1998–99 United States network television schedule

  • Morning: 1996–97
  • 1997–98
  • 1998–99
  • 1999–00
  • 2000–01
  • Overnight: 1996–97
  • 1997–98
  • 1998–99
  • 1999–00
  • 2000–01

The following is the 1998–99 network television schedule for the six major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1998 through August 1999. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1997–98 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]

  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, the Public Broadcasting Service, is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary. Also not included is Pax TV (now Ion), a venture of Paxson Communications (now Ion Media) that debuted on August 31, 1998; although Pax carried a limited schedule of first-run programs in its early years, its schedule otherwise was composed mainly of syndicated reruns.

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 Fall The Wonderful World of Disney 20/20 The Practice
Winter
Spring
Summer
August Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
CBS 60 Minutes (#7/13.2) Touched by an Angel (#8/13.1) CBS Sunday Movie (#9/12.0)
Fox Fall The World's Funniest! Holding the Baby The Simpsons That '70s Show The X-Files (#28/9.1)
(Tied with the NBC Sunday Night Movie) 		Local Programming
Follow Up The World's Funniest! / The Simpsons (Repeats)
Winter The World's Funniest!
Spring Futurama
Follow Up Family Guy
Summer The World's Funniest! King of the Hill (Repeats) Futurama (Repeats)
NBC Fall Dateline NBC Dateline NBC NBC Sunday Night Movie (#28/9.1)
(Tied with The X-Files)
Winter
Spring NBA on NBC
Summer World's Most Amazing Videos
August Dateline NBC You Asked For It
The WB Fall 7th Heaven Beginnings (Repeats) Sister, Sister Smart Guy Unhappily Ever After The Army Show Local Programming
Winter Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane Unhappily Ever After
Spring
Summer The Parent 'Hood (Repeats) The Parent 'Hood
Follow Up The Parent 'Hood Smart Guy Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane Movie Stars

Monday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Monday Night Football (#4/14.9)
Winter 20/20 The ABC Monday Night Movie
Spring
Summer
CBS Fall Cosby The King of Queens Everybody Loves Raymond (#11/10.6) The Brian Benben Show L.A. Doctors
November Becker (#19/9.7)
(Tied with Dateline NBC and the CBS Tuesday Movie)
Winter
Spring
Summer 48 Hours
August The King of Queens Thanks
Fox Fall Melrose Place Ally McBeal (#23/9.6) Local Programming
Winter
Spring
Summer That '70s Show That '70s Show (Repeats)
NBC Fall Suddenly Susan Conrad Bloom Caroline in the City Will & Grace Dateline NBC (#19/9.7)
(Tied with Becker and The CBS Tuesday Movie)
Follow Up Caroline in the City Mad About You Conrad Bloom
Winter Working
Spring Law & Order (Repeats)
Follow Up Mad About You The NBC Monday Movie
Summer Suddenly Susan Mad About You Mad About You Dateline NBC (#19/9.7)
(Tied with Becker and The CBS Tuesday Movie)
Mid-Summer Veronica's Closet Law & Order
UPN Fall Guys Like Us DiResta The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer Malcolm & Eddie Local Programming
Follow Up Malcolm & Eddie Guys Like Us Malcolm & Eddie DiResta
Winter Dilbert DiResta The Sentinel
March Redhanded
April Home Movies
June Power Play
Follow Up Dilbert Redhanded Redhanded
July The Sentinel Seven Days
August Moesha Malcolm & Eddie Moesha Between Brothers
The WB Fall 7th Heaven Hyperion Bay
Follow Up Various Drama Repeats
Winter Hyperion Bay
Spring Rescue 77
May Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Summer Rescue 77
Mid-Summer Movie Stars Katie Joplin

Note: UPN only broadcast the first two episodes of Power Play. On August 16, 1999, ABC aired the series episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at 8:30pm EDT. It was the only 30 minute episode to air on a Monday night.

