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1985–86 United States network television schedule

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  • Morning: 1983–84
  • 1984–85
  • 1985–86
  • 1986–87
  • 1987–88
  • Overnight: 1983–84
  • 1984–85
  • 1985–86
  • 1986–87
  • 1987–88

The 1985–86 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers primetime hours from September 1985 through August 1986. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1984–85 season.

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.[1]

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

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows released in May 1986 is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[2]

New series are highlighted in bold.

Repeat airings or same-day rebroadcasts are indicated by (R).

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

Most of the ratings come from AmericanRadioHistory.com's PDF archive.[3]

Legend

[edit]
  •   Gray indicates encore programming.
  •   Blue-gray indicates news programming.
  •   Light green indicates sporting events.
  •   Red indicates series being burned off and other regularly scheduled programs, including specials and movies.
  •  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.

Sunday

[edit]
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 Ripley's Believe It or Not! MacGyver The ABC Sunday Night Movie
Winter The Disney Sunday Movie
Spring
Summer
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)
Spring
Summer
NBC Fall Punky Brewster Silver Spoons Amazing Stories Alfred Hitchcock Presents NBC Sunday Night at the Movies (21/18.5)
Winter
Spring Silver Spoons Fathers and Sons
Summer Punky Brewster Various programming
August Dalton's Code of Vengeance NBC Sunday Night at the Movies (21/18.5)

Note: In June and July 1986, NBC's Sunday night lineup between 8 and 11 p.m. consisted on NBC Sunday Night at the Movies with various repeats following at 10 or 10:30 p.m., or special programming during the entire three-hour block.

Monday

[edit]
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 Hardcastle and McCormick Monday Night Football (15/19.8)
Winter ABC Monday Night Movie
Spring
Summer The Insiders
Mid-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 with Hotel)
Winter You Again? (19/19.2) Valerie (24/18.1)
(Tied with Moonlighting and Falcon Crest)
Spring
Summer Valerie (24/18.1)
(Tied with Moonlighting and Falcon Crest) 		Amazing Stories (R)

Tuesday

[edit]
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 Who's the Boss? (10/21.1) Growing Pains (17/19.5)
(Tied with Knots Landing) 		Moonlighting (24/18.1)
(Tied with Falcon Crest and Valerie) 		Our Family Honor
Mid-fall Spenser: For Hire
Winter
Spring Perfect Strangers
Mid-spring Growing Pains (17/19.5)
(Tied with Knots Landing)
Summer Perfect Strangers
Mid-summer Growing Pains (17/19.5)
(Tied with Knots Landing)
CBS Fall Hometown CBS Tuesday Night Movie
Mid-fall Various programming
Late fall Stir Crazy
Winter Various programming Charlie & Co. Trapper John, M.D. Various programming
Mid-winter Trapper John, M.D. CBS Tuesday Night Movie
Spring Morningstar/Eveningstar Mary Foley Square The Equalizer
Mid-spring Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (R)
Summer Simon & Simon (R) Magnum, P.I. (R)
NBC Fall The A-Team (30/16.9) Riptide Remington Steele
Winter
Spring Hunter Stingray
Summer 1986

Notes:

  • Melba was supposed to air on the 8:00 p.m. slot in January 1986, but was cancelled after its first episode aired. Episodes already produced aired during the summer.
  • 1986 aired as a "preview" series in advance of the 1986–87 season.

Wednesday

[edit]
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 The Insiders Dynasty (7/21.8)
(Tied with The Golden Girls) 		Hotel (22/18.3)
(Tied with The NBC Monday Movie)
Winter MacGyver
Spring
Summer Hardcastle and McCormick (R)
Mid-summer Perfect Strangers (R) Mr. Sunshine (R) MacGyver
CBS Fall Stir Crazy Charlie & Co. George Burns Comedy Week The Equalizer
Mid-fall Special programming
Late fall Mary Foley Square
Winter Crazy Like a Fox
Spring Fast Times Tough Cookies CBS Wednesday Night Movie
Mid-spring West 57th
Summer Foley Square Charlie & Co. Airwolf (R) West 57th
NBC Fall Highway to Heaven (13/20.1) Hell Town St. Elsewhere
Winter Blacke's Magic
Spring
Summer Gimme a Break! (R) You Again? (R)

