1987–88 United States network television schedule

The 1987–88 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers primetime hours from September 1987 through August 1988. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1986–87 season.

This is the first fall season in which Fox aired prime-time programming (while it debuted in October 1986, it would only cover late nights until April 1987), making this the first full season since 1958-59 in which a fourth commercial television network (NTA) was broadcasting. Fox would air only two days a week (Saturdays and Sundays) until the spring of 1989.

PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary.

New series are highlighted in bold. Series ending their network runs are highlighted in italics.

All times are U.S. Eastern Time and Pacific Time (except for some live sports or events). Subtract one hour for Central, Mountain, Alaska and Hawaii–Aleutian times.

From February 13 to 28, 1988, all of ABC's primetime programming was preempted in favor of coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

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

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.
  •   Light gold indicates programming produced outside of the United States.
  •   Bronze indicates reruns of programming that originally aired on a cable channel.
  •  highlight  Lime highlights indicates the number-one most watched program of the season.
  •  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.

Schedule

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.
ABC Fall The Disney Sunday Movie Spenser: For Hire Dolly Buck James
Winter The Disney Sunday Movie The ABC Sunday Night Movie
Spring The Disney Sunday Movie Supercarrier
Mid-spring Special programming
Summer MacGyver (R)
CBS 60 Minutes (8/20.6) Murder, She Wrote (9/20.2) CBS Sunday Movie (18/17.2)
Fox Fall 21 Jump Street Married... with Children Various programming The Tracey Ullman Show Mr. President Local programming
Mid-fall Werewolf Married... with Children Duet
Winter It's Garry Shandling's Show The Tracey Ullman Show Local programming
Spring America’s Most Wanted Werewolf
Summer
NBC Fall Our House Family Ties (17/17.3) My Two Dads (20/16.9)
(Tied with Valerie's Family) 		NBC Sunday Night at the Movies (23/16.7)
(Tied with Head of the Class)
Winter
Spring Day by Day (28/16.2)
Summer Rags to Riches (R) My Two Dads (20/16.9)
(Tied with Valerie's Family)

Notes:

Monday

Network 7:30 pm. 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 Local programming MacGyver Monday Night Football (16/17.4)
Winter The ABC Monday Night Movie
Spring
Summer Monday Night Baseball
CBS Fall Local programming Frank's Place Kate & Allie Newhart (25/16.5) Designing Women Cagney & Lacey
Mid-fall Kate & Allie Frank's Place
Winter Designing Women Frank's Place Wiseguy
Spring Eisenhower and Lutz
Mid-spring Cagney & Lacey
Summer Blue Skies Kate & Allie Designing Women Magnum, P.I. (R)
Mid-summer Newhart (25/16.5) The Cavanaughs
NBC Marblehead Manor ALF (10/18.8)
(Tied with The Wonder Years) 		Valerie's Family (20/16.9)
(Tied with My Two Dads) 		NBC Monday Night at the Movies (26/16.4)

Tuesday

Network 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.
ABC Fall Who's the Boss? (6/21.2) Growing Pains (5/21.3) Moonlighting (12/18.3)
(Tied with L.A. Law) 		Thirtysomething
Winter The Wonder Years (10/18.8)
(Tied with ALF)
Spring Just the Ten of Us
Summer Perfect Strangers (R)
Mid-summer Full House (R)
CBS Fall Houston Knights Jake and the Fatman The Law & Harry McGraw
Winter 48 Hours Cagney & Lacey
Spring Trial and Error My Sister Sam Coming of Age Frank's Place
Mid-spring Houston Knights The CBS Tuesday Night Movie
Summer CBS Summer Playhouse
NBC Fall She's the Sheriff Matlock (14/17.8) J.J. Starbuck Crime Story
Mid-fall Hunter (28/16.1)
Winter
Spring In the Heat of the Night (19/17.0)
Mid-spring NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies
Summer J.J. Starbuck NBC Summer Showcase
Mid-summer In the Heat of the Night (19/17.0)

Notes:

  • Full House premiered on September 22 at 8:30 pm on ABC.
  • The Dictator was supposed to premiere March 15, 1988 at 8:30-9:00 on CBS, but My Sister Sam replaced it at the last minute due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike.

