1985–86 United States network television schedule
This was theUnited Statestelevisionschedule on all three commercial television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1985. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such asMonday Night Football.
New series are highlighted inbold.
Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[1]
This was also the first television season wherein the Nielsen people meter technology was used for the nationwide audience measurement system, largely replacing the diaries system in place from the 1950-1951 television season.[2]
- 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.
PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary.
Much of the ratings come from AmericanRadioHistory.com’s PDF archive[3]
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 | Fall | Ripley’s Believe It or Not! | MacGyver | The ABC Sunday Night Movie | |||||
| Winter | The Disney Sunday Movie | ||||||||
| CBS | Fall | 60 Minutes(#4/23.9) | Murder, She Wrote (#3/25.3) | Crazy Like a Fox | Trapper John, M.D. | ||||
| Winter | CBS Sunday Movie (#12/20.5) | ||||||||
| NBC | Fall | Punky Brewster | Silver Spoons | Amazing Stories | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | NBC Sunday Night at the Movies (#21/18.5) | |||
| Spring | Silver Spoons | Fathers and Sons | |||||||
| Follow-up | Punky Brewster | ||||||||
Monday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Hardcastle and McCormick | Monday Night Football (#15/19.8) | ||||
| Mid-season | ABC Monday Night Movie | ||||||
| Summer | Monday Night Baseball | ||||||
| CBS | Scarecrow and Mrs. King (#28/17.4) | Kate & Allie (#14/20.0) | Newhart (#16/19.6) | Cagney & Lacey | |||
| NBC | Fall | TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes | NBC Monday Night at the Movies (#22/18.3) (Tied withHotel) |
||||
| Spring | You Again?(#19/19.2) | Valerie(#24/18.1) (Tied withMoonlightingandFalcon Crest) |
|||||
Tuesday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Who’s the Boss? (#10/21.1) | Growing Pains(#17/19.5) (Tied withKnots Landing) |
Moonlighting(#24/18.1) (Tied withFalcon CrestandValerie) |
Our Family Honor | ||
| Follow-up | Spenser: For Hire | ||||||
| Spring | Perfect Strangers | ||||||
| Summer (May 6 – Sep 9) |
Growing Pains(#17/19.5) (Tied withKnots Landing) |
||||||
| CBS | Fall | Hometown | CBS Tuesday Night Movie | ||||
| Follow-up | Specials | ||||||
| Follow-up | Stir Crazy | ||||||
| Mid-season | Melba | Charlie & Co. | |||||
| Follow-up | Trapper John, M.D. | ||||||
| Spring | Morningstar/Eveningstar | Mary | Foley Square | The Equalizer | |||
| Follow-up | The New Mike Hammer repeats | ||||||
| NBC | Fall | The A-Team (#30/16.9) | Riptide | Remington Steele | |||
| Mid-season | Hunter | Stingray | |||||
Wednesday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | The Insiders | Dynasty (#7/21.8) (Tied withThe Golden Girls) |
Hotel (#22/18.3) (Tied with The NBC Monday Movie) |
|||
| Mid-season | MacGyver | ||||||
| Summer | Hardcastle and McCormick | ||||||
| Follow-up | Perfect Strangers | Mr. Sunshine | MacGyver | ||||
| CBS | Fall | Stir Crazy | Charlie & Co. | George Burns Comedy Week | The Equalizer | ||
| Follow-up | Specials | ||||||
| Follow-up | Mary | Foley Square | |||||
| Mid-season | Crazy Like a Fox | ||||||
| Follow-up | Fast Times | Tough Cookies | |||||
| Spring | West 57th | CBS Wednesday Night Movie | |||||
| Summer | Foley Square | Match Game PM | Airwolf | West 57th | |||
| NBC | Fall | Highway to Heaven (#13/20.1) | Hell Town | St. Elsewhere | |||
| Mid-season | Blacke’s Magic | ||||||
| Summer | Gimme a Break! | You Again? (#19/19.2) | |||||
Thursday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | The Fall Guy | Lady Blue | 20/20 | |||