Thursday

[edit]
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 The Fall Guy Lady Blue 20/20
Mid-fall ABC Thursday Night Movie
Late fall Shadow Chasers The Colbys
Winter Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Spring
Summer
CBS Fall Magnum, P.I. Simon & Simon (29/17.2) Knots Landing (17/19.5)
(Tied with Growing Pains)
Winter
Spring Simon & Simon (29/17.2) Bridges to Cross
Summer Crazy Like a Fox (R) Trapper John, M.D. (R)
Mid-summer CBS Thursday Night Movie
Late summer Price is Right Special Crazy Like a Fox (R) Trapper John, M.D.
NBC Fall The Cosby Show (1/33.7) Family Ties (2/30.0) Cheers (5/23.7) Night Court (11/20.9) Hill Street Blues
Winter
Late winter All Is Forgiven
Spring Night Court (11/20.9)
Summer All Is Forgiven
Mid-summer Night Court (11/20.9)

Friday

[edit]
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 Webster Mr. Belvedere Diff'rent Strokes Benson Spenser: For Hire
Mid-fall Our Family Honor
Winter He's the Mayor The Fall Guy
Spring Mr. Sunshine Joe Bash
Mid-spring The ABC Friday Night Movie
Summer Mr. Sunshine Various programming The Love Boat (R)
Late summer Various programming
CBS Fall The Twilight Zone Dallas (6/21.9) Falcon Crest (24/18.1)
(Tied with Moonlighting and Valerie)
Winter
Spring Charlie & Co. Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills
Summer The Twilight Zone CBS Friday Movie
NBC Fall Knight Rider Misfits of Science Miami Vice (9/21.3)
Winter Misfits of Science Knight Rider
Late winter Riptide
Spring The Last Precinct
Mid-spring Knight Rider
Summer Miami Vice (9/21.3) Stingray (R)
Late summer The A-Team (R) Riptide (R)

Note:

  • Diff'rent Strokes aired an one-hour season premiere on September 27 at 9:00pm.

Saturday

[edit]
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 Hollywood Beat Lime Street The Love Boat
Mid-fall The Fall Guy Lady Blue
Winter The Redd Foxx Show Benson Fortune Dane
Spring The Love Boat (R)
Mid-spring Mr. Sunshine
Summer Diff'rent Strokes (R) ABC Saturday Night Movie
CBS Fall Airwolf CBS Saturday Night Movie
Winter
Spring Crazy Like a Fox
Mid-spring Airwolf Magnum, P.I.
Summer CBS Saturday Night Movie
Mid-summer Melba CBS Saturday Night Movie
NBC Fall Gimme a Break! The Facts of Life (27/17.7) The Golden Girls (7/21.8)
(Tied with Dynasty) 		227 (20/18.8) Hunter
Winter
Spring All Is Forgiven Remington Steele
Mid-spring 227 (20/18.8)
Summer The Facts of Life (27/17.7) 227 (20/18.8) Me & Mrs. C
Late summer Various programming Hunter

Notes:

  • Due to the death of Samantha Smith and her father in a plane crash, ABC ceased production on Lime Street and was forced to move Lady Blue into its slot.
  • The Love Boat had a number of 2-hour episodes throughout the season, airing from 9 to 11 p.m. Assorted repeats from previous seasons aired on the 9 p.m. slot during the spring.

By network

[edit]

ABC

[edit]

CBS

[edit]

NBC

[edit]

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

^ Diff'rent Strokes switched networks for the 1985–1986 season.

+ Mike Hammer abruptly 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. Hooker continued production for CBS' late night schedule for the 1985–1986 season.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ de Moraes, Lisa. "David Cook Wasn't the Only Winner on Wednesday, as 'Idol' Ratings Spike". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Broadcasting Magazine" (PDF). Broadcasting. Vol. 110, no. 17. April 28, 1986.
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