1983 in Australian television

Events

Television

• March - British children's animated series Danger Mouse airs on ABC in Victoria and some other states of Australia for the first time.
• 10 March - Final episode of the Australian drama series The Sullivans airs on Nine Network.
• 30 March - Australian drama series The Young Doctors airs it final episode on Nine Network after a record-breaking of over 1, 396 episodes.
• 22 April - The 25th Anniversary TV Week Logie Awards, hosted by Michael Willesee airs on Network Ten.
• 24 April - The Eurovision Song Contest is telecast in Australia for the first time.
• 30 April - Four Corners program aired exposing allegations that NSW Premier Neville Wran had tried to influence the magistry over the dropping of fraud charges against Kevin Humphreys, charged with misappropriation of funds from the Balmain Leagues Club. Humphreys is forced to resign his position as President of the NSWRL, while Wran has to face the Street Royal Commission over the allegations & was later exonerated.
• 10 June - James Dibble retires from presenting ABC News NSW after 26 years.
• 1 July - The Australian Broadcasting Commission changes its name to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
• 26 September - After Australia's America's Cup win, Prime Minister Bob Hawke goes on the Today show and declared a national public holiday for that day, stating that "any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum."
• 14 October - Channel 0/28 commences transmission in Canberra, Goulburn and Cooma on the UHF band, and changes its name to Network 0/28.
• 29 October - Seven Network and various regional stations broadcast a selection of movies and TV programs in 3D in a 2-hour experiment.
• 27 November - The last ever episode of The Don Lane Show goes to air on the Nine Network. In the last episode before immigrating back to America, Don Lane celebrated his 50th Birthday Party.

Debuts

• 3 March - Come and Get It (ABC TV) (1983-1992)
• 12 September - The Willow Bend Mystery (ABC TV) (1983)

New International Programming

• 12 April - Metal Mickey (ABC TV)
• 9 May - Casper and the Angels (ABC TV)
• 6 July - The Legend of King Arthur (ABC TV)
• 8 August - Star Blazers (ABC TV)
• 8 August - Seeing Things (ABC TV)
• 19 September - Codename Icarus (ABC TV)
• October - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Channel Seven)
• 17 November - Fraggle Rock (Network Ten)
• 16 December - Secombe with Music (ABC TV)
• 23 December - Astro Boy (1980) (ABC TV)
• Knight Rider (Nine Network)
• The Amazing Adventures of Morph (ABC TV)

Television shows

1950s

• Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959 – 1999)

1970s

• Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971 – 1999)
• Young Talent Time (1971 – 1989)

1980s

• Wheel of Fortune (1981 – present)
• Sale of the Century (1980 – 2001)
• Sunday (1981 – 2008)
• Today (1982 – present)

Ending this year

• 10 March - The Sullivans (Nine Network, 1976 – 1983)
• 30 March - The Young Doctors (Nine Network, 1976 – 1983)
• 13 November - The Don Lane Show (Nine Network, 1975 – 1983)

TV movies