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.

Debuts

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)

Television shows

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)

Ending this year

Returning this year

• No shows returning this year.