1981–82 United States network television schedule

The following is the 1981–82 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial

primetime hours from September 1981 through August 1982. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1980–81 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football

.

New series are highlighted in bold.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.^[1]

Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.

Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.

Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.

Note: A Writers Guild of America strike hindered the ability to start airing shows in a timely manner. The shows in the schedule were the first to air new episodes in their respective time periods as they premiered between September and early December. The debut month for each new series that had been intended for a fall premiere is noted as to when it actually appeared.

Public Broadcasting Service

, was in operation but the schedule was set by each local station.

Sunday

Network		7:00 PM	8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM
ABC		Code Red (Nov.)	Today's FBI (Nov.)		The ABC Sunday Night Movie (22/19.5)
CBS		60 Minutes (2/27.7)	Archie Bunker's Place (12/21.6)	One Day at a Time (10/22.0)	Alice (5/22.7)	The Jeffersons (3/23.4)	Trapper John, M.D. (15/21.1) (Tied with Hart to Hart)
NBC	Fall	Local	CHiPs		NBC Sunday Night Movie (Oct.)
NBC	Spring	Father Murphy	CHiPs		NBC Sunday Night Movie (Oct.)

Note : On NBC, The Powers of Matthew Star was supposed to have aired 7-8 p.m., starting December 6, but production difficulties forced its delay into the next season.

Monday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM
ABC	Fall	T.J. Hooker )		Monday Night Football (11/21.8)
	Winter	T.J. Hooker )		ABC Monday Night Movie (8/22.5)
	Summer	Best of the West	Monday Night Baseball
CBS	Fall	Private Benjamin	The Two of Us	MASH* (9/22.3)	House Calls (23/19.2)	Lou Grant
	Winter	Mr. Merlin	Private Benjamin		House Calls (23/19.2)
	Spring	Private Benjamin	Report to Murphy		Making the Grade
	Summer		WKRP in Cincinnati		House Calls
	Follow-up		WKRP in Cincinnati		Filthy Rich
NBC		Little House on the Prairie (24/19.1) (Tied with The Facts of Life)		NBC Monday Night at the Movies

Tuesday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM
ABC	Fall	Happy Days (18/20.6)	Laverne & Shirley (20/19.9)	Three's Company (4/23.3)	Too Close for Comfort (6/22.6)	Hart to Hart (15/21.1) (Tied with Trapper John, M.D.)
ABC	Spring	Happy Days (18/20.6)	Joanie Loves Chachi	Three's Company (4/23.3)	Too Close for Comfort (6/22.6)	Hart to Hart (15/21.1) (Tied with Trapper John, M.D.)
CBS	Preliminary	Local		The CBS Tuesday Night Movies
	Fall	Simon & Simon (Nov.)
	Spring	Q.E.D.
NBC	Preliminary	NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies				Local
	Fall	Father Murphy (Nov.)		Bret Maverick (Dec.)		Flamingo Road
	Spring	Bret Maverick		Flamingo Road		Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters
	March					The Shape of Things
	Follow-up					Various
	Summer			Cassie & Co.		Flamingo Road
	Follow-up	Father Murphy		Bret Maverick		McClain's Law

Note: On ABC, Joanie Loves Chachi premiered March 23, 1982, at 8:30 pm, in place of Laverne & Shirley. On CBS, Q.E.D. ran for 6 weeks at 8pm, from March 23 to April 27.^[2]

Wednesday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM
ABC	Preliminary	The Greatest American Hero		Specials		Dynasty (19/20.2)
ABC	Fall	The Greatest American Hero		The Fall Guy (Nov.) (26/19.0)		Dynasty (19/20.2)
CBS	Preliminary	Mr. Merlin (Oct.)	WKRP in Cincinnati	The CBS Wednesday Night Movies
	Fall	Mr. Merlin (Oct.)	WKRP in Cincinnati	Nurse		Shannon (Nov.)
	Winter	WKRP in Cincinnati	The Two of Us	The CBS Wednesday Night Movies
	Spring	Herbie, the Love Bug		WKRP in Cincinnati	Baker's Dozen	Shannon
NBC	Fall	Real People (21/19.7)		The Facts of Life (24/19.1) (Tied with Little House on the Prairie)	Love, Sidney (Oct.)	Quincy, M.E.
NBC	Spring	Real People (21/19.7)			Teachers Only	Quincy, M.E.

NOTE: The only episode of the sitcom

Cass Malloy aired on CBS from 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 21, 1982. Although not picked up as a regular series, it served as the pilot for the 1987–1989 syndicated sitcom She's the Sheriff

.

