Today Tonight was an Australian current affairs television program produced by the Seven Network. It aired from January 1995 to November 2019 in Adelaide and Perth. Editions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were previously produced before being cancelled in February 2014.
History
Following the cancellation of Real Life, presented by Stan Grant late in 1994, Today Tonight was launched in January 1995 to replace it, with separate editions for each main metropolitan market (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth).
Over summer, it was usual for Today Tonight to present a single edition broadcast across the entire east coast of Australia (that is, combining Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane).
Today Tonight nationally was the last program to win the Logie for Most Popular Public Affairs Program before that award was discontinued.
South Australia
The South Australian edition was hosted by Rosanna Mangiarelli.
Since the program's inception in South Australia in 1995 until 2007, Leigh McClusky fronted the South Australian edition of the program, only taking leave over summer and to give birth to her son in 2002 (John Riddell filled in) and to have a daughter in 2006 (Rosanna Mangiarelli filled in). When the program first started, it rated 100,000 behind its competitor, A Current Affair, although ratings steadily increased. In 2001, Today Tonight began outrating A Current Affair in what became a 4-year winning streak.
McClusky announced on 6 February 2007, she would leave the programme to have twins, and would not return. She presented her last show on 17 August 2007. Rosanna Mangiarelli began as presenter on 20 August 2007 after several years as substitute presenter.
On 1 October 2007, the South Australian edition of the program began airing in regional South Australia, after WIN Television changed their affiliation in the state from the Nine Network to the Seven Network.
Mangiarelli was away on maternity leave from January 2009 till March 2009, and Paul Makin presented during this period.
The South Australian edition didn't air on the Seven Network's affiliated station, Southern Cross Television, in the Spencer Gulf or Broken Hill, which uses its 6:30pm timeslot for its local bulletin in the area.
The Adelaide edition of Today Tonight achieved the longest winning streak for a television program since the introduction of the current OzTAM ratings system in 2001, reaching 700 consecutive weeks of winning its timeslot between March 2001 and September 2018.
On 26 November 2019, it was announced that Seven had axed the remaining Adelaide and Perth editions of the show, to be replaced with a one-hour bulletin of Seven News. The final Adelaide bulletin was aired on 28 November 2019.
Western Australia
The Western Australian edition was hosted by Monika Kos.
The show was originally presented by Yvette Mooney. In 1997, Mooney resigned and was replaced by Kos, who continued right up until the show's cancellation in November 2019.
The fill-ins for the Western Australian edition were Tina Altieri or Andrea Burns.
The final Perth bulletin aired on 29 November 2019.
New South Wales & Victoria
The New South Wales edition was originally hosted by a myriad of hosts from 1995 until 2001. Neil Mercer initially hosted the Sydney edition, later succeeded by Helen Wellings (1996).
Jill Singer originally hosted the Victorian edition, she remained as host until January 1997 when she was replaced by Naomi Robson and Peter Luck (1997–1998) following health issues. Stan Grant, ex host of Today Tonight predecessor Real Life, returned in 1999 following the departure of Luck. Grant was sacked in 2000 after it was exposed he was having an affair with another then Seven Network personality, Tracey Holmes, and was subsequently replaced by Melissa Doyle. When Doyle went on maternity leave in 2001, the Victorian edition hosted by Robson began to be broadcast into Sydney. This was intended to last only 12 weeks, but the Victorian version rated higher in Sydney than the local version. This led to Seven Network executives axing the New South Wales edition in favour of an east coast edition. Doyle returned at the end of 2002 to host the summer edition.
Robson continued to host Today Tonight until she resigned in late 2006, presenting her last show on 1 December that year. Anna Coren was appointed Robson's permanent replacement after six weeks of filling in as the show's summer host. With Coren taking the chair, production of Today Tonight shifted from Seven's Melbourne studios to the Martin Place studio in Sydney.