Thanks @Paul Raven for the details on FC. Odd to know that CBS scheduled new episodes on holidays like Christmas and NYE. I believe Knots also had new eps air on Thanksgiving New Year’s Day as well. Then again, perhaps for some watching FC on Christmas was perhaps a nice excuse/escape from real family chaos lol.

Yes it was odd to schedule FC Xmas Day. Just throw on a movie. Dallas was pre-empted so why not FC?

FC had just started and needed that Dallas lead in to establish itself.

If anything, I would've aired a Christmas-themed episode that stood outside the ongoing stories, in case the regular viewers weren't tuning in.

...

Winter Olympics took up all of ABC primetime. CBS and NBC (Noble House) had to counterprogram or let regular series have an off week.

16 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Winter Olympics took up all of ABC primetime. CBS and NBC (Noble House) had to counterprogram or let regular series have an off week.

I can see why! With the exceptions of "Cosby," "Cheers" and "Murder, She Wrote," just about all my favorite shows from that period had a bad week, lol.

Edited 10 hours ago10 hr by Khan

CBS Previews New Fall Season 1980-1981 "Looking Good Together"

....Nielsen TV Ratings February 28-March 6, 1983

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by Soapsuds

I can't remember - did "Alice" air the same night as "M*A*S*H"?

1988 Winter Olympics was the last year they were broadcast on ABC. 1992, 1994, 1998 were broadcast by CBS and 2002 onward have been broadcast by NBC.

1987/88 ABC got out of third place by having World Series, Super Bowl, and Winter Olympics, plus their successful Tuesday night lineup Who's the Boss?, Growing Pains, Moonlighting.

Alice was the lead-in to the blockbuster MASH finale. American Gigolo/Night Bridge Fell Down was the competition.

CBS Thurs was the only night where all shows made the Top 20 Magnum/Simon/Knots.

The A Team had disrupted ABC Tues taking the 8pm slot.

Wed ABC Fall Guy/Dynasty 9-11 but weak at 8.

Fri CBS Dallas/Falcon Crest but Dukes not making Top 20

Sat ABC Love Boat/Fantasy but TJ Hooker not Top 20

Sun CBS 60 Minutes and later Jeffersons/One Day But Bunker/Gloria and Trapper John not Top 20 that week.