kalbir

@RavenWhitney Robert Calhoun was EP until July 1991. Pamela Long was HW until December 1990. The EP/HW teams in the first half of the 1990s were Calhoun/Long June 1989 to December 1990, Calhoun/Nancy Curlee January 1991 to July 1991, JFP/Curlee July 1991 to March 1994. I don't know who the HW was for the remainder of JFP's run (March 1994 to May 1995) as I didn't watch those episodes.

CBS had an In Memoriam for Angela Lansbury after tonight's 60 Minutes.

Les Moonves treated Angela Lansbury horribly after she basically carried CBS's primetime lineup through some pretty awful times from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. IT'S THURSDAY FOR SURE FOR `MURDER, SHE WROTE' - Deseret News NO MYSTERY TO LANSBURY WHO'S KILLING THE SHOW – Chicago Tribune Low Ratings Did In Lansbury's Show but Her Character Isn't Dying - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) The View From The Top. Les Moonves 2011 Luncheon Recap – HRTS.org No wonder Murder, She Wrote took swipes at both Friends and CBS during its final season.

The three highest rated episodes of NBC's 1990s big three. Seinfeld: May 7, 1998, "The Puerto Rican Day", rating 24.8. May 14, 1998, "The Clip Show", rating 33.6, and "The Finale", rating 41.3. ER: November 9, 1995, "Hell and High Water", rating 27.8. September 25, 1997, "Ambush" (fourth season premiere), rating 28.5. May 14, 1998, "A Hole in the Heart" (fourth season finale), rating 28.8. Friends: February 1, 1996, "The One with the Prom Video", rating 21.7. February 8, 1996, "The One Where Ross and Rachel...You Know", rating 21.7. January 28, 1996, "The One After the Super Bowl", rating 29.6. May 6, 2004, "The Last One", rating 29.8.

January 22, 1987 was a historic night for NBC's top three comedies. The Cosby Show: "Say Hello to a Good Buy". Rating 41.3. Highest rated episode ever. Finished 2nd for the week, behind CBS's broadcast of the Super Bowl (rating 45.8). Family Ties: "Higher Love". Rating 39.2. Highest rated episode ever. Finished 3rd for the week. Cheers: "Spellbound". Rating 30.7. Highest rated episode until the series finale May 20, 1993. Finished 5th for the week. CBS's Super Bowl post-game coverage finished 4th for the week (rating 34).

Looking back at the ratings success of Murder, She Wrote during its first 11 seasons. 1984/85: 8th. Highest rated new scripted series of the season not named The Cosby Show. The 5th highest rated drama series of the season, beaten by Dynasty (#1), Dallas (2nd), The A-Team (6th), Simon & Simon (7th). Other drama series that premiered in 1984/85: Crazy Like a Fox (10th, tied w/ Falcon Crest), Highway to Heaven (19th), Miami Vice (below the Top 30), Hunter (below the Top 30), Moonlighting (below the Top 30). 1985/86: 3rd. Highest finish ever. Highest rated drama series overall. CBS's highest rated scripted program. 1986/87: 4th. Highest rated drama series overall. CBS's highest rated scripted program. This season had an episode which finished #1 (Night of the Headless Horseman) and the highest rated episode of the series (Simon Says, Color Me Dead). A notable drama that premiered this season: L.A. Law (21st). 1987/88 to 1989/90: 9th, 8th, 13th (tied w/ Chicken Soup). Highest rated drama series overall. CBS's highest rated scripted program. 1990/91 to 1993/94: 12th, 8th, 5th, 11th. Highest rated drama series overall. A notable drama that premiered in 1993/94: NYPD Blue (18th). 1994/95: 8th (tied w/ Friends first season). CBS's highest rated scripted program. The 3rd highest rated drama series of the season, beaten by ER first season (2nd) and NYPD Blue (7th). Murder, She Wrote finished ahead of the entire runs of Highway to Heaven, Hunter, L.A. Law; and the first season of NYPD Blue. During its first 9 seasons, Murder, She Wrote finished ahead of these dramas that were in the Top 10 during the 1980s: Knots Landing (1984/85 to final season 1992/93), Falcon Crest (1984/85 to final season 1989/90), Crazy Like a Fox (entire run), Hotel (1984/85 to final season 1987/88), Magnum, P.I. (1984/85 to final season 1987/88); Cagney & Lacey (1984/85 to final season 1987/88), The Love Boat (1984/85 and final season 1985/86), The Dukes of Hazzard (final season 1984/85), Dallas (1985/86 to final season 1990/91), Dynasty (1985/86 to final season 1988/89), Miami Vice (entire run), Simon & Simon (1985/86 to final season 1988/89), The A-Team (1985/86 and final season 1986/87), Moonlighting (entire run). I don't mention anything about the 12th and final season because as we all know, CBS intentionally sabotaged it.

