# 1984–85 United States network television schedule

The 1984–85 United States network television schedule is the primetime lineup broadcast by the three major English-language commercial networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC, from September 1984 through August 1985.

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Season ratings winner | CBS, for the sixth straight year, over the 30-week prime time season<sup>[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1986/Television-Almanac-1986.pdf)</sup> |
| Audience share | The three networks captured 48.5% of the prime-time potential audience, with overall network viewing down 2.8%<sup>[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1986/Television-Almanac-1986.pdf)</sup> |
| Highest-rated Sunday programs | *60 Minutes* (4th, 22.2 rating), *Murder, She Wrote* (8th, 20.1), *Trapper John, M.D.* (29th, 16.8)<sup>[2](https://manybooks.io/wiki/1984-85-united-states-network-television-schedule/)</sup> |
| New Thursday block | NBC's first-year Thursday lineup: *The Cosby Show*, *Family Ties*, *Cheers*, *Night Court*, and *Hill Street Blues*<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup> |
| CBS top-30 series | *Dallas*, *60 Minutes*, *Simon & Simon*, *Murder, She Wrote*, *Knots Landing*, and *Falcon Crest*<sup>[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1986/Television-Almanac-1986.pdf)</sup> |

## The weekly grid

The fall schedule that began in September 1984 placed these series in the primetime hours:<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup>

**Sunday.** ABC ran *Ripley's Believe It or Not!* and *Hardcastle and McCormick* before *The ABC Sunday Night Movie*. CBS paired *60 Minutes* with *Murder, She Wrote*, then *The Jeffersons*, *Alice*, and *Trapper John, M.D.* NBC counterprogrammed with *Silver Spoons*, *Punky Brewster*, and *Knight Rider* ahead of the *NBC Sunday Night Movie*.<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup> Beginning December 16, ABC's Sunday 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. block varied among three-hour movie broadcasts, two-hour movies starting at 8:00 with specials at 10:00, specials at 8:00 followed by a two-hour movie at 9:00, or miniseries and sports programming filling the entire block.<sup>[2](https://manybooks.io/wiki/1984-85-united-states-network-television-schedule/)</sup>

**Monday.** ABC aired *Call to Glory* before *Monday Night Football*. CBS ran *Scarecrow and Mrs. King*, *Kate & Allie*, *Newhart*, and *Cagney & Lacey*. NBC scheduled *TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes* followed by the *NBC Monday Night at the Movies*.<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup>

**Tuesday.** ABC offered *Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders*, *Three's a Crowd*, *Paper Dolls*, and *Jessie*. CBS ran *AfterM*A*S*H* and *E/R* before its Tuesday night movies. NBC's block was *The A-Team*, *Riptide*, and *Remington Steele*.<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup>

**Wednesday.** ABC carried *The Fall Guy*, *Dynasty*, and *Hotel*. CBS scheduled *Charles in Charge* and *Dreams* before its Wednesday movie. NBC ran *Highway to Heaven*, *The Facts of Life*, *It's Your Move*, and *St. Elsewhere*.<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup>

**Thursday.** ABC programmed *People Do the Craziest Things*, *Who's the Boss?*, *Glitter*, and *20/20*. CBS ran *Magnum, P.I.*, *Simon and Simon*, and *Knots Landing*. NBC's lineup was *The Cosby Show*, *Family Ties*, *Cheers*, *Night Court*, and *Hill Street Blues*.<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup>

**Friday.** ABC aired *Benson*, *Webster*, *Hawaiian Heat*, and *Matt Houston*. CBS ran *The Dukes of Hazzard*, *Dallas*, and *Falcon Crest*. NBC scheduled *V* and *[Hunter](https://www.edgepedia.org/hunter-1984-american-tv-series)* with specials and movies, and *Miami Vice*.<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup>

**Saturday.** ABC ran *T.J. Hooker*, *The Love Boat*, and *Finder of Lost Loves*. CBS scheduled *Airwolf*, *Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer*, and *[Cover Up](https://www.edgepedia.org/cover-up-tv-series)*. NBC carried *Diff'rent Strokes*, *Gimme a Break!*, *Partners in Crime*, and *Hot Pursuit*.<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup>

## NBC's new Thursday block

The 1984–85 season was the first year of NBC's Thursday lineup of *The Cosby Show*, *Family Ties*, *Cheers*, *Night Court*, and *Hill Street Blues*.<sup>[3](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)</sup> By the beginning of the 1984–85 season NBC was in solid financial shape but still well behind CBS and ABC in overall ratings; the three comedies that followed *Cosby* on Thursday, *Family Ties*, *Cheers*, and *Night Court*, became Top 20 hits themselves.<sup>[4](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1986-pt1/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1986-pt1-3-3.pdf)</sup>

## Season outcome

Nielsen's network competition report named CBS the winner of the 30-week 1984–85 prime time season for the sixth straight year.<sup>[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1986/Television-Almanac-1986.pdf)</sup> CBS had six of the top weekly series in the 30-week period: *Dallas*, *60 Minutes*, *Simon & Simon*, *Murder, She Wrote*, *Knots Landing*, and *Falcon Crest*.<sup>[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1986/Television-Almanac-1986.pdf)</sup> Overall network viewing fell 2.8%, and the three networks together captured less than half the prime-time potential audience, 48.5%.<sup>[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1986/Television-Almanac-1986.pdf)</sup>

Among Sunday programs, *60 Minutes* ranked 4th with a 22.2 rating, *Murder, She Wrote* 8th with 20.1, and *Trapper John, M.D.* 29th with 16.8; midseason replacement *Crazy Like a Fox* reached 10th with 19.9, tied with *Falcon Crest*.<sup>[2](https://manybooks.io/wiki/1984-85-united-states-network-television-schedule/)</sup> On Monday, *TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes* ranked 33rd with a 16.89 rating and the *NBC Monday Night at the Movies* 18th with 18.03.<sup>[5](https://americantvdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/1984%E2%80%9385_United_States_network_television_schedule)</sup> Movie broadcasts faced growing competition from home video and pay-TV channels such as HBO and [Showtime](https://www.edgepedia.org/showtime-tv-network), where the same films were already available.<sup>[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1986/Television-Almanac-1986.pdf)</sup>

## References

1. [The Year in Review, International Television Almanac 1986](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1986/Television-Almanac-1986.pdf)
2. [1984–85 United States network television schedule, Manybooks](https://manybooks.io/wiki/1984-85-united-states-network-television-schedule/)
3. [1984–1985 TV Schedule, Classic TV Database](https://www.classic-tv.com/features/schedules/1984-1985-tv-schedule)
4. [Congressional Record, January 23, 1986](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1986-pt1/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1986-pt1-3-3.pdf)
5. [1984–85 United States network television schedule, American TV Database Wiki](https://americantvdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/1984%E2%80%9385_United_States_network_television_schedule)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Broadcasting and journalism › Broadcast organizations and stations › Broadcast networks and channel brands › Programs broadcast by network (lists) › US terrestrial broadcast network program lists*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

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