2003 in Australian television explained
Events
- 10 February – 5 years since the last show, Ray Martin returns to the hosting role on Nine's A Current Affair.
- 1 March – Before the Game premieres on Network Ten and was hosted by Dave Hughes and Peter Helliar.
- 17 March – Seven launches a new news bulletin at 4:30 pm, titled Target Iraq, detailing the latest developments on the war in Iraq. After the invasion concludes, the bulletin is retained and is renamed Seven 4.30 News (later Seven Afternoon News), with production moving to Melbourne before it is moved back to Sydney in 2006, where it remains as of today.
- 19 April – Rove McManus wins the 2003 TV WEEK Gold Logie.
- 21 April –
- 4 June – Mike London quits as National Nine News Brisbane weekend co-anchor after he allegedly arranged for a female fan to complain about the presenting style of then-weeknight presenter Bruce Paige.[2]
- 23 June – The Price Is Right revived on the Nine Network at 5.30pm weeknights after 5 years off the air, Larry Emdur returned as hosting and Shawn Cosgrove returned as voiceover, earlier news reports had speculated that former A*mazing host James Sherry would be the star, but it never happened.
- 25 June – Neighbours producers has announced that star Delta Goodrem will not renew her contract with the Network Ten series when it expires in next month. She is expected to be seen on-air until September.
- 30 June – Network Ten axes vintage episode reruns of Neighbours earlier through the 1991 series after very bad ratings, In 2002 Neighbours rated only 70,000 viewers during the whole 1990 series.
- 30 June – Two of the ABC's digital television service channels ABC Kids and Fly TV closed down due to funding cuts from the Federal Government.
- 1 July – TEN launches the one-hour afternoon news bulletin instead.
- 1 July – Huey's Cooking Adventures moves to the 3:30 pm timeslot on Network Ten with Iain Hewitson.
- 13 July – The Australian version of the Endemol-hit decision making game: Deal or No Deal, premieres on the Seven Network hosted by Weekend Sunrise host Andrew O'Keefe, offering a top prize of a staggering two million dollars before lowering the top prize to $200,000 next year.
- 21 July – Regina Bird wins season 3 of Big Brother, becoming the show's first female winner.
- 23 July – a sequel to the American mystery fiction television series in the CSI franchise, premieres on the Nine Network and is shown every Wednesday at 8:30pm, followed by American police procedural series Without a Trace at 9:30pm which also debuts on Nine on the same day.
- 27 July – The Australian version of Pop Idol (known as Australian Idol) debuts on Network Ten.
- 19 September – Hi-5 celebrates its 200th episode.
- 28 September – Shaun Faulkner wins the fourth season of The Mole, taking home $104,000 in prize money. Petrina Edge is revealed as the Mole, and Nathan Beves is the runner-up.
- 10 October –
- After protests from the community during the Vietnam War, SBS TV has chosen to cancel its broadcasts of the state-run news service across Vietnam.
- 23 October – Axed-Neighbours star Delta Goodrem wins the GOLD ARIA for Single of the Year at the 2003 ARIA Awards, along with 6 trophies, including John Farnham being inducted to the Hall of Fame and blasted the speakers loud to 1985's "You're The Voice".
- 19 November – The first series of Australian Idol was won by Guy Sebastian defeating Shannon Noll, along with his very first single, Angels Brought Me Here debuting at #1 on the ARIA Top 50 singles and Video Hits Top 20 singles chart reaching 4 time Platinum and album Just as I Am debuted at #1 and was reached 6 times Platinum. In 2010, Angels Brought Me Here ranked #1 on the ARIA end of decade singles chart.
- 24 November - Release date of Guy Sebastian's debut single, "Angels Brought Me Here".
- 26 November – The final episode of Burgo's Catch Phrase goes to air on the Nine Network after a 4-year run then a 2-year run.
- 5 December – After six years of reading the news together, Ross Symonds and Ann Sanders present their final program as presenters of Seven News Sydney. Ian Ross replaced them as of the following Monday. Symonds subsequently retired from the network, while Sanders remains with Seven to this day, reading the national morning news and the local Sydney afternoon news.
- 22 December – Australian children's comedy series The Ferals returns to air on ABC after a very long absence since 1995. Rather than airing in the afternoons on Mondays at 5:00pm, the series now airs at 11:20am weekday mornings.
- December – Nine Network takes a new record as the network wins all 40 weeks of ratings.
