1986–87 United States network television schedule

  • Morning: 1984–85
  • 1985–86
  • 1986–87
  • 1987–88
  • 1988–89
  • Overnight: 1984–85
  • 1985–86
  • 1986–87
  • 1987–88
  • 1988–89

The 1986–87 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers primetime hours from September 1986 through August 1987. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1985–86 season.

Although Fox debuted as a fourth network effort in October 1986, the network waited until April 1987 to commence offering prime time programming, effectively deferring its first Fall programming season until September 1987.

PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation but the schedule was set by each local station.

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

  •   Light blue indicates local programming.
  •   Gray indicates encore programming.
  •   Blue-gray indicates news programming.
  •   Light green indicates sporting events.
  •   Red indicates series being burned off and other irregularly scheduled programs, including specials and movies.
  •   Light gold indicates programming produced outside of the United States.
  •  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

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 The Disney Sunday Movie The ABC Sunday Night Movie
CBS Fall 60 Minutes (6/23.3) Murder, She Wrote (4/25.4) CBS Sunday Movie (16/18.6)
(Tied with Matlock and The NBC Monday Movie)
Winter Designing Women Nothing is Easy Hard Copy
Spring CBS Sunday Movie (16/18.6)
(Tied with Matlock and The NBC Monday Movie)
Summer
Fox Spring
(began April 5) 		21 Jump Street Married... with Children The Tracey Ullman Show Mr. President Duet Local programming
Summer Duet (R)
NBC Fall Our House Easy Street Valerie NBC Sunday Night at the Movies (20/18.2)
Winter
Spring Rags to Riches
Summer Family Ties (R) Specials

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 (18/18.4)
Winter The ABC Monday Night Movie
Spring Monday Night Baseball
Summer
CBS Fall Kate & Allie (19/18.3) My Sister Sam (22/17.4)
(Tied with L.A. Law) 		Newhart (12/19.5) Designing Women Cagney & Lacey
Winter The Cavanaughs
Spring Designing Women
Summer
NBC Fall ALF (28/16.5)
(Tied with Hunter) 		Amazing Stories NBC Monday Night at the Movies (17/18.6)
(Tied with Matlock and The CBS Sunday Movie)
Winter
Spring Valerie
Summer

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? (10/22.0) Growing Pains (8/22.7) Moonlighting (9/22.4) Jack and Mike
Winter
Spring Max Headroom
Summer Spenser: For Hire
CBS Fall The Wizard CBS Tuesday Night Movie
Winter Spies
Spring West 57th
Summer The Wizard
Mid-summer Simon & Simon Houston Knights Night Heat
NBC Fall Matlock (15/18.6)
(Tied with The CBS Sunday Movie and The NBC Monday Movie) 		Crime Story 1986
Mid-fall Hill Street Blues
Winter Remington Steele
Spring Gimme a Break! Easy Street Hill Street Blues
Mid-spring The Tortellis
Summer NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies

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 Perfect Strangers Head of the Class (30/16.4) Dynasty (25/17.2)
(Tied with Highway to Heaven) 		Hotel
Winter
Spring Harry
Mid-spring Head of the Class (30/16.4) Mariah
Summer MacGyver Hotel
CBS Fall Together We Stand Better Days Magnum, P.I. The Equalizer
Late fall The New Mike Hammer
Spring Houston Knights
Mid-spring Roxie Take Five
Late spring The New Mike Hammer
Summer The Equalizer
NBC Fall Highway to Heaven (24/17.2)
(Tied with Dynasty) 		Gimme a Break! You Again? St. Elsewhere
Winter The Tortellis
Spring Night Court (7/23.2) The Bronx Zoo
Late spring Easy Street
Summer The Facts of Life Night Court (7/23.2) St. Elsewhere

Note: Fox Night at the Movies premiered May 17, 1989 with The Fly.

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 Our World The Colbys 20/20
Winter
Spring Jack and Mike
Summer Heart of the City
Mid-summer Starman Our World
Late summer Sledge Hammer! The Charmings
CBS Fall Simon & Simon Knots Landing (26/16.8)
(Tied with Miami Vice) 		Kay O'Brien
Mid-fall The Twilight Zone Simon & Simon Designing Women Knots Landing (26/16.8)
(Tied with Miami Vice)
Winter Shell Game Simon & Simon
Mid-winter The Wizard
Summer Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Mid-summer CBS Thursday Night Movie
NBC Fall The Cosby Show (1/34.9) Family Ties (2/32.7) Cheers (3/27.2) Night Court (7/23.2) Hill Street Blues
Mid-fall L.A. Law (21/17.4)
(Tied with My Sister Sam)
Winter
Spring Nothing in Common
Summer The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd

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 Webster Mr. Belvedere Sidekicks Sledge Hammer! Starman
Late fall Dads Gung Ho
Winter Gung Ho Dads
Mid-winter The ABC Friday Night Movie
Late winter The Charmings Webster
Summer Sledge Hammer! Mr. Belvedere
Mid-summer Webster
CBS Fall Scarecrow and Mrs. King Dallas (11/21.3) Falcon Crest (23/17.3)
Winter
Spring Nothing Is Easy The Popcorn Kid
Summer CBS Summer Playhouse Hard Copy
Mid-summer Adderly
NBC Fall The A-Team Miami Vice (27/16.8)
(Tied with Knots Landing) 		L.A. Law (21/17.9)
(Tied with My Sister Sam)
Mid-fall Crime Story
Winter Stingray
Spring Roomies Amazing Stories Stingray
Summer Stingray Crime Story

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 Life with Lucy The Ellen Burstyn Show Heart of the City Spenser: For Hire
Late fall Sidekicks Sledge Hammer!
Winter Ohara
Spring Starman
Late spring Webster (R) Sidekicks (R) Gung Ho (R) Dads (R) Starman (R)
Summer The ABC Saturday Night Movie
Mid-summer Animal Crack-Ups The Ellen Burstyn Show The ABC Saturday Night Movie
CBS Fall Downtown The New Mike Hammer The Twilight Zone
Mid-fall The Wizard
Late fall Downtown
Winter Outlaws The CBS Saturday Night Movie
Spring The CBS Saturday Night Movie West 57th
Fox Summer
(started Jul. 11) 		Down and Out in Beverly Hills The New Adventures of Beans Baxter Werewolf Karen's Song Local programming
Mid-summer Werewolf Down and Out in Beverly Hills
NBC Fall The Facts of Life 227 (14/18.9) The Golden Girls (5/24.5) Amen (13/19.4) Hunter (28/16.5)
(Tied with ALF)
Winter
Spring Sweet Surrender
Late spring 227 (14/18.9) Me & Mrs. C
Summer The Facts of Life (R) 227 (R)

By network

ABC

+ Animal Crack-Ups had a short run in prime time before moving to Saturday mornings in the fall of 1987.

CBS

+ This was a revival of the 1984–1985 series following star Stacy Keach's release from prison on drug charges.

Fox

New Series

NBC

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason. An ^ indicates a show that continued in first-run syndication after the network cancelled it.

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.