9 minutes ago, kalbir said:

CBS thought Knots Landing at Thursday 9 pm could finish off The Colbys but that backfired because Cheers weakened Knots Landing. I don't think CBS was trying to tank job Simon & Simon.

NBC tank jobbed Hill St. Blues with the move from Thursday 10 pm to Tuesday 9 pm, where Moonlighting finished it off.

L.A. Law first Thursday episode was December 4, 1986 and it was Jeanne Cooper first appearance as Gladys Becker. I see what you did there NBC.

I recently watched that LA Law episode for fun too a few months ago😅

Beginning Dec 4, the CBS schedule on Thursdays was (times Eastern/Pacific)

8:00 The Twilight Zone

8:30 Simon & Simon

9:30 Designing Women

10:00 Knots Landing

At that stage Cosby was unbeatable and the opposition needed to counterprogram and put up with whatever rating they could achieve.

CBS weird lineup was not necessary. Just program and hour Twilight Zone and be done with it.

On 12/5/2025 at 7:38 AM, Paul Raven said:

At that stage Cosby was unbeatable and the opposition needed to counterprogram and put up with whatever rating they could achieve.

1986/87 NBC Thursday was for the most part unbeatable. The Cosby Show had another killer season with 22/25 episodes #1 in their original broadcast and their series high. Family Ties had one episode finish #1 in its original broadcast and their series high. Cheers had one episode finish #1 in its original broadcast and their series high until the series finale. Night Court had their series high.

Edited December 6Dec 6 by kalbir

Both times CBS moved Knots to 9pm they followed it with a female lead drama - Jessica Novak (reporter) Nurse, and Kay O'Brian (surgeon).

All flopped. Knots stayed at 9pm in 81/82 and Nurse took over at 10pm doing better than Novak but there were a lot of bts issues with that show.

When Knots finished its run that season CBS went with Cagney & Lacey at 9pm but that didn't work so Simon & Simon was tossed there and bingo ! CBS solved that Thurs issue allowing Knots to head back to 10pm the next season.

Edited Monday at 04:32 AM4 days by Paul Raven

1982/83 and 1983/84 CBS had a successful Thursday line up with Magnum, P.I.; Simon & Simon; and Knots Landing but NBC's 1984/85 comeback put an end to that.

The Cosby Show weakened then slaughtered Magnum, P.I. and Magnum, P.I. was moved to Wednesday 9 pm.

Cheers weakened then clobbered Simon & Simon and Simon & Simon moved up one hour where it was DOA vs. The Cosby Show. Simon & Simon moved back to 9 pm but the damage was done.

Knots Landing was winning the time slot vs. Hill Street Blues but with the move up one hour it was weakened by Cheers. Knots Landing moved back to 10 pm but then NBC moved L.A. Law to Thursday 10 pm and Knots Landing was further weakened.

CBS would not have another successful Thursday 8-10 pm line up until 2000/01 with Survivor and CSI.

I wonder if CBs should have moved both Magnum and Simon & Simon to Wed.?

Either Magnum /Simon or Simon/Magnum.

Moving Magnum to Wed worked out OK as Dynasty was weakening.

Both shows worked well together so might have both been salvaged by a move to Wed.

And something like Twilight Zone and Mike Hammer Thurs.

.

@kalbir Continuing on with the 40th anniversary of the 85-86 season, here are the ratings for the week of December 9-15 1985.

MSW holding a tight grip at the #3 slot!

Dallas only top 10 soap but the rest still in the top 20. FC even holding its own at #16 against #7 Miami Vice.

It should be obvious that CBS Wednesday nights had bombed/flopped here. The Colby’s was also like DOA.

Alice in Wonderland Part II’s drop was significant—what happened? Was Part I not well received?

Riptide wasn’t faring well against new competition.

2 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

December 9-15 1985.

Here's what happened on the sophomore slaughterer, sophomore surprise, new hotness, four soaps, and rookie breakout this week.

The Cosby Show - Denise's Friend (December 12): Denise's friend seeks medical advice from Cliff about a problem she is keeping from her parents.

Murder, She Wrote - Sticks and Stones (December 15): After Beverly Gareth is electrocuted in her bath, Cabot Cove is flooded with poison pen letters which prove hard for the town to handle as Amos prepares to hand the reins over to a new sheriff, Harry Pierce. Jessica has her hands full with a travel writer who has come to stay with her for a time to put Cabot Cove on the map.

Miami Vice - Phil the Shill (December 13): Crockett and Tubbs target British TV personality Phil Mayhew in their investigation of major cocaine dealer Tony Rivers.

Dallas - Goodbye, Farewell and Amen (December 13): Sue Ellen considers moving back to Southfork for her son's sake. Jenna decides to stop seeing Jack. Clayton secretly sells off assets.

The Golden Girls - A Little Romance (episode 13, December 14): Rose tries to conceal the fact that she is dating Dr. Jonathan Newman, a little person.

Dynasty - The Quarrels (December 11): Blake makes a doctor's appointment for Rita. Alexis decides to pamper Galen, who desperately wants to get his throne back. Michael decides he wants a family. Blake is left bewildered when Rita rejects him.

Knots Landing - To Sing His Praise (December 12): Lilimae lies about Joshua's fatal fall. Gary is torn between Abby and the twins. Coblentz hires a killer to settle things with Greg.

Falcon Crest - Strange Bedfellows (December 13): Angela tries to bribe Emma's beau. Richard turns away from a pregnant Cassandra. Greg holds Angela to her promise to get him into politics. This episode was the season high.

