1987–88 United States network television schedule
This was the television schedule on all four United States commercial television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1987. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.
Note: This is the first fall season for FOX. It would air only twice a week until 1989.
PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation but the schedule was set by each local station.
New series are highlighted in bold.
All times given are in U.S. Eastern Time and Pacific Time (except for some live events or specials). Subtract one hour for Central and Mountain times.
Each of the 50 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[1]
- Lime indicates the #1 most watched program of the season.
- 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.
- Orange indicates the programs in the top 40 for the season.
- Silver indicates the programs in the top 50 for the season.
Sunday [2]
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 | The Disney Sunday Movie (72/10.8) | Spenser: For Hire (73/10.8) | Dolly (59/12.5) | Buck James (82/10.0) | ||||
Winter | The Disney Sunday Movie (72/10.8) | The ABC Sunday Night Movie (#44/14.1) | |||||||
Spring | The Disney Sunday Movie (72/10.8) | Supercarrier (68/11.2) | |||||||
Follow-up | Specials | ||||||||
Summer | MacGyver (53/12.9) | ||||||||
CBS | 60 Minutes (#8/20.6) | Murder, She Wrote (#9/20.2) | CBS Sunday Movie (#18/17.2) | ||||||
Fox | Fall | 21 Jump Street | Werewolf | Married... with Children (#116/4.7) | The Tracey Ullman Show | Duet | Local Programming | ||
Spring | It's Garry Shandling's Show | The Tracey Ullman Show | Local Programming | ||||||
Follow-up | America's Most Wanted | ||||||||
NBC | Fall | Our House (70/11.1) | Family Ties (#17/17.4) | My Two Dads (#21/16.8) | NBC Sunday Night at the Movies (#23/16.7) | ||||
Spring | Day by Day (#43/14.2) | ||||||||
Summer | Rags to Riches (86/9.6) | My Two Dads (#21/16.8) |
Monday [2]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | MacGyver (53/12.9) | Monday Night Football (#14/18.2) | ||||
Mid-season | The ABC Monday Night Movie (#33/15.6) | ||||||
Summer | Monday Night Baseball | ||||||
CBS | Fall | Frank's Place (62/12.0) | Kate & Allie (#37/14.8) | Newhart (#25/16.5) | Designing Women (#34/15.5) | Cagney & Lacey (52/13.0) | |
Follow-up | Kate & Allie (#37/14.8) | Frank's Place (62/12.0) | |||||
Mid-season | Designing Women (#34/15.5) | Frank's Place (62/12.0) | Wiseguy (67/11.4) | ||||
Spring | Eisenhower and Lutz (54/12.9) | ||||||
Follow-up | Cagney & Lacey (52/13.0) | ||||||
Summer | Blue Skies | Kate & Allie (#37/14.8) | Designing Women (#34/15.5) | Wiseguy (67/11.4) | |||
NBC | ALF (#11/18.8) | Valerie's Family (#19/17.0) | NBC Monday Night at the Movies (#23/16.7) |
Tuesday [2]
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? (#6/21.2) | Growing Pains (#5/21.5) | Moonlighting (#12/18.3) | thirtysomething (#47/13.3) | ||
Mid-season | The Wonder Years (#10/18.8) | ||||||
Spring | Just the Ten of Us | ||||||
Summer | Perfect Strangers (#36/15.1) | ||||||
Follow-up | Full House (71/10.9) | ||||||
CBS | Fall | Houston Knights (87/9.6) | Jake and the Fatman (60/12.3) | The Law & Harry McGraw (80/10.2) | |||
Mid-season | 48 Hours (88/9.5) | Cagney & Lacey (52/13.0) | |||||
Spring | Trial and Error (104/5.6) | My Sister Sam (100/7.1) | Coming of Age (85/9.6) | Frank's Place (62/12.0) | |||
Follow-up | Houston Knights (87/9.6) | The CBS Tuesday Night Movie (51/13.1) | |||||
Summer | CBS Summer Playhouse | ||||||
NBC | Fall | Matlock (#15/17.8) | J.J. Starbuck (#48/13.3) | Crime Story (61/12.1) | |||
Follow-up | Hunter (#28/16.1) | ||||||
Spring | In the Heat of the Night (#19/17.0) | ||||||
Follow-up | NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies | ||||||
Summer | J.J. Starbuck (#48/13.3) | NBC Summer Showcase | |||||
Follow-up | In the Heat of the Night (#19/17.0) |
Wednesday [2]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Perfect Strangers (#36/15.1) | Head of the Class (#23/16.7) | Hooperman (#35/15.3) | The Slap Maxwell Story (55/12.8) | Dynasty (#41/14.3) | |
Mid-season | Growing Pains (#5/21.5) | ||||||
Spring | HeartBeat (#46/13.6) | ||||||
Follow-up | Just in Time (65/11.6) | ||||||
Follow-up | China Beach | ||||||
Summer | Just the Ten of Us | The Slap Maxwell Story (55/12.8) | Spenser: For Hire (73/10.8) | ||||
CBS | Fall | The Oldest Rookie (79/10.3) | Magnum, P.I. (#40/14.4) | The Equalizer (56/12.8) | |||
Mid-season | The Law & Harry McGraw (80/10.2) | ||||||
Spring | The Smothers Brothers Show (75/10.5) | Jake and the Fatman (60/12.3) | |||||
Summer | Jake and the Fatman (60/12.3) | The Equalizer (56/12.8) | Wiseguy (67/11.4) | ||||
NBC | Fall | Highway to Heaven (#38/14.6) | A Year in the Life (63/11.9) | St. Elsewhere (48/13.3) | |||
Spring | Aaron's Way (#30/16.0) | Highway to Heaven (#38/14.6) | A Year in the Life (63/11.9) | ||||
Follow-up | St. Elsewhere (#48/13.3) | ||||||
Summer | Highway to Heaven (#38/14.6) | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (#28/16.1) | Sara | The Bronx Zoo (83/9.9) | |||
Follow-up | George Schlatter's Funny People | St. Elsewhere (#48/13.3) |
Note: Sara consisted entirely of reruns of the 1985 series.
Thursday [2]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Sledge Hammer! (97/7.7) | The Charmings (98/7.5) | The ABC Thursday Night Movie (89/9.2) | |||
Mid-season | The Charmings (98/7.5) | Various programming | |||||
Spring | Probe (93/8.7) | Hotel (91/8.9) | Buck James (82/10.0) | ||||
Follow-up | Max Headroom (101/6.6) | ||||||
Summer | The ABC Thursday Night Movie (89/9.2) | Hothouse | |||||
CBS | Fall | Tour of Duty (74/10.8) | Wiseguy (67/11.4) | Knots Landing (#31/15.8) | |||
Mid-season | Simon & Simon (57/12.7) | ||||||
Spring | 48 Hours (88/9.5) | ||||||
Summer | Cagney & Lacey (52/13.0) | ||||||
NBC | Fall | The Cosby Show (#1/27.8) | A Different World (#2/25.0) | Cheers (#3/23.7) | Night Court (#7/21.0) | L.A. Law (#12/18.3) | |
Spring | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (#28/16.1) | ||||||
Follow-up | Night Court (#7/21.0) |
Friday [2]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Full House (71/10.9) | I Married Dora (78/10.3) | Max Headroom (101/6.6) | 20/20 (58/12.6) | ||
Follow-up | Mr. Belvedere (66/11.5) | Pursuit of Happiness (90/9.1) | |||||
Winter | Mr. Belvedere (66/11.5) | The Thorns (92/8.8) | Sledge Hammer! (97/7.7) | ||||
Follow-up | Perfect Strangers (#36/15.1) | Full House (71/10.9) | Mr. Belvedere (66/11.5) | The Thorns (92/8.8) | |||
Spring | Family Man (84/9.9) | ||||||
Summer | I Married Dora (78/10.3) | ||||||
CBS | Fall | Beauty and the Beast (#50/13.1) | Dallas (#21/16.8) | Falcon Crest (#42/14.2) | |||
Summer | CBS Friday Movie | ||||||
NBC | Fall | Rags to Riches (86/9.6) | Miami Vice (#45/13.7) | Private Eye (77/10.4) | |||
Winter | Specials | Sonny Spoon (64/11.8) | |||||
Spring | The Highwayman (76/10.5) | ||||||
Follow-up | Night Court (#7/21.0) | Beverly Hills Buntz (81/10.2) | Miami Vice (#45/13.7) | ||||
Midseason | TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes | The Highwayman |
Note: Full House premiered Tuesday September 22, 1987 at 8:30 pm on ABC.
Saturday [2]
Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | Fall | Once a Hero (105/4.1) | Ohara (94/8.6) | Hotel (91/8.9) | |||
Follow-up | Sable (99/7.4) | ||||||
Follow-up | Ohara (94/8.6) | Sable (99/7.4) | |||||
Winter | Dolly (59/12.5) | Ohara (94/8.6) | Spenser: For Hire (73/10.8) | ||||
Summer | Hotel (91/8.9) | ||||||
CBS | Fall | My Sister Sam (100/7.1) | Everything's Relative (102/6.5) | Leg Work (103/6.2) | West 57th (96/7.8) | ||
Follow-up | The CBS Saturday Night Movie (95/8.3) | ||||||
Winter | High Mountain Rangers (69/11.2) | Houston Knights (87/9.6) | |||||
Follow-up | Tour of Duty (74/10.8) | ||||||
Summer | Kate & Allie (#37/14.8) | Frank's Place (62/12.0) | |||||
Fox | Fall | Werewolf | The New Adventures of Beans Baxter | Second Chance | Duet | Local Programming | |
Follow-up | 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 | ||||
Follow-up | Dirty Dozen: The Series | ||||||
Summer | Family Double Dare | ||||||
Follow-up | The Reporters | Various programming | |||||
NBC | Fall | The Facts of Life (#38/14.6) | 227 (#27/16.3) | The Golden Girls (#4/21.8) | Amen (#16/17.5) | Hunter (#28/16.1) | |
Follow-up | J.J. Starbuck (#48/13.3) | ||||||
Spring | Hunter (#28/16.1) |
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.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "List of Season's Top-Rated TV Shows With AM-TV Ratings Bjt".