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This article is a summary of 1978 in Australian television.
Events
- 20 March – Channel 0 launches its one-hour news service Eyewitness News with Bruce Mansfield as host.
 - August – The ABC televises the 1978 Commonwealth Games from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The opening and closing ceremonies are televised live, with event highlights each day.
 - 12 September – The very first major mini-series produced for Australian commercial television with a budget of over a million dollars Against the Wind is screen on Seven Network. It is also the first major Australian TV production to be broadcast in the United States.
 - September – The Federal Government gives the go-ahead for the launch of a multicultural television service, to be operated by the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), with the expectation of the new channel operating in Sydney and Melbourne by 1980.
 - October – Channel 0 makes a request to the Federal Government for permission to change its broadcast frequency to Network Ten.
 - 7 November – The 0-10 Network televises the Melbourne Cup to a national audience for the first time. The telecast is regarded as one of the largest national sports telecasts mounted to date.
 - 64% of Melbourne and 70% of Sydney households now own colour TV sets, giving Australia one of the fastest changeovers to colour in the world.
 - Graham Kennedy wins a Logie award for presenting Blankety Blanks.
 
Debuts
| Program | Network | Debut date | 
|---|---|---|
| Eyewitness News | Channel 0 | 20 March | 
| Catspaw | ABC | 8 June | 
| The Truckies | ABC | 31 July | 
| Against the Wind | Seven Network | 12 September | 
| The Daryl and Ossie Show | The 0-10 Network | 11 September | 
| The Tea Ladies | The 0-10 Network | 12 October | 
| Cuckoo in the Nest | Seven Network | 22 December | 
| Alexander Bunyip's Billabong | ABC | 1978 | 
| Good Morning Sydney | TEN-10 | 1978 | 
| Case for the Defence | TEN-10 | 1978 | 
| Wayzgoose | ABC | 1978 | 
New International Programming
- 2 January/29 November – 
 The Whiteoaks of Jalna (2 January: The 0-10 Network – Melbourne, 29 November: The 0-10 Network – Sydney) - 19 January/4 July – 
 Quincy, M.E. (19 January: Seven Network – Melbourne, 4 July: Seven Network – Sydney) - 4 February – 
 Far Out Space Nuts (The 0-10 Network) - 6 February – 
 Man from Atlantis (Seven Network) - 8 February – 
 The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (ABC TV) - 7 February – 
 Robin's Nest (ABC TV) - 8 February/21 February – 
 The Love Boat (8 February: The 0-10 Network – TV movie, 21 February: Nine Network – TV series) - 16 February – 
 Kingston: Confidential (The 0-10 Network) - 17 February – 
 Open All Hours (ABC TV) - 17 February – 
 Big Hawaii (The 0-10 Network) - 18 March – 
 McDuff, the Talking Dog (Nine Network) - 20 March – 
 The Kids from 47A (ABC TV) - 3 April – 
 The New Adventures of Batman (The 0-10 Network) - 3 April/7 November – 
 Another Bouquet (3 April: Seven Network – Sydney, 7 November: Seven Network – Melbourne) - 7 April – 
 Soap (ABC TV) - 10 April – 
 Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (The 0-10 Network) - 1 May – 
 Children of the Stones (ABC TV) - 8 May – 
 The Blue Knight (The 0-10 Network) - 9 May – 
 Miss Jones and Son (ABC TV) - 9 May – 
 Clue Club (Nine Network) - 13 May – 
 Uncle Croc's Block (Nine Network) - 13 May – 
 James at 15 (Seven Network) - 18 May – 
 Noddy (ABC TV) - 30 May – 
 Mr. Men (ABC TV) - 5 June – 
 Mind Your Language (Seven Network) - 19 June – 
 Nashville 99 (Seven Network) - 21 June/19 July – 
 Yabba Dabba Doo! The Happy World of Hanna-Barbera (21 June: Nine Network – Sydney, 19 July: Nine Network – Melbourne) - 22 June – 
 Rocky O'Rourke (ABC TV) - 26 June – 
 Chorlton and the Wheelies (ABC TV) - 28 June – 
 The Flockton Flyer (ABC TV) - 28 June – 
 Sailor (ABC TV) - 6 July – 
 Fantasy Island (Nine Network) - 19 August – 
 Bugs and Daffy's Carnival of the Animals (The 0-10 Network) - 20 August – 
 The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (TV series) (The 0-10 Network) - 28 August – 
 Jamie and the Magic Torch (ABC TV) - 2 September – 
 Space Academy (The 0-10 Network) - 9 September – 
 The Skatebirds (Nine Network) - 9 September – 
 The Krofft Supershow (Nine Network) - 11 September – 
 The Red Hand Gang (The 0-10 Network) - 13 October – 
 Three's Company (ABC TV) - 23 October – 
 Who Pays the Ferryman? (ABC TV) - 24 October – 
 Armchair Thriller (ABC TV) - 27 October – 
 Flower Stories (ABC TV) - 6 November – 
 C.P.O. Sharkey (Nine Network) - 7 November – 
 Carter Country (Seven Network) - 7 November – 
 The Oregon Trail (Seven Network) - 8 November – 
 Rosetti and Ryan (Nine Network) - 11 November – 
 Future Cop (Nine Network) - 30 November – 
 Loves Me, Loves Me Not (Seven Network) - 30 November – 
 Sha Na Na (Seven Network) - 7 December – 
 Citizen Smith (ABC TV) - 8 December – 
 The McLean Stevenson Show (The 0-10 Network) - 23 December – 
 Good Heavens (Nine Network) 
 CHiPS (Nine Network – Brisbane)
 Kum-Kum (The 0-10 Network)
 Star Trek: The Animated Series (Nine Network)
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)
 - The Naked Vicar Show (1977–1978)
 
Ending this year
| Date | Show | Channel | Debut | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 March | Bobby Dazzler | Seven Network | 20 November 1977 | 
| 18 April | A Current Affair | Nine Network | 22 November 1971 | 
| 31 October | Against the Wind | Seven Network | 12 September 1978 | 
| 3 November | Blankety Blanks | The 0-10 Network | 24 January 1977 | 
| 1 December | This Day Tonight | ABC TV | 1967 | 
| 3 November 1978 | The Daryl and Ossie Show | The 0-10 Network | 11 September 1978 | 
| 1978 | It's Academic | Seven Network | 1970 | 
| 1978 | The Naked Vicar Show | Seven Network | 1977 | 
| 1978 | The Daryl and Ossie Cartoon Show | Nine Network | 1977 | 
| 1978 | Pot of Gold | The 0-10 Network | 1975 | 
Returning this year
- No shows returning this year.
 
See also
References
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