Not to turn the topic too insular to my current obsessions, but does that shifting trend in the mid-late '80s (which I do agree with) possibly explain why Knots Landing (which was less OTT glam and still ostensibly about a semi-relatively grounded neighborhood of people) had a slight edge on the other primetime soaps for outlasting them by a year or two?

9 hours ago, Vee said:

Not to turn the topic too insular to my current obsessions, but does that shifting trend in the mid-late '80s [...] possibly explain why Knots Landing [...] had a slight edge on the other primetime soaps for outlasting them by a year or two?

Possibly. 

I believe KL outlasted the other '80's primetime soaps for three reasons: 1) like you said, @Vee, it was less glam and more down-to-earth (that is, when you compare it to DALLAS, DYNASTY and FC); 2) it had better actors, which allowed the show's producers to give characters more psychological layers; and 3) it took more chances when it came to upending viewers' expectations, so that you really didn't know what to expect from week to week.

Fred Silverman lucked out with Real People Wed @8 on NBC. After a slow start it began outrating Eight Is Enough. Fred tried more reality with  Games People Play and Speak Up America but they bombed.

AbC debuted That's Incredible which was an immediate hit and gave them a viable Monday lead in after years of trying. ABC tried again with Those Amazing Animals.

CBB' only attempt was That's My Line.

 

Oh, I thought of a few other ones I watched earlier this year. When FOX was launching new nights (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) in the 1992-93 season they of course expanded with two more Spelling shows in form of The Heights and Melrose Place. 

But they also had Key West - which was more or less Northern Exposure... but in a sunny climate:

They also had Class of '96, which at first sight might sound like an attempt at beating 90210 to college:

Class of '96 was probably more in line with Party of Five (which came two seasons later) rather than 90210 though.

CBS's Freshman Dorm came across as a rather blatant attempt to beat 90210 to the college punch bowl:

It even had Justin Lazard as the sensitive leather-wearing (yet mysteriously never sweating like hell) James Dean type.

I was thinking about Hill St Blues and how it revolutionized prime time by pushing the boundaries in content, adding serialized storylines and new production techniques - hand held cameras, quick cuts etc.

But apart from NBC following up with St Elsewhere and the flop Bay City Blues, nobody seemed to copy Hill St in the following seasons.

Am I missing some shows? Or were other networks/producers unsure of how to incorporate the elements in their own shows?

It was an original, but where were the imitators?