This is a list of Australian television events and premieres which occurred in 2011. This year will be the 56th year of continuous operation of television in Australia.
Events 11 January – Ten Network Holdings and CBS Studios International launch digital multi-channel Eleven, which replaces the standard definition simulcast of One HD. Network Ten also permanently shifts its long-running soap opera Neighbours to the new channel after having aired the series for 24 years. The first episode on Eleven was its highest-rated program of the night, recording 254,000 metropolitan viewers. 13 January – The Australian Government lifts restrictions on the anti-siphoning rule to allow the Seven Network to air parts of the Australian Open on its digital multichannel 7Two while Seven News airs on the primary channel. This practice has continued in subsequent years. 16 January – Prime Television and GWN Television rebrand as Prime7 and GWN7 respectively, reaffirming their alignment with the Seven Network. The "Prime" on-screen watermark is also removed for Seven Network digital multichannels 7Two and 7mate. 24 January – The launch of 6PM with George Negus and Ten Evening News marks Network Ten's return to the regular broadcasting of news and current affairs programs in the 6:00–7:00 pm timeslot for the first time in 20 years. The new line-up is in direct competition with news and current affairs offerings on both the Seven and Nine networks. 4 April – Seven picks up the rights to televise Wimbledon, and in doing so, promises viewers live coverage of most matches including the men's and women's singles semi-finals, and championship matches.Seven snatches Wimbledon tennis coverage | Herald Sun 27 April – Two days before it was due to air, ABC Television is forced to cancel their planned coverage of the Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton, which was to be a "satirical commentary" by The Chaser, due to restrictions imposed by Clarence House. Set to air on ABC2, The Chaser’s Royal Wedding Commentary, was instead replaced by a simulcast of BBC's coverage and commentary of the wedding. 28 April – The Australian Football League (AFL) television broadcast rights for the 2012 to 2016 seasons is awarded to the Seven Network and Foxtel in a record $1.253 billion deal (including mobile and internet coverage awarded to Telstra). The Seven Network will broadcast four games each round, three of them live, as well as all finals live. For the first time, Foxtel will broadcast all nine matches each round, as well as all finals except the Grand Final, live, simulcasting the Seven Network's coverage of its four games. Foxtel will also relaunch a dedicated AFL channel after its previous attempt, the Fox Footy Channel, ceased broadcasting in 2006. 2 May – Emma Duncan wins the sixth season of The Biggest Loser. 8 May – Network Ten shifts the focus of its high-definition digital multichannel One from purely sports coverage and programming, to a mix of general entertainment and sports, specifically targeting audiences in the male 24-to-54-year-old demographic. 26 June – Heather Foord presents her final Nine News Queensland bulletin before retiring from television permanently; she is replaced the following weekend by Eva Milic. 10 July – TV chef Manu Feildel, alongside professional dance partner Alana Patience, win the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars. 28 July – 7TWO, 7mate, GEM, GO!, ONE & ELEVEN expand to Western Australia. 1 August – Surfers and best friends Tyler Atkins and Nathan Jolliffe win the first season of The Amazing Race Australia. 2 August – Jack Vidgen wins the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent. 7 August – Kate Bracks wins the third season of MasterChef Australia. 20 and 21 August – The Nine Network's most-watched Queensland news bulletin conducts two crosses to journalists in a helicopter claiming to be "near Beerwah, Queensland", where the remains of murdered schoolboy Daniel Morcombe had been found earlier that month. However, the crosses are revealed to be fake when, on the second night, rival station Channel Seven filmed footage of the Nine helicopter sitting on the helipad outside their studios at Mount Coot-tha at the time of the broadcast. Radar footage also revealed that, on the first night, the helicopter was actually hovering over Chapel Hill, 70 km away from Beerwah. Two journalists, Melissa Mallet and Cameron Price, as well as news producer Aaron Wakeley, are all sacked by the Nine Network following the incident, while Lee Anderson resigned in protest over the sackings. 21 August – Polly Porter and Warwick "Waz" Jones win the fourth season of The Block. 7 September – Robert Davidov wins the first series of Top Design Australia. 9 September – Nine Network confirmed that they were bringing back Big Brother Australia in 2012. 9 September – The eleventh season of the popular British children's television series Thomas & Friends finally airs on ABC2 at 1:05pm starting with Hide and Peep. 12 September – Dylan Cooper wins the third season of Project Runway Australia. 30 September – Ten Late News and Sports Tonight withdrawn their Broadcasts for the very last time. 12 October – Michael Lynch wins the first series of The Renovators. 22 October – Nine News Sydney overtakes Seven News Sydney as the news ratings leader in Sydney for the first time since 2004.Nine News Sydney takes ratings crown from Seven, Media Spy, 22 October 2011 25 October Montana Cox wins the seventh season of Australia's Next Top Model. 11 November – 7TWO, 7mate, GEM, GO!, ONE & ELEVEN expand to South Eastern South Australia. 21 November – Comedian Julia Morris wins the first season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia. 22 November – Reece Mastin wins the third series of The X Factor. 23 November – Greta Yaxley wins the second season of Junior MasterChef Australia. 24 November – Sarah Lawther and Lachlan Cosgrove win the third season of Beauty and the Geek Australia. 27 November – The Seven Network wins its 40th (out of a possible 40) week of ratings for the 2011 calendar year, and becomes the first Australian television network to achieve a clean sweep of a ratings calendar year.
