This is a list of New Zealand television events and premieres that occurred in 1991, the 32nd year of continuous operation of
television in New Zealand.
Events
3 January - New Zealand television debut of Australian medical drama G.P. on
TV3.
4 January - American animated sitcom The Simpsons made its New Zealand premiere on
Channel 2. Several years later it was moved to
TV3 and later returned to
Channel 2 (as TV2 and later as TVNZ 2) in early 2016.
6 January - The popular British cult marionette television series Thunderbirds returned to New Zealand television after a long absence with the series airing in a Sunday morning slot on
Channel 2.
4 February - After 2 returned to
Channel 2 with a 2.30pm start and a 4pm finish.
7 February - British children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends aired on
TV3 one last time after a huge amount of reruns on the network since the switchover in 1990.
11 February - Wheel of Fortune debuted on
Channel 2; it later revived in 2008 on
TV One, and a year later they dropped the show due to financial issues.
14 March - New Zealand satirical comedy show More Issues first appeared on
TV One.
19 March - After a long absence since its last air on 14 November 1989, British children's animation Postman Pat returned to airing in New Zealand with the series now airing on
Channel 2. This also marked the third time all 13 episodes of the series were ever broadcast on
Channel 2.
1 April -
TV3 debuted a brand new children's educational series titled Aunties' Alphabet.
7 May - British children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends returns to airing on
TV3 and continues broadcasting on the channel in the afternoons once again.
8 May - US animated environmental series Captain Planet and the Planeteers got its proper television premiere on
Channel 2 after airing in the previous year with only one episode as an introduction. The series would begin with its very first episode "A Hero for Earth".
4 June - The last in series one of Johnson and Friends was shown on
Channel 2 with "Cleaning Day". The iconic Australian children's TV series itself would return for a rerun on 10 December.
14 June - A brand new political chat show titled The Ralston Group began on
TV3 as a replacement for E Street.
27 September - The British children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends transmitted on
TV3 for the very last time. It would switch over to air on
Channel 2 the very next year.
17 October - A 10-part comedy/documentary series titled Visual Symphonies began on
TV One; it followed
Lyn of Tawa (played by
Ginette McDonald) on a journey through New Zealand and Australia.
17 October - A new magazine-style infotainment show titled The Paradise Picture Show premiered on
Channel 2; it was hosted by
Mark Leishman, Judith Kirk (now Jude Dobson) and 'crazy newcomer' Clark Bent (played by
Jeremy Corbett).
10 November - Aramoana, a documentary which recalled the experiences the people of the small Otago town of
Aramoana, screened on
TV One; it was produced by
Taylormade for TVNZ.
10 December - Australian children's television series Johnson and Friends aired on
Channel 2 in New Zealand for a second time when the series got repeated for the first time.
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on a New Zealand television network that had previously premiered on another New Zealand television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both
subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network. This occurs predominantly with programs shared between subscription television networks.
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on
New Zealand subscription television that had previously premiered on New Zealand free-to-air television. Programs may still air on the original free-to-air television network.