Sunday (Australian TV program)

Sunday is an Australian current affairs, arts and politics program, broadcast nationally on Sunday mornings on the Nine Network Australia. The program covered a range of topical issues including local and overseas news, politics, and in-depth stories on Australia and the world, plus independent film reviews, independent arts features, and independent music reviews. Its final show aired on Sunday, 3 August 2008.

History

The announcement of the launch of the private and independent breakfast television and Canberra-produced politics program on 22 October 1981 inspired controversy, as it was then practice to fill the spot with religious programming. The advent and ongoing success of Sunday was a significant milestone in Australian television, as it for the first time offered a credible alternative/rival to the dominant influence of the ABC's flagship current affairs program Four Corners, which had premiered 20 years earlier. Sunday was often referred to as the "baby" of network boss Kerry Packer, although rival media outlets have characterised it as "an expensive indulgence".

The first edition of Sunday aired on 15 November 1981, presented by Jim Waley who hosted the show for the next 20 years and became synonymous with the program. When not on duty, the program was hosted by Helen Dalley, a well regarded reporter. Sunday differed from Four Corners in several key respects; at the time Sunday premiered, a typical Four Corners episode ran for 40–45 minutes (without interruption) and rarely presented more than one story per week. By contrast Sunday ran for two hours (including ad breaks) with a wide-ranging magazine-style format.