51 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

That week illustrated the problem CBS faced on Sunday. Up against a big mini series and premiere movie Crazy Like A Fox couldn't compete at 9pm. MSW was #3 but CLAF #26 and Trapper John #52.

The following week MSW  was #5 but CLAF was #26 and Trapper was #53. CBS was squandering the lead in on a top rating night.

The next week CBS went with Pt 1 of Kane & Abel mini series 8-11 and it ranked #8.

The following week MSW was back and  ranked #4 with part 1 of Doubletake @9 ranked #14.

The return of CLAF ranked #36 so CBS saw they would get much better numbers playing a movie @9 which is what they did with instant ratings improvement.

 

9 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

CBS saw they would get much better numbers playing a movie @9 which is what they did with instant ratings improvement.

Week of January 6-12, 1986. The first CBS Sunday movie. The entire CBS Sunday line up is in the Top 10.

On 6/17/2023 at 9:22 PM, Soapsuds said:

 

CBS always had the most TV movies on tap but used them for years  as counter programming Tues, Wed and Sat. Occasionally a title would break through and win the timeslot but mostly they were just there to provide semi decent numbers up against stronger competition.

I guess someone realized they might be wasting some potential ratings grabbers in those timeslots and thus the Sunday movie was scheduled and it paid off. Those movies would have otherwise played Tues or Sat and no doubt have drawn fewer viewers. 

 

In retrospect, "Magnum"'s collapse wasn't a total surprise when you realize how much more sophisticated one-hour dramas were becoming on primetime TV.  Even in the mid-'80's, it probably looked like a quaint, old relic next to shows like "Hill Street Blues" and "St. Elsewhere."  And I know Tom Selleck talks a great deal in his memoir about making the scripts on his show "go deeper," but let's be honest, Donald Bellisario's shows have never been all that deep, lol.

Edited September 22Sep 22 by Khan

When did Magnum PI start to fall in the ratings?  I just thought the stories got repetitive.

3 minutes ago, JoeCool said:

When did Magnum PI start to fall in the ratings?  I just thought the stories got repetitive.

1984/85 Magnum, P.I. got weakened by new time slot rival The Cosby Show.

18 minutes ago, kalbir said:

1984/85 Magnum, P.I. got weakened by new time slot rival The Cosby Show.

Thank you. I forgot the obvious......Did CBS move Magnum after that?

1 minute ago, JoeCool said:

Thank you. I forgot the obvious......Did CBS move Magnum after that?

1986/87 Magnum, P.I. moved to Wednesday 9 pm, head-to-head with Dynasty.

2 minutes ago, kalbir said:

1986/87 Magnum, P.I. moved to Wednesday 9 pm, head-to-head with Dynasty.

That's right! Thanks again. By then I think Dynasty was fading out but still competitive.

1 minute ago, JoeCool said:

That's right! Thanks again. By then I think Dynasty was fading out but still competitive.

1986/87 Dynasty had a huge drop, going from 7th to 24th. Magnum, P.I. even won the time slot some weeks.

1 minute ago, kalbir said:

1986/87 Dynasty had a huge drop, going from 7th to 24th. Magnum, P.I. even won the time slot some weeks.

Dynasty was really weak storyline wise then too.

2 minutes ago, JoeCool said:

Dynasty was really weak storyline wise then too.

1986/87 Dynasty went off the rails and it remained so for the rest of its run.

 

On 9/21/2025 at 10:20 PM, Paul Raven said:

That week illustrated the problem CBS faced on Sunday. Up against a big mini series and premiere movie Crazy Like A Fox couldn't compete at 9pm.

October 1985-January 1986 Sunday 9 pm NBC and ABC had some big miniseries/movies, specials, and sports.

NBC had The Long Hot Summer, I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later, Crime of Innocence, 48 Hrs network premiere, Perry Mason Returns, Bob Hope Christmas Show, Blacke's Magic pilot movie.

ABC had Toughlove, World Series, North & South, American Bandstand 33 1/3 Celebration, The Toy network premiere.

No wonder CBS launched Sunday movie in January 1986 and as we all know that move paid off.

Crazy Like a Fox got sent to Wednesday 9 pm head-to-head with Dynasty. That move wasn't tank job or sabotage, it was more to fill space on the schedule from new Wednesday shows Stir Crazy and George Burns Comedy Week being one season and done early in the season.

I think a better home for Crazy Like a Fox might have been Friday 8 pm. Twilight Zone didn't work Friday 8 pm but Crazy Like a Fox could've worked as a Dallas lead in.

 

 

I believe we already have a variation of this already back in the beginning towards the start of this thread, but here is ratings from 38 years ago. 
 

 

Week of September 28-October 4, 1987 had Moonlighting season 4 premiere and Falcon Crest season 7 premiere.

ALF season 2 premiere, Who's the Boss season 4 premiere, Dynasty season 8 premiere, The Cosby Show season 4 premiere, A Different World series premiere, Cheers season 6 premiere, Knots Landing season 9 premiere, Dallas season 11 premiere, Miami Vice season 4 premiere were one week earlier.

Night Court season 5 premiere, Growing Pains season 3 premiere, The Golden Girls season 3 premiere; Murder, She Wrote season 4 premiere were two weeks earlier. 

Family Ties season 6 premiere was three weeks earlier and in a new time slot Sunday 8 pm.

L.A. Law season 2 premiere was two weeks away.

1987/88 was not a very good season. Nielsen people meters wreaking havoc, not really any breakout hits, the CBS primetime soaps going off the rails. Yes it was the peak of sitcoms but it also was the start of dramas declining.

Edited October 7Oct 7 by kalbir