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


Paul Raven

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@Khan Exactly.

Murder, She Wrote was bookended by two very different eras in broadcast network drama series. It began when primetime soaps and action shows were the big genres and ended when grittier dramas (ie. ER, NYPD Blue) became popular.

I think Murder, She Wrote became popular because it gave its audience comfort and warmth at a time when the world around us was changing so much. Even watching today it still has that same feeling.

 

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And that's why to this day Angela Lansbury has a fanbase of all walks of life.

I know Angela's career ranged from Golden Age Hollywood to Broadway to television, but for me and many of my generation (1980s kids/1990s teens) her two signature roles will always be Jessica Fletcher and Mrs. Potts.

Edited by kalbir
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Nielsen Ratings: Week Ending February 26, 1989

Show Net Viewers
(millions)
HH
Rating
HH
Share
Monday, February 20, 1989 
ALF  NBC 30.7 18.4 27
MacGyver  ABC 22.9 14.6 22
Newhart  CBS 18.7 13.1 19
Hogan Family  NBC 27.5 16.5 24
Kate & Allie  CBS 18.4 13.0 19
Original Sin  NBC 23.9 16.8 26
Murphy Brown  CBS 20.2 14.0 21
Gideon Oliver  ABC 20.4 14.0 22
Designing Women  CBS 19.1 13.4 20
Almost Grown  CBS 10.6 7.9 13
Tuesday, February 21, 1989 
Who's the Boss?  ABC 35.1 21.9 33
Matlock  NBC 27.3 18.6 28
Tour of Duty  CBS 13.7 9.2 14
Roseanne  ABC 39.6 24.2 35
In the Heat of the Night  NBC 28.4 19.2 30
Bridesmaids  CBS 20.2 14.6 24
Passion and Paradise, 2  ABC 17.2 12.5 20
Midnight Caller  NBC 20.0 14.4 25
Wednesday, February 22, 1989 
Unsolved Mysteries  NBC 27.5 17.5 27
Growing Pains  ABC 25.0 16.0 25
31st Grammy Awards  CBS 23.5 16.0 26
Head of the Class  ABC 23.0 14.8 22
Night Court  NBC 24.4 16.1 24
The Wonder Years  ABC 15.9 10.6 16
My Two Dads  NBC 20.3 13.9 21
Hooperman  ABC 13.9 9.8 15
Nightingales  NBC 18.1 13.1 22
China Beach  ABC 13.7 9.9 17
Thursday, February 23, 1989 
The Cosby Show  NBC 45.0 27.2 42
48 Hours  CBS 14.7 10.5 16
A Fine Romance  ABC 6.8 5.2 8
A Different World  NBC 41.9 24.9 38
Cheers  NBC 35.1 23.3 35
Paradise  CBS 18.0 11.5 17
Dynasty  ABC 13.9 10.3 16
Dear John  NBC 28.8 19.8 30
L.A. Law  NBC 27.5 19.6 32
Knots Landing  CBS 24.7 17.2 28
HeartBeat  ABC 6.7 5.4 9
Friday, February 24, 1989 
Perfect Strangers  ABC 26.7 16.7 28
Father Dowling Mysteries  NBC 17.6 11.8 19
Beauty and the Beast  CBS 16.3 11.1 18
Full House  ABC 29.0 17.5 28
Dallas  CBS 25.9 17.9 30
Mr. Belvedere  ABC 23.0 14.3 23
Karate Kid Part II  NBC 17.8 11.3 19
Just the Ten of Us  ABC 20.4 13.0 21
20/20  ABC 18.1 12.8 22
Saturday, February 25, 1989 
227 NBC 23.6 15.6 28
Impossible  ABC 13.8 9.0 16
Dolphin Cove  CBS 13.2 8.3 14
The Reporters  Fox 6.8 4.5 8
Amen  NBC 26.5 17.2 30
The Golden Girls  NBC 34.9 22.5 38
A Man Called Hawk  ABC 15.3 9.5 16
TV 101  CBS 10.2 6.8 12
Beyond Tomorrow  Fox 5.0 3.2 5
Empty Nest  NBC 30.3 19.7 34
Hunter  NBC 28.3 18.5 34
West 57th  CBS 10.9 8.0 15
Murphy's Law  ABC 7.1 4.7 9
Sunday, February 26, 1989 
60 Minutes  CBS 33.1 23.8 38
Magical World of Disney  NBC 15.6 9.2 15
21 Jump Street  Fox 12.6 8.1 13
Great Circuses  ABC 11.6 7.3 12
Murder, She Wrote  CBS 33.3 22.8 33
Family Ties  NBC 22.0 13.3 20
America's Most Wanted  Fox 19.5 11.5 17
Beverly Hills  ABC 11.5 7.8 11
Married ... With Children  Fox 21.1 12.5 18
Day by Day  NBC 18.3 11.5 17
Naked Lie  CBS 29.6 21.2 33
Revenge of Al Capone  NBC 21.1 13.9 22
Get Smart, Again!  ABC 22.1 13.7 21
Garry Shandling's Show  Fox 8.8 5.6 8
Tracey Ullman Show  Fox 6.4 4.6 7
Duet  Fox 4.5 3.4 5
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1988/89 not a very good season. So many shows felt off in the aftermath of the writer's strike. 