Debuts
New international programming
| width=60% | Program | width=20% | Network | width=20% | Debut date |
|---|
 The Lionhearts | Seven Network | |
| Kim Possible | Seven Network | |
| Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Seven Network | |
| Fimbles | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | |
| Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto! | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | |
| Lizzie McGuire | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | |
| God, the Devil and Bob | Seven Network | |
 The Save-Ums! | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | 2003 |
| The Life of Mammals | ABC TV | |
 Mamemo | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | |
 Yu-Gi-Oh! | Network Ten | |
| Digimon Frontier | Network Ten | |
| Girlstuff/Boystuff | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | |
| Martin Morning | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | |
| / Corneil and Bernie | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | |
| The Fairytaler | ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) | |
| Lloyd in Space | Seven Network | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) | Network Ten | |
| Lavender Castle | ABC TV | |
| | Nine Network | |
| Without a Trace | Nine Network | |
| Teamo Supremo | Seven Network | |
| | Network Ten | |
| Rubbadubbers | ABC TV | |
| / Gadget and the Gadgetinis | Network Ten | |
| / Jasper the Penguin | ABC TV | |
| King | ABC TV | |
| Red Cap Red Cap[6] | ABC TV | |
| Static Shock | Nine Network | |
| Beyblade V-Force | Network Ten | |
| Crush Gear Turbo | Network Ten | |
| Siegfried & Roy: Masters of the Impossible | Nine Network | |
/ Yakkity Yak | Network Ten | |
| Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Queer Eye for the Straight Guy[7] | Network Ten | |
| The Koala Brothers | ABC TV | |
| Iron Chef | SBS | |
| Samurai Jack | Nine Network | |
| Justice League Unlimited | Nine Network | |
| What's New Scooby-Doo? | Nine Network | |
| / Rotten Ralph | ABC TV | |
| Wire, The The Wire[8] | Nine Network | |
| Murder Investigation Team | ABC TV | |
| The O.C. | Nine Network | |
| Strawberry Shortcake | Network Ten | |
| / The Paz Show | ABC TV | 2003 |
| Roboroach | Network Ten | |
| Little Robots | ABC TV | 2003 |
| Little Wolf's Book of Badness | ABC TV | |
| Yvon of the Yukon | Seven Network | 2003 |
| Poochini's Yard | Seven Network | 2003 |
| / Inuk | ABC Kids (digital only) | 3 February |
| Hack | Network Ten | 2003 |
| Less than Perfect | Seven Network | 2003 | |
Changes to network affiliation
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on an Australian television network that had previously premiered on another Australian television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network. This occurs predominantly with programs shared between subscription television networks.
International
Subscription television
Domestic
International
Free-to-air premieres
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian free-to-air television that had previously premiered on Australian subscription television. Programs may still air on the original subscription television network.
International
| width=40% | Program | width=20% | Free-to-air network | width=20% | Subscription network | width=20% | Date |
|---|
| Jackass[15] | Network Ten | MTV | | |
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.
Domestic
International
Specials
Ending / resting this year
See also
Notes and References
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/22/1050777250171.html Aussies tune in to cheat
- Web site: Newsreader quits after complaint scandal. The Age. Janelle. Miles. Steve. Connolly. 4 June 2003. 29 November 2016.
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/01/1051382028042.html Eff 'n' bewdiful
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/06/1051987695071.html Race for year's worst show
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/10/1057430258598.html Who wants to be a multimillionaire?
- News: Greg. Hassall. Red Cap. The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 September 2003. 5 February 2010.
- News: Ross. Warneke. Gay gurus make a splash. The Age. 2 October 2003. 12 January 2010.
- News: Greg. Hassall. TV previews. The Sydney Morning Herald. 10. 24 November 2003. 12 January 2010.
- Web site: What's New On Nick? – February 2003 . 18 December 2009 . Nickelodeon (Australia) . 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030207170805/http://www.nickelodeon.com.au/blammo/xxwhats.html . 7 February 2003.
- Web site: UKTV Highlights . 5 January 2010 . UKTV (Australia and New Zealand) . 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030108051241/http://www.uktv.com.au/whatsonHighlights.asp?f=yes . 8 January 2003.
- Web site: UKTV Highlights . 5 January 2010 . UKTV (Australia and New Zealand) . 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030216161339/http://www.uktv.com.au/whatsonHighlights.asp?f=yes . 16 February 2003 .
- News: Trading in Star Misery . . . . 26 June 2003 . I02 . Punk'd debuts on MTV this Tuesday at 9.30pm. .
- Web site: UKTV Highlights . 5 January 2010 . UKTV (Australia and New Zealand) . 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030715202803/http://www.uktv.com.au/whatsonHighlights.asp?f=yes . 15 July 2003.
- News: . Playing in the zone. Charlotte . TV Guide . X06 . 17 August 2003 .
- News: Here comes trouble – Jackass hits Australia . Cameron . Adams . . . . 5 February 2003 . H07 .
- Web site: What's New On Nick? – Term 4 . 18 December 2009 . Nickelodeon (Australia) . 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20031211095425/http://www.nickelodeon.com.au/blammo/xxwhats.html . 11 December 2003 .
- Web site: Today's Highlights. 19 January 2010. Foxtel. https://web.archive.org/web/20030201092735/http://www.foxtel.com.au/highlights/today.jsp. 1 February 2003.
- News: PAY TV HIGHLIGHTS . scott . ellis . 8 . . . . 16 March 2003 .
- Web site: What's New On Nick? – Term 2 2003 . 18 December 2009 . Nickelodeon (Australia) . 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030608142304/http://www.nickelodeon.com.au/blammo/xxwhats.html . 8 June 2003.
- Web site: What's New On Nick? – Term 3 . 18 December 2009 . Nickelodeon (Australia) . 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030803004247/http://www.nickelodeon.com.au/blammo/xxwhats.html . 3 August 2003.
- News: Wednesday . Jim . Schembri . Paul Kalina . 27 . . . . 6 November 2003 .
- News: Silky briefs and stolen Y-fronts . Brian . Courtis . 12 . . . . 20 February 2002 .
- Web site: 18 January 2010. FOXTEL Highlights (Entertainment). . https://web.archive.org/web/20031007011309/http://www.foxtel.com.au/highlights/month.jsp?cat=kids. 7 October 2003.
Billy the Cat
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