Heading into Fall 1984, Dallas had it's third season as the #1 show but it was being threatened by Dynasty. 1984/85 was expected to be the biggest Dallas vs. Dynasty battle ever, but little did we know that a rookie hit was waiting in the wings to blow up and another rookie hit was waiting in the wings to shock the world.
I divide 1984/85 into two parts, pre-Super Bowl and post-Super Bowl.
Pre-Super Bowl
September 28, 1984: Killer at Large (season 8 premiere), rating 26.4, #1. The Cosby Show (September 27: Goodbye, Mr. Fish (episode 2), rating 22.5) was 3rd, Dynasty (September 26: Disappearance (season 5 premiere), rating 22.2) was 4th; and Murder, She Wrote (September 30: The Murder of Sherlock Holmes (series premiere), rating 18.9) was 9th.
October 5, 1984: Battle Lines, rating 24.7, #1. The Cosby Show (October 4: Bad Dreams (episode 3), rating 21.9) was 5th; and Murder, She Wrote (October 7: Deadly Lady (episode 2), rating 20.3) was 9th. No Dynasty on October 3.
October 12, 1984: If at First You Don’t Succeed, rating 24.0, 7th for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (October 11: Is that My Boy? (episode 4), rating 20.6, 9th); and Murder, She Wrote (October 14: Birds of a Feather (episode 3), rating 19.4, 12th). Dynasty (October 10: The Mortgage, rating 25.1) was 5th.
October 19, 1984: Jamie, rating 24.6, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (October 18: A Shirt Story (episode 5), rating 21.3, 7th). Dynasty (October 17: Fallon, rating 26.1) was #1. No Murder, She Wrote on October 21.
October 26, 1984: Family, rating 25.9, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (October 25: Breaking with Tradition (episode 6), rating 21.2, 8th); and Murder, She Wrote (October 28: Hooray for Homicide (episode 4), rating 19.7, 15th). Dynasty (October 24: The Rescue, rating 26.3) was #1.
November 2, 1984: Shadow of Doubt, rating 27.1, #1. Dynasty (October 31: The Trial, rating 24.9) was 2nd, The Cosby Show (November 1: One More Time (episode 7), rating 20.0) was 8th; and Murder, She Wrote (November 4: It’s a Dog’s Life (episode 5), rating 16.9) was 23rd.
November 9, 1984: Homecoming, rating 26.2, #1. Dynasty (November 7: The Verdict, rating 25.7) was 2nd and The Cosby Show (November 8: Play it Again, Vanessa (episode 8), rating 21.2) was 7th. No Murder, She Wrote on November 11.
November 16, 1984: Oil Barons Ball III, rating 26.5, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (November 14: Amanda, rating 23.5, 5th), The Cosby Show (November 15: How Ugly is He? (episode 9), rating 22.5, 6th); and Murder, She Wrote (November 18: Lovers and Other Killers (episode 6), rating 19.1, 16th).
November 23, 1984: Shadows, rating 22.6, 5th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (November 25: Hit, Run and Homicide (episode 7), rating 19.7, 9th); and The Cosby Show (November 22: Bonjour Sondra (episode 10), rating 16.7, 18th). Dynasty (November 21: The Secret, rating 24.3) was 3rd.
November 30, 1984: Charlie, rating 25.9, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (November 28: Domestic Intrigue, rating 25.2, 3rd). The Cosby Show was a repeat on November 29. No Murder, She Wrote on December 2.
December 7, 1984: Barbecue Five, rating 24.7, 3rd for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (December 6: You’re Not a Mother Night (episode 11), rating 23.1, 4th); and Murder, She Wrote (December 9: We’re Off to Kill the Wizard (episode 8), rating 22.3, 6th). Dynasty (December 5: Krystina, rating 25.3) was #1.
December 14, 1984: Do You Take This Woman, rating 25.2, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (December 13: Rudy’s Sick (episode 12), rating 21.3, 6th); and Murder, She Wrote (December 16: Death Takes a Curtain Call (episode 9), rating 16.2, 30th). Dynasty (December 12: Swept Away, rating 26.5) was #1.
December 21, 1984: Déjà Vu, rating 23.0, 4th for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (December 20: Father’s Day (episode 13), rating 21.7, 6th). Dynasty (December 19: That Holiday Spirit, rating 25.9) was #1. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on December 23.
December 28, 1984: Odd Man Out, rating 24.5, #1. Murder, She Wrote (December 30: Death Casts a Spell (episode 10), rating 22.3) was 6th. No Dynasty on December 26. The Cosby Show was a repeat on December 27.
January 4, 1985: Lockup in Laredo, rating 26.3, 3rd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (January 2: The Avenger, rating 26.2, 4th); and Murder, She Wrote (January 6: Capitol Offense (episode 11), rating 22.4, 9th). The Cosby Show was a repeat on January 3.
January 11, 1985: Winds of War, rating 27.8 (season high), #1. Dynasty (January 9: The Will, rating 27.7 (season high)) was 2nd, The Cosby Show (January 10: Independence Day (episode 14), rating 25.4) was 3rd; and Murder, She Wrote (January 13: Broadway Malady (episode 12), rating 21.8) was 7th.
January 18, 1985: Pre-empted for Any Which Way You Can. The Cosby Show (January 17: Physician of the Year (episode 15), rating 27.9) was 3rd and Dynasty (January 16: The Treasure, rating 27.0) was 4th. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on January 20.
