1988–89 United States network television schedule
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The 1988–89 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial
New series are highlighted in bold.
All times are
Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[1]
Impact of the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike
The 1988 Writers Guild of America strike lasted between March 7 and August 7. During the strike, production on scripted television series across all of the major television networks was suspended. The writers' strike forced the networks to postpone the start of the fall 1988 schedule later than usual; rather than the traditional late-September/early-October start, new and returning series had their premieres delayed until late October and into November. In the interim, the networks had to rely on a hodgepodge of programming, including reruns, films, entertainment and news specials, program-length
Legend
- Light blue indicates local programming.
- Gray indicates encore programming.
- Blue-gray indicates news programming.
- Light green indicates sporting events.
- Red indicates series being burned off and other irregularly scheduled programs, including specials and movies.
- highlight Yellow highlights indicates the top-10 most watched programs of the season.
- highlight Cyan highlights indicates numbers 11-20 most watched programs of the season.
- highlight Magenta highlights indicates numbers 21-30 most watched programs of the season.
- highlight Highlights indicates that it falls in multiple of the above categories.
Sunday
Network | 7:00 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | |
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ABC | Fall | Incredible Sunday | Mission: Impossible | The ABC Sunday Night Movie | |||||
Winter | Great Circuses of the World | Special programming | |||||||
Spring | Incredible Sunday | Moonlighting | |||||||
Summer | Have Faith (R) | The ABC Sunday Night Movie | |||||||
Late summer | MacGyver (R) | The ABC Sunday Night Movie | |||||||
CBS | 60 Minutes (5/21.7) | Murder, She Wrote (8/19.9) | CBS Sunday Movie (27/16.1) (Tied with Knots Landing) | ||||||
Fox | Fall | 21 Jump Street | America's Most Wanted | Married... with Children | It's Garry Shandling's Show | The Tracey Ullman Show | Duet | Local programming | |
Summer | Totally Hidden Video | Married... with Children (R) | It's Garry Shandling's Show | The Tracey Ullman Show (R) | Duet (R) | ||||
NBC | The Magical World of Disney
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Family Ties | Day by Day | NBC Sunday Night Movie (22/16.3) (Tied with The Hogan Family and The Wonder Years) |
Notes:
- Quantum Leap had a two-hour premiere Sunday, March 26, 1989, on NBC.
- The Magical World of Disneyon May 14, 1989, and again between July 9-July 30.
- On ABC, A Fine Romance was supposed to air 8-9 p.m., but production delays amidst the strike forced the move to Thursdays.[2]
Monday
Network | 8:00 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | |
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ABC | Fall | Monday Night Football (15/17.5) (Tied with ALF) | |||||
November | MacGyver | Monday Night Football (15/17.5) (Tied with ALF) | |||||
Winter | The ABC Monday Night Movie | ||||||
Mid-winter | The ABC Monday Mystery Movie* (29/15.4) (Tied with Dallas) | ||||||
CBS | Fall | Newhart | The Cavanaughs | CBS Monday Night Movie | |||
Mid-fall | Coming of Age | ||||||
Winter | Kate & Allie | Murphy Brown | Designing Women | Almost Grown | |||
Spring | Live-In | Heartland | Newhart | Kate & Allie | |||
Summer | Kate & Allie (R) | Doctor Doctor | |||||
Mid-summer | Kate & Allie (R) | Designing Women (R) | Newhart (R) | ||||
NBC | Fall | ALF (15/17.5) (Tied with Monday Night Football) |
The Hogan Family (22/16.3) (Tied with the NBC Sunday Night Movie and The Wonder Years) |
NBC Monday Night at the Movies (25/16.2) (Tied with Amen) | |||
Spring | Nearly Departed | ||||||
Mid-spring | The Hogan Family (22/16.3) (Tied with the NBC Sunday Night Movie and The Wonder Years) |
(*) B.L. Stryker, Columbo, Gideon Oliver
Tuesday
Network | 8:00 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | |
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ABC | Fall | Who's the Boss? (7/20.8) | Roseanne (2/23.8) | Moonlighting | Thirtysomething | ||
Winter | The Wonder Years (22/16.3) (Tied with The Hogan Family and the NBC Sunday Night Movie) |
Roseanne (2/23.8) | Anything but Love (10/19.0) | ||||
Spring | Have Faith | ||||||
Summer | Coach | ||||||
CBS | Fall | High Risk | CBS Tuesday Movie | ||||
Late fall | TV 101 | ||||||
Winter | Tour of Duty | ||||||
Summer | CBS Summer Playhouse | ||||||
NBC | Fall | Matlock (13/17.7) | NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies | ||||
Mid-fall | In the Heat of the Night (18/17.3) | Midnight Caller |
Wednesday
Network | 8:00 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | |
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ABC | Fall | Growing Pains (13/17.6) (Tied with L.A. Law) |
Head of the Class (20/17.1) | The Wonder Years (22/16.3) (Tied with The Hogan Family and the NBC Sunday Night Movie) |
Hooperman | China Beach | |
Spring | Coach | ||||||
Mid-spring | The Robert Guillaume Show | ||||||
Summer | Hooperman | ||||||
CBS | Early fall | Live! Dick Clark Presents | The Equalizer | Wiseguy | |||
Fall | The Van Dyke Show | Annie McGuire | |||||
Winter | TV 101 | ||||||
Mid-winter | Hard Time on Planet Earth | Jake and the Fatman | |||||
NBC | Fall | Unsolved Mysteries (17/17.4) | Night Court (21/16.9) | Baby Boom | Tattingers | ||
Mid-fall | My Two Dads | ||||||
Winter | Nightingales | ||||||
Mid-winter | Quantum Leap | ||||||
Summer | Knight & Daye | Miami Vice |
Thursday
Network | 8:00 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | |
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ABC | Fall | Special programming | |||||
Mid-fall | Knightwatch | Dynasty | Special programming | ||||
Winter | A Fine Romance | HeartBeat | |||||
Spring | Thursday Night Baseball | ||||||
CBS | Fall | 48 Hours | CBS Thursday Night Movie | ||||
Mid-fall | Paradise | Knots Landing (27/16.1) (Tied with The CBS Sunday Movie) | |||||
Winter | The Equalizer | ||||||
Summer | The Cavanaughs | Coming of Age | The Equalizer (R) | ||||
Mid-summer | The Equalizer | Knots Landing (R) | |||||
NBC | The Cosby Show (1/25.6) | A Different World (3/23.0) | Cheers (4/22.3) | Dear John (11/18.5) | L.A. Law (13/17.6) (Tied with Growing Pains) |
Friday
Network | 8:00 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Perfect Strangers | Full House | Mr. Belvedere | Just the Ten of Us | 20/20 | |
Summer | Full House (R) | Mr. Belvedere (R) | Perfect Strangers (R) | ||||
CBS | Fall | Beauty and the Beast | Dallas (29/15.4) (Tied with The ABC Mystery Movie) |
Falcon Crest | |||
Summer | CBS Friday Movie | ||||||
NBC | Fall | Sonny Spoon | Something Is Out There | Miami Vice | |||
Winter | Father Dowling Mysteries | Miami Vice | Unsub | ||||
Spring | The Jim Henson Hour | Quantum Leap | |||||
Mid-spring | Miami Vice | Dream Street | |||||
Summer | Highway to Heaven | NBC Friday Night at the Movies |
Saturday
Network | 8:00 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | |
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ABC | Fall | Murphy's Law | ABC Saturday Night Movie
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Mid-fall | ABC Saturday Night Movie
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Murphy's Law | |||||
Winter | Mission: Impossible | A Man Called Hawk | |||||
Spring | Men | ||||||
Mid-spring | A Man Called Hawk | ABC Saturday Night Movie
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CBS | Early fall | First Impressions | Frank's Place (R) | Specials | West 57th | ||
Fall | Dirty Dancing | Raising Miranda | Simon & Simon | ||||
Mid-fall | Live! Dick Clark Presents | ||||||
Winter | Dolphin Cove | Dirty Dancing | Raising Miranda | ||||
Mid-winter | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour | ||||||
Late winter | TV 101 | ||||||
Spring | Paradise | Jesse Hawkes | |||||
Summer | Tour of Duty | ||||||
Fox | Fall | The Reporters | Beyond Tomorrow | Local programming | |||
Winter | COPS | Beyond Tomorrow | |||||
Spring | COPS | The Reporters | |||||
NBC | Fall | 227 | Amen (25/16.2) (Tied with The NBC Monday Movie) |
The Golden Girls (6/21.4) | Empty Nest (9/19.2) | Hunter (19/17.2) | |
Spring | One of the Boys | ||||||
Mid-spring | 227 | One of the Boys | |||||
Late spring | Amen (R) | ||||||
Summer | My Two Dads | 13 East |
Note: On CBS, Frank's Place consisted of reruns of the 1987-88 sitcom. On ABC, ABC Saturday Mystery Movie was supposed to air 9-11 p.m., but production delays amidst the strike force the move to Mondays.[2]
By network
ABC
Returning Series
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New Series
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Not returning from 1987–88:
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CBS
Fox
Returning Series
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New Series
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Not returning from 1987–88:
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NBC
Returning Series
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New Series
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Not returning from 1987–88:
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Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.
+ These shows returned as "backup" programming in midseason.
@ Formerly known as Valerie's Family.
References
- ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- ^ a b "Fall's first draft" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 30, 1988. p. 21. Retrieved November 12, 2023.