Events
Television
- 2 January - Nine Network's popular soap opera, The Young Doctors, makes it UK television debut, on the newly formed, Central Independent Television network, which began broadcasting to the Midlands the previous day. The franchise was previously held by ATV. Thirteen of the fourteen ITV companies eventually ran the series during the afternoon, the most common slot was Monday and Tuesday at 15:30-16:00, although some initially broadcast it early evening at 17:15-17:45 before moving the series to daytime.
- 11 January - American police drama series Hill Street Blues debuts on the Nine Network.[citation needed]
- 18 January - Australian soap opera Sons and Daughters premieres on the Seven Network.
- February - Rupert Murdoch’s Network Ten makes a successful $9.2m bid for the rights to televise the 1984 Olympic Games from Los Angeles. Ten was up against a Seven Network bid and a joint Nine Network-ABC bid.
- 1 March - British children's animated series Doctor Snuggles premieres on the ABC at 4:30pm airing for the most part throughout the whole year.
- 7 April - British children's animated series Danger Mouse makes its first screening on ABC in Sydney and some other states in Australia. It would later air in Victoria in 1983[citation needed].
- 10 June - Australian mini-series Sara Dane based on the bestselling 1954 novel by the late Irish Australian romance fiction novelist Catherine Gaskin debuts on Network Ten.
- 28 June - The Nine Network introduces its new breakfast TV show, National News Today, This was used for a few weeks[citation needed] before it was later shortened the title to "Today".
- 1 July - The ABC celebrates its 50th anniversary starting with a special called From Carbon Mikes to Satellites followed by Quiros, a music drama written specifically for the occasion and broadcast across both ABC television and FM radio.
- July - The Mike Walsh Show celebrates its 2000th episode on Nine Network.
- September - The Nine Network and ABC jointly televise the 1982 Commonwealth Games from Brisbane.
- 25 September - The VFL Grand Final is televised on Seven Network.
- 24 October – The 1977 film Star Wars directed by George Lucas premieres on Network Ten.
- 25 October - Seven's rural drama serial, A Country Practice, begins airing on seven regional ITV companies in the UK. Over the next 17 years, each of the fourteen ITV contractors would run the series at their own regional pace, and screened later episodes in a half-hour edited format.
- 13 December - The ABC premieres Faces of Change, an all new six episode program that studies women's changing roles in Australian society.
- Nine, Seven and the ABC conduct stereo test transmissions.
- Former Network Ten reporter Jana Wendt joins Nine Network's 60 Minutes team as its first female reporter.
- The Australian Children's Television Foundation (aka ACTF) a national non-profit children's media production and policy hub that helps develop children's television policy; distributes and pays for Australian children's television series; supports new children's media; and develops screen resources for the education sector is launched. The hub is also best known[citation needed] for making well known Australian television shows for children such as Round the Twist, Kaboodle and Worst Best Friends.
Debuts
- 18 January - Sons and Daughters (Seven Network) (1982-1987)
- 23 February - Rock Arena (ABC TV) (1982-1989)
- 27 February - The Simon Gallaher Show (ABC TV) (1982-1983)
- 11 March - Come Midnight Monday (ABC TV) (1982)
- 31 March - Watch This Space (ABC TV) (1982)
- 10 June - Sara Dane (Network Ten) (1982)
- 28 June - Today (Nine Network) (1982–present)
- 27 June - Taurus Rising (Nine Network) (1982)
- 27 June - 1915 (ABC TV) (1982)
- 30 June - Silly Season Cinema (ABC TV) (1982-1989)
- 13 December - Faces of Change (ABC TV) (1982)
New International Programming
- 6 January -
The Martian Chronicles (6 January: Network Ten - Melbourne) - 11 January - Hill Street Blues (Nine Network)
- 14 January -
Jelenko (Network 0/28) - 25 January - The Greatest American Hero (Network Ten)
- 25 January - Dynasty (Nine Network)
- 2 February -
Ski Sunday (Nine Network) - 16 February - The Fall Guy (Nine Network)
- 1 March - Doctor Snuggles (ABC TV)
- 1 March - The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (ABC TV)
- 1 March - Animals in Action (ABC TV)
- 2 March - Drake's Venture (ABC TV)
- 7 April - Danger Mouse (ABC TV)
- 5 May - Shelley (ABC TV)
- 5 May - Private Schulz (ABC TV)
- 9 May - Dennis the Menace in Mayday for Mother (Seven Network)
- 11 May - The Day of the Triffids (ABC TV)
- 28 May - Break in the Sun (ABC TV)
- 29 May - /
The Smurfs (Seven Network) - 2 June - Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (ABC TV)
- 7 June - A Fine Romance (1981) (ABC TV)
- 25 June - / The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (ABC TV)
- 1 July - McClain's Law (Seven Network)
- 2 August - Thundarr the Barbarian (Network Ten)
- 18 August - Mr. Merlin (Nine Network)
- 1 September - Into the Labyrinth (ABC TV)
- 24 September - Best of the West (Seven Network)
- 27 September - Trollkins (Seven Network)
- 17 October - Bird of Prey (ABC TV)
- 14 November - Private Benjamin (Network Ten)
- 16 November - Love, Sidney (Network Ten)
- 21 November - Falcon Crest (Seven Network)
- 21 November - Kessler (ABC TV)
- 22 November - Riker (Nine Network)
- 7 December -
Flappers (Network Ten) - 7 December - Great Expectations (1981) (ABC TV)
- 21 December - Jessica Novak (Nine Network)
- 27 December - Walking Tall (Nine Network)
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
| Program | New network(s) | Previous network(s) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 Battle of the Planets
|
ABC TV | Network Ten | 7 May |