Thursday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM
ABC	Fall	Mork & Mindy	Best of the West	Bosom Buddies	Taxi	20/20
	November	Mork & Mindy	Best of the West	Barney Miller
	Spring	Police Squad!	Bosom Buddies	9 to 5
	Follow-up	No Soap, Radio	Mork & Mindy	Barney Miller
	Summer	Darkroom		Barney Miller
CBS	Fall	Magnum, P.I. (17/20.9)		Nurse		Knots Landing
	November			Knots Landing		Jessica Novak
	Spring			Cagney & Lacey		Knots Landing
NBC	Fall	Harper Valley	Lewis & Clark (Oct.)	Diff'rent Strokes	Gimme a Break! (Oct.)	Hill Street Blues (27/18.6)
NBC	Winter	Fame		Diff'rent Strokes	Gimme a Break! (Oct.)	Hill Street Blues (27/18.6)

Note: On CBS,

Nurse aired at 9-10 p.m. and Knots Landing at 10-11 p.m., both in September and October. On ABC, Bosom Buddies

aired at 9-9:30 p.m. in October.

Friday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM
ABC	Fall	Benson	Bosom Buddies	Darkroom (Nov.)		Strike Force (Nov.)
	Winter		Barney Miller	Best of the West	Making a Living
	Spring		Barney Miller	The Phoenix
	Follow-up		Maggie	The ABC Friday Night Movie
CBS	Fall	The Incredible Hulk		The Dukes of Hazzard (6/22.6) (Tied with Too Close for Comfort)		Dallas (1/28.4)
	Winter	The Dukes of Hazzard (6/22.6) (Tied with Too Close for Comfort)		Dallas (1/28.4)		Falcon Crest (13/21.4)
	Summer			Dallas (1/28.4)		Nurse
NBC	Fall	NBC Magazine		McClain's Law (Nov.)		Local
	Winter			McClain's Law (Nov.)		Cassie & Co.
	Follow-up			NBC Friday Night at the Movies
	Spring	Jokebook	Chicago Story			McClain's Law
	Summer	Lewis & Clark	Chicago Story			Cassie & Co.

Saturday

Network		8:00 PM	8:30 PM	9:00 PM	9:30 PM	10:00 PM
ABC	Fall	Maggie (Oct.)	Making a Living *	The Love Boat (14/21.2)		Fantasy Island (30/18.3)
	November	Open All Night	Making a Living *
	January	King's Crossing
	Spring	T.J. Hooker (28/18.4) (Tied with That's Incredible! )
CBS		Walt Disney		The CBS Saturday Night Movies
NBC	Fall	Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters		Nashville Palace		Fitz and Bones
	Follow-up	Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters		Harper Valley PTA	Lewis & Clark	Billy Crystal Comedy Hour
	Winter	One of the Boys	Harper Valley PTA	Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters		Television: Inside and Out
	Follow-up	One of the Boys	Chicago Story			McClain's Law
	Spring	Harper Valley PTA	The Facts of Life	Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters		NBC Magazine
	Summer	One of the Boys	Lewis & Clark	NBC Saturday Night at the Movies

(*) Also known as It's a Living.

Note: On ABC,

Maggie was replaced by Open All Night, effective November 28; King's Crossing, which was supposed to have aired 8-9 p.m., was delayed until January, 1982, as an indirect result of the Writers Guild of America strike. On NBC, The Devlin Connection was supposed to have aired at 10:00 p.m., but Rock Hudson's heart surgery forced the delay into next season.^[3]

By network

ABC

Returning Series

New Series

9 to 5 *
Best of the West
Code Red *
Darkroom
The Fall Guy
Joanie Loves Chachi *
King's Crossing *
Maggie
No Soap, Radio *
Open All Night *
The Phoenix *
Police Squad! *
Strike Force
T.J. Hooker
*
Today's FBI

Not returning from 1980–81:

240-Robert
ABC Summer Movie
Aloha Paradise
Breaking Away
Charlie's Angels
Eight is Enough
Foul Play
I'm a Big Girl Now
The Krypton Factor
Soap
Those Amazing Animals
Vega$

CBS

Returning Series

WKRP in Cincinnati

New Series

Not returning from 1980–81:

NBC

Returning Series

Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters
CHiPs
Diff'rent Strokes
The Facts of Life
Flamingo Road
Harper Valley
Hill Street Blues
Little House on the Prairie
NBC Magazine
NBC Sunday Night Movie
NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Quincy, M.E.
Real People

New Series

The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour *
Bret Maverick *
Cassie & Co. *
Chicago Story *
Fame *
Father Murphy
Fitz and Bones
Gimme a Break!
Jokebook *
Lewis & Clark *
Love, Sidney
McClain's Law
Nashville Palace
One of the Boys
*
The Shape of Things *
Teachers Only *
Television: Inside and Out *

Not returning from 1980–81:

B.J. and the Bear
The Big Event
The Brady Brides
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Disney's Wonderful World (moved to CBS
)

Games People Play
Lobo
Marie
Nero Wolfe
Number 96
The Steve Allen Comedy Hour
Walking Tall

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.

References

ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4
.

^ "TV Listings for - March 23, 1982 - TV Tango".

^ "Monitor" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 8, 1982. p. 101. Retrieved November 8, 2023.

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United States network television schedules

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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1981–82_United_States_network_television_schedule&oldid=1218685934"

[BM2-1] ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4
.

[2] "TV Listings for - March 23, 1982 - TV Tango".

[3] "Monitor" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 8, 1982. p. 101. Retrieved November 8, 2023.

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