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

[Soapsuds]

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[kalbir]

@Soapsuds Based on NFC Championship coverage being in the Top 11, this is the week January 5-11, 1987.

NBC sitcoms taking up five of the Top 11. They really did have the sitcom game on lock in the second half of the 1980s. Two weeks away from the historical night January 22, 1987.

[Soapsuds]

January 22, 1987 ratings

 

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[kalbir]

@Soapsuds January 22, 1987 was the night The Cosby Show and Family Ties had their highest-rated episodes ever, and Cheers had it's highest-rated episode until the finale.

[soapfan770]

I guess Knots wasn’t on that week, wonder why or what aired. Interesting to see Dallas sustained at #12 two weeks in a row but Falcon Crest dropped from #18 to #29, I think this was around when William R. Moses left the show. Simon & Simon was really truly floundering. 

 

I had looked up to see what was historical about it and only found the infamous death of Budd Dwyer so thanks for clarifying lol!

Interesting to see the Tortelli’s started huge behind Cheers but once it moved to Wednesdays it flopped. How was the show? I remember Dan Hedaya was hoot on Cheers as Nick but I can’t imagine the character getting his own spin-off. 

[Franko]

It was a two-hour Simon & Simon rerun.

[soapfan770]

Thanks makes sense now! 

[Soapsuds]

I didn't know that.

Synopsis for the episode. Rather boring thus the drop..lol

& E.F. Wallengren	January 23, 1987	175215
Not only there's a huge ransom, but the kidnappers urge that Meredith, who's the only one to identify them, to bestowed over to them, in exchange for Richard's son. Richard observes that Angela was responsible for putting Meredith in his household, who must promise seriously that she has to pay for the damage she has done to him. Chase travels to Oklahoma to determine for himself, the kind of man his daughter is having a relationship with, while being more concerned about Vickie's involvement with Dan, he (Chase) later gets beaten up by the small town's amoral Chief of Police and his henchmen.

Yes...

Season finale numbers for Dallas, Knots Landing and Falcon Crest. Dynasty had it season finale for the 87 season the week before.

 

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[kalbir]

Week of May 11-17, 1987. Family Ties, The Cosby Show; Murder, She Wrote; Cheers, Moonlighting were all repeats as their season finales were the week before. Growing Pains was a repeat but it's season finale was the following week.

Edited February 9, 2023 by kalbir

[Paul Raven]

Had The Tortellis stayed following Cheers it would obviously have done better but viewers lost interest once it moved. Timeslot hit. Over the years there have been a number of sitcoms that launched big behind a hit but flopped in their intended timeslot.

[kalbir]

The Tortellis was one season and done.

During the final five seasons of Cheers, NBC used Thursday 9:30 pm as a testing ground. Several shows passed through that time slot in that era: Dear John, Grand, Wings, Seinfeld.

[Paul Raven]

86-87 Season

Sun

CBS dominates with 60 Min,MSW and Sunday Movie all Top 15. NBC were competitive with their movie but sitcoms against MSW flopped.

Mon

Kate & Allie moved up to 8pm strong against Alf and MacGyver and My Sister Sam is #22 Newhart at 9 beats NBC Movie and Football but Designing Women/Cagney and Lacey stop the CBs winning streak. The Cavanaughs is given a try at 9.30 mid season.

Tues

ABC with Boss/Pains and now Moonlighting all Top 10 but Jack & Mike at 10 fails to break through.

NBC recovers from A Team failing with Matlock but Crime Story/1986 don't benefit.

CBS have more 8pm flops with The Wizard and Spies

Wed

ABC loses its grip on Wed with Dynasty dropping to 25th. NBC wins 8pm with Highway to Heaven, although it drops out of Top 20.

Thurs 

NBC sitcoms in Top 10 but Hill St Blues on its last legs even w/o Knots Landing competition. NBC moves LA Law there and Knots moves back to 10 and they fight for dominance. Apart from Knots the rest of CBS Thurs in a mess. ABC perseveres with The Colbys but it fails to gain traction.

Fri

CBS Dallas out of Top 10 but NBC's ploy of moving Miami Vice against it fails. Falcon Crest OK at #23 once LA Law is moved to Thurs. At 8pm 2 shifted shows - Scarecrow & Mrs King and A Team have their final seasons.

Sat

NBC wins all timeslots. Lucy flops for ABC and nothing else makes an impression.

Out of Top 20

Miami Vice

Dynasty

Highway to Heaven

Knots Landing

You Again?

In

Moonlighting

Matlock

NBC Monday Movie

Amen

NBC Sunday Movie

 

1	The Cosby Show
2	Family Ties
3	Cheers
4	Murder, She Wrote
5	The Golden Girls
6	60 Minutes
7	Night Court
8	Growing Pains
9	Moonlighting
10	Who's The Boss?
11	Dallas
12	Newhart
13	Amen
14	227
15	(Tie) Matlock
15	(Tie) CBS Sunday Night Movie
15	(Tie) NBC Monday Night Movie
16	NFL Monday Night Football
17	Kate & Allie
18	NBC Sunday Night Movie

[kalbir]

1986/87 sitcoms going strong, primetime soaps still tanking, action shows all but done.

The Cosby Show second consecutive season at #1 and it is still a killer show destroying everything in its path (time slot wise and overall). 22 out of 25 episodes finished #1 in the week of their original broadcast, 2 episodes finished 2nd, and 1 episode finished 3rd. This season The Cosby Show's had its highest-rated episode ever. The Cosby Show once again pulled up the rest of the NBC Thursday comedy block: Family Ties remained 2nd and it also had its highest-rated episode ever this season, Cheers moved up from 5th to 3rd and this season it had its highest-rated episode until the series finale, Night Court moved up from 11th to 7th.

Murder, She Wrote once again continued to defy expectations and had its second consecutive Top 5 finish. This season Murder, She Wrote had an episode finish #1 and it also had its highest-rated episode ever.

The Golden Girls had their first Top 5 finish and with Amen being the highest-rated new scripted series of the season, NBC Saturday is cemented.

ABC Tuesday dominance starts again with Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, Moonlighting all in the Top 10.

1986/87 saw no change to the previous rankings: NBC #1, CBS 2nd, ABC 3rd.

With the Top 10 fallout of Dallas, the CBS primetime mess era was about to start. With the exception of Murder, She Wrote, the drama lineup was either aging (Cagney & Lacey, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing; Magnum, P.I.; Simon & Simon) or not showing any growth (The Equalizer). CBS really should have ended one of the aging dramas this season. Sitcoms were showing some signs of life, with Newhart and Kate & Allie still going and the renewals of My Sister Sam and Designing Women, but not enough to compete with the NBC and ABC comedies.

Edited February 16, 2023 by kalbir

[Paul Raven]

Wk 1 86/87 season

1. Cosby Show NBC 33.5/53

2. 'Family Ties NBC 32.1/50

3. Cheers NBC 30.0/46

4. Dallas CBS 28.5/44 2 hr premiere

5. Golden Girls NBC 25.6/45

8. Stranded NBC 24.9/38 Monday movie

7. Moonlighting ABC 24.9/38

8. 'Murder, She Wrote CBS 24.6/38

9. Raiders of the Lost Ark ABC 22.7/37 Sunday movie

10. Johnny Carson Special NBC 22.1/38 yhurs 9.30 pre-empting Night Court/Hill St Blues

11. Football, Chicago -Green Bay ABC 22.3/36

12. Who's the Boss ABC 21.8/36

13. Amen NBC 20.3/36

14. Matlock NBC 20.1/32

15. Dynasty ABC 20.1/31

16. 60 Minutes CBS 19.8/34

17. Head of the Class ABC 19.2/30

18. Sledge Hammer (Tues.) ABC 18.6/29 pre-empting Growing Pains

19. Kate & Allie CBS 17.828

20. Hunter NBC 17.5/33

21. Gimme a Break NBC 17.5/27

22. Perfect Strangers ABC 17.4/29

23. Miami Vice NBC 17.4/28

24. Together We Stand CBS 17.1/26 pre-empting My Sister Sam (after Kate & Allie)

25. Doing Life NBC 18.8/27 Tues movie special

28. 'Highway to Heaven. NBC 16.7/27

27. Scarecrow & Mrs. King CBS 18.6/30

28. The Colbys Wed. ABC 16.6/28 pre-empting Hotel

29. St. Elsewhere NBC 15.7/27

30. Facts of Life NBC 15.6/30

31. ALF NBC 15.6/24

32. Amazing Stories NBC 15.6/23

33. Under the Influence CBS 15.4/24 Sun movie

34. MacGyver ABC 15.4/24

35. Valerie NBC 15.4/23

36. Jack & Mike ABC 15.3/26

37. Football, NFL game (Sun.) NBC 15.2/29

38. Knots Landing CBS 14.8/23

39. Easy Street NBC 14.6/23

40. Intimate Encounters NBC 14.2/23 Sunday movie

41. Our House NBC 141/24

42. A Team NBC 13.6/24

43. Crime Story NBC 13.3/23 Fri @10 preview pre-empting LA Law

44. '20/20 ABC 13.2/22

45. Kay O'Brien, Surgeon CBS 13.1/22

48. Firefighter CBS 12.6/20 Tues Movie

47. Courage CBS 12.5/20 3 hr Wed movie

48. Mike Hammer CBS 12.1/21

49 Hero in the Family ABC 12.0/20 Disney Sunday movie

50 Downtown CBS 11.9/23

51 Sidekicks ABC 11.821 

52 'Webster ABC 11.7/22

53 Simon & Simon CBS 11.3/18 

54 Spenser: For Hire ABC 10.8/20 

55 Twilight Zone CBS 10.6/20 

56 The Colbys ABC 10.2/16 

57 Life with Lucy ABC 10.1/20

58 George Washington II, part 2 9.8/15 Monday 9-11

59 CBS 'Sledge Hammer ABC 9.6/16 

60 The Wizard CBS 9.3/15 

61 Ellen Burstyn Show 8.9/16 

62 ABC Starman ABC 8.7/15 

63 'Mr. Belvedere ABC  8.3/13

64 Heart of the City ABC 6.2/11

65 Our World ABC  6.0/9

[soapfan770]

1987 was pretty much a last hurrah for the cliffhangers of the CBS primetime soaps getting high rankings, with the loss of Ewing Oil and Pam’s collision with a oil tanker on Dallas, Peter Hollister’s dead body buried under a playground on Knots, and of almost all of the characters in were in some form of peril on FC (Emma about to jump, Chao-Li having a heart attack, a mass drowning etc)
 

1986: Dallas and those two hour season premieres lol. I imagine the intrigue over Duffy’s return brought a lot of hype and interest, but the silly dream resolution and some sloppy writing of course  cost the show in the long run. 
 

Linda Ellerbee deserved better than to host a newsmagazine directly competing with Cosby & Family Ties. Later ABC also stupidly moved their moderately successful (and fun) The Charmings to compete directly against Cosby (there was even a commercial I recall where the Evil Queen cast a spell for the show to be doomed against Cosby LMAO), effectively killing the show.