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The following is the 1997–98 network television schedule for the six major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1997 through August 1998. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1996–97 season. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.

New series highlighted in bold.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research. [1] and [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.

Other 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.

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

From February 7 to 22, 1998, all of CBS' primetime programming was preempted in favor of coverage of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

For new series debuting during the season, it would ultimately prove to be one of the weakest seasons in American television history, as only ten shows would be picked up for a second season. Of those ten shows, only five ( Dharma & Greg, Two Guys and a Girl, Ally McBeal, For Your Love and Dawson's Creek) would last beyond three seasons, and would all end their runs within six seasons.

For its tenth and final season, onetime CBS powerhouse Murphy Brown was moved from its lifelong home of Monday nights to Wednesday, where it lost a significant number of viewers. For its last block of episodes in the spring, the show was put back into the familiar timeslot that it had once used to anchor the CBS Monday night lineup.

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 The Wonderful World of Disney The ABC Sunday Night Movie
CBS 60 Minutes (#8/19.8 million) Touched by an Angel (#5/21.8 million) CBS Sunday Movie (#9/19.4 million)
Fox Fall The World's Funniest! The Simpsons (#18/15.3 million) King of the Hill (#15/16.3 million) The X-Files (#11/17.1 million) Local Programming
March Damon
April King of the Hill (#15/16.3 million)
NBC Fall Dateline Sunday Men Behaving Badly Jenny NBC Sunday Night Movie (#22/14.2 million)
Winter All Star TV Bloopers / Dateline Sunday Dateline Sunday
The WB Fall Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher The Parent 'Hood The Jamie Foxx Show Unhappily Ever After The Tom Show Alright Already Local Programming
Follow Up The Tom Show Unhappily Ever After
Winter The Tom Show The Parent 'Hood The Jamie Foxx Show
Spring The Parent 'Hood Sister, Sister
Follow Up You're the One
May The Parent 'Hood Kelly Kelly Alright Already
Summer Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher The Parent 'Hood

Monday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Timecop Monday Night Football (#6/21.0)
Follow Up Various Specials
Winter Timecop 20/20 (#27/13.9 million) The Practice
Spring Push
Follow Up America's Funniest Home Videos
CBS Fall Cosby (#28/13.8 million) Everybody Loves Raymond Cybill George and Leo Brooklyn South
Winter George and Leo Style & Substance
Follow Up The Closer George and Leo
Spring Murphy Brown
Summer Cybill George and Leo Michael Hayes
Follow Up Everybody Loves Raymond Cybill 48 Hours
Late July Murphy Brown
Fox Fall Melrose Place Ally McBeal Local Programming
April Damon Getting Personal
Mid-Summer Melrose Place
NBC Fall Suddenly Susan Fired Up Caroline in the City The Naked Truth Dateline Monday (#16/15.4)
December Jenny
Winter Fired Up
Spring House Rules
Summer Caroline in the City Veronica's Closet
UPN Fall In the House Malcolm & Eddie Good News Sparks Local Programming
Spring Love Boat: The Next Wave Various Specials
Summer Clueless Clueless
Mid-Summer In the House Malcolm & Eddie Good News Sparks
The WB Fall 7th Heaven Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Winter Three
Spring Kelly Kelly Alright Already
Follow Up 7th Heaven (Repeats)
Summer Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Tuesday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Home Improvement (Repeats) Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Home Improvement (#10/18.4 million) Hiller and Diller (#30/13.5 million) NYPD Blue (#19/15.0 million)
Follow Up Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Over the Top
November Grace Under Fire Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Spin City (Repeats)
Winter The Drew Carey Show (Repeats) Home Improvement (Repeats)
Spring Home Improvement (Repeats) Something So Right That's Life
Follow Up Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Something So Right
Summer Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Something So Right Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place
Mid-Summer Home Improvement Soul Man (#29/13.6 million) Spin City Dharma & Greg Maximum Bob
CBS Fall JAG Michael Hayes Dellaventura
Winter CBS Tuesday Movie
March Public Eye with Bryant Gumbel Four Corners
Follow Up 48 Hours
Summer CBS Tuesday Movie
Fox Fall Fox Tuesday Night Movie Local Programming
Summer King of the Hill (Repeats) King of the Hill (Repeats) Guinness World Records Primetime
NBC Fall Mad About You NewsRadio Frasier (#14/16.7 million) Just Shoot Me! (#12/17.0 million) Dateline NBC (#17/15.3 million)
Spring For Your Love LateLine
Follow Up NewsRadio Just Shoot Me! (#12/17.0 million)
Summer 3rd Rock from the Sun
UPN Fall Clueless Moesha Hitz Head Over Heels Local Programming
Follow Up Moesha Clueless Malcolm & Eddie Hitz
Winter Clueless
Spring In the House
Follow Up Good News
Summer In the House
Mid-Summer Clueless In the House Clueless
The WB Winter
(began Jan. 20th)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dawson's Creek
Summer Invasion America Invasion America
Mid-Summer Dawson's Creek

