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1985–86 United States network television schedule

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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

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  •   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  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

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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
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)
NBC Fall Punky Brewster Silver Spoons Amazing Stories Alfred Hitchcock Presents NBC Sunday Night at the Movies (21/18.5)
Spring Silver Spoons Fathers and Sons
Late spring Punky Brewster

Monday

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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 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)

Tuesday

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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
Spring Perfect Strangers
Late spring 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 Melba 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 Various programming
NBC Fall The A-Team (30/16.9) Riptide Remington Steele
Spring Hunter[4] Stingray
Summer 1986

Wednesday

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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
Summer Hardcastle and McCormick
Mid-summer Perfect Strangers Mr. Sunshine MacGyver
CBS Fall Stir Crazy Charlie & Co. George Burns Comedy Week The Equalizer
Mid-fall Airwolf
Late fall Mary Foley Square
Winter Crazy Like a Fox
Mid-winter Fast Times Tough Cookies
Spring West 57th CBS Wednesday Night Movie
Summer Foley Square Newhart Airwolf West 57th
NBC Fall Highway to Heaven (13/20.1) Hell Town St. Elsewhere
Winter Blacke's Magic
Summer Gimme a Break! You Again? (19/19.2)

Thursday

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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 Dynasty II: The Colbys
Winter Ripley's Believe It or Not! The Colbys
CBS Fall Magnum, P.I. Simon & Simon (29/17.2) Knots Landing (17/19.5)
(Tied with Growing Pains)
Spring Simon & Simon (29/17.2) Bridges to Cross
Summer Price is Right Special Crazy Like a Fox 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
Spring All Is Forgiven
Mid-spring Family Ties (2/30.0)
Late spring All Is Forgiven
Summer Family Ties (2/30.0)

Friday

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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 Growing Pains (R) Mr. Sunshine The Love Boat
Mid-summer The Fall Guy
CBS Fall The Twilight Zone Dallas (6/21.9) Falcon Crest (24/18.1)
(Tied with Moonlighting and Valerie)
Spring Charlie & Co. Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills
Summer The Twilight Zone
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

Note: Diff'rent Strokes 1-hour Season 8 Premiered on September 27 at 9:00pm

Saturday

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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
Mid-spring Diff'rent Strokes
CBS Fall Airwolf CBS Saturday Night Movie
Spring Crazy Like a Fox
Mid-spring Airwolf Magnum, P.I.
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
Spring Remington Steele[4]

Note: 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.

By network

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ABC

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CBS

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NBC

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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

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  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.
  4. ^ a b "NBC breezes another ratings victory" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 17, 1986. p. 78. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
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