2014 in Australian television
This is a synoptic list of events and premieres which occurred, in 2014 in Australian television, the 59th year of continuous operation of television in Australia.
Events
- 1 January – Foxtel launches two new subscription channels Syfy and TV Hits, which replace SF and TV1 respectively.
- 31 January – Chris Bath presents her final bulletin for Seven News after deciding to stand down and concentrate on full-time Sunday Night role. Mark Ferguson replaced her the following Monday.
- 2 February – The Nine Network's GO! channel unveils a new logo, on-air package and demographic, with a revamped timetable with Kids WB, dropping reality TV catch-up programming which they now air on the Network's primary channel only.
- 13 March – Foxtel launches Presto, an online streaming service allowing subscribers to access content available on Foxtel Movies separate from a full Foxtel subscription.
- 20 March – Showcase wins the Channel of the Year award at the 2014 ASTRA Awards.
- 10 April – Two new subscription channels—Disney XD and Foxtel Movies Disney—launch on the Foxtel platform.
- 6 July – Adam Dovile and Lisa Lamond win the second series of House Rules and New Zealand animated kids show The Barefoot Bandits premieres on Eleven with the voices of Josh Thomson as Fridge, Laura Daniel as Riley and Tammy Davis as Tane.
- 17 July - John Walton dies, Actor of stage, television and film, best known as Dr. Craig Rothwell in The Young Doctors
- 20 July – The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reverts its flagship ABC1 television channel to its former ABC name.
- 21 July – Anja Nissen wins the third season of The Voice.
- 3 August – BBC Worldwide is set to launch a new premium drama and comedy subscription channel known as BBC First which will be available on the Foxtel platform.
- 13 August – Meyne Wyatt becomes the first indigenous Australian actor in Neighbours' 29-year history to have a leading role when he makes his debut in the soap as Nate Kinski.
- 18 August – The Nine Network secures film rights to revive Paramount Pictures along with DreamWorks, taking them from Network Ten after cost-cutting measures.
- 17 September – Johann Wagner wins the first season of The Recruit and was drafted as a rookie to the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League.
- 28 September – Australia Network is shut down to be replaced by a similar 24-hour television and online service known as Australia Plus Television.
- 1 October – The Antenna Awards are returning to Australian community TV stations.
- 18 November – The Abbott Government reduces ABC's annual budget by A$50m, or roughly 5%.
- 21 November – Network Ten revives the Sony Pictures output deal. Erin Brockovich was the first film to air on TEN.
- 25 November – AFL player David Rodan and his partner Melanie Hooper win the fourteenth season of Dancing with the Stars.
- 26 November – Ryan Ginns wins the eleventh and final series of Big Brother.
- 1 December – Network Ten revives the Universal Pictures output deal. Bird on a Wire was the first film to air, but screened on ONE.
- 1 December – The Seven Network wins the ratings year for the eighth consecutive time topping total people, primary channels, reality, breakfast, weekend breakfast, morning television, advertisement breaks, news updates, movies, Sport and suitable only for people over 55, while Nine wins all three demos.
- 7 December - The Seven Network broadcasts Supercars Championship for the final-ever time, before handing the television rights to Fox Sports and Network Ten.
Deaths
- 14 February – James Condon, actor, scriptwriter and voice artist who appeared in numerous radio and television series, the husband of Neighbours actress Anne Haddy
- 22 February – Charlotte Dawson, television personality and hostess best known for her role as a judge on Australia's Next Top Model.
- 26 April – Joan Bruce,, British-born Australian actress of stage and screen, best known for soap opera Certain Women and film Dot and the Kangaroo.
- 30 April – Ian Ross, television newsreader best known for his roles on Today and Seven News in Sydney.
- 8 May – Harry Potter, journalist with Network Ten from 1978 to 2010.
- 27 June – Ian Cook, news director.
- 24 July – Pete Michell, television presenter for Seven Adelaide.
- 1 August – Michael Johns, singer and reality television participant, who competed in the seventh season of American Idol.
- 17 September – Elaine Lee South African born Australian actress best known for soap opera Number 96.
- 24 October – Mike Dorsey, British born Australian actor Number 96 and The Young Doctors.
- 31 December - Coralie Condon, Actress, writer, producer, composer and presenter based in Perth and known as "The First Lady of Western Australian Television"
Premieres
Domestic series
International series
Telemovies and miniseries
Program | Original airdate | Network | Country of origin | Source |
Bonnie & Clyde | SoHo | United States | ||
' | Syfy | United States | ||
Burton & Taylor | BBC First | United Kingdom | ||
' | BBC First | United Kingdom | ||
BBC First | United Kingdom | |||
Love Life | BBC First | United Kingdom | ||
Zapped | Disney Channel | United States | ||
Lucky Duck | Disney Junior | United States | ||
Over the Garden Wall | Cartoon Network | United States |
Documentaries
Program | Original airdate | Network | Country of origin | Source |
Green Day's Broadway Idiot | Max | United States | ||
Downloaded | SBS 2 | United States | ||
Smash His Camera | Bio. | United States | ||
' | ABC2 | United States | ||
' | History | United Kingdom | ||
' | Studio | Sweden | ||
' | BBC First | United Kingdom | ||
Dive WWII | History | United Kingdom | ||
Love For Sale with Rupert Everett | Studio | United Kingdom | ||
Cavedigger | Studio | United States | ||
History | Germany | |||
Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story | Bio. | United States | ||
Scotland: Rome's Final Frontier | History | United Kingdom | ||
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid | History | Germany |
Specials
Program | Original airdate | Network | Country of origin | Source |
' | Arena Fox8 Max | United States | ||
Still Open All Hours | ABC | United Kingdom | ||
' | Animal Planet | United States | ||
2014 MTV Video Music Awards | MTV | United States | ||
Tom Kerridge Cooks Christmas | LifeStyle Food | United Kingdom | ||
Lorraine Pascale: Fostering & Me | LifeStyle You | United Kingdom | ||
Barra MacNeils' Cape Breton Christmas | Studio | Canada |
Programming changes
Changes to network affiliation
Criteria for inclusion in the following list is that Australian premiere episodes will air in Australia for the first time on the new network. This includes when a program is moved from a free-to-air network's primary channel to a digital multi-channel, as well as when a program moves between subscription television channels – provided the preceding criteria is met. Ended television series which change networks for repeat broadcasts are not included in the list.Program | Date | New network | Previous network | Source |
Lotto Draws | 1 January | GO! | Nine Network | |
Oz Lotto Draws | 1 January | 7TWO | Seven Network | |
Powerball Draws | 1 January | 7TWO | Seven Network | |
Gold Lotto Draws | 1 January | 7TWO | Seven Network | |
Tattslotto Draws | 1 January | 7TWO | Seven Network | |
ABC 4 Kids block programming | 3 February | ABC 4 Kids | ABC | |
Hi-5 House | 24 February | Eleven | Nine Network | |
'ABC Education programming | 21 July | ABC3 | ABC | |
Behind The News | 22 July | ABC3 | ABC |
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.Program | Date | Free-to-air network | Subscription network | Country of origin | Ref |
ABC2 | United States | ||||
Arrow | Nine Network | Fox8 | United States | ||
New Tricks | Nine Network GEM ABC | BBC First | United Kingdom |