13 August 1977: Don Lane (The Don Lane Show)
13 August 1994: Nicole Kidman
13 August 2005: Big Brother
13 August 1971: Television finally comes to the Northern Territory as ABC officially opens ABD6 in Darwin.
YouTube: ABC News (Australia)
13 August 1976: The sex-comedy series Alvin Purple, based on the earlier successful film of the same name, was due to commence its 13-episode run. Starring Graeme Blundell in the title role, Alvin Purple featured the amorous escapades of a young man who had an effect on women of all types. It was front page news (below) when, one day before going to air, Alvin Purple was bumped off the schedule — with ABC management and its new chairman Sir Henry Bland accused of “censorship” of the controversial series. The program didn’t appear as schedule, with ABC management suggesting some edits but the show’s producer Maurice Murphy did not make any. Alvin Purple managed to make a belated debut the following week.
13 August 1978: The last day of competition and the Closing Ceremony of the XI Commonwealth Games, held in Edmonton, Canada. ABC‘s live coverage is at 6am with a repeat of highlights at 10.50pm. ABC also had a last minute change to its schedule following the death of Pope Paul VI. The funeral for the pope was broadcast live from Rome at 1.50am with a repeat at 8.30pm.
13 August 1984: The final day of competition from The Games Of The XXIII Olympiad from Los Angeles, USA, before coverage of the Men’s Marathon and Closing Ceremony.
13 August 1995: The Australia Remembers Gala Tribute (ABC) features John Farnham, James Morrison, James Blundell, Margaret Urlich, Don Burrows, Grace Knight and Rick Price to commemorate the upcoming 50th anniversary of VP Day.
13 August 2002: Alison Whyte (Frontline) and Lisa McCune (Blue Heelers) star as sisters and lawyers in the new Seven Network series Marshall Law.
YouTube: For The Love Of Broadcast
13 August 2006: The premiere of the celebrity pop culture game show You May Be Right, hosted by Dancing With The Stars judge Todd McKenney. The show was seen as a thinly-veiled take-off of ABC‘s Spicks And Specks, and was only to have a short life.