Celebrity deaths 4 January – Geoff Raymond (aged 89), news presenter. 21 May – Bill Hunter (aged 71), actor 11 June, James Elliot (aged 82) Scottish-born Australian actor, best known as Alf Sutcliffe Number 96
Channels New channels 11 January – Eleven 29 May – Disney Junior 28 July - 7TWO, GO!, GEM, ONE, ELEVEN & 7mate (Albany/Bunbury) 11 November - February 2012 - 7TWO, GO!, GEM, ONE, ELEVEN & 7mate (Mount Gambier/Riverland)
Renamed channels 16 January – Prime7 (replacing Prime) 16 January – GWN7 (replacing GWN) 1 May – ABC4 Kids (replacing ABC For Kids on 2, but shared with ABC2) 8 May – One (replacing One HD)
Premieres
Domestic series
International series
Telemovies + Domestic telemovie premieres on Australian television in 2012 Telemovie Original airdate(s) Network Ref Underbelly Files: Tell Them Lucifer was Here Nine Network Underbelly Files: Infiltration Nine Network Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away Nine Network Blood Brothers Nine Network
Miniseries Domestic Program Channel Debut date Reference/s Cloudstreet Cloudstreet Showcase
International Program Channel Debut date Reference/s Collision Collision ABC1 Murderland Murderland ABC1 Kennedys, The The Kennedys ABC1
Documentaries Domestic Program Channel Debut date Reference/s Living the End Living the End SBS One Irish in Australia, The The Irish in Australia The History Channel Secret History of Eurovision, The The Secret History of Eurovision SBS One
International Program Channel Debut date Reference/s Despicable Me TV Show Despicable Me TV Show Seven Network Madagascar Madagascar Nine Network Madagascar Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice Nine Network Shadow of the Moon, The The Shadow of the Moon SBS One TBA Teenage Paparazzo Teenage Paparazzo ABC2
Programming changes
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.
Domestic Program New network Previous network DateNeighbours NeighboursElevenNetwork Ten Animation Fixation Animation Fixation Eleven Network Ten The Chaser's War on Everything The Chaser's War on Everything7mateABC1
International Program New network Previous network DateDiagnosis Murder Diagnosis: MurderElevenNine Network11 January JAG JAGElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryMacGyver MacGyverElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryCheers CheersElevenNine Network11 JanuaryRoseanne RoseanneElevenSeven Network11 January Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Sabrina, the Teenage WitchElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryHappy Days Happy DaysElevenNine Network11 JanuaryMork and Mindy Mork and MindyElevenNine Network11 JanuaryThe Brady Bunch The Brady BunchElevenNine Network11 JanuaryFamily Ties Family TiesElevenNine Network11 JanuaryEverybody Loves Raymond Everybody Loves RaymondElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryThe Simpsons The SimpsonsElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryFuturama FuturamaElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryThe Office The OfficeElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryNurse Jackie Nurse JackieElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryCalifornication CalifornicationElevenNetwork Ten11 JanuaryThe Love Boat The Love BoatElevenNine Network12 JanuaryTouched by an Angel Touched by an AngelElevenNine Network12 January7th Heaven 7th HeavenElevenNetwork Ten12 JanuaryThe Cleveland Show The Cleveland ShowElevenNetwork Ten12 JanuaryKing of the Hill King of the HillElevenSeven Network12 JanuaryStargate Universe Stargate UniverseElevenNetwork Ten13 January90210 90210ElevenNetwork Ten14 JanuarySo You Think You Can Dance So You Think You Can DanceElevenNetwork Ten14 JanuaryGet Smart Get Smart Axed after 3 episodesElevenGO!15 JanuaryHogan's Heroes Hogan's Heroes Axed after 2 episodesElevenGO!15 JanuarySmallville SmallvilleElevenNetwork Ten16 JanuaryAngel AngelElevenNetwork Ten16 January Supernatural SupernaturalElevenNetwork Ten17 JanuaryDexter DexterElevenNetwork Ten17 JanuaryStar Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: The Next GenerationElevenGO!20 JanuaryThe Golden Girls The Golden GirlsGEMSeven Network3 FebruaryMegaStructures MegaStructures7mateTen HD (now defunct)3 FebruaryMalcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the MiddleElevenNetwork Ten4 FebruarySex and the City Sex and the CityElevenNetwork Ten4 FebruaryFrasier FrasierElevenGO!5 FebruaryThe Nanny The NannyGO! (second run)GEMSpin City Spin CityGO!Nine NetworkSally Bollywood / Sally BollywoodABC3Seven Network24 24OneSeven Network The King of Queens The King of QueensElevenGO! Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy the Vampire SlayerElevenNetwork Ten I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! / I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!GO!Nine Network Mad About You Mad About You7TwoNetwork Ten Who's The Boss? Who's The Boss?7TwoNine Network Step By Step Step By Step7TwoNine Network Get Smart Get SmartOneElevenHogan's Heroes Hogan's HeroesOneElevenM*A*S*H M*A*S*H OneSeven Network
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.