Jump to content

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


Paul Raven

Recommended Posts

  • Members

1984/85 Simon & Simon got weakened when Cheers started showing growth. 1985/86 Simon & Simon got clobbered by Cheers. 1986/87 the ill-fated move to Thursday 8 pm where it would be DOA vs. The Cosby Show and despite the return to Thursday 9 pm the damage was already done and was effectively over the end of the season. 1987/88 short season with a late start. 1988/89 the move to Saturday 9 pm and a short final season.

Edited by kalbir
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 974
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

  • Members

That's why moving Simon in tandem with Magnum might have been a smart move.

There was precedence for this at CBS.

In 1975 CBS moved Hawaii 5-0 /Barnaby Jones from Tues 9-11 to Fri 9-11 and the following season to Thurs 9-11 where they flourished for several more seasons.

Then in 1977 the 9-11 line up of Mash/One day at a Time/Lou Grant was under threat  from ABC (Three's Company/Soap) so at mid season they moved those shows to Mon 9-11 where they once again became hits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • Members

40 years ago. Week of January 28-February 3, 1985. The Cosby Show finishes ahead of Dallas for the first time. This week was also The Cosby Show's third finish ahead of Dynasty.

Here's what happened on the soaps and two rookie hits that week.

The Cosby Show - Jitterbug Break (episode 16, January 31): Denise's friends show off the latest break-dancing steps while Cliff's buddies demonstrate the jitterbug.

Dynasty - Triangles (January 30): Blake refuses to include Krystle on a business trip. Alexis wants in on Blake's South China Sea oil deal. Dominique turns to Blake instead of Brady when her company is threatened. Amanda moves into the mansion.

Dallas - Legacy of Hate (February 1): Jamie and Cliff sue the Ewing clan for their share of Ewing Oil. Bobby and JR have a fist fight. Sue Ellen rallies around her husband's battle to save Ewing Oil.

Knots Landing - Lead Me to the Altar (January 31): Joshua's ego is getting really big. Joshua tells Cathy she needs to mend her ways and sing in church, not in a bar, and he breaks up with her.

Murder, She Wrote - Murder to a Jazz Beat (episode 13, February 3): A talk-show host and a cab driver help Jessica solve the murder of a New Orleans jazz musician.

Falcon Crest - The Showdown (February 1): Chase's investigation endangers Gustav's plans.  Lorraine learns that she's pregnant. Mary Giannini tells about her husband's murder.

Edited by kalbir
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

@kalbir

Forty years! It doesn't seem it's been that long. I was looking at the music charts just the other day, and Madonna was at #1 with "Like a Virgin" this time 40 years ago.

 

I miss the '80s. The music and TV shows were top-notch.

 

Falcon Crest was the only soap opera that did not surpass Murder, She Wrote in the ratings.

Edited by Soapsuds
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

@Soapsuds 1984/85 was the best and most pivotal television season of the 1980s. Pre-Super Bowl was Dallas vs. Dynasty, post-Super Bowl The Cosby Show blew up and Murder, She Wrote would shock the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

By my count, Jessica Fletcher traveled to New Orleans four times; and out of those four, Olivia Cole ("Roots," "The Women of Brewster Place") appeared in three - "Jazz Beat," "Judge Not" and "Big Easy Murder" - as essentially the same character, lol.

The music and TV shows are about the only things that I miss about the '80's, lol.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It was also the beginning of the end of Aaron Spellings ABC 'Dynasty' 

Love Boat, Dynasty and Hotel began to falter and his new offerings like The Colbys, Hollywood Beat, Life with Lucy were all duds.

The halcyon  days of Charlie's Angels, Vegas, Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island etc were but a dim memory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

In retrospect, I think we just reached a point where we grew tired beautiful people getting themselves into trouble every week.  We needed something with more substance. 

Come to think of it, that's probably why "L.A. Law" took off like it did (once NBC changed its' time slot).  In a way, that show was a perfect marriage of early- and mid-'80's style and late-'80's substance.  It was "Hill Street Blues" and "St. Elsewhere" for viewers who thought HSB and "Elsewhere" were too gritty or too depressing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Aaron Spelling hit factory best showings during the 1980s.

