to-air
#### Domestic

| Program | Network | Debut date |
| The Adventures of Sam | ABC TV | 29 January |
| Thunderstone | Network Ten | 12 February |
| Crash Zone | Seven Network | 13 February |
| Wipeout | Seven Network | 15 February |
| Hi-5 | Nine Network | 12 April |
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Nine Network | 18 April |
| The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime | Seven Network | 31 May |
| See How They Run | ABC TV | 6 June |
| Pig's Breakfast | Nine Network | 5 July |
| The Mick Molloy Show | Nine Network | 10 July |
| Sunday Sunrise | Seven Network | 25 July |
| The Big Breakfast | Seven Network | 2 August |
| Dog's Head Bay | ABC TV | 16 August |
| BackBerner | ABC TV | 19 August |
| The 10:30 Slot | ABC TV | 20 August |
| High Flyers | Network Ten | 28 August |
| Unreal TV | Network Ten | 5 September |
| Flipper and Lopaka | Seven Network | 10 September |
| Rove | Nine Network | 22 September |
| Chuck Finn | Seven Network | 18 October |
| Bananas in Pyjamas: Surprise Party | ABC TV | 18 October |
| Y? | Nine Network | 1 November |
| Ground Force | Seven Network | 1999 |

#### International

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| Percy the Park Keeper | Nine Network | 2 January |
| / WildC.A.T.S. | Network Ten | 6 January |
| Aquila | ABC TV | 10 January |
| Chicago Sons | Nine Network | 12 January |
| Daria | ABC TV | 12 January |
| Dawson's Creek | Network Ten | 19 January |
| / The New Adventures of Robin Hood | Network Ten | 22 January |
| Gulliver's Travels | Nine Network | 30 January |
| World's Wildest Police Videos | Network Ten | 1 February |
| Vanity Fair (1998) | ABC TV | 7 February |
| Maggie | Network Ten | 7 February |
| Godzilla: The Series | Network Ten | 7 February |
| Jesse | Nine Network | 8 February |
| The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star | ABC TV | 10 February |
| The Hello Girls | ABC TV | 11 February |
| Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Network Ten | 13 February |
| Celebrity Deathmatch | Network Ten | 18 February |
| Big Train | ABC TV | 22 February |
| CatDog | ABC TV | 24 February |
| Power Rangers in Space | Seven Network | 25 February |
| The Magnificent Seven | Seven Network | 27 February |
| Rude Awakening | Network Ten | 4 March |
| Is It Legal? | Seven Network | 12 March |
| Faces in Contemporary Greece Song | SBS | 20 March |
| / Animal Crackers | ABC TV | 24 March |
| Lesley Garrett Tonight | ABC TV | 27 March |
| / Titanic | Nine Network | 30 March |
| The Jamie Foxx Show | Nine Network | 31 March |
| Ted Sieger's Wildlife | ABC TV | 5 April |
| Family Guy | Seven Network | 9 April |
| Rocky and the Dodos | ABC TV | 16 April |
| Echo | ABC TV | 24 April |
| Becker | Network Ten | 24 April |
| World's Most... | Nine Network | 10 May |
| Animorphs | ABC TV | 10 May |
| / Dumb Bunnies | Seven Network | 15 May |
| Zoo Olympics | ABC TV | 18 May |
| Eye of the Storm | ABC TV | 6 June |
| League of Gentlemen | ABC TV | 9 June |
| Psychos | ABC TV | 9 June |
| Sir Bernard's Stately Homes | ABC TV | 9 June |
| Fantasy Island (1998) | Network Ten | 11 June |
| Claude's Crib | Seven Network | 14 June |
| Charmed | Network Ten | 18 June |
| / Croc Files | Network Ten | 28 June |
| The Treasure Seekers | ABC TV | 4 July |
| Bimble's Bucket | Nine Network | 4 July |
| Histeria! | Nine Network | 8 July |
| Supernatural: The Unseen Powers of Animals | ABC TV | 9 July |
| Brother's Keeper | Network Ten | 11 July |
| Rick Stein's Seafood Odyssey | ABC TV | 14 July |
| Bodyguards | Network Ten | 17 July |
| The Planets | ABC TV | 21 July |
| Will & Grace | Seven Network | 22 July |
| // Albert the Fifth Musketeer | ABC TV | 23 July |
| Stanley's Dragon | ABC TV | 25 July |