Wednesday

Network 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.
ABC Fall Perfect Strangers Head of the Class (23/16.7)
(Tied with The NBC Sunday Night Movie) 		Hooperman The Slap Maxwell Story Dynasty
Winter Growing Pains (5/21.5)
Spring HeartBeat
Mid-spring Just in Time
Late spring China Beach
Summer The Slap Maxwell Story Spenser: For Hire (R)
Late summer China Beach
CBS Fall The Oldest Rookie Magnum, P.I. The Equalizer
Winter The Law & Harry McGraw
Spring The Smothers Brothers Show Jake and the Fatman
Summer Jake and the Fatman The Equalizer Wiseguy (R)
NBC Fall You Can't Take It with You Highway to Heaven A Year in the Life St. Elsewhere
Winter
Mid-winter Aaron's Way (30/16.0) Highway to Heaven A Year in the Life
Spring A Year in the Life The Bronx Zoo
Mid-spring Highway to Heaven St. Elsewhere
Summer Highway to Heaven The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Sara (R) The Bronx Zoo
Mid-summer Special programming George Schlatter's Funny People St. Elsewhere
Late summer George Schlatter's Funny People The NBC Wednesday Night Movie

Note:

  • Sara consisted entirely of reruns of the 1985 series.

Thursday

Network 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.
ABC Fall Sledge Hammer! The Charmings The ABC Thursday Night Movie
Winter The Charmings Growing Pains (R)
Spring Probe Hotel Buck James
Summer The ABC Thursday Night Movie Hothouse
CBS Fall Tour of Duty Wiseguy Knots Landing
Winter Simon & Simon
Spring 48 Hours
Summer Cagney & Lacey (R)
NBC Fall Out of This World The Cosby Show (1/27.8) A Different World (2/25.0) Cheers (3/23.4) Night Court (7/20.8) L.A. Law (12/18.3)
(Tied with Moonlighting)
Winter
Spring The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Mid-spring Night Court (7/20.8)
Summer

Friday

Network 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.
ABC Fall Full House I Married Dora Max Headroom 20/20
Mid-fall Mr. Belvedere Pursuit of Happiness
Winter Mr. Belvedere The Thorns Sledge Hammer!
Late winter Perfect Strangers Full House Mr. Belvedere The Thorns
Spring Family Man
Summer I Married Dora
CBS Fall Beauty and the Beast Dallas (22/16.8) Falcon Crest
Summer CBS Friday Movie
NBC Fall We Got It Made Rags to Riches Miami Vice Private Eye
Winter Special programming Sonny Spoon
Late winter The Highwayman
Spring Night Court (7/20.8) Beverly Hills Buntz Miami Vice
Mid-spring TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes (R) The Highwayman
Summer Sonny Spoon
Mid-summer Blacke's Magic (R)

Notes:

  • TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes consisted on reruns of the 1984–86 series.
  • Blacke's Magic consisted on reruns of the 1986 series.

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.
ABC Fall Once a Hero Ohara Hotel
Mid-fall Sable
Late fall Ohara Sable
Winter Dolly Ohara Spenser: For Hire
Spring
Summer Probe (R)
Mid-summer Supercarrier (R) Hotel
Late summer Various programming Spenser: For Hire
CBS Fall My Sister Sam Everything's Relative Leg Work West 57th
Mid-fall The CBS Saturday Night Movie
Winter High Mountain Rangers Houston Knights
Mid-winter Tour of Duty
Spring
Summer Kate & Allie (R) Frank's Place (R)
Late summer First Impressions
Fox Fall Werewolf The New Adventures of Beans Baxter Second Chance Duet Local programming
Mid-fall Mr. President Women in Prison The New Adventures of Beans Baxter Second Chance
Winter Boys Will Be Boys Mr. President
Spring Family Double Dare Boys Will Be Boys Werewolf Werewolf (R)
Mid-spring Dirty Dozen: The Series
Summer Family Double Dare
Mid-summer The Reporters Various programming
NBC Fall The Facts of Life 227 (27/16.3) The Golden Girls (4/21.8) Amen (15/17.5) Hunter (29/16.1)
Late fall J.J. Starbuck
Winter
Spring Hunter (28/16.1)
Summer

Note:

  • Second Chance was retooled into Boys Will Be Boys.

By network

ABC

An ^ indicates a show that came back in first-run syndication after a network cancellation.

CBS

Fox

NBC

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

+ These shows returned as "backup" programming in midseason

@ Formerly Valerie.

References

  1. ^ Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by Nielsen Media Research and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987-88_United_States_network_television_schedule