1980/81: 5. The Love Boat, 17. Fantasy Island, 23. Hart to Hart

1981/82: 14. The Love Boat, 15. Hart to Hart, 19. Dynasty, 28. T.J. Hooker (first season), 30. Fantasy Island

1982/83: 5. Dynasty, 9. The Love Boat, 17. Hart to Hart

1983/84: 3. Dynasty, 9. Hotel (first season), 17. The Love Boat

1984/85: 1. Dynasty, 12. Hotel

1985/86: 7. Dynasty, 22. Hotel

1986/87: 24. Dynasty

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

As junky as Aaron Spelling's shows often were, at the same time, you can't deny that he had his fingers on the pulse of what viewers wanted to see - for awhile, anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Spelling had a guarantee at one point -maybe 75-85? -from ABC that at least one of his shows would be scheduled each season, and as we can see that was mutually beneficial for both sides for a long time.

But there were flops along the way in those hit years

San Pedro Beach Bums 1977

Friends 1979

BAD Cats 1980

Strike Force 1981

Aloha Paradise 1981

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

No, they haven't, lol.  I still enjoy "Hart to Hart" and the first couple of seasons of "Charlie's Angels" whenever I find them; but, no, they don't hold up well at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • Not just that but Im sure she will be blamed for trying to poison Laura with potassium. Remember when Nicole started to put the pieces together that someone may have tampered with her IV? She dropped it bc she got distracted with the party, but they did make a note to mention that Eva lied and sent a card and flowers there on Nicole's behalf. Im sure they will say that that was just a cover for her to be in Laura's room and come for her
    • Susan named her son after her father, Richard, and they called him Dickie, for short. David had bought Dickie a play swing but it was too big for him. One day, while David was babysitting, he put Dickie in the swing, took his eyes off of him for a few seconds and he fell out of the swing, hit his head and died. Susan was so devastated that she shot and killed David only like a few episodes later. 
    • Mickey Horton got her off, temporary insanity. Edit to add: If only Peacock would air this storyline.  Edit to add: David was supposed to be watching the child. Wasn't. Child fell out of swing, broke his neck. The show had the camera focus on that empty swing, just barely moving ...   
    • oooh....the '76 plot thickens... thanks @Paul Raven
    • Please register in order to view this content

        New interview!! I was like Penny, aka Janet, and said, "That's the end???"
    • You're really in for it, because those rants continue for 3 episodes. I was struck by how ho-hum those cliffhangers were. It was like the writers ran out of gas.
    • New Tomas pleaseeeeeeee!!  

      Please register in order to view this content

    • Thank you for the clarification, but Susan didn't name her child after David.  It was Julie who named her own son David.   And how/when was Susan's son killed?  And didn't Susan kill David Martin and stand trial for his murder?   The genius of Bill Bell -- truly.  
    • I truly wish we could see more of her work on DAYS. And more of her early stuff on GH, but at least we know that Corday’s DAYS vault is virtually complete, especially compared to GH. Lesley was a pivotal character. I think the scenes with the confrontation with Monica are so good because there is a lot of character in those lines and performances. Monica is ferocious, desperate. And Lesley is not a victim, she holds her own and calls Monica out, playing her own form of anger. Evenly matched. Soap confrontations have largely forgotten that both sides should be evenly matched, even if someone has wronged another. To me, that scene is easily in my soap hall of fame. They didn’t make enough of her return, which has always bothered me. I would have loved for her to end up vying for control of the hospital when Alan was incapacitated by drugs, helping him through that crisis and finding herself at odds with Monica again on a different level, not as romantic rivals. She had such a long career! Acting in radio shows as a little kid, through her GH spots as few years ago. That’s quite a ride. 
    • Damn I was hoping Lesley would be at Monica's memorial  Hoping GH gives Lesley an on screen memorial
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy