Tank Jobs and Sabotage

[Paul Raven]

Thought this article was appropriate for this thread

‘Designing Women’ becomes Thursday’s sacrificial lamb By Michael Dougan San Francisco Examiner SAN FRANCISCO (Scripps) Wed December 17 1986

Annie Potts and Dixie Carter were eating lunch when word came that their funny new CBS aeries “Designing Women” had scored miserably low numbers In the overnight Nielsens in its first Thursday outing, So low in fact that “Designing Women” rated 58th in the weekly figures — a disastrous drop from the No 20 slot it enjoyed when it aired on Monday the week before.

Despite its great success as a Monday show following “Newhart” “Designing Women” is not likely to prevail against NBC’s “Night Court", part of a quartet of programs (with “The Cosby Show” “Family Ties” and “Cheers”) that has given American viewers an unshakeable NBC habit come Thursday evenings.

Television Is an industry that eats its young 

In order to boost its own pitiable Thursday night ratings CBS moved “Designing Women” Into the death zone. The results were predictable - not only did “Designing Women” drew an abominable Nielsen rating but its “share” — the percentage of sets actually turned on at the time it aired — was a mere 15 vs 41 for “Night Court” and 21 for ABC’s ‘The Colbys”. “We did not win over The Colbys?’ ’’ moaned Carter “Oh Annie I hadn’t expected us to be lower than The Colbys’. ’’ “Did they have naked women on last night or something?” said Potts “That’s better than they’ve ever done” She stared glumly into her minestrone.

Kim LeMasters is the CBS programming chief who made the decision to shift “Designing Women” onto the Thursday night minefield. On this Black Friday Potts and Carter were mentally scratching LeMasters off their Chrlstmas-card lists. They had learned of the move to Thursdays only two weeks earlier, “We were shocked and we were frightened,” Carter recalled. “We didn’t know what to make of this and Kim LeMasters came to see us to assure us that this was a vote of confidence. Although he acknowledged that this was not the best thing to do for Designing Women, it was the best thing to do for CBS on Thursday nights.He thought we were up to it”

The topic shifted — however lightly — to Hal Holbrook, Carter’s husband, as It happened the “Designing Women” guest star on that ill-fated Thursday debut.“I’m just so angry” said Potts “that a man of his stature could come along strictly out of his affection for all of us and his extraordinary love for Dixie and do this show . “And” chimed in Carter, “that he would have the foul luck to be a sacrificial lamb on our first night.” I asked whether CBS might consider a second move if “Designing Women” continues to founder “That’s what Kim LeMasters said right to us” Carter replied “He said they would move us back to Monday nights but now that (CBS’ new series) The Cavanaughs’ has scored a marvelous rating on Monday night ”

[Khan]

For me, the ideal CBS "Ladies' Night" Monday Night lineup would have been:

8:00/7:00: "Kate & Allie"

8:30/7:30: "The Cavanaughs"*

9:00/8:00: "Newhart"

9:30/8:30: "Designing Women"

10:00/9:00: "Cagney & Lacey"

(*Yes, I loved watching "The Cavanaughs."  Shut up.)

[DRW50]

Thanks for the article. Dixie and Annie were masterful at getting all they could out of that scenario - you'd think Hal Holbrook had been shot by CBS.

[kalbir]

CBS messed up their Thursday lineup in Fall 1986.

Magnum, P.I. was effectively over Spring 1986 after being slaughtered by The Cosby Show, but in Fall 1986 CBS moved it to Wednesday 9 pm head-to-head w/ Dynasty. Magnum, P.I. was able to win the time slot a few times, but it was still below the Top 30.

Simon & Simon got clobbered by Cheers in 1985/86 but w/ the move to 8 pm head-to-head w/ The Cosby Show it was DOA. Simon & Simon was moved to 8:30 pm then back to 9 pm, but the damage was already done.

Knots Landing was moved up to 9 pm where it was weakened by Cheers. CBS saw the error of their ways and moved Knots Landing back to 10 pm but then NBC moved L.A. Law to Thursday 10 pm and Knots Landing got weakened further.

Designing Women bounced around the schedule in its rookie season, Monday 9:30 pm to Thursday 9:30 pm to Sunday 9 pm then back to Monday 9:30 pm. Apparently it was cancelled in Spring 1987 then uncancelled.

Thursday would remain a CBS dead zone until Survivor and CSI.

[Khan]

I'm not sure if CBS had officially cancelled DW, or if they were thinking seriously about it.  Either way, Viewers for Quality Television launched a letter-writing campaign to save the show.  IIRC, when CBS decided to reverse course and put the show back on Monday nights, they waved a white flag outside one of the network's offices to show they had surrendered to the fans, lol.

[te.]

