Sunday (Australian TV program)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | November 15, 1981 |
| Defunct | August 3, 2008 |
| Fate | Cancelled |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Jim Waley, Helen Dalley, Laurie Oakes, Jana Wendt, Ross Greenwood, Ellen Fanning, Ray Martin, Stephen Rice |
| Products | Current affairs, arts, and politics television program |
| Parent | Nine Network |
Sunday was a nationally broadcast Australian program focusing on current affairs, arts, and politics, airing on Sunday mornings via the Nine Network. The show delivered comprehensive coverage of both domestic and international news, political analysis, detailed reports about Australia and global events, alongside critiques of film, arts, and music. Its final broadcast took place on 3 August 2008.
History
Premiering on 15 November 1981, Sunday represented a pivotal development in Australian television by offering a reputable alternative to the ABC’s flagship current affairs show Four Corners. Often referred to as the "baby" of network executive Kerry Packer, it was occasionally perceived by competitors as "a costly luxury."
Originally anchored by Jim Waley for two decades, with Helen Dalley serving as a substitute host at times, Sunday employed a two-hour magazine-style structure. Unlike Four Corners, which devoted each episode to a single topic, Sunday presented a combination of news summaries, brief feature segments, an extensive political interview conducted by Nine’s political editor Laurie Oakes, a prominent investigative story, film critiques by Peter Thompson, and general-interest segments later hosted by Max Cullen. The program frequently ended with live musical performances.
Waley departed in December 2002 to lead National Nine News, with former A Current Affair presenter Jana Wendt taking over. After format revisions in 2006, Wendt resigned and co-hosts Ross Greenwood and Ellen Fanning succeeded her. During this period, Sunday prioritized rigorous news coverage and current affairs in contrast to Seven’s more entertainment-oriented Weekend Sunrise.
In 2007, under the leadership of John Westacott as Nine Network's head of news and current affairs, former A Current Affair host Ray Martin replaced Greenwood as co-anchor alongside Fanning. The show shifted to an earlier 7:30 am slot in 2008; shortly thereafter Martin unexpectedly exited the network after three decades and was not succeeded, leaving Fanning as the sole presenter.
Up until 2006, the format of Sunday was inspired by the American program CBS News Sunday Morning.
Brand extension
Building on the success of Sunday, a spin-off called Business Sunday was introduced in 1986 with Ali Moore as host. This program concentrated on comprehensive reporting of business, economic trends, and financial matters affecting Australia and the world. After two decades, the Nine Network combined Sunday and Business Sunday into one show on 3 September 2006.
Hosts
| Period | Presenter(s) |
|---|---|
| November 1981 – December 2002 | Jim Waley |
| February 2003 – September 2006 | Jana Wendt |
| September 2006 – November 2007 | Ellen Fanning and Ross Greenwood |
| November 2007 – February 2008 | Ellen Fanning and Ray Martin |
| February 2008 – August 2008 | Ellen Fanning |
Alumni
Throughout its run from 1981 to 2008, Sunday served as a platform for numerous distinguished Australian journalists and media figures. Noteworthy correspondents included Adrian Brown, former New South Wales premier Bob Carr, Ross Coulthart, Helen Dalley, Graham Davis, Laurie Oakes, Hugh Riminton, Sarah Ferguson, and original host Jim Waley. Significant producers and researchers associated with the program were Peter Hiscock, Allison Langdon, Tom Krause, Nick Farrow, Adam Shand, former Seven News director Peter Meakin, and executive producer Stephen Rice.
Awards and accolades
Sunday received numerous honors, including gold and silver medals from the New York Festivals in 2002 for its reporting on East Timor and its investigation into Governor-General Peter Hollingworth. In 2003, it was awarded the Logie for "Most Outstanding Public Affairs Program on Australian Television."
Firsts
Under the leadership of Executive Producer Stephen Rice, Sunday became a trailblazer in Australian TV by launching its own website in 1997 and actively promoting web addresses during broadcasts. Kathryn Franco, the online producer, pioneered early methods for publishing video content, allowing weekly segments to be accessible online—a notable advancement at that time. Franco also created websites for related programs Business Sunday and Small Business Show, which successfully attracted lucrative advertising by cultivating a dedicated viewer base. She later earned a Webby Award for another video platform project.
Cancellation
On 25 July 2008, the Nine Network announced the termination of both Sunday and its late-night news program Nightline. The final episode was broadcast on 3 August 2008. The decision to cancel was linked to weak audience ratings outside Australia's eastern states and financial pressures within Nine's news division.
Final broadcast
The concluding episode, aired on 3 August 2008 and hosted by Ellen Fanning, included contributions from founding presenter Jim Waley, former co-host Ray Martin, political editor Laurie Oakes, as well as other distinguished alumni such as Charles Wooley, Ross Greenwood, and Jennifer Byrne. A live segment connected with pay TV channel Sky News Australia featured an interview with former correspondent Helen Dalley.
Jim Waley conducted the last Canberra interview with then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who expressed disappointment over the show's ending. The program closed with Waley and Fanning expressing gratitude to viewers for their support spanning nearly thirty years.
After the final broadcast, current and former team members gathered for a farewell event in North Sydney. Ray Martin publicly condemned Nine's choice, describing it as "dopey" from a commercial standpoint and lamenting the network’s reduced dedication to in-depth news coverage.
A group photograph featuring prominent figures—Ray Martin, Ellen Fanning, Stephen Rice, Laurie Oakes, Jim Waley, and Peter Meakin—was widely acclaimed as a symbol of excellence in Australian television journalism.
One week following the finale, Sunday's website on Ninemsn was taken offline.
See also
- List of Nine Network programs
- List of Australian television series
- List of longest-running Australian television series