Network TV ratings from Nielsen for the February sweeps period of January 31 through February 27, 1980

Tenspeed and Brownshoe had premiered to big numbers in late January and performed well during sweeps but I think that figure was boosted by stronger ratings for earlier episodes. Into March it was being easily defeated by Bunker/One Day at A Time.

Week ending March 9

CBS Archie Bunker 23.7/36 One Day 25.1/37

NBC Disney 2nd hour of The Kids Who Knew Too Much 17.5/27

ABC Tenspeed 16.1/24

So it was very much a short lived success.

NBC's Big Event for February -/ The Towering Inferno Pt 1/ Harper Valley PTA movie which surprisingly hit #1 for the week, Bob Hope USO aired 2 consecutive weeks Sun @8 but were classed here as specials rather than part of Big Event

NBC Monday Movie Towering Inferno Pt 2/Outlaw Josey Wales. Only 2 movies as a 2hr Little House/Ice Skating special aired 1 week and The American Movie Awards aired the other.

ABC Sunday Movie Telefon/The Deep Pt 1. Winter Olympics aired the other 2 weeks

The Exorcist aired Tues Feb 12 up against Threes Company/Taxi/Hart to Hart on ABC and the the final 2 hrs of The Swarm NBC

The Boy Who Drank Too Much aired Wed Feb 6 against Charlies Angels/Vrgas ABC and Diff'rent Strokes/Hello LarryBest of SNL NBC

Somehow CBS coded those movies as specials rather than just the regular Tues/Wed movies.

Seeing "The Exorcist" and "Three's Company" in the same sentence has me thinking up the most bizarre episode ever. ("Tonight on 'Three's Company': Heads will turn (with laughter!) when Jack and Janet think Chrissy is possessed by the devil!")

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by Khan

TV Ratings February 16-22, 1981

Nothing too noteworthy here.

Angel Dusted was NBC's Monday movie up against Dynasty/Foul Play 67th on ABC and MASH 5th/House Calls/Lou Grant on CBS

Norma Rae was ABC Sunday Movie up against Prom Night on NBC and Jeffersons 11th/Alice 16th and Trapper John on CBS

Brady Girls Get Married 8th was a TV movie cut down for 3 consecutive episodes airing Fri 8.30 following Harper Valley. NBC quickly decided to go ahead with Brady Brides but it didn't work.

In the bottom we see perennial loser NBC Magazine, Fri up against Dallas.

Goldie & The Boxer 68th NBC was a follow up to a previous successful TV Movie but no interest in this one airing as a Thursday movie against Magnum 12th /Knots Landing 13th CBS and Barney Miller/Taxi/20/20 ABC

Ladies Man Sat 9.30 and Concrete Cowboys Sat 10pm faced Love Boat/Fantasy Island ABC and Gangster Chronicles/Hill St Blues NBC.

@Paul Raven I looked up the Little House on the Prairie episode to see why it ranked so high and then realized it was the 2nd half of the Sylvia 2 part story. @Khan I couldn’t remember if it was you who once brought it up in another thread, but OMG what a super dark and depressing story those two episodes are, made worse by the over the top melodramatic unhappy ending. Really…? Was probably way more heavy than anything Dallas, Knots, Dynasty, and Flamingo Road aired that week.

Speaking of which do we know where Dynasty and FR landed at all?

Ladies Man and Concrete Cowboys were CBS replacements for Freebie & The Bean and Secrets of Midland Heights. From the looks of it the replacements did just as bad.

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by soapfan770

@soapfan770

Speaking of which do we know where Dynasty and FR landed at all?

Dynasty had a 16.0 rating and a 23 share that week.

Flamingo Road had a 14.8 rating.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by Soapsuds

...

Flo and Ladies Man were moved from Monday at 8 where they hadn't performed (replaced by White Shadow) in a lame attempt to get a comedy block happening -WKRP/Tim Conway/Flo/Ladies Man.

But up against Love Boat there was no interest. Within weeks Flo was moved to 8.30, ConcreteCowboys was moved up to 9pm and Josh Taylor's shortlived Ryker played at 10.

Maybe Flo/Ladies Man/WKRP/Tim Conway would have been a better mix as Flo would have faced lesser competition and WKRP might have been stronger against Love Boat.

Dynasty was S1 E5 It ranked 50th

Flamingo Road 'The Jealous Wife' was 56th 14.8/23

3 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

@Paul Raven I looked up the Little House on the Prairie episode to see why it ranked so high and then realized it was the 2nd half of the Sylvia 2 part story. @Khan I couldn’t remember if it was you who once brought it up in another thread, but OMG what a super dark and depressing story those two episodes are, made worse by the over the top melodramatic unhappy ending. Really…?

Raped. By a mime.

"Family show," my ass, lol.

In a way, "Brady Brides" was ahead of its' time. Nowadays, the networks think nothing of reviving or rebooting old shows - "Roseanne"/"The Conners" being but one, recent example. Back then, however, it was probably unheard of.

@Soapsuds posted February 17-23, 1986.

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

The Cosby Show - A Touch of Wonder (February 20): Denise is involved in a car accident with a limo carrying Stevie Wonder.

Murder, She Wrote - One Good Bid Deserves a Murder (February 23): At the request of Richard Bennett, a friend and a popular actor, Jessica goes to an auction to bid for the diary of a dead woman whose journal was stolen on the night of her death. Jessica soon discovers that many more people are intent on getting their hands on the diary but before any bids are made, Bennett is found murdered and the diary goes missing again.

The Golden Girls - Adult Education (episode 20, February 22): Blanche's professor tells her that she can pass her course easily - in return for unsavory favors. This episode was the season high.

Miami Vice - French Twist (February 21): A smitten Crockett places both of the detectives' lives in danger when he teams up with a beautiful French Interpol agent in a search of a murderous international criminal.

Dynasty - The Dismissal (February 19): Blake's hunt for Rita and Joel intensifies. Alexis drives Dex and Amanda back together while Blake attempts to separate the two. Adam threatens to expose Bart's secret. Caress pays a visit to Alexis.

Dallas - Overture (February 21): J.R. is jealous of Sue Ellen's friendship with Kenderson. Pam offers to buy Cliff's emerald mine holdings. Jenna resists psychiatric help.

Knots Landing - Irrevocably Yours (February 20): Gary's gift to the twins infuriates Ben and Abby. Michael is arrested when marijuana belonging to Olivia is found in his car.

Falcon Crest - Flesh and Blood (February 21): Peter's children visit their father at Falcon Crest. In New York, an admiring press agent offers to help Maggie.