1981–82 United States network television schedule
This was the television schedule on all three commercial broadcast television networks in the United States for the fall season beginning in September 1981. 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 bowed in 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.
PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation but the schedule was set by each local station.
Sunday
| Network | 7:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Code Red (Nov.) | Today's FBI (Oct.) | 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) | |||
| NBC | Local | 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 | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | That's Incredible! (28/18.4) | Monday Night Football (11/21.8) | ||||
| Winter | ABC Monday Night Movie (8/22.5) | ||||||
| Summer | Best of the West | Monday Night Baseball | |||||
| CBS | Fall | Private Benjamin | The Two of Us | M*A*S*H (9/22.3) | House Calls (23/19.2) | Lou Grant | |
| Winter | Mr. Merlin | Private Benjamin | |||||
| Spring | Private Benjamin | Report to Murphy | Making the Grade | ||||
| Summer | WKRP in Cincinnati | House Calls | |||||
| Follow-up | Filthy Rich | ||||||
| NBC | Little House on the Prairie (24/19.1) | NBC Monday Night at the Movies | |||||
Tuesday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 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) | |
| Spring | Joanie Loves Chachi | ||||||
| CBS | Preliminary | Local | The CBS Tuesday Night Movies | ||||
| Fall | Simon & Simon (Nov.) | ||||||
| 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 | ||||
| Follow-up | Various | ||||||
| Summer | Cassie & Company | 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.
Wednesday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Preliminary | The Greatest American Hero | Specials | Dynasty (19/20.2) | |||
| Fall | The Fall Guy (Nov.) (26/19.0) | ||||||
| CBS | Preliminary | Mr. Merlin (Oct.) | WKRP in Cincinnati | The CBS Wednesday Night Movies | |||
| Fall | Nurse | Shannon (Nov.) | |||||
| Spring | Herbie, The Love Bug | ||||||
| NBC | Real People (21/19.7) | The Facts of Life (24/19.1) | Love, Sidney (Oct.) | Quincy, M.E. | |||
Thursday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Mork & Mindy | Best of the West (Sep.) | Bosom Buddies (Oct.) | Taxi | 20/20 | ||
| Follow-up | Barney Miller (Nov.) | |||||||
| Summer | Darkroom | |||||||
| CBS | Preliminary | Magnum, P.I. | Nurse | Knots Landing (17/20.9) | ||||
| Fall | Knots Landing | Jessica Novak (Nov.) | ||||||
| NBC | Fall | Harper Valley | Lewis & Clark (Oct.) | Diff'rent Strokes | Gimme a Break! (Oct.) | Hill Street Blues (27/18.6) | ||
| Mid-Season | Fame | |||||||
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 | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Benson | Bosom Buddies | Darkroom (Nov.) | Strike Force (Nov.) | |||
| CBS | Fall | The Incredible Hulk | The Dukes of Hazzard (6/22.6) | Dallas (1/28.4) | |||
| Winter | The Dukes of Hazzard | Dallas | Falcon Crest (13/21.4) | ||||
| NBC | Fall | NBC Magazine | McClain's Law (Nov.) | Local | |||
| Winter | Cassie & Company | ||||||
| Follow-up | NBC Friday Night at the Movies | ||||||
| Spring | Jokebook | Chicago Story | McClain's Law | ||||
| Summer | Cassie & Company | ||||||
Saturday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Maggie (Oct.) | Making a Living | The Love Boat (14/21.2) | Fantasy Island (30/18.3) | ||
| Follow-up | Open All Night (Nov.) | ||||||
| Winter | King's Crossing | ||||||
| Spring | T.J. Hooker (28/18.4) | ||||||
| CBS | Walt Disney | The CBS Saturday Night Movies | |||||
| NBC | Fall | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters | Various | ||||
| Follow-up | Harper Valley PTA | Lewis & Clark | Television: Inside and Out | ||||
| Winter | One of the Boys | Harper Valley PTA | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters | The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour | |||
| Follow-up | Chicago Story | McClain's Law | |||||
| Spring | Harper Valley PTA | One of the Boys | Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters | NBC Magazine | |||
| Summer | One of the Boys | Harper Valley PTA | NBC Saturday Night at the Movies | ||||
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 February, 1982, as an indirect result of the Writers Guild of America strike.
References
- ↑ 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.