Two to add to flourished while following a stronger show. Touched by an Angel 1994/95: CBS initially schedules Touched by an Angel Wednesday 9 pm then moves it to Saturday 9 pm. Finishes below the Top 30. 1995/96: Remains Saturday 9 pm and finishes below the Top 30. 1996/97: Moves to Sunday 8 pm and moves up to 10th. Sunday 7 pm 60 Minutes finishes 11th. 1997/98 to 2000/01: Remains Sunday 8 pm and finishes 5th, 8th, 10th, 22nd (tied w/ Cursed/The Weber Show and NYPD Blue). Sunday 7 pm 60 Minutes finishes 8th, 7th, 8th, 15th. 2001/02: Moves to Saturday 8 pm and falls below the Top 30. 2002/03: Remains Saturday 8 pm, finishes below the Top 30, and is cancelled. The Practice 1996/97: ABC premieres The Practice midseason Tuesday 10 pm. 6 episode first season while NYPD Blue is on a hiatus. Finishes below the Top 30. 1997/98: Moves to Saturday 10 pm then Monday 10 pm. Finishes below the Top 30. 1998/99: Moves to Sunday 10 pm. Finishes below the Top 30. 1999/2000: Remains Sunday 10 pm. January 2000, Who Wants to be a Millionaire replaces cancelled Snoops Sunday 9 pm. The Practice moves up to 9th. Millionaire Sunday finishes 3rd. 2000/01: Remains Sunday 10 pm but drops to 10th. Sunday 9 pm Millionaire drops to 8th. 2001/02: Remains Sunday 10 pm. ABC replaces Sunday 9 pm Millionaire w/ Alias. The Practice drops to 23rd, tied w/ NYPD Blue. Alias finishes below the Top 30. 2002/03: Moves midseason to Monday 9 pm and falls below the Top 30. 2003/04: Moves back to Sunday 10 pm but finishes below the Top 30 and is cancelled.

Was Lauren considered a vixen BITD? I thought she was more of a spoiled brat/Daddy's little princess.

Angela Lansbury even knew about this reggae classic. Angela Lansbury Hears Chaka Demus & Pliers’ ‘Murder She Wrote’ for the First Time | Billboard – Billboard

Y&R and All My Children were head-to-head at 1 pm ET from February 4, 1980 to June 5, 1981. Y&R moved to its current time 12:30 pm ET on June 8, 1981 so the second half of Y&R was head-to-head w/ the first half of All My Children. All My Children was 2nd from 1979/80 until 1984/85. Y&R moved past All My Children for 2nd in 1985/86, and the rest is history.

AFAIK The Price is Right during the Bob Barker years had four episodes promoting Y&R: 1982 with Terry Lester and David Hasselhoff which I haven't seen anywhere. 1983 with Michael Damian and Steven Ford which was posted earlier in the thread I think. 1985 as shown above. 1992 with Melody Thomas Scott and Peter Bergman which I haven't seen anywhere.

RIP Angela Lansbury and thank you for your contributions to the entertainment industry.

