The following is a list of events relating to

television in Ireland Television in the Republic of Ireland is available through a variety of platforms. The digital terrestrial television service is known as Saorview and is the primary source of broadcast television since analogue transmissions ended on 24 Octobe ...

from 1978.

Events

*January – The controversial

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

drama '' The Spike'' goes on air. It was pulled from the schedule following a

nude scene In film, nudity may be either graphic or suggestive, such as when a person appears to be naked but is covered by a sheet. Since the birth of film, depictions of any form of sexuality have been controversial, and in the case of most nude scenes, ...

in Episode 5 which sparked criticism from Irish conservatives, and has never been retransmitted. *March – George T. Waters is appointed as Director-General of RTÉ. *2 November – Ireland's second television channel, RTÉ 2 goes on air. The opening night features a variety gala performance from the Cork Opera House and the 1968 film ''

Bullitt ''Bullitt'' is a 1968 American action thriller film directed by Peter Yates from a screenplay by Alan Trustman, Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner and based on the 1963 crime novel ''Mute Witness'' by Robert L. Fish. It stars Steve McQueen, Ro ...

''. *6 November – The UK soap ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'' is aired for the first time on RTÉ 2. It had previously only been available to those who could receive UTV or HTV Wales.

Debuts

RTÉ 1

*January – '' The Spike'' (1978) *29 April – ''

Fables of the Green Forest is an anime television series based on a series of books published in the 1910s and 1920s by Thornton W. Burgess which ran on the Japanese network Fuji Television from 7 January to 30 December 1973. It consists of 52 episodes and was produced ...

'' (1973) *11 September – '' Hong Kong Phooey'' (1974–1975) *25 October – '' The Clifton House Mystery'' (1978) *24 December – '' Christmas Eve on Sesame Street'' (1978)

RTÉ 2

*2 November – '' RTÉ News on Two'' (1978–present) *3 November – '' The Upchat Line'' (1977) *3 November – '' Armchair Thriller'' (1978–1980) *3 November – '' The Voyage of Charles Darwin'' (1978) *4 November – ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...

'' (1975, 1978–1992) *4 November – '' Mind Your Language'' (1977–1979) *4 November – ''

Sha Na Na Sha Na Na was an American rock and roll and doo-wop revival group formed in 1969. The group performed a song-and-dance repertoire based on 1950s hit songs that both revived and parodied the music and the New York City street culture of the 1 ...

'' (1977–1981) *4 November – '' Bruce Forsyth's Big Night'' (1978, 1980) *6 November – ''

'' (1960–present)

Changes of network affiliation

Ongoing television programmes

*'' RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock'' (1961–present) *'' RTÉ News: Six One'' (1962–present) *'' The Late Late Show'' (1962–present) *''

The Riordans ''The Riordans'' is an Irish television Soap opera broadcast on RTÉ from 1965 to 1979 set in the fictional townland of Leestown in County Kilkenny. Its location filming with outside broadcast units, rather than using only television studios ...

'' (1965–1979) *'' Quicksilver'' (1965–1981) *'' Wanderly Wagon'' (1967–1982) *''

Hall's Pictorial Weekly ''Hall's Pictorial Weekly'' is an Irish satirical television series broadcast on Raidió Teilifís Éireann from 1971 to 1980. Regarded as RTÉ's flagship comedy show, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories, politics and popu ...

'' (1971–1980) *''

Sports Stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...

'' (1973–1997) *'' Trom agus Éadrom'' (1975–1985) *'' The Late Late Toy Show'' (1975–present)

Ending this year

*Undated – '' The Spike'' (1978)

Births

*5 May – Paul Byrne, broadcast journalist *31 October – Ella McSweeney, radio and television producer

References

{{Years in TV by country, 1978

1970s in Irish television For articles on Irish television in the 1970s please see: * 1970 in Irish television * 1971 in Irish television * 1972 in Irish television * 1973 in Irish television * 1974 in Irish television * 1975 in Irish television * 1976 in Irish television ...