Wednesday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Spin City Dharma & Greg (#25/13.9 million) The Drew Carey Show (#13/16.7 million) Ellen Primetime Live (#23/14.2 million)
Spring Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place
Summer Ellen
August Whose Line Is It Anyway?
CBS Fall The Nanny Murphy Brown Public Eye with Bryant Gumbel Chicago Hope
Spring Cybill Michael Hayes
Summer The Simple Life Public Eye with Bryant Gumbel
Follow Up Style & Substance
Fox Fall Beverly Hills, 90210 Party of Five Local Programming
Spring Significant Others
Follow Up Party of Five
Summer Fox Wednesday Night Movie
NBC Fall The Tony Danza Show Built to Last 3rd Rock from the Sun Working Law & Order (#24/14.1 million)
Follow Up Dateline NBC
December 3rd Rock from the Sun (Repeats) The Tony Danza Show
Winter Seinfeld (Repeats)
Spring NewsRadio
Follow Up 3rd Rock from the Sun (Repeats) NewsRadio
Summer The Pretender
August Dateline NBC Stressed Eric
UPN Fall The Sentinel Star Trek: Voyager Local Programming
Late Fall Star Trek: Voyager The Sentinel
Spring The Sentinel Star Trek: Voyager
The WB Fall Sister, Sister Smart Guy The Wayans Bros. The Steve Harvey Show
Spring Smart Guy Sister, Sister (Repeats)
Summer Smart Guy
Mid-Summer The Wayans Bros. The Jamie Foxx Show

Thursday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Nothing Sacred Cracker 20/20 Thursday
Winter Prey The ABC Thursday Night Movie
Spring Timecop
Summer C-16 Prey Various ABC News Specials
August Various Specials Various ABC News Specials Nightline in Primetime
CBS Promised Land Diagnosis: Murder (#26/13.9 million) 48 Hours
Fox Fall Living Single Between Brothers 413 Hope St. Local Programming
Winter Between Brothers Ask Harriet New York Undercover
March Ask Harriet
April World's Wildest Police Videos Various Specials
Summer New York Undercover
Mid-Summer Fox Files
NBC Fall Friends (#4/24.0 million) Union Square (#8/19.9 million) Seinfeld (#1/34.1 million) Veronica's Closet (#3/24.4 million) ER (#2/30.2 million)
Spring Just Shoot Me! (#12/17.0 million)
Summer Veronica's Closet (#3/24.4 million) Just Shoot Me! (#12/17.0 million)
Mid-Summer Suddenly Susan

NOTE: On Fox, Rewind was supposed to air 8-8:30, but it was cancelled due to production troubles.

Friday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Sabrina the Teenage Witch Boy Meets World You Wish Teen Angel 20/20 Friday (#20/15.0 million)
Winter Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Repeats) Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Spring Hiller and Diller
Follow Up Boy Meets World (Repeats)
Summer Sabrina the Teenage Witch You Wish Boy Meets World Teen Angel
CBS Fall Family Matters Meego The Gregory Hines Show Step by Step Nash Bridges
Follow Up Various Specials Family Matters
Winter Kids Say the Darndest Things The Gregory Hines Show
Follow Up Candid Camera The Gregory Hines Show
Spring Unsolved Mysteries
Summer Family Matters Step by Step
Mid-Summer Unsolved Mysteries
Fox Fall The Visitor Millennium Local Programming
Winter Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Summer Getting Personal Getting Personal
NBC Fall Players Dateline Friday Homicide: Life on the Street
Spring Various Specials
Late spring Dateline Friday NBC Friday Night Movie
Summer NBC Friday Night Movie Dateline Friday

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 C-16 Total Security The Practice
Mid-fall Special programming
Winter Nothing Sacred Cracker ABC News Saturday Night
Late winter ABC Saturday Night Movie
Spring Timecop ABC Saturday Night Movie
Summer 20/20
CBS Fall Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Early Edition Walker, Texas Ranger (21/14.5)
Winter The Magnificent Seven
Late winter Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman The Magnificent Seven
Spring Early Edition
Summer Early Edition The Magnificent Seven
Fox COPS COPS (R) America's Most Wanted:
America Fights Back
Local programming
NBC Fall The Pretender (R) NBC Saturday Night Movie
Mid-fall The Pretender Sleepwalkers Profiler
Late fall Special programming The Pretender
Winter All Star TV Bloopers
Spring NBC Saturday Night Movie
Summer All Star TV Bloopers NBC Saturday Night Movie

By network

ABC

CBS

Fox

NBC

UPN

The WB

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced 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.
  2. ^ "What ranked and what tanked". Entertainment Weekly Published in issue No. 434 May 29, 1998. May 29, 1998. Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2020.