| Follow-up | ABC Thursday Night Movie | ||||||
| Follow-up | Shadow Chasers | Dynasty II: The Colbys | |||||
| Mid-season | Ripley’s Believe It or Not! | The Colbys | |||||
| CBS | Fall | Magnum, P.I. | Simon & Simon (#29/17.2) | Knots Landing (#17/19.5) (Tied withGrowing Pains) |
|||
| Spring | Simon & Simon (#29/17.2) | Bridges to Cross | |||||
| Summer | Price is Right Special | Crazy Like a Fox | Trapper John, M.D. | ||||
| NBC | The Cosby Show (#1/33.7) | Family Ties (#2/30.0) | Cheers (#5/23.7) | Night Court (#11/20.9) | Hill Street Blues | ||
Friday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Webster | Mr. Belvedere | Diff’rent Strokes | Benson | Spenser: For Hire | |
| Follow-up | Our Family Honor | ||||||
| Mid-season | He’s the Mayor | The Fall Guy | |||||
| Spring | Mr. Sunshine | Joe Bash | |||||
| Follow-up | The ABC Friday Night Movie | ||||||
| Summer | ABC Comedy Special | Mr. Sunshine | The Love Boat | ||||
| Follow-up | ABC Comedy Special | ||||||
| CBS | Fall | The Twilight Zone | Dallas (#6/21.9) | Falcon Crest (#24/18.1) (Tied withMoonlightingandValerie) |
|||
| Spring | Charlie & Co. | Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills | |||||
| Summer | The Twilight Zone | ||||||
| NBC | Fall | Knight Rider | Misfits of Science | Miami Vice (#9/21.3) | |||
| Mid-season | Misfits of Science | Knight Rider | |||||
| Follow-up | Riptide | ||||||
| Follow-up | The Last Precinct | ||||||
Saturday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Fall | Hollywood Beat | Lime Street | The Love Boat | |||
| Follow-up | The Fall Guy | Lady Blue | |||||
| Mid-season | The Redd Foxx Show | Benson | Fortune Dane | ||||
| Spring | The Love Boat | ||||||
| Follow-up | Mr. Sunshine | ||||||
| CBS | Fall | Airwolf | CBS Saturday Night Movie | ||||
| Spring | Crazy Like a Fox | ||||||
| Follow-up | Airwolf | Magnum, P.I. | |||||
| NBC | Fall | Gimme a Break! | The Facts of Life (#27/17.7) | The Golden Girls(#7/21.8) (Tied withDynasty) |
227(#20/18.8) | Hunter | |
| Mid-season | You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (repeat 11/6/85 on CBS) | ||||||
Note: Due to the death ofSamantha Smithand her father in a plane crash, ABC ceased production onLime Streetand was forced to moveLady Blueinto its slot.
By network
ABC
CBS
NBC
Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.
^Diff’rent Strokesswitched networks for the 1985-1986 season.
- Mike Hammerabruptly ended production after series star Stacy Keach was sentenced to six months in prison for cocaine possession. Production resumed during the 1986-1987 season.
@T.J. Hookercontinued production for CBS’ late night schedule for the 1985-1986 season.
References
[1]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgHighest-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.
Sep 26, 2019, 3:49 PM
[2]
Citation Linkwww.washingtonpost.comde Moraes, Lisa. “David Cook Wasn’t the Only Winner on Wednesday, as ‘Idol’ Ratings Spike”.The Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
Sep 26, 2019, 3:49 PM
[3]
Citation Linkamericanradiohistory.comhttp://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-04-28.pdf
Sep 26, 2019, 3:49 PM
[4]
Citation Linkwww.washingtonpost.com“David Cook Wasn’t the Only Winner on Wednesday, as ‘Idol’ Ratings Spike”
Sep 26, 2019, 3:49 PM
[5]
Citation Linkamericanradiohistory.comhttp://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-04-28.pdf
Sep 26, 2019, 3:49 PM
[6]
Citation Linken.wikipedia.orgThe original version of this page is from Wikipedia, you can edit the page right here on Everipedia.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Additional terms may apply.See everipedia.org/everipedia-termsfor further details.Images/media credited individually (click the icon for details).
Sep 26, 2019, 3:49 PM