The official ratings survey for 1988 is still almost a month away but networks are already bringing out their big guns for the year. A number of key programs return for 1988. Seven launches its revamped and retitled half-hour news bulletin, Seven Nightly News; its new current affairs program, Hinch At Seven; and starts nightly episodes of Home And Away (after its movie-length pilot screened the previous night).

Nine launches a revival of the A Current Affair title with former 60 Minutes reporter Jana Wendt as host.

ABC and Seven cross live to Botany Bay, Sydney, for the arrival of the re-enacted First Fleet voyage as part of the Australian Bicentennial celebration.

Source: The Age Green Guide, 14 January 1988 (Regionals: TV Week, 16 January 1988)

MELBOURNE
	ABV2	HSV7	GTV9	ATV10	SBS28
6AM		6am Space Ghost And Dino Boy 6.25 Huckleberry Hound 6.40 Cartoon Connection. Alex Wileman, Michael Horrocks	6am National Nine Early Morning News 6.30 Business Today RETURN	6am Daybreak 6.30 Good Morning Australia RETURN Tim Webster, Kerri-Anne Kennerley
7AM	7am Ulysses 31 7.30 Battle Of The Planets		7am Today RETURN George Negus, Elizabeth Hayes
8AM	8am Belle And Sebastian 8.30 Sesame Street
9AM	9.30 Play School	9am Romper Room	9am Here’s Humphrey 9.30 The Young Doctors	9am Animal World 9.30 The Rovers
10AM	10am Puddle Lane 10.15 Noddy 10.30 Special: The First Fleet. The re-enactment of the arrival of the First Fleet. Live from Botany Bay	10am Special: First Fleet Re-Enactment. Live from Botany Bay	10am The Sullivans	10am Fat Cat And Friends 10.30 Daywatch
11AM			11am National Nine Morning News 11.30 Gomer Pyle USMC	11am Another World
12PM		12.30pm Tennis: Ford Australian Open. Live from National Tennis Centre, Melbourne	12pm Waterloo Station	12pm Santa Barbara
1PM	1pm Flambards 1.30 All Electric Amusement Arcade		1pm Private Benjamin 1.30 Days Of Our Lives	1pm The Bold And The Beautiful 1.30 Movie: Tarzan And The Amazons. 1945 (B&W) [IMDB]
2PM	2pm 3-2-1 Contact 2.30 Bang Goes The Budgie		2.30 The Young And The Restless		2.10pm Flight Of Eagles (Turkey)
3PM	3pm Sesame Street 3.55 Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends		3.30 General Hospital	3pm Grumbleweeds 3.30 The Jeffersons	3pm Movie: Vagabond Waltz. 1941 (B&W) (Finland) [IMDB]
4PM	4pm Play School 4.30 Fruit		4pm The Curiosity Show 4.30 Boomerang	4pm Ridgey Didge. Jared Robinson	4.35 The Children Of The Mysterious Valley (Italy)
5PM	5pm Spirit Bay 5.30 Terry And The Gun Runners		5pm Ask The Leyland Brothers 5.30 Crossfire. Greg Evans 5.57 Crime Stoppers	5pm The Ghost And Mrs Muir 5.30 Perfect Match. Cameron Daddo	5.05 Three In The Wild
6PM	6pm Lucky Luke 6.30 Gems	6pm Home And Away 6.30 Seven Nightly News. Jennifer Keyte, Glenn Taylor	6pm National Nine News. Brian Naylor 6.30 A Current Affair PREMIERE Jana Wendt	6pm Eyewitness News. David Johnston, Mal Walden	6pm Don Quixote (Netherlands) 6.30 World News
7PM	7pm ABC News 7.30 The 7.30 Report: Summer Edition. Mike Swinson	7pm Hinch At Seven PREMIERE Derryn Hinch 7.30 A Country Practice RETURN	7pm Sale Of The Century RETURN 7.30 Head Of The Class	7pm Neighbours 7.30 Riptide	7pm Three Ladies And Their Hot-Dog Stand (Germany) 7.30 The New Pacific
8PM	8pm The Cavanaghs 8.30 Bread	8.30 Tennis: Ford Australian Open. Live from National Tennis Centre, Melbourne	8pm My Sister Sam 8.30 Movie: Fatso. 1980 [IMDB]	8.30 Movie: Heavenly Bodies. 1985 [IMDB]	8.30 Soccer: National Indoor League
9PM	9pm Hold The Back Page 9.50 ABC News 9.55 The Burrows Collection				9pm Movie: Children On Strike. 1980 (Poland)
10PM			10.30 News 10.35 The Home Shopping Show	10.20 Eyewitness News 10.35 Movie: Love Does Strange Things To People. 1970 [IMDB]	10.30 World News (Rpt)
11PM	11.30 Close		11.05 Skiing		11pm Close
12AM		12am News Overnight. Includes Today (NBC) (Continues to 6am)	12.15am Mini-Series: Beulah Land [IMDB]	12.30am Night Shift
1AM
2AM			2.05 Movie: Critic’s Choice. 1963 [IMDB]
3AM
4AM			4am Movie: Yield To The Night. 1958 (B&W) [IMDB]
5AM			5.30 Sergeant Preston Of The Yukon (Continues to 6am)	5am Blankety Blanks 5.30 Superman (B&W) (Continues to 6am)

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