2 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

MSW holding a tight grip at the #3 slot!

1985/86 Murder, She Wrote had 18/22 episodes finish as the highest-rated drama and 19/22 episodes finish as CBS's highest-rated scripted program. That season Angela Lansbury let us all know that she was straight up savage when she knocked big bad Larry Hagman off the throne at CBS, beat the diva of all divas of 1980s primetime soaps Joan Collins to become the highest-rated drama, and clean swept the new hotness Miami Vice.

Alice In Wonderland Pt 1 aired Monday 8-10 replacing Scarecrow and Mrs King/ Kate& Allie/Newhart. Timeslots where CBS was already strong. So there was ready made audience and little competition from Hardcastle and TV Bloopers.

Pt 2 Tues had tougher competition on a night CBS where CBS was weakening so ratings were lower. Seems viewers didn't want to miss their favourites. But it did better than Hometown/ Tuesday movie had been doing.

ABC were already struggling. Fall Guy up against Cosby bombed so they quickly replaced it with Shadow Chasers to hopefully provide some sort of a lead in to The Colbys . Well that didn't work at all.

Meanwhile the Sat line up Hollywood Beat and Lime Street were instant flops so ABC moved The Fall Guy and Lady Blue from Thurs to fill those slots.

CBS had already dropped Sir Crazy Wed @8 in favour of Mary and Foley Square. But those two were already failing.

I wonder whether CBS might have dine better putting Charlie & Co at 8pm than having to face Dynasty?

...

Thanks @kalbir for the episode recaps! Definitely know I’ve watched that Golden Girls episode with Brent Collins from Another World many times before.

15 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Alice In Wonderland Pt 1 aired Monday 8-10 replacing Scarecrow and Mrs King/ Kate& Allie/Newhart. Timeslots where CBS was already strong. So there was ready made audience and little competition from Hardcastle and TV Bloopers.

Pt 2 Tues had tougher competition on a night CBS where CBS was weakening so ratings were lower. Seems viewers didn't want to miss their favourites. But it did better than Hometown/ Tuesday movie had been doing.

ABC were already struggling. Fall Guy up against Cosby bombed so they quickly replaced it with Shadow Chasers to hopefully provide some sort of a lead in to The Colbys . Well that didn't work at all.

Meanwhile the Sat line up Hollywood Beat and Lime Street were instant flops so ABC moved The Fall Guy and Lady Blue from Thurs to fill those slots.

CBS had already dropped Sir Crazy Wed @8 in favour of Mary and Foley Square. But those two were already failing.

I wonder whether CBS might have dine better putting Charlie & Co at 8pm than having to face Dynasty?

Thanks for expanding on that. I vaguely remember this as a kid and then again when it got replayed years later on some cable channel in the early 90’s. Based on the reviews I could find out of curiosity it seems most people were mixed on the quality and saw one professional review gave it a single star.

Also didn’t realize Part II aired on Tuesday against ABC.

The crazy thing about Mary was this was the actual series premiere and still debuted in the middle of the pack just outside the Top 30 and would get worse from here.

I feel bad for Our Family Honor. A soapy police/crime family drama that was at this time airing against the new hotness police/crime drama and an already established soap was just doomed. ABC should have let OFH air at 10 on Wednesdays, and then tried a new Saturday night lineup with Hotel at 9.

..

1 hour ago, soapfan770 said:

I vaguely remember this as a kid and then again when it got replayed years later on some cable channel in the early 90’s. Based on the reviews I could find out of curiosity it seems most people were mixed on the quality and saw one professional review gave it a single star.

There are two things that I remember about "Alice in Wonderland":

1) Donna Mills played a rose; and

2) the kid who played Alice was a royal PITA to watch. (And I was like, what, six years old at that time, lol?)

55 minutes ago, soapfan770 said:

Thanks @kalbir for the episode recaps!

You're welcome.

@Soapsuds posted December 16-22, 1985. This week The Cosby Show and Miami Vice were repeats, and Murder, She Wrote was pre-empted for A Christmas Carol. Here's what happened on the four soaps and rookie breakout this week.

Dallas - Curiosity Killed the Cat (December 20): Jack's disappearance threatens J.R.'s Marinos deal. Cliff wins Mandy's trust. Pam receives a return on Bobby's emerald-mine investment.

Knots Landing - All's Well (December 19): Gary forces Abby to help him protect his family from a hit man hired to guard the secret of Empire Valley. Cathy flees from Lilimae.

Dynasty - The Roadhouse (December 18): Alexis moves Galen into her penthouse to recuperate. Alexis and Dex are shocked to see Krystle with Joel at the roadhouse and when Krystle sends signs for help to Alexis, Dex senses something is wrong. Claudia tries to get in Steven's good graces.

The Golden Girls - That Was No Lady (episode 14, December 21): Dorothy becomes involved with a married coworker and her housemates disapprove.

Falcon Crest - False Hope (December 19): Maggie's novel debuts in The New Globe. Chase ignores his new grandchild. A suspicious Terry orders a secret audit of Tuscany Downs.

8 minutes ago, Khan said:

There are two things that I remember about "Alice in Wonderland":

1) Donna Mills played a rose; and

2) the kid who played Alice was a royal PITA to watch. (And I was like, what, six years old at that time, lol?)

I haven't thought of Alice in Wonderland in years. I remember the cast ranged from old Hollywood stars to then-current television stars.