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Looking back...Primetime Ratings from the 80's


Paul Raven

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Cagney & Lacey was cancelled and uncancelled twice, Spring 1982 and Spring 1983. 1983/84 was it's only Top 10 finish (10th), then dropped to 28th in 1984/85, and was below the Top 30 in its final three seasons 1985/86 to 1987/88. I think CBS kept Cagney & Lacey as long as they did because it was an Emmy favorite plus it was female-focused counterprogramming to Monday Night Football.

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The two most killer shows of the 1980s were 1980/81 Dallas and 1985/86 The Cosby Show.

1980/81 Dallas had 18 out of 23 episodes finish #1 and the other 5 episodes finish 2nd.

1985/86 The Cosby Show had 23 out of 25 episodes finish #1 in the week of their original broadcast, 1 episode finish 2nd, and 1 episode finish 3rd.

 

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That was the season that began late because of a writers strike. CBS had replayed the first 5 episodes and episodes leading up to Who shot JR?

The schedule was still a mixture of new episodes, specials,TV movies and repeats.

Mon ABC win Football #19  CBS Flo/ Ladies Man /Mash Rpt #11/12/17. NBC Little House #18

Tues CBS win Election night so no series that night.

Wed CBS win Dukes of Hazzard special ep @8 which was a spinoff to Enos 29 share and the Love at First Bite movie #12. ABC 2hr Vegas premiere which scored a 25 share. NBC won 8pm with Real People #16 and then Pt 1 of Alcatraz The Whole Shocking Story had a 16.9 rating

Thurs CBS win TV Movie Scared Straight Another Story 27 share before Dallas rpt #9. NBC had Pt 2 of Alcatraz but ABC That's Incredible special #14 Barney Miller #21 and It's a Living #25

Fri CBS win Incredible Hulk 31 share Dallas #4 and #2 . ABC Benson/I'm A Big Girl Now improved scored in 2nd week of new episodes

Sat ABC win 90 min Love Boat/Fantasy Island

Sun CBS win All shows in Top 8 ABC Spy Who Loved Me #20. NBC All the Presidents Men 13.6/19

 

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Does anyone know what impacted Three's Company final season ratings? It was a top ten show every other season with the exception of its six episode first season, but even so that first season finished in 11th place. It was a big drop from 6th place in season 7 to 33rd in season 8. Was it just viewer fatigue or was there more to this? 

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The show had run it course IMO. I'm not sure its competition the final season. That might have had something to do with the lower numbers.

All that said its series finale episode which premiered in season 9 ranked #9 for the week. The following week Three's A Crowd premiered with the rest of the other Primetime heavy weights.

 

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The show had had a good run and like others before it the fall was quick.

Another factor was that ABC were weakened on Tuesdays.  The blockbuster days of Happy Days/Laverne/3's Company/Too Close for Comfort were over.

NBC finally found a weapon in the A Team which immediately affected ABCs dominance at 8pm.

Three's Company no longer had a big lead in. Then NBC programmed Riptide @9 to complement A Team and 3's now had a much stronger show against it.

And the 9.30 follow ups 9 to 5 and Oh Madeleine weren't as strong so the whole hour was weakened.

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Thank you @Soapsuds and @Paul Raven. I figured that it might have been a mix of timeslot competition and general viewer fatigue. 8 seasons is a great run for a comedy show. I also wondered if the height of the AIDS epidemic may have made an impact that final year, as more awareness was being drawn to this "gay illness" and maybe viewers didn't want to be reminded or see that representation even if it was a straight character playing pretend. 

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