| L.A. Doctors | Network Ten | 26 July |
| The Fantastic Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor | Nine Network | 31 July |
| The Wild Thornberrys | ABC TV | 2 August |
| Maisy | ABC TV | 6 August |
| The Worst Witch | ABC TV | 8 August |
| Births, Marriages and Deaths | ABC TV | 15 August |
| The New Woody Woodpecker Show | Network Ten | 15 August |
| The Prince and the Pauper (1996) | ABC TV | 15 August |
| For Your Love | Nine Network | 19 August |
| Looking for Miracles | Nine Network | 22 August |
| Raging Planet | Seven Network | 23 August |
| Lisa | ABC TV | 27 August |
| The First Snow of Winter | ABC TV | 30 August |
| / George and Martha | ABC TV | 30 August |
| The King of Queens | Nine Network | 31 August |
| Inspector Rex | SBS | 2 September |
| Blue's Clues | Nine Network | 6 September |
| Sex and the City | Nine Network | 6 September |
| Brimstone | Nine Network | 6 September |
| Dinnerladies | ABC TV | 8 September |
| Dilbert | Network Ten | 9 September |
| Voltron: The Third Dimension | Seven Network | 9 September |
| Push | Network Ten | 9 September |
| Red Shoe Diaries | Network Ten | 11 September |
| Hallo Aus Berlin | ABC TV | 15 September |
| The Powerpuff Girls | Seven Network | 16 September |
| Police Academy: The Series | Nine Network | 18 September |
| The Martin Short Show | Nine Network | 20 September |
| The Wombles (1997) | ABC TV | 20 September |
| Bob the Builder | ABC TV | 20 September |
| / Martial Law | Seven Network | 25 September |
| Significant Others | Network Ten | 30 September |
| Crusade | Nine Network | 30 September |
| Walking with Dinosaurs | ABC TV | 17 October |
| Eureka Street | ABC TV | 17 October |
| Feds | Network Ten | 17 October |
| / Gogwana | ABC TV | 18 October |
| Sopranos, The The Sopranos | Nine Network | 24 October |
| Boiling Point | Nine Network | 27 October |
| The Mrs Bradley Mysteries | ABC TV | 29 October |
| / Archibald the Koala | ABC TV | 10 November |
| Blood on the Carpet | ABC TV | 16 November |
| Shingalana the Little Hunter | Network Ten | 20 November |
| Robot Wars | Nine Network | 21 November |
| Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island | SBS | 23 November |
| The Naked Chef | ABC TV | 26 November |
| Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane | Seven Network | 28 November |
| It's Like, You Know... | Nine Network | 29 November |
| Turks | Network Ten | 29 November |
| Hyperion Bay | Nine Network | 29 November |
| Providence | Seven Network | 30 November |
| Futurama | Seven Network | 2 December |
| / Fly Tales | ABC TV | 6 December |
| The Norm Show | Nine Network | 7 December |
| Project G.e.e.K.e.R. | Network Ten | 7 December |
| That '70s Show | Seven Network | 9 December |
| Maggie Winters | Nine Network | 10 December |
| Eye of the Wolf | ABC TV | 12 December |
| Wing Commander Academy | Network Ten | 14 December |
| Hiller and Diller | Seven Network | 16 December |
| Michael Hayes | Nine Network | 16 December |
| Voyage | SBS | 19 December |
| Vengeance Unlimited | Nine Network | 23 December |
| // Catherine the Great | Nine Network | 29 December |
| Sonic Underground | Seven Network | 1999 |
| Basket Fever | Seven Network | 1999 |
| Costello | Seven Network | 1999 |
| Celebrity Drug Disasters Getting Better | Unknown | 1999 |

### 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 |
| Good News Week | Network Ten | ABC TV | 21 March |

#### International

| Program | New network(s) | Previous network(s) | Date |
| Brambly Hedge | ABC TV | Nine Network | 31 August |
| Adventures in Rainbow Country | Nine Network | ABC TV | 19 November |
| The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Seven Network | Nine Network | 29 November |
| / Monster Maker | ABC TV | Network Ten | 25 December |

