1985 in Australian television

Events

Television

13 January – Australian children's live-action and puppet series The Maestro's Company begins on Network 0/28.
11 February – Ray Martin takes over Mike Walsh's old daytime slot, replacing The Mike Walsh Show with Midday with Ray Martin. The Mike Walsh Show continues and moves to 10:30pm weekdays as a late night talk show until Walsh departs the network in November.
18 February – Network 0/28 becomes known as SBS.
22 February – Seven Network screens a late night sketchy comedy series called The Eleventh Hour featuring a number of performers who later appear in The Comedy Company and Fast Forward.
4 March – The ABC launches a one-hour news and current affairs program called The National as a replacement for the traditional 7:00pm state-based news bulletins as well as its former current affairs program Nationwide. The new format, costing the national broadcaster a budgeted $25 million, turned out to be an expensive failure and lasted less than twelve months.
18 March – Neighbours premieres on the Seven Network. Six months later Neighbours is axed by HSV-7, but Network Ten bought the rights and picks up the soap and it becomes a massive hit for them.
24 March – Seven Network broadcasts Donald Duck's 50th Birthday a television special from The Wonderful World of Disney which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the world's famous cartoon character. It will first air on television for Australian viewers on Seven in Victoria that year and on Network Ten in New South Wales on 30 May 1987 and on Seven in Victoria again on 19 July the same year.
25 March – Neighbours debuts in Brisbane.
22 April - The 1980 film The Blues Brothers starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd premieres on the Seven Network.
8 June – Hey Hey It's Saturday moves to 6:30pm Saturdays. Then Hey Hey It's Saturday Night rebrands back to its original title.
30 June – SBS expands to Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Gold Coast.
13–14 July – ABC televises the worldwide Live Aid event, featuring concerts held around the world.
August – The AUSSAT satellites are launched. The ABC will start its test transmission of its TV and radio networks via satellite in October to remote areas in rural Australia. The ABC service is officially inaugurated in January 1986.
24 October – The ABC Board has elected to abandon The National.

Debuts

13 January – The Maestro's Company
14 January – Possession
26 January – The Early Bird Show
4 February – The Cartoon Connection
6 February – The Italians
11 February – Midday
22 February – The Eleventh Hour
4 March – The National
4 March – The Cowra Breakout
4 March – News Overnight
6 March – The Investigators
7 March - Pressure Point
7 March - The Fast Lane
18 March – Neighbours
29 March – Friday Night Football (AFL)
17 April – It's a Knockout
9 May – The Henderson Kids
20 May – Now You See It
27 May – Bang Goes the Budgie
14 June – Golden Pennies
15 July – Butterfly Island
16 July – Quantum
8 August – Captain Cookaburra's Road to Discovery
27 October – ''Anzacs''

New international programming

5 January – The Bounder
5 January – Hallelujah!
12 January – Rubik, the Amazing Cube
20 January – Sorrell and Son
4 February – V (1984)
7 February – Duty Free
13 February – Spitting Image
22 February – / Joni Jones
26 February – The Cosby Show
28 February – Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (Stacy Keach)
4 March – Bananaman
9 March – Terrahawks
22 March – Chocky
24 March – Donald Duck's 50th Birthday
4 April – The Edison Twins
22 April – Danger: Marmalade At Work
22 April – Fresh Fields
29 April – Going Great
29 April – / Ulysses 31
3 May – Chocky's Children
6 May – Spacewatch
6 May – The Wind in the Willows (1985)
6 May – Barbara's World of Horses and Ponies
9 May – Murder, She Wrote
25 May – Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery
14 June One by One
14 June – Sharon and Elsie
5 July – Time Out
13 July – The Biskitts
14 July – Muppet Babies
15 July – Just Good Friends
16 July – The Young Ones
19 July – The Little Rascals
20 July – Monchhichis
31 July – Swallows and Amazons Forever!
5 August – The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
9 August – Children of the Dog Star
10 August – Alvin and the Chipmunks
15 August – Home to Roost
7 September – Goldie Gold and Action Jack
9 September – Pink Panther and Sons
10 September – Mistral's Daughter
12 September – Miami Vice
16 September – Eyes
16 September – Dungeons & Dragons
5 October – Dragon's Lair
8 October – Expedition Adam 84
8 October – Winter Sunlight
29 October – / Voltron: Defender of the Universe
31 October – Sea of Faith
11 November – Cover Up
11 November – Double Dare (1985)
11 November – Charles in Charge
12 November – Oh Madeline
12 November – Off the Rack
12 November – Jessie
13 November – 50/50
19 November – Glitter
21 November – Moving
22 November – Kate & Allie
23 November – She-Ra: Princess of Power
25 November - Finder of Lost Loves
27 November – Hot Pursuit
16 December – Blott on the Landscape
23 December – Eye to Eye
30 December – Two Marriages
31 December – The Max Headroom Show
/ Snorks Willo the Wisp
''The Adventures of Portland Bill''

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 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.

Television shows

1950s

''Mr. Squiggle and Friends''

1960s

''Four Corners''

1970s

Hey Hey It's Saturday Young Talent Time Countdown

''Prisoner''

1980s

Wheel of Fortune Sale of the Century Sunday Today Perfect Match

''Neighbours''