1978 in Australian television

This article is a summary of 1978 in Australian television.

Events

 * 20 March – Channel 0 launches its one-hour news service Eyewitness News with Bruce Mansfield as host.
 * August – The ABC televises the 1978 Commonwealth Games from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The opening and closing ceremonies are televised live, with event highlights each day.
 * 12 September – The very first major mini-series produced for Australian commercial television with a budget of over a million dollars Against the Wind is screen on Seven Network. It is also the first major Australian TV production to be broadcast in the United States.
 * September – The Federal Government gives the go-ahead for the launch of a multicultural television service, to be operated by the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), with the expectation of the new channel operating in Sydney and Melbourne by 1980.
 * October – Channel 0 makes a request to the Federal Government for permission to change its broadcast frequency to Network Ten.
 * 7 November – The 0-10 Network televises the Melbourne Cup to a national audience for the first time. The telecast is regarded as one of the largest national sports telecasts mounted to date.
 * 64% of Melbourne and 70% of Sydney households now own colour TV sets, giving Australia one of the fastest changeovers to colour in the world.
 * Graham Kennedy wins a Logie award for presenting Blankety Blanks.

New International Programming

 * 2 January/29 November – 🇨🇦 The Whiteoaks of Jalna (2 January: The 0-10 Network – Melbourne, 29 November: The 0-10 Network – Sydney)
 * 19 January/4 July – 🇺🇸 Quincy, M.E. (19 January: Seven Network – Melbourne, 4 July: Seven Network – Sydney)
 * 4 February – 🇺🇸 Far Out Space Nuts (The 0-10 Network)
 * 6 February – 🇺🇸 Man from Atlantis (Seven Network)
 * 8 February – The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (ABC TV)
 * 7 February – Robin's Nest (ABC TV)
 * 8 February/21 February – 🇺🇸 The Love Boat (8 February: The 0-10 Network – TV movie, 21 February: Nine Network – TV series)
 * 16 February – 🇺🇸 Kingston: Confidential (The 0-10 Network)
 * 17 February – Open All Hours (ABC TV)
 * 17 February – 🇺🇸 Big Hawaii (The 0-10 Network)
 * 18 March – 🇺🇸 McDuff, the Talking Dog (Nine Network)
 * 20 March – The Kids from 47A (ABC TV)
 * 3 April – 🇺🇸 The New Adventures of Batman (The 0-10 Network)
 * 3 April/7 November – Another Bouquet (3 April: Seven Network – Sydney, 7 November: Seven Network – Melbourne)
 * 7 April – 🇺🇸 Soap (ABC TV)
 * 10 April – 🇺🇸 Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (The 0-10 Network)
 * 1 May – Children of the Stones (ABC TV)
 * 8 May – 🇺🇸 The Blue Knight (The 0-10 Network)
 * 9 May – Miss Jones and Son (ABC TV)
 * 9 May – 🇺🇸 Clue Club (Nine Network)
 * 13 May – 🇺🇸 Uncle Croc's Block (Nine Network)
 * 13 May – 🇺🇸 James at 15 (Seven Network)
 * 18 May – Noddy (ABC TV)
 * 30 May – Mr. Men (ABC TV)
 * 5 June – Mind Your Language (Seven Network)
 * 19 June – 🇺🇸 Nashville 99 (Seven Network)
 * 21 June/19 July – 🇺🇸 Yabba Dabba Doo! The Happy World of Hanna-Barbera (21 June: Nine Network – Sydney, 19 July: Nine Network – Melbourne)
 * 22 June – Rocky O'Rourke (ABC TV)
 * 26 June – Chorlton and the Wheelies (ABC TV)
 * 28 June – The Flockton Flyer (ABC TV)
 * 28 June – Sailor (ABC TV)
 * 6 July – 🇺🇸 Fantasy Island (Nine Network)
 * 19 August – 🇺🇸 Bugs and Daffy's Carnival of the Animals (The 0-10 Network)
 * 20 August – 🇺🇸 The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (TV series) (The 0-10 Network)
 * 28 August – Jamie and the Magic Torch (ABC TV)
 * 2 September – 🇺🇸 Space Academy (The 0-10 Network)
 * 9 September – 🇺🇸 The Skatebirds (Nine Network)
 * 9 September – 🇺🇸 The Krofft Supershow (Nine Network)
 * 11 September – 🇺🇸 The Red Hand Gang (The 0-10 Network)
 * 13 October – 🇺🇸 Three's Company (ABC TV)
 * 23 October – Who Pays the Ferryman? (ABC TV)
 * 24 October – Armchair Thriller (ABC TV)
 * 27 October – Flower Stories (ABC TV)
 * 6 November – 🇺🇸 C.P.O. Sharkey (Nine Network)
 * 7 November – 🇺🇸 Carter Country (Seven Network)
 * 7 November – 🇺🇸 The Oregon Trail (Seven Network)
 * 8 November – 🇺🇸 Rosetti and Ryan (Nine Network)
 * 11 November – 🇺🇸 Future Cop (Nine Network)
 * 30 November – 🇺🇸 Loves Me, Loves Me Not (Seven Network)
 * 30 November – 🇺🇸 Sha Na Na (Seven Network)
 * 7 December – Citizen Smith (ABC TV)
 * 8 December – 🇺🇸 The McLean Stevenson Show (The 0-10 Network)
 * 23 December – 🇺🇸 Good Heavens (Nine Network)
 * 🇺🇸 CHiPS (Nine Network – Brisbane)
 * 🇯🇵 Kum-Kum (The 0-10 Network)
 * 🇺🇸 Star Trek: The Animated Series (Nine Network)

1950s

 * Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959–1999)

1960s

 * Four Corners (1961–present)

1970s

 * Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999, 2009–2010)
 * Young Talent Time (1971–1988)
 * Countdown (1974–1987)
 * The Don Lane Show (1975–1983)
 * The Naked Vicar Show (1977–1978)

Returning this year

 * No shows returning this year.