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The 1989–90 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers primetime hours from September 1989 through August 1990. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1988–89 season.

Beginning this season, Fox started their prime time expansion starting with Mondays.

This is the first season to feature entirely closed captioning programs on the Big Four networks.

This was the first time that two programs were tied for the no. 1 spot in the Nielsen ratings.

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.

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.

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.
  •   Light purple indicates movies.
  •   Red indicates series being burned off and other regularly scheduled programs, including specials.
  •   Yellow indicates the top-10 most watched programs of the season.
  •   Cyan indicates the top-20 most watched programs of the season.
  •   Magenta indicates the top-30 most watched programs of the season.

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 Life Goes On Free Spirit Homeroom The ABC Sunday Night Movie
Winter America's Funniest Home Videos (5/20.9) Free Spirit
Mid-winter Elvis
Spring America's Funniest Home Videos (R)
Summer The ABC Sunday Night Movie
Mid-summer Mr. Belvedere The ABC Sunday Night Movie
Late summer Tim Conway's Funny America
CBS 60 Minutes (7/19.7) Murder, She Wrote (13/17.7)
(Tied with Chicken Soup)
CBS Sunday Movie (24/14.9)
(Tied with Hunter)
Fox Fall Booker America's Most Wanted Totally Hidden Video Married... with Children Open House The Tracey Ullman Show It's Garry Shandling's Show
Winter The Simpsons (28/14.5)
(Tied with Night Court and Doogie Howser, M.D.)
Spring The Outsiders Booker
NBC Fall Brand New Life Sister Kate My Two Dads NBC Sunday Night Movie
Winter The Magical World of Disney
Mid-winter Ann Jillian Sister Kate
Spring ALF 227
Mid-spring 227 ALF
Summer The Magical World of Disney

Note: In Living Color premiered Sunday April 15 at 9:30 PM on Fox.

Monday

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 MacGyver Monday Night Football (10/18.1)
Winter The ABC Monday Night Movie
Spring China Beach Capital News
Mid-spring The Young Riders The ABC Monday Night Movie
Summer MacGyver
CBS Fall Major Dad The People Next Door Murphy Brown (27/14.7) The Famous Teddy Z Designing Women (22/15.3)
(Tied with Full House)
Newhart
Mid-fall The Famous Teddy Z Designing Women (22/15.3)
(Tied with Full House)
Newhart Doctor Doctor
Winter City
Spring His & Hers
Mid-spring Newhart Various programming
Summer Sydney Newhart The Dave Thomas Comedy Show
Mid-summer Major Dad Doctor Doctor
Fox 21 Jump Street Alien Nation Local programming
NBC Fall ALF The Hogan Family NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Spring My Two Dads
Mid-spring Working Girl Hunter (24/14.9)
(Tied with CBS Sunday Movie)
Shannon's Deal
Late spring The Hogan Family
Summer ALF The Hogan Family NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Mid-summer Working Girl

Tuesday

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? (12/17.9) The Wonder Years (8/19.2) Roseanne (1/23.1)
(Tied with The Cosby Show)
Chicken Soup (13/17.7)
(Tied with Murder, She Wrote)
Thirtysomething
Mid-fall Coach (18/17.0)
CBS Fall Rescue 911 Wolf Island Son
Spring CBS Tuesday Night Movie
NBC Fall Matlock (20/16.6) In the Heat of the Night (19/16.9) Midnight Caller
Summer Real Life with Jane Pauley

Wednesday

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 Growing Pains (21/15.4) Head of the Class (26/14.8) Doogie Howser, M.D. (28/14.5)
(Tied with The Simpsons and Night Court)
Anything but Love China Beach
Spring The Marshall Chronicles Equal Justice
Mid-spring Brewster Place
Summer Anything but Love China Beach
CBS Fall Peaceable Kingdom Jake and the Fatman Wiseguy
Mid-fall Beauty and the Beast
Winter Grand Slam
Spring Normal Life Sydney
Mid-spring Sydney Normal Life Knots Landing
Summer This Is America, Charlie Brown (R)
Mid-summer Newhart (R) His & Hers Top Cops
NBC Fall Unsolved Mysteries (11/18.0) Night Court (28/14.5)
(Tied with The Simpsons and Doogie Howser, M.D.)
The Nutt House Quantum Leap
Mid-fall My Two Dads
Winter Dear John (17/17.2)
Spring FM
Summer Dear John (17/17.2)

Notes: Seinfeld premiered July 5, 1989 at 9:30 p.m. on NBC. FM aired at 9:30 p.m. on NBC from August 23 to September 6, 1989. Glory Days aired at 8:00 p.m. on Fox from July 25 to August 2, 1990. Molloy aired at 9:00 p.m. on Fox from July 25 until August 15, 1990.

Thursday

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 Mission: Impossible The Young Riders Primetime Live
Winter Father Dowling Mysteries
Spring Twin Peaks
CBS Fall 48 Hours Top of the Hill Knots Landing
Winter Island Son
Spring Max Monroe: Loose Cannon
Mid-spring Falcon Crest
Summer Wiseguy Wolf
Mid-summer Northern Exposure The Eddie Capra Mysteries (R)
NBC Fall The Cosby Show (1/23.1)
(Tied with Roseanne)
A Different World (4/21.1) Cheers (3/22.7) Dear John (17/17.2) L.A. Law (16/17.4)
Winter Grand (15/17.6)
Spring Wings
Summer Seinfeld
Mid-summer Grand (15/17.6)

Notes: The Eddie Capra Mysteries, which CBS aired from July 26 to August 30, consisted of reruns of episodes from the 1978-79 NBC series. FM premiered August 17, 1989 at 9:30 p.m. on NBC and aired its fifth episode on September 14.

Friday

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 Full House (22/15.3)
(Tied with Designing Women)
Family Matters Perfect Strangers Just the Ten of Us 20/20
Summer New Attitude
CBS Fall Snoops Dallas Falcon Crest
Winter Max Monroe: Loose Cannon
Mid-winter The Bradys
Spring Various programming Bagdad Cafe Sugar and Spice Dallas
Mid-spring Small Talk City
Summer Falcon Crest CBS Friday Movie
Mid-summer Candid Camera Bagdad Cafe Newhart (R) Wish You Were Here Room for Romance
Late summer Prime Time Pets Candid Camera
NBC Fall Baywatch Hardball Mancuso, F.B.I.
Winter True Blue
Mid-winter Nasty Boys
Spring Hardball
Mid-spring Mancuso, F.B.I.
Summer Bret Maverick (R) The Yellow Rose (R) Midnight Caller

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 Mr. Belvedere Living Dolls The ABC Saturday Mystery Movie
Winter Mission: Impossible
Spring H.E.L.P.
Late spring Sunset Beat
Early summer Elvis Growing Pains
Summer Super Jeopardy! Monopoly
Late summer China Beach Twin Peaks
CBS Fall Paradise Tour of Duty Saturday Night with Connie Chung
Summer Beauty and the Beast Tour of Duty
Fox Fall COPS The Reporters Beyond Tomorrow Local programming
Winter Totally Hidden Video The Reporters
Spring In Living Color The Tracey Ullman Show
NBC Fall 227 Amen The Golden Girls (6/20.1) Empty Nest (9/18.9) Hunter (24/14.9)
(Tied with CBS Sunday Movie)
Spring ALF
Mid-spring A Family for Joe 13 East Carol and Company Down Home
Late spring 13 East Amen
Summer 227 Singer & Sons Hunter (24/14.9)
(Tied with CBS Sunday Movie)

Note: Comic Strip Live aired at 11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. on Fox.

By network

ABC

CBS

Fox

NBC

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

+ These shows returned as "backup" programming in midseason

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.