NBC was a mess in both daytime and primetime back then. As we all know, NBC didn't recover in primetime until the breakout success of The Cosby Show, but NBC remained a mess in daytime despite supercouple-era Days getting alot of hype in the soap press.

I think 1978 was the year that ABC's big three had a huge rise and the P&G shows starting tanking. What month did that take place and what lead up to that?

Eileen Davidson 1999 return as Ashley maybe fits here. She had been gone from Y&R for over 10 years and Ashley was recast twice in that time, but when ED stepped back into the role it was as though she had never left.

Samantha was the first long time (as in three or more years) character to be written out during JFP's run. IIRC she didn't even get a proper exit story, just a mention of leaving town to attend law school. JFP put Dylan in the expanded young adult set with Hart, Bridget, Kat, Julie, David. Perhaps Bridget, Kat, Julie made Samantha not necessary in JFP's vision for the show, who knows.

Yes I know Bill Bell and his crew were there for the 25th anniversary and this new regime doesn't have that same connection. It's sad for me as a long-time viewer that the 50th anniversary might not be memorable at all. We hold Bill Bell to a higher standard, but I admit that he wasn't immune to missteps.

I've been here for 15 of them. Hard to believe it's been that long.

@TEdgeofNight Agree. Y&R has felt hollow and empty for a long time now. I remember that Y&R was in a lull during the first half of 1997 and things picked up during the second half of that year to lead into an excellent 25th anniversary year 1998 (the last year I consider Y&R to have been truly excellent). I'm losing hope that something like that is going to happen for the 50th anniversary.

I'm not a regular listener of EDM but this song is pretty catchy.

@Soapsuds Thanks. I'm a 1980s kid/1990s teen.

I'm a 1980s kid so The Cosby Show, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains were a big part of my childhood. Fall 1985 to Spring 1988 they were at their best. Something felt off with those shows starting Fall 1988, maybe it was after-effects of the writer's strike or that times were changing, and by Fall 1989 I started losing interest them.

Fall 1985 to Spring 1988 was the peak of family sitcoms The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, and they all embodied mid-1980s Reagan era ideals. Fall 1988 Roseanne comes along and it's the anti-Reagan era ideal family sitcom. Roseanne is the breakout hit of 1988/89 and the first show to threaten The Cosby Show's overall dominance. One-by-one we saw the previous big family sitcoms decline and end: Spring 1989, Growing Pains falls out of the Top 10 and Family Ties ends. Spring 1990, Roseanne ties The Cosby Show for #1 and Who's the Boss falls out of the Top 10. Spring 1991, The Cosby Show loses #1 to Cheers. Spring 1992, The Cosby Show, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains all end.

Fall 1982 to Spring 1985 was the peak of action shows Magnum, P.I.; Simon & Simon, The A-Team. Their finishes in that era: Magnum, P.I. 3rd (tied w/ M*A*S*H) in 1982/83 (it's highest finish ever), 6th in 1983/84, 15th in 1984/85. Simon & Simon 7th in 1982/83, 5th in 1983/84 (it's highest finish ever), 7th in 1984/85. The A-Team 10th (tied w/ Monday Night Football) in 1982/83 (its first season), 4th in 1983/84 (it's highest finish ever), 6th in 1984/85. Fall 1985, all three got clobbered by counter-programmed sitcoms. Magnum, P.I. got weakened in 1984/85 by The Cosby Show (that season's breakout hit) and The Cosby Show becoming #1 in 1985/86 effectively finished Magnum, P.I. but CBS kept it until 1987/88. Simon & Simon got clobbered by Cheers in 1985/86 and the ill-fated move to Thursday 8 pm in Fall 1986 head-to-head w/ #1 The Cosby Show effectively finished Simon & Simon but CBS kept it until 1988/89. The A-Team got clobbered by Who's the Boss in 1985/86 and the move to Friday 8 pm in Fall 1986 didn't work thus NBC ending it Spring 1987.

Rebecca Barnes Wentworth abandoned her husband and children, remarried a wealthy man, became widowed, and inherited her late husband's business. Sound familiar?