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 – Yu-Gi-Oh! premieres on Network Ten as part of Cheez TV. The British episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in which Charles Ingram cheats his way to the top prize is shown on the Nine Network to an Australian television audience of nearly two million people.Aussies tune in to cheat, The Age, 22 April 2003 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. 23 June – The Price Is Right is revived on the Nine Network at 5.30pm weeknights, after 5 years off the air. Larry Emdur returns as host and Shawn Cosgrove comes back as the 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 Delta Goodrem, who plays Nina Tucker, 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 bad ratings. In 2002 Neighbours rated 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. 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 – CSI: Miami 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. 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. 3 October – Hi-5 airs its 200th episode. 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 actress Delta Goodrem wins the GOLD ARIA for Single of the Year at the 2003 ARIA Awards, along with six trophies. In addition, John Farnham is inducted to the Hall of Fame. 19 November – The first series of Australian Idol was won by Guy Sebastian, defeating Shannon Noll. His first single, Angels Brought Me Here, debuted at number one on the ARIA Top 50 singles. It would reach four-time platinum, while Sebastian's album Just as I Am also debuted at number one and would reach six-times Platinum. In 2010, Angels Brought Me Here would rank as number one 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 four-year run then a two-year run. 5 December – After six years of reading the news together, Ross Symonds and Ann Sanders present their final newscast 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. 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 forty weeks of ratings.

Debuts Program Channel Debut date Welcher & Welcher ABC Skithouse Network Ten Ocean Star Network Ten Comedy Inc. Nine Network Your Life on the Lawn Seven Network After the Game Network Ten Pirate Islands Network Ten Enough Rope ABC Greeks on the RoofEff 'n' bewdiful, The Age, 1 May 2003. Seven Network Micallef Tonight Nine Network Big BiteRace for year's worst show, The Age, 8 May 2003. Seven Network The Block Nine Network The Price Is Right Nine Network Deal or No Deal (2003 series)Who wants to be a multimillionaire?, The Age, 10 July 2003. Seven Network Australian Idol Network Ten CrashBurn Network Ten Merrick and Rosso Unplanned Nine Network So Fresh TV Nine Network Snobs Nine Network Inside Australia SBS Seaside Hotel Seven Network Marking Time ABC The Sleepover Club Nine Network Surfing the Menu ABC 2003

New international programming Program Network 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 & 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 CSI: Miami Nine Network Without a Trace Nine Network Teamo Supremo Seven Network Transformers: Armada Network Ten Rubbadubbers ABC TV / Gadget & the Gadgetinis Network Ten / Jasper the Penguin ABC TV King ABC TV Red Cap Red Cap 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 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 Good Morning America Nine Network / Rotten Ralph ABC TV Wire, The The Wire 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 Program New network(s) Previous network(s) Date Eddy and the Bear ABC TV ABC Kids (digital only) The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show ABC TV, ABC Kids (digital only) Nine Network Speed Racer ABC Kids (digital only) ABC TV, Seven Network, Network Ten Batfink ABC Kids (digital only), ABC TV Network Ten (ABC Kids), (ABC TV) / Babar ABC TV ABC Kids (digital only) / The Magic School Bus ABC TV ABC Kids (digital only) 2003 / The Adventures of Tintin ABC Kids (digital only) ABC TV 2003 // Billy the Cat ABC TV ABC Kids (digital only) 2003

Subscription television

Domestic Program Channel Debut date Islandares Nickelodeon Saturday Nick Television Nickelodeon 2003

International Program Channel Debut date Bruiser UKTV World of Pub UKTV Roger Roger UKTV Punk'd MTV Chalk UKTV That's So Raven Disney Channel Baby Looney Tunes Cartoon Network / Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension Fox Kids 2003 Hamtaro Cartoon Network 2003 /// ¡Mucha Lucha! Cartoon Network 2003

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 Program Free-to-air network Subscription network Date Jackass 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 Program Subscription network Free-to-air network Date Outriders Nickelodeon Nine Network Hi-5 Nickelodeon Nine Network

International Program Subscription network Free-to-air network Date Degrassi Junior High Degrassi Junior High Nickelodeon ABC TV Pie in the Sky UKTV ABC TV Sunburn UKTV Sk8 / Sk8 Nickelodeon Kids of Degrassi Street, The The Kids of Degrassi Street Nickelodeon ABC TV Viva S Club Viva S Club Nickelodeon Blobheads Blobheads Nickelodeon North Square UKTV ABC TV Henry's World Henry's World Nickelodeon ABC TV

Specials Program Channel Debut date 2003 Kids' Choice Awards Nickelodeon 2003 Teen Choice Awards Fox Kids

Ending / resting this year Date Show Channel Debut 8 June Always Greener Seven Network 2001 30 June Pirate Islands Network Ten 3 March 2003 14 November CNNNN ABC TV 2002

See also 2003 in Australia List of Australian films of 2003

References