Events
Television
5 January - SBS ceases VHF transmissions on Channel 0 in Sydney and Melbourne. 20 January - Neighbours makes its debut on Network Ten and comes to dominate the 7:00pm weeknight timeslot. 25 January - American sitcom starring Soleil Moon Frye and George Gaynes Punky Brewster receives its Australian television debut on Seven Network. 28 January - Australian news and current affairs program The 7.30 Report debuts on ABC. 30 January - Debut of Australian soap opera Prime Time on Nine Network. It was the very last soap opera from Australia ever produced with exterior location scenes shot on film and interior scenes shot on videotape. 10 February - Australian soap opera Return to Eden premieres on Network Ten. 13 March - Australia's popular and influential TV sketch comedy The D-Generation which was created and written by a group of students from Melbourne University who had gained local notoriety for their stage work such as Marg Downey, Michael Veitch and Tom Gleisner debuts on ABC. 16 March - SBS expands into Perth and Hobart. 31 March - ABC airs extra morning programs for children for the first time due to school term breaks from 10:00am to 12:00pm. 7 July - Last and final episode of the Australian soap opera Return to Eden airs on Network Ten. 23 July - The Royal Wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson is broadcast on all television stations except for SBS. 5 August - British police procedural television series The Bill premieres on ABC. 19 September - Nine Network celebrates 30 years of television with a two-hour special featuring footage from some of TV's most popular and most remembered programs and personalities. 27 October - Neighbours airs on the BBC in the UK for the first time. 30 October - The Movie Show begins on SBS. November - Pbl Mini series Cyclone Tracy + The Great Bookie Robbery air on Channel Nine 11 December - Final episode of the Australian soap opera Prisoner airs on Network Ten. 15 December - ABC airs extra morning programs for children during the Summer Holidays from 10:00am to 12:00pm until February where School Term 1 will begin. December - The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, owners of HSV-7 & ADS-7 are sold to Rupert Murdoch's News Limited for $1.8 billion. As News Limited owned ATV-10 at this time, HSV-7 is sold to Fairfax (already owners of ATN-7 & BTQ-7) in February 1987 for $320 million. Australian children's series Mr. Squiggle returns with a brand new series with Roxanne Kimmorley taking over as presenter. AUSSAT satellites are launched, bringing television to remote areas for the first time. The 1986 Commonwealth Games are telecast live on ABC from Edinburgh, Scotland.
Debuts
20 January - Off the Dish (Network Ten) 28 January - The 7.30 Report (ABC-TV) 30 January - Prime Time (Nine Network) 10 February - C'mon Kids (Nine Network) 10 February - Return to Eden (Network Ten) 9 March - A Fortunate Life (Nine Network) 13 March - The D-Generation (ABC-TV) 20 March - The Girl from Steel City (SBS) 31 March - Edge of the Wedge (ABC-TV) 3 April - Game of Life (ABC-TV) 6 May - The Video Comedy Show (ABC-TV) 9 May - Saturdee (Channel Seven) 15 May - Fame and Misfortune (ABC-TV) 26 May - The Flying Doctors (Nine Network) 15 June - Don Spencer's Feathers, Furs or Fins (ABC-TV) 19 July - The Cartoon Company (Nine Network) 29 July - The Noise (SBS) 22 September - My Brother Tom (Network Ten) 28 September/30 September - Whose Baby? (28 September: Channel Seven - Melbourne, 30 September: Channel Seven - Sydney) 30 September - Studio 86 (ABC-TV) 30 September - Filmstruck (ABC-TV) 2 October - The Haunted School (ABC-TV) 14 October - The Challenge (Nine Network) 20 October - Sword of Honour (Channel Seven) 30 October - The Movie Show (SBS) 10 November - Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin (Nine Network)