### Subscription television
#### International

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| Oh Yeah! Cartoons Oh Yeah! Cartoons | Nickelodeon | 24 January |
| Animorphs Animorphs | Nickelodeon | April |
| Brothers Flub The Brothers Flub | Nickelodeon | 5 April |
| Wimzie's House Wimzie's House | Nickelodeon | 3 May |
| Birdz Birdz | Nickelodeon | 16 May |
| Rocket Power Rocket Power | Nickelodeon | 7 December |
| The Powerpuff Girls | Cartoon Network | 1999 |
| I am Weasel | Cartoon Network | 1999 |
| / Ed, Edd n Eddy | Cartoon Network | 1999 |
| / Bob and Margaret | The Comedy Channel | 1999 |
| The Mr. Potato Head Show | Fox Kids | 1999 |
| Bruno the Kid | Fox Kids | 1999 |
| The Worst Witch | Nickelodeon | 1999 |
| Big Wolf on Campus | Fox Kids | 1999 |
| Stressed Eric | The Comedy Channel | 1999 |
| Billy | Nickelodeon | 1999 |
| Wiggly Park | Nickelodeon | 1999 |

### 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 | Previous network | Date |
| Lift Off | Disney Channel | Fox Kids | 2 February |

#### International

| Program | New network | Previous network | Date |
| EastEnders | UKTV | ABC TV | 5 February |
| Student Bodies | Fox Kids | Disney Channel | 1999 |

### 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 |
| Driven Crazy | Nickelodeon | Network Ten | March |
| Minty / Minty | Nickelodeon | ABC TV | 7 August |

#### International

| Program | Subscription network | Free-to-air network | Date |
| The Forgotten Toys | Nickelodeon | ABC TV | 4 October |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Fox8 | Seven Network | 21 October |
| Family Guy | Fox8 | Seven Network | 28 November |

## Specials

| Program | Channel | Debut date |
| 1999 Kids' Choice Awards 1999 Kids' Choice Awards | Nickelodeon | 29 May |
| Wayne's Best Dares Wayne's Best Dares | Nickelodeon | 19 September |

## Television shows

ABC
* Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959–1999)
* Four Corners (1961–present)
Seven Network
* Wheel of Fortune (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004–present)
* Home and Away (1988–2005, 2005–present)
* Blue Heelers (1994–2006)
* The Great Outdoors (1993–present)
* Today Tonight (1995–present)
* All Saints (1998–present)
Nine Network
* Today (1982–present)
* Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
* A Current Affair (1971–1978, 1988–2005, 2006–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)
Network Ten
* Neighbours (1985–1989, 1989–present)
* GMA With Bert Newton (1991–2005)

## Ending / resting this year

| Date | Show | Channel | Debut |
| 2 January | The Toothbrush Family (season 2) | Network Ten | 1998 |
| 2 January | Ketchup: Cats Who Cook | Network Ten | 1998 |
| 21 January | Wildlife with Olivia Newton-John | Nine Network | 1995 |
| 22 January | Law of the Land | Nine Network | 1993 |
| 1 February | Misery Guts | Nine Network | 1998 |
| 5 February | The Cartoon Connection | Seven Network | 1997 |
| 19 April | Strassman | Nine Network | 1998 |
| 23 April | The Adventures of Sam | ABC | 29 January 1999 |
| 1 May | Big Sky | Network Ten | 1997 |
| 28 May | 11AM | Seven Network | 1982 |
| 26 June | The Adventures of Lano and Woodley | ABC | 1997 |
| 2 July | Wildside | ABC | 1999 |
| 9 July | Mr. Squiggle and Friends | ABC | 1959 |
| 30 July | Sunrise | Seven Network | 1991 |
| 28 August | The Mick Molloy Show | Nine Network | 10 July 1999 |
| 27 September | Live and Kicking | Seven Network | 1998 |
| 3 November | Breakers | Network Ten | 1998 |
| 8 November | Dog's Head Bay | ABC | 16 August 1999 |
| 20 November | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Channel Nine | 1971 |
| 22 November | Petals | ABC | 1998 |
| 25 November | What's Cooking? | Nine Network | 1991 |
| 29 November | Heartbreak High | Network Ten ABC | 1994 |
| 13 December | Lift Off | ABC | 1992 |
| 13 December | Medivac | Network Ten | 1996 |
| 24 December | What's Up Doc? | Nine Network | 1993 |