Tuesday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Home Improvement (#10/11.0) The Hughleys Spin City (#25/9.2)
(Tied with Walker, Texas Ranger and Dateline NBC) 		Sports Night NYPD Blue (#12/10.5)
Winter
Spring Strange World
Follow Up NYPD Blue (#12/10.5)
Summer
Mid-Summer Spin City (Repeats) It's Like, You Know... (Repeats) Dharma & Greg (Repeats)
August Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
CBS Fall JAG (#16/9.8)
(Tied with Providence and 20/20) 		CBS Tuesday Movie (#19/9.7)
(Tied with Dateline NBC and Becker)
Winter
Spring
Summer 60 Minutes II 48 Hours
Fox Fall King of the Hill Costello Guinness World Records Primetime Local Programming
November King of the Hill (Repeats)
December Holding the Baby
Winter The PJs
Spring Futurama The PJs King of the Hill (Repeats)
Summer Guinness World Records Primetime Fox Files
NBC Fall Mad About You Encore! Encore! Just Shoot Me! Working Dateline NBC (#19/9.7)
(Tied with Becker and the CBS Tuesday Movie)
Winter 3rd Rock from the Sun NewsRadio Will & Grace
Spring NewsRadio 3rd Rock from the Sun Everything's Relative
Summer 3rd Rock from the Sun NewsRadio Will & Grace
Mid-Summer Just Shoot Me! 3rd Rock from the Sun
UPN Fall Moesha Clueless Mercy Point Local Programming
November America's Greatest Pets Reunited
Winter Malcolm & Eddie Between Brothers
Spring Family Rules
Follow Up Clueless
Summer
The WB Buffy the Vampire Slayer Felicity

NOTE: On Fox, Brimstone was supposed to premiere 9-10, but it was moved up to Friday.

Wednesday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Dharma & Greg (#24/9.3) Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place The Drew Carey Show (#14/9.9)
(Tied with 20/20) 		The Secret Lives of Men 20/20 (#16/9.8)
(Tied with Providence and JAG)
Winter Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Spring It's Like, You Know... The Norm Show
Summer Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Mid-Summer Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place The Norm Show
August Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place
CBS Fall The Nanny Maggie Winters To Have & to Hold Chicago Hope
Winter 60 Minutes II (#30/9.0)
(Tied with Diagnosis: Murder)
Spring Cosby Payne
Summer The Nanny The Nanny CBS Wednesday Movie
Mid-Summer Cosby Cosby
Fox Fall Beverly Hills, 90210 Party of Five Local Programming
Winter
Spring
Summer Fox Wednesday Night Movie
NBC Fall Dateline NBC 3rd Rock from the Sun NewsRadio Law & Order (#13/10.1)
Follow Up Encore! Encore!
Winter LateLine
Spring World's Most Amazing Videos
Summer
UPN Seven Days Star Trek: Voyager Local Programming
The WB Dawson's Creek Charmed

Thursday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Vengeance Unlimited ABC Thursday Night Movie
Follow Up Various Specials
Winter Vengeance Unlimited
Follow Up Cupid ABC News Specials
Spring America's Funniest Home Videos The Drew Carey Show (Repeats) Spin City (Repeats)
Summer ABC Thursday Night Movie Vanished
August Whose Line Is It Anyway? Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Various Specials Nightline in Primetime
CBS Fall Promised Land Diagnosis: Murder (#30/9.0)
(Tied with 60 Minutes II) 		48 Hours
Winter Diagnosis: Murder (#30/9.0)
(Tied with 60 Minutes II) 		Turks
Spring Promised Land
Follow Up Diagnosis: Murder (#30/9.0)
(Tied with 60 Minutes II)
Mid-Summer Diagnosis: Murder
Fox Fall World's Wildest Police Videos Fox Files Local programming
Follow Up Various Specials
December Fox Files
February Various Specials
March Fox Files
May Various Specials
Late June Family Guy (Repeats) The PJs (Repeats)
NBC Fall Friends (#2/15.7) Jesse (#5/13.7)
(Tied with Veronica's Closet) 		Frasier (#3/15.6) Veronica's Closet (#5/13.7)
(Tied with Jesse) 		ER (#1/17.8)
Winter
Spring Will & Grace
Summer Jesse (Repeats) Will & Grace (Repeats)
UPN Fall UPN Thursday Night at the Movies Local programming
Winter
Spring
Summer
Mid-Summer Mercy Point Mercy Point
August Various Specials
The WB Fall The Wayans Bros. The Jamie Foxx Show The Steve Harvey Show For Your Love
Winter
Spring Smart Guy
Follow Up The Wayans Bros.
Summer

Note: On