It was reported (with Nothing is Easy and Hard Copy) as going on hiatus and being replaced by movies on 25th February 1987. However, already on March 3rd it was confirmed it was going back to Mondays. So no, I don't think it was ever cancelled. It might've been if the ratings didn't improve, of course, but it was obvious that they were giving it another shot.

 

Considering Nothing Is Easy and Hard Copy never got to return to the schedule were burnt off as brief fillers on Friday nights, I'd say they were already determined to try and make Designing Women work, but the "fans saved it story" always makes for a good press release.

Edited August 14, 2024 by te.

[Paul Raven]

CBS moving Designing women to Sunday @9 was one of the oddest scheduling moves ever.

There must have been some strategy there but to move a new sitcom to the prime Sunday slot during February sweeps seemed odd. And have the following programs a revamped version of a sitcom  that had already flopped and an untried drama ? Sure enough DW was swamped by big movies/mini series from the competition.

Anyone got any insights into that bone headed move?

[kalbir]

It seems to me so many moves CBS made in primetime during the second half of the 1980s were to fill space in the schedule because so many new shows they launched were one season and done.

[Paul Raven]

I'm going to include Taxi as a timeslot hit. Not commenting on the quality of the show but purely on a ratings basis.

After debuting in the 78/79 season it finished 9th following 3's Company 2nd.

On 79/80 Taxi was 13th and 3's Company was 2nd.

So after two successful seasons Taxi was given the chance to stand on it's own. For 80/91 ABC moved it to Wed @9 inheriting the Charlies Angels slot (which was fading).

It was paired with Soap but that combo didn't fire. By mid season Taxi was shifted to Thurs @ 9.30 following Barney Miller. Taxi finished outside the Top 30.

It was kept in that slot the following season but as Barney Miller faded, so did Taxi. ABC cancelled it after 4 seasons.

Timeslot Hit!

[Paul Raven]

Too Close for Comfort. Sabotage I guess.

A hit for ABC in the hammock between 3's Company and Hart to Hart. In its second season it showed strength by outraging 3's on occasion.

So ABC decided to move it to Thursday @ 9 to boost that night. But a poor lead in and tough competition in Simon & Simon saw ratings falter. But ABC didn't seem interested in salvaging what was still a newish show that had been Top 10.

Cancelled at the end of its third season.

Edited September 11, 2024 by Paul Raven

[soapfan770]

With the upcoming Matlock reboot, let’s look at the tank and sabotage job of the original series:

Tank Job:

After 5 seasons as a Top 20 hit on Tuesday nights at 8ET/7/CT, NBC decided to move Matlock to Friday nights in the 8PM slot. The show plunged out of the top 20, top 30, and ended up at #39 for the season. It was also the last season it was on NBC before switching to ABC.

Tank Job #2 and Sabotage:

After 2 seasons in on Thursday nights at 8PM were the show had some success and had at least broken into the Top 30, ABC decided to air Matlock into the 9PM slot for the 1994-95 season following My So Called Life after the initial show McKenna bombed.

The show absolutely met a grisly fate in the ratings, and moving it back to 8PM after My So Called Life ended was the final nail. Basically it foreshadowed the fate of MSW the following season.

[kalbir]

1991/92 Tuesday 8 pm Matlock would have been head-to-head w/ Full House at 8 pm and Home Improvement first season at 8:30 pm.  1991/92 Full House got their first Top 10 finish (7th) and Home Improvement was the breakout hit of the season (4th, tied w/ Cheers). Matlock might have barely been a Top 30 show if it remained Tuesday 8 pm.

Correction, it was 1993/94 that ABC moved Matlock to Thursday 9 pm, where it was head-to-head w/ Seinfeld at 9 pm and Frasier first season at 9:30 pm. 1993/94 Seinfeld blew up (going from 25th to 3rd) and Frasier was 7th. Matlock fell out of the Top 30.

Edited September 14, 2024 by kalbir

[soapfan770]

Thanks! Looks like it’s time on ABC wasn’t as strong as I thought I remembered. I’m surprised that Matlock didn’t move to CBS along with In the Heat of the Night but it probably would’ve failed there too after a season or two as well. It probably could’ve been paired well with Diagnosis Murder obviously but I’m certain it wouldn’t be the demographics CBS was wanting.

For the record here is Matlock’s ratings by season:

86-87: #15

87-88: #14

88-89: #12

89-90: #20

90-91: #17

91-92: #39 (tied with Primetime Live

92-93: #28 (tied with ABC Sunday Night Movie)

93-94: #35

94-95: #61

[Khan]

I'm actually surprised "Matlock" did as well as it did in the ratings, lol!

[kalbir]

L.A. Law was NBC's cool and trendy drama once Miami Vice was no longer the new hotness, but Matlock was NBC's highest-rated drama in 1986/87, 1988/89, 1990/91. Matlock was ABC's highest-rated drama in 1992/93.

Edited September 14, 2024 by kalbir