Roseanne the first show to threaten The Cosby Show dominance and a ripple effect was the weakening of all the big mid-1980s family sitcoms. Times were changing indeed.

 

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Nielsen Ratings: Week Ending February 7, 1988

 
Below are the Nielsen ratings for the 20th week of the 1987-88 television broadcast season. The chart below includes viewership and household (HH) ratings for every broadcast program that aired during the week.

Broadcast ratings:
Show Net Viewers
(millions)
HH
Rating
HH
Share
Monday, February 1, 1988
ALF  NBC 29.8 18.0 26
Kate & Allie  CBS 19.2 13.7 20
MacGyver  ABC 16.4 12.9 19
Valerie's Family  NBC 27.6 16.0 24
Frank's Place  CBS 16.9 11.4 17
Newhart  CBS 23.2 15.6 23
Weekend War  ABC 20.1 14.9 24
Flashdance  NBC 19.1 13.5 22
Designing Women  CBS 22.5 16.3 25
Wiseguy  CBS 14.6 11.1 19
Tuesday, February 2, 1988
Who's the Boss?  ABC 31.4 22.3 32
Matlock  NBC 25.7 18.4 27
48 Hours  CBS 11.9 8.9 13
Growing Pains  ABC 31.2 22.5 33
Moonlighting  ABC 27.9 21.4 32
Hunter  NBC 21.6 15.0 22
Jake and the Fatman  CBS 15.5 11.8 18
thirtysomething  ABC 17.7 15.3 26
Crime Story  NBC 16.9 13.7 23
Cagney & Lacey  CBS 17.6 13.6 23
Wednesday, February 3, 1988
Perfect Strangers  ABC 22.5 17.1 27
Highway to Heaven  NBC 21.6 15.5 24
The Law and Harry McGraw  CBS 13.1 8.4 13
Head of the Class  ABC 22.6 17.8 28
Hooperman  ABC 19.7 16.4 25
Kate & Allie  CBS 18.3 12.7 20
A Year in the Life  NBC 15.3 12.3 19
The `Slap' Maxwell Story  ABC 16.3 13.8 21
Frank's Place  CBS 16.5 12.2 19
Dynasty  ABC 15.5 14.9 24
Smothers Brothers  CBS 20.5 14.6 24
St. Elsewhere  NBC 15.5 13.4 22
Thursday, February 4, 1988
The Cosby Show  NBC 46.5 32.3 47
Firefox  ABC 17.3 12.9 20
Political Broadcast  CBS 7.7 4.9 7
A Different World  NBC 40.7 27.8 41
Bugs Bunny Valentine  CBS 13.1 7.7 11
Cheers  NBC 33.5 24.9 37
Simon & Simon  CBS 14.6 11.9 18
Letterman Special  NBC 23.6 19.3 31
Knots Landing  CBS 20.1 16.5 27
Friday, February 5, 1988
Wrestling  NBC 23.7 15.2 25
Beauty and the Beast  CBS 21.0 13.9 23
Full House  ABC 18.1 12.5 21
Mr. Belvedere  ABC 18.7 12.6 20
Dallas  CBS 24.9 18.6 30
Miami Vice  NBC 22.9 14.1 23
The Thorns  ABC 11.6 8.6 14
Sledge Hammer!  ABC 11.7 8.3 13
Unsolved Mysteries  NBC 22.7 14.8 26
Falcon Crest  CBS 19.5 14.7 25
20/20 ABC 16.8 11.4 20
Saturday, February 6, 1988
The Facts of Life  NBC 22.9 16.5 27
High Mountain Rangers  CBS 17.4 11.7 19
Dolly  ABC 19.6 11.5 19
227 NBC 26.6 17.3 28
The Golden Girls  NBC 37.6 24.6 39
Houston Knights  CBS 13.4 10.0 16
Ohara  ABC 13.1 8.8 14
Amen  NBC 29.8 20.7 34
Bloopers & Jokes  NBC 29.5 21.3 37
For Hire  ABC 16.4 11.2 20
West 57th  CBS 10.5 7.6 13
Sunday, February 7, 1988
60 Minutes  CBS 27.3 21.3 33
Disney Movie  ABC 21.8 13.6 20
Our House  NBC 18.1 11.0 17
Murder, She Wrote  CBS 29.9 21.5 31
Family Ties  NBC 25.2 16.6 24
My Two Dads  NBC 20.7 14.7 21
Elvis & Me, Part I  ABC 32.4 23.9 35
Windmills of the Gods  CBS 22.0 19.0 28
Rambo  NBC 21.1 15.5 23
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January 16, 1986 episode of The Cosby Show (Vanessa's Bad Grade) was the second highest-rated episode of 1985/86.

January 19, 1986 episode of Murder, She Wrote (Keep the Home Fries Burning) was the second highest-rated episode of 1985/86.

January 15, 1986 CBS moved Crazy Like a Fox from Sunday 9 pm to Wednesday 9 pm, replacing Charlie & Company and George Burns Comedy Week. That move proved to be a disaster.

Passion Flower was the second CBS Sunday movie.

@Soapsuds Please post the week ending January 12, 1986. That week has Murder, She Wrote 1985/86 season high and the first CBS Sunday movie. Thank you.

 

Edited by kalbir
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CBS entire Sunday lineup in the Top 10. 60 Minutes; Murder, She Wrote (episode Trial by Error), and movie Rockabye. As we saw over the years, CBS Sunday movie paid off.

Edited by kalbir
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CBS has been playing movies on Tues,Wed and Sat on and off since the late 70's. Every so often they would attempt series on those nights and invariably they would fail and movies would be used as replacements or fill-ins.

Occasionally those movies would score big ratings and win the timeslot, usually a big name or exploitable theme but mostly counter programming.

With Sunday series failing, they finally realized that with the big MSW lead in these TV movies would do better on Sunday and they were proved right.

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Beauty and the Beast was CBS new Friday 8 pm show in 1987/88, replacing Scarecrow and Mrs. King which was cancelled Spring 1987. Beauty and the Beast remained Friday 8 pm in 1988/89, but was moved to Wednesday 8 pm in 1989/90 in what would be its final season. 

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When NBC was killing it in primetime

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How NBC's primetime lineups fared each season of these promos.

1985/86

Top 10: 1. The Cosby Show (1984/85 3rd), 2. Family Ties (1984/85 5th), 5. Cheers (1984/85 12th), 7. The Golden Girls (first season), 9. Miami Vice (1984/85 below the Top 30)

Top 30: 11. Night Court (1984/85 20th), 13. Highway to Heaven (1984/85 19th), 19. You Again? (first season), 20. 227 (first season), 21. NBC Sunday movie (1984/85 below the Top 30), 22. NBC Monday movie (1984/85 18th), 24. Valerie (first season), 27. The Facts of Life (1984/85 below the Top 30), 30. The A-Team (1984/85 6th)

Top 30 fallouts: Remington Steele (1984/85 25th), Hill Street Blues (1984/85 30th)

Below the Top 30: Gimme a Break!, St. Elsewhere, Hunter

Final season: Riptide (1984/85 14th), TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes (1984/85 22nd), Knight Rider, Silver Spoons, Punky Brewster

New fall shows returning in 1986/87: The Golden Girls, 227, Amazing Stories

New midseason/summer shows returning in 1986/87: You Again?, Valerie, 1986, Me & Mrs. C, Stingray

NBC moves up from 2nd to #1 and remains #1 until 1990/91.

1986/87

Top 10: 1. The Cosby Show, 2. Family Ties, 3. Cheers, 5. The Golden Girls, 7. Night Court

Top 30: 13. Amen (first season), 14. 227, 15. Matlock (first season), 15. NBC Monday movie, 20. NBC Sunday movie, 21. L.A. Law (first season), 24. Highway to Heaven, 26. Miami Vice, 28. ALF (first season), 28. Hunter

Top 30 fallouts: Valerie, The Facts of Life

Below the Top 30: St. Elsewhere

Final season: You Again?, The A-Team, Remington Steele, Hill Street Blues, Gimme a Break!, Amazing Stories, 1986, Me & Mrs. C, Stingray

New fall shows returning in 1987/88: Amen, Matlock, L.A. Law, ALF, Crime Story, Our House

New midseason/summer shows returning in 1987/88: The Bronx Zoo, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Rags to Riches

1987/88

Top 10: 1. The Cosby Show, 2. A Different World (first season), 3. Cheers, 4. The Golden Girls, 7. Night Court, 10. ALF

Top 30: 12. L.A. Law, 14. Matlock, 15. Amen, 17. Family Ties, 19. In the Heat of the Night (first season), 20. My Two Dads (first season), 20. Valerie's Family (renamed from Valerie), 23. NBC Sunday movie,  26. NBC Monday movie, 27. 227, 28. Day by Day (first season), 29. Hunter, 30. Aaron's Way (first and only season).

Top 30 fallouts: Highway to Heaven, Miami Vice

Final season: The Facts of Life, St. Elsewhere, Crime Story, Our House, The Bronx Zoo, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Rags to Riches

New fall shows returning in 1988/89: A Different World, My Two Dads

New midseason/summer shows returning in 1988/89: In the Heat of the Night, Day by Day, Sonny Spoon

1988/89

Top 10: 1. The Cosby Show, 3. A Different World, 4. Cheers, 6. The Golden Girls, 9. Empty Nest (first season)

Top 30: 11. Dear John (first season), 12. Matlock, 13. L.A. Law, 15. ALF, 17. Unsolved Mysteries (first season), 18. In the Heat of the Night, 19. Hunter, 21. Night Court, 22. The Hogan Family (renamed from Valerie's Family), 22. NBC Sunday movie, 25. Amen, 25. NBC Monday movie

Top 30 fallouts: My Two Dads, 227

Final season: Family Ties, Day by Day, Highway to Heaven, Miami Vice, Sonny Spoon

New fall shows returning in 1989/90: Empty Nest, Dear John, Unsolved Mysteries, The Magical World of Disney, Midnight Caller

New midseason/summer shows returning in 1989/90: 13 East, Quantum Leap

1989/90

Top 10: 1. The Cosby Show, 3. Cheers, 4. A Different World, 6. The Golden Girls, 9. Empty Nest

Top 30: 11. Unsolved Mysteries, 15. Grand (first season), 16. L.A. Law, 17. Dear John, 19. In the Heat of the Night, 20. Matlock, 24. Hunter, 28. Night Court

Top 30 fallouts: NBC Sunday movie, Amen, NBC Monday movie

Below the Top 30: Midnight Caller, Quantum Leap

Final season: ALF, The Hogan Family, My Two Dads, 227, The Magical World of Disney, 13 East

No new fall shows returned in 1990/91.

New midseason/summer shows returning in 1990/91: Grand, Down Home, Real Life with Jane Pauley, Seinfeld, Shannon's Deal, Wings

1990/91

Top 10: 1. Cheers, 4. A Different World, 5. The Cosby Show, 7. Empty Nest, 10. The Golden Girls

Top 30: 16. Unsolved Mysteries, 17. Matlock, 21. In the Heat of the Night, 23. L.A. Law, 25. Grand (final season)

Top 30 fallouts: Dear John, Night Court

Below the Top 30: NBC Sunday movie, NBC Monday movie, Quantum Leap, Seinfeld, Wings

Final season: Hunter, Amen, Midnight Caller, Down Home, Real Life with Jane Pauley, Shannon's Deal

New fall shows returning in 1991/92: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Law & Order

New midseason/summer shows returning in 1991/92: Blossom, Sisters

Edited by kalbir
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