[citation needed] The advent and ongoing success of Sunday was a significant milestone in Australian television, as it for the first time offered a credible alternative/rival to the dominant influence of the ABC's flagship current affairs program Four Corners, which had premiered 20 years earlier.

Sunday was often referred to as the "baby" of network boss Kerry Packer, although rival media outlets have characterised it as "an expensive indulgence".

The first edition of Sunday aired on 15 November 1981, presented by Jim Waley who hosted the show for the next 20 years and became synonymous with the program.

Each episode typically opened with a news roundup presented by Waley, followed by a selection of short feature stories, an in-depth political interview by Nine's political editor Laurie Oakes, a "headline" investigative feature with in-depth coverage of a major story, a movie review by film critic Peter Thompson (the adoptive brother of actor Jack Thompson), and a general-interest 'colour' piece (presented during the later years of the show by actor-writer Max Cullen).

Following the decision to change Sunday's successful magazine format, it was revealed on 1 September 2006 that Wendt would resign from the program, with both Ross Greenwood and Ellen Fanning to take over as joint presenters of the show.

Producers, researchers and media professionals include: Peter Hiscock, Allison Langdon, Tom Krause, Ann Buchner, Nick Farrow, Kathryn Franco, Kirstine Lumb, Adam Shand, Karen Tan, former Seven News chief Peter Meakin, Paul Steindl, arts specialists Catherine Hunter and Marianne Latham, political/media adviser Sarah Turner and long-time executive producer Stephen Rice.

[2] The reasons for the axing of Sunday included both poor ratings outside of the east coast and budgetary constraints as part of Nine's news and current affairs brand.

Before looking at the archived memories, the broadcast ended with a final goodbye with both Jim Waley and Ellen Fanning thanking all Australian viewers for their support over the past 2½ decades, with the emails, faxes and phone calls made to the Nine Network in protest over Sunday's axing.

In an interview published the following day in The Sydney Morning Herald, Ray Martin criticised Nine's decision to shelve the series indefinitely: A photo taken at the wake featured a group that TV Tonight's David Knox described as "legends of Australian TV journalism": Ray Martin, Ellen Fanning, Stephen Rice, Laurie Oakes, Jim Waley and (Seven's) Peter Meakin.