On a win/loss basis, Dallas pre-Super Bowl was 7-7 vs. Dynasty, 13-0 vs. new episodes of The Cosby Show, and 12-0 vs. new episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Dallas pre-Super Bowl 16 episodes average was 25.3. Dynasty pre-Super Bowl 15 episodes average was 25.5. Although Dallas and Dynasty had split their head-to-head matchups so far, Dynasty was barely winning the battle based on the episode average.
Post-Super Bowl
January 25, 1985: Bail Out, rating 26.1, #1. Dynasty (January 23: Foreign Relations, rating 25.0) was 3rd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on January 24. No Murder, She Wrote on January 27.
February 1, 1985: Legacy of Hate, rating 26.2, 3rd for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (February 3: Murder to a Jazz Beat (episode 13), rating 22.0, 11th). The Cosby Show (January 31: Jitterbug Break (episode 16), rating 27.8) was #1 and Dynasty (January 30: Triangles, rating 27.0) was 2nd.
February 8, 1985: Sins of the Fathers, rating 25.0, 4th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (February 10: My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean (episode 14), rating 19.9, 16th). The Cosby Show (February 7: Theo and the Joint (episode 17), rating 26.1) was #1 and Dynasty (February 6: The Ball, rating 25.9) was 2nd.
February 15, 1985: The Brothers Ewing, rating 25.0, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (February 13: Circumstantial Evidence, rating 23.4, 5th) and Murder, She Wrote (February 17: Paint Me a Murder (episode 15), rating 20.5, 13th). The Cosby Show (February 14: Vanessa’s New Class (episode 18), rating 26.6) was #1.
February 22, 1985: Shattered Dreams, rating 25.8, #1. The Cosby Show (February 21: Clair’s Case (episode 19), rating 25.1) was 3rd, Dynasty (February 20: The Collapse, rating 24.6) was 4th; and Murder, She Wrote (February 24, 1985: Tough Guys Don't Die (episode 16), rating 21.7) was 11th.
March 1, 1985 (10-11 pm): Dead Ends, rating 22.6, 7th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (March 3: Sudden Death (episode 17), rating 21.6, 9th). The Cosby Show (February 28: Back to the Track, Jack (episode 20), rating 27.0) was #1 and Dynasty (February 27: Life and Death, rating 24.8) was 2nd.
March 8, 1985: Trial & Error, rating 22.4, 6th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (March 10: Footnote to Murder (episode 18), rating 19.7, 12th). Dynasty (March 6: Parental Consent, rating 24.0) was 3rd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on March 7.
March 15, 1985: The Verdict, rating 22.7, 5th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (March 17: Murder Takes the Bus (episode 19), rating 22.4, 6th). The Cosby Show (March 14: The Younger Woman (episode 21), rating 28.3) was #1 and Dynasty (March 13: Photo Finish, rating 24.2) was 2nd.
March 22, 1985: Pre-empted for NCAA Basketball. Dynasty (March 20: The Crash, rating 22.6) was 3rd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on March 21. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on March 24.
March 29, 1985: Sentences, rating 23.0, 6th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (March 31: Armed Response (episode 20), rating 21.2, 10th). The Cosby Show (March 28: The Slumber Party (episode 22), rating 30.1 (season high)) was #1 and Dynasty (March 27: Reconciliation, rating 23.1) was 5th.
April 5, 1985: Pre-empted for Stormin’ Home. Dynasty (April 3: Sammy Jo, rating 23.1) was 3rd and Murder, She Wrote (April 7: Murder at the Oasis (episode 21), rating 20.4) was 5th. No The Cosby Show on April 4.
April 12, 1985: Terms of Estrangement, rating 22.1, 6th for the week. Dynasty (April 10: Kidnap, rating 24.5) was 2nd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on April 11. No Murder, She Wrote on April 14.
April 19, 1985: The Ewing Connection, rating 21.1, 5th for the week. Murder, She Wrote (April 21: Funeral at Fifty-Mile (season 1 finale), rating 24.5 (season high)) was 2nd. No Dynasty on April 17. The Cosby Show was a repeat on April 18.
April 26, 1985: Pre-empted for Arthur the King. No Dynasty on April 24. The Cosby Show was a repeat on April 25.
May 3, 1985: Deeds and Misdeeds, rating 21.4, 3rd for the week. The Cosby Show (May 2: Mr. Quiet (episode 23), rating 25.5) was #1. No Dynasty on May 1.
May 10, 1985: Deliverance, rating 22.6, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (May 8: The Heiress, rating 21.9, 3rd). The Cosby Show (May 9: Cliff’s Birthday (season 1 finale), rating 24.1) was #1.
May 17, 1985 (8:30-10 pm): Swan Song (season 8 finale), rating 27.5, #1. Dynasty (May 15: Royal Wedding (season 5 finale), rating 25.9) was 2nd.
On a win/loss basis, Dallas post-Super Bowl was 5-7 vs. Dynasty, 1-8 vs. new episodes of The Cosby Show, and 8-1 vs. new episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Dallas post-Super Bowl 14 episodes average was 23.8. Dynasty post-Super Bowl 14 episodes average was 24.3. We can see the ratings drop starting March 1985.
At the end of the season, Dynasty was #1, Dallas was 2nd, The Cosby Show was 3rd; and Murder, She Wrote was 8th.