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

[Soapsuds]

1986-1987 season

Week 1

 

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[Paul Raven]

The week of the 'Who Shot JR? reveal. Nov 1980

1. Dallas CBS 53.3/76 

2. Dukes of Hazzard 32.0/48 2

3. 60 Minutes 29.8/45 

4. Three's Company 26.3/39 

5. Alice 26.1/36 

6. Jefferson  26.1/36 

7. One Day at a Time  25.7/36 

8. Happy Days 25.4/37 

9. Too Close for Comfort  25.1/37 

10. Love Boat 25.0/39 24.7/36 

11. Archie Bunker's Plan 24.7/36 

12. Laverne & Shirley 24.7/36 

13. MASH 23.8/33 

14. Little House on the Prairie 23.8/33 

15. The Enforcer (movie)23.4/34 

16. Skyward (movie) 22.0/34 

17. Trapper John MD. (Premiere) 21.8133 

18. Hart to Hart 21.7/34 21.5/33 ABC 21.3/35

19. Kenny Rogers Special 21.5/33 ABC 21.3/35

20. NFL Monday Night Football(Raiders v. Seahawks) 21.3/35 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Paul Raven

[Soapsuds]

1986-1987 season

Week 11

 

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[Soapsuds]

1985-1986 season

May 12-18

 

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[kalbir]

One would think action shows and primetime soaps would have entirely different audiences yet CBS's Thursday lineup of Magnum, P.I., Simon & Simon, and Knots Landing, and Friday lineup of The Dukes of Hazzard, Dallas, Falcon Crest somehow worked. The action shows weakened and eventually ended (The Dukes of Hazzard) or moved elsewhere in the schedule before ending (Magnum, P.I., Simon & Simon) and the replacement lead ins to the primetime soaps never really worked. Dallas' longest lasting lead in after The Dukes of Hazzard was Beauty and the Beast (1987/88 and 1988/89) and Knots Landing's longest lasting lead in after Simon & Simon was Street Stories with Ed Bradley (1991/92 and 1992/93).

[Soapsuds]

Simon & Simon worked because of Jameson Parker.

[Paul Raven]

ABC had a similar line up with Fall Guy, Dynasty and Hotel.

CBS tried to replicate that with Freebie & The Bean and Secrets of Midland Heights.

 

[Khan]

Well, I could see "Dukes" and DALLAS working together, since I think both appealed to male and rural audiences.

[Soapsuds]

1986-1987

Week 10

 

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I've noticed for the most part that knots struggled during this season. Was this season that bad? I don't recall it being that bad.

[Soapsuds]

Week 18

 

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[Khan]

Here's that season's rundown (courtesy of wikipedia).  No, it wasn't one of their better seasons, lol.  

Karen's kidnapper is revealed to be Phil Harbert (guest star Louis Giambalvo), an old friend of Greg and Mack's from law school, who had become bitter towards Mack, having blamed him for causing the death of his wife. Karen escapes and Phil is killed after being hit by a car. Ben returns to Valene, promising to make their marriage work but faces problems from Jean Hackney (Wendy Fulton), who tries to trick Ben into doing a mission for an underground organization to kill Greg. When Valene's babies are threatened, Ben reluctantly agrees to assist Jean. With Mack's help, Ben foils the plan, although Jean continues to threaten him and his family which prompts Ben to leave the country at the end of the season. Laura angrily blames Valene for not telling her about the plot to kill Greg. Laura also tells Greg that she is pregnant, but he is not enthusiastic about it, and she refuses to have an abortion. In the meantime, Paige reveals that she faked her death in order to escape the control of her wealthy grandparents, although Karen doubts the story, believing her to be an impostor. Also, Paige had developed a romantic relationship with Michael, Karen's son, but she soon tires of him and starts romancing Peter. Abby's daughter Olivia's drug addiction has worsened, eventually leading to the injuring of Lilimae in a car accident, and Abby resorts to desperate measures to get her clean. When her drug dealer beats up her younger brother Brian, Olivia finally admits to her addiction and decides to get clean. Olivia then becomes friends with Peter, and develops a crush on him, although he is interested in Paige. Peter, having become state senator with Greg's support, goes to the extreme to hide the fact that Jill is his sister, who has started a relationship with Gary. When Jill and Peter have an argument, Jill is injured in a fall from and Peter flees the scene to avoid any link to her or the accident. Paige's mother, Anne Matheson (Michelle Phillips), whom Paige had said was dead, appears and tries to rekindle her love affair with Mack. When Mack refuses her advances, she turns her attention to Greg, who also turns her down, and she therefore leaves town. At the end of the season, Abby finds Olivia standing over Peter's dead body. With both assuming the other had killed Peter, Abby frantically buries his body under the soil at Lotus Point where cement is to be poured the following day. Some weeks later, believing she had successfully hid Peter's body, Abby is informed by Karen that there is a crack in the cement foundations and that it has to be pulled up and redone.

[Soapsuds]

Thanks!

The best part was Olivia's drug addiction.

[Khan]

Agree.

Edited March 10, 2022 by Khan

[Soapsuds]

1979-1980 season

Dallas cliffhanger- JR is shot

 

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[Khan]

"That's Incredible!" in the top ten?  That IS incredible!