1990–91 United States network television schedule

The 1990–91 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers primetime hours from September 1990 through August 1991. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1989–90 season.

Beginning this season, Fox started their prime time expansion starting with Thursdays and Fridays.

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 Time 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

edit
  •   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

edit
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 Life Goes On America's Funniest Home Videos (7/16.7) America's Funniest People (13/16.3) The ABC Sunday Night Movie
CBS Fall 60 Minutes (7/19.7) Murder, She Wrote (12/16.4) CBS Sunday Movie (19/15.0)
Summer All in the Family (R) Sunday Dinner Murder, She Wrote (8/17.2) The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
Fox Fall True Colors Parker Lewis Can't Lose In Living Color Get a Life Married... with Children Good Grief Against the Law
Mid-fall Comic Strip: Live
Spring Top of the Heap The Sunday Comics
NBC Fall Hull High Lifestories NBC Sunday Night Movie
Winter Sunday Best Real Life with Jane Pauley Expose
Spring The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Expose Real Life with Jane Pauley

Monday

edit
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 (10/16.8)
Winter The ABC Monday Night Movie
CBS Fall Uncle Buck Major Dad (21/14.9) Murphy Brown (6/16.9) Designing Women (7/17.5) The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
Mid-fall Evening Shade
Spring Northern Exposure
Summer Major Dad (21/14.9) The Family Man
Fox Fox Night at the Movies Local programming
NBC Fall The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Ferris Bueller NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Winter Blossom

Note: On CBS, Face to Face with Connie Chung was to have aired 10-11 p.m., but it was replaced by The Trials of Rosie O'Neill at the last minute due to Connie Chung's personal health commitments.[2]

Tuesday

edit
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? (19/15.0) Head of the Class (26/14.5) Roseanne (3/18.1) Coach (18/15.3) Thirtysomething
Winter Davis Rules (27/14.3)
Spring Eddie Dodd
Follow-up Baby Talk (27/14.3) Who's the Boss? (19/15.0) Stat Thirtysomething
Summer Who's the Boss? (19/15.0) Head of the Class (26/14.5) Coach (18/15.3)
Mid-summer Full House (14/15.9) Who's the Boss? (19/15.0)
CBS Rescue 911 CBS Tuesday Night Movie
NBC Fall Matlock (17/15.5) In the Heat of the Night (21/14.9) Law & Order
Spring Shannon's Deal
Summer Law & Order

Wednesday

edit
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 Wonder Years (30/14.2) Growing Pains (27/14.3) Doogie Howser, M.D. (24/14.7) Married People Cop Rock
Winter Equal Justice
Mid-winter Anything but Love
Spring My Life and Times Gabriel's Fire
Mid-spring Anything but Love American Detective
Summer The Man in the Family
Mid-summer Davis Rules (27/14.3)
Late summer Dinosaurs The Wonder Years (R) Anything but Love Married People
CBS Fall Lenny Doctor Doctor Jake and the Fatman WIOU
Late fall 48 Hours
Winter Northern Exposure
Summer The Hogan Family The Family Man 48 Hours
Mid-summer Police Squad! (R) Morton & Hayes Top Cops
NBC Fall Unsolved Mysteries (16/15.7) The Fanelli Boys Dear John Hunter
Mid-fall Dear John The Fanelli Boys
Late fall Working It Out
Winter Night Court Seinfeld
Spring Dear John Quantum Leap

Note: Top Cops aired at 10:00 PM on CBS from July to October 1990. Police Squad! on CBS consisted of reruns of the 1982 ABC series.

Thursday

edit
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 Father Dowling Mysteries Gabriel's Fire Primetime Live
Spring Twin Peaks
CBS Fall Top Cops The Flash Doctor Doctor Knots Landing (30/13.7)
(Tied with Rescue 911)
Winter Good Sports
Mid-winter Top Cops The Flash
Spring The Antagonists
Summer Over My Dead Body Broken Badges
Late summer The Trials of Rosie O'Neill Golden Years
Fox Fall The Simpsons Babes Beverly Hills, 90210 Local programming
Summer True Colors
NBC Fall The Cosby Show (5/17.1) A Different World (4/17.5) Cheers (1/21.3) Grand (25/14.6) L.A. Law (23/14.8)
Winter Wings
Spring Seinfeld

On CBS, Sons and Daughters was supposed to premiere on October 25, 1990, while The Flash is supposed to start at 8:00-9:00 p.m., but the show was shelved.[3]

Friday

edit
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 (14/15.9) Family Matters (15/15.8) Perfect Strangers Going Places 20/20
Spring Baby Talk
Mid-spring Dinosaurs Family Matters (15/15.8) Perfect Strangers
Summer Family Matters (15/15.8) Perfect Strangers Going Places
Mid-summer Hi Honey, I'm Home!
Late summer Family Matters (15/15.8) Growing Pains
CBS Fall Evening Shade Bagdad Café Over My Dead Body Dallas
Mid-fall Uncle Buck
Winter Guns of Paradise Dallas Sons and Daughters
Spring True Detectives
Fox Fall America's Most Wanted DEA Local programming
Mid-fall Against the Law
Spring DEA
NBC Fall Quantum Leap Night Court Wings Midnight Caller
Winter Dark Shadows
Spring Hull High Hunter Dark Shadows
Mid-spring The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Midnight Caller

Saturday

edit
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 Young Riders China Beach Twin Peaks
Winter Under Cover
Spring The ABC Saturday Night Movie
CBS Fall The Family Man The Hogan Family E.A.R.T.H. Force 48 Hours
Late fall Northern Exposure (R) Broken Badges Wiseguy
Early winter You Take the Kids Lenny CBS Saturday Movie
Winter Uncle Buck
Spring The Flash
Fox Fall Totally Hidden Video Haywire COPS American Chronicles Local programming
Winter COPS (R)
Mid-winter Totally Hidden Video
Spring Yearbook
Summer COPS COPS (R) Totally Hidden Video Babes (R)
NBC Fall Parenthood Working It Out The Golden Girls (9/17.1) Empty Nest (7/16.7) Carol & Company American Dreamer
Winter Amen The Fanelli Boys
Mid-winter Dear John
Spring Down Home
Summer American Dreamer Sisters

By network

edit

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

References

edit
  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. ^ Rosenfeld, Megan (1990-07-31). "A PREGNANT PAUSE FOR CHUNG?". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. ^ "Top of the Week" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1990-10-08. Retrieved 2021-09-12.