2004 in Australian television

Events

• 1 January – Australia's first Digital commercial free-to-air channel, Tasmanian Digital Television begins broadcasting in Hobart as a supplementary broadcaster to existing broadcasters Southern Cross Tasmania & WIN Television. On the same day, WIN TEN goes on air in the Mount Gambier & Riverland regions of South Australia as a supplementary broadcaster to existing solus broadcaster WIN Television.
• 1 February – Deal or No Deal debuts its 5.30pm timeslot on Seven which is still in use to today. This proves to be a massive ratings hit leading into Seven's 6pm news bulletin. Its success proves too much for the Nine Network, with reworked game shows including The Price is Right, Bert's Family Feud and Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune all failing in the dreaded 5:30pm timeslot until Hot Seat's arrival in 2009.
• February – Top-rating game show Wheel Of Fortune makes a rebranding and a super new-look over to continue its long-run.
• 14 March – Foxtel launches its new digital service, Foxtel Digital.
• 28 April - A live episode of Blue Heelers goes to air on the Seven Network, titled "Reasonable Doubt". Although this particular episode earned reasonable ratings, the rest of the season is a failure ratings-wise.
• 1 May – The Ten Network breaks with years of tradition and abandons the Sunday night movie after poor ratings. Instead, it screens episodes of Law and Order: Criminal Intent.^[1] Most other networks follow suit later on.
• 12 May – After 18 years at SBS, Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton resign from the station to move to the ABC to present a new program, At the Movies. Four younger presenters replace them on The Movie Show: Megan Spencer, Fenella Kernebone and Jaimie Leonarder, with Marc Fennell presenting a segment on newly released DVDs.^[1]
• 17 June, 5:58pm – Dean Cartechini becomes the first person to win Deal or No Deal's top prize, winning $200,000.
• 26 July – Broken Hill resident Trevor Butler proposes to his girlfriend immediately after winning A$1,000,000 on Big Brother.
• 24 August – After a short-lived return at its new 11:30 am timeslot, Ten axes vintage Neighbours episodes again after more very bad ratings. The following Monday, Ten extends its morning news into a one-hour format.
• 30 August – Immediately after the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics, the first ever Sunrise is broadcast from the Seven Network's new Martin Place studios. On the same night, Seven News relaunches nationwide with a complete overhaul of graphics and new sets in Sydney and Melbourne. They are still in use to today.
• 4 October – British long running children's animated series Peppa Pig debuts on ABC.
• 5 October – After a five-year absence, Daryl Somers returns to television to host a brand new series on Seven Network called Dancing with the Stars based on the American light entertainment reality series of the same name.
• 21 November – 16-year-old Casey Donovan wins the second series of Australian Idol defeating 21-year-old favourite, Anthony Callea.
• 23 November – Home and Away actress Bec Cartwright and her partner Michael Miziner are crowned season champions as the first season of Dancing with the Stars reaches its grand final.
• 11 December – The Network Ten is the next Australian television network to introduce a watermark on its programs, although the watermark is now broadcast on Ten News. It was located on the bottom left of the screens before switching to bottom right in 2006.
• December – Seven, Nine & TEN withdrawn their opening to movies - movie openers are replaced by classification boards instead.
• Wheel of Fortune's attempt for a major revamp backfires and is quietly cancelled due to low ratings - leaving Deal or No Deal the absolute only game show remaining, leading into Seven's 6pm news bulletin.

Debuts

Pay TV

New International Programming

Program	Channel	Debut date
The Fairly OddParents	ABC	1 March
Boohbah	ABC	1 March
Dragon Ball GT	Network Ten	15 March
Astro Boy (2003)	ABC	15 April
Metalheads	ABC	5 May
Potatoes and Dragons	ABC	7 June
Cold Case	Nine Network	7 September
Sonic X	Network Ten	13 September
Peppa Pig	ABC	4 October
Firefly	Seven Network	24 November

Subscription Television

Program	Channel	Debut date
All Grown Up! All Grown Up![2]	Nickelodeon	2004-02 !February
ChalkZone ChalkZone[3]	Nickelodeon	2004-03 !Q2
Stuart Little: The Animated Series Stuart Little: The Animated Series[3]	Nickelodeon	2004-03 !Q2
Duck Dodgers [4]	Cartoon Network	2004-04-10 !10 April
Cassidys, The The Cassidys [5]	UKTV	2004-04-26 !26 April
My Dad the Rock Star My Dad the Rock Star[3]	Nickelodeon	2004-04-27 !27 April
Romeo! Romeo![3]	Nickelodeon	2004-05-31 !31 May
Pimp My Ride [6][7]	MTV Australia	2004-07-02 !2 July
Drake & Josh Drake & Josh[8]	Nickelodeon	2004–08 !August
Martin Mystery / Martin Mystery[8]	Nickelodeon	2004–08 !August
Ashlee Simpson Show, The The Ashlee Simpson Show [9]	MTV Australia	2004-08-05 !5 August
Dr. 90210 [10]	E!	2004-09-12 !12 September
Phil of the Future[11]	Disney Channel	2004-09-20 !20 September
Assistant, The The Assistant [12]	MTV Australia	2004-10 !October
Maybe It's Me[13]	Nickelodeon	2004-10-14 !14 October
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County[14]	MTV Australia	2004-12-02 !2 December

Specials

Program	Channel	Debut date
2004 Kids' Choice Awards / 2004 Kids' Choice Awards[8]	Nickelodeon	2004-09-25 !25 September

Programming Changes

Subscription premieres

This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian subscription television that had previously premiered on Australian free-to-air television. Programs may still air on the original free-to-air television network.

International

Program	Subscription network	Free-to-air network	Date
Operation Good Guys Operation Good Guys [5][15]	UKTV	SBS TV	2004-04-26 !26 April

Television shows

ABC

• Four Corners (1961–present)
• The Fat (2000–2003)
• Kath & Kim (2002–2005, 2007)
• The Glass House (2001–2006)

Seven Network

• Wheel of Fortune (1981–1996, 1996–2003, 2004–present)
• Sunrise (1991–1998, 2003–present)
• Home & Away (1988–2005, 2005–present)
• Blue Heelers (1994–2006)
• Today Tonight (1995–present)
• All Saints (1998–present)
• Ground Force (1999–2004)
• AMV (2000–present)
• The Big Arvo (2001–2004)
• Deal or No Deal (2003, 2004–present)

Nine Network

• Sale of the Century (1980–2001)
• A Current Affair (1971–1978, 1988–2005, 2006–present)
• Today (1982–present)
• Australia's Funniest Home Video Show (1990–2000, 2000–2004, 2005–present)
• The AFL Footy Show (1994–present)
• The NRL Footy Show (1994–present)
• Burgo's Catch Phrase (1997-2003)
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (1999–2006, 2007–present)
• Backyard Blitz (2000–2007)
• McLeod's Daughters (2001–present)
• Merrick & Rosso Unplanned (2003–2004)
• The Block (2003–2004)

Network Ten

• Neighbours (1985–1989, 1989–present)
• Good Morning Australia (1991–2005)
• Rove Live (2000–2006)
• Australian Idol (2003–present)

Ending / Resting this year

Revamping this year

References