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

[Soapsuds]

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[kalbir]

@Soapsuds Those are the averages for the two weeks ending February 17, 1985 and February 24, 1985.

Here's what happened on the soaps and two rookie hits those weeks.

The Cosby Show - Vanessa's New Class (episode 18, February 14, rating 26.6, #1): Vanessa receives her first disappointing grade in school after her classmates made better science projects.

Dallas - The Brothers Ewing (February 15, rating 25.0, 2nd): Miss Ellie sides with Clayton against her children. Ray and J.R. unite to fight Cliff. Sue Ellen agrees to accompany Pam to Hong Kong.

Dynasty - Circumstantial Evidence (February 13, rating 23.4, 5th): Amanda spends the night with Prince Michael and then is heartbroken to learn he is engaged. Blake, Alexis, Dex, and Amanda travel to Acapulco for a conference. Krystle is disturbed when she calls Blake's hotel room and Alexis answers.

Knots Landing - Rough Edges (February 14, rating 20.7, 11th): Joshua apologizes to Cathy and says he's making a lot of mistakes as he's never had a girlfriend before but he's unhappy without her. Galveston's men contact Greg and want to transfer power to him, but he refuses.

Murder, She Wrote - Paint Me a Murder (episode 15, February 17, rating 20.5, 13th): A legendary artist's birthday celebration on a Mediterranean island paradise takes a turn when a murder occurs.

Falcon Crest - Forsaking All Others (February 15, rating 19.4, 17th): Melissa and Cole want to wed. Lance learns Julia is alive. Lorraine considers the problems of pregnancy. Lance's trial date is set. 

Dallas - Shattered Dreams (February 22, rating 25.8, #1): A witness in Jenna's case is found dead. Cliff offers Jamie a job. Lucy learns Eddie has been romancing Betty. J.R. confides in Mandy. This episode is notable in that Dallas would not get another #1 episode until the season finale, and Dallas would not finish ahead of a new episode of The Cosby Show until the series finale.

The Cosby Show - Clair's Case (episode 19, February 21, rating 25.1, 3rd): Cliff takes over the house chores while Clair investigates a shady mechanic. Of note is that the remaining five episodes of The Cosby Show season 1 would all finish at #1.

Dynasty - The Collapse (February 20, rating 24.6, 4th): Tensions between Krystle and Blake mount as their suspicions of one another grow. Claudia regrets sleeping with Adam. Alexis hires a private detective to investigate the circumstances surrounding Jeff's marriage to Nicole.

Murder, She Wrote - Tough Guys Don't Die (episode 16, February 24, rating 21.7, 11th): While doing research for her next book, Jessica hires a private detective to investigate a 25-year-old unsolved murder case. When the detective is killed, his partner Harry McGraw steps in to take his place. With Jessica's help, he tries to figure out which of the three cases his colleague was working on could contain the motive for his death.

Falcon Crest - Recriminations (February 22, rating 20.2, 15th): Angela prevents Cole and Melissa's union. Lance prevents Lorraine's abortion. Richard hires Cassandra. Julia departs for a convent.

Knots Landing - The Emperor's Clothes (February 21, rating 18.8, 21st): Ben's Empire Valley probe angers Gary. Joshua asserts his power. Galveston's aide threatens Laura. Karen begins to believe Valene.

Edited November 19, 2023 by kalbir

[Khan]

I remember that episode.  IIRC, too, although Vanessa made a lot of dumb excuses for turning in an inferior project - her friend, Janet, had someone to help her; Rudy was always bothering her, etc. - she also made what I thought was a very good point: Cliff had given her a pitiful amount of money to complete the project.

Cliff (to Vanessa): "Is the class too advanced for you?"
Me: "No, you too damn cheap!"

Edited November 19, 2023 by Khan

[kalbir]

Look what the breakout hit of 1988/89 was, Roseanne. That show was the anti-Reagan era ideal family sitcom and it was the first show that threatened The Cosby Show dominance.

In the season that Reagan left office, it's quite telling that two shows that ended were Dynasty and Family Ties. Dynasty was the epitome of Reagan-era excess and greed. Of all the big family sitcoms of the 1980s, Family Ties embodied Reagan-era ideals the most IMO.

1988/89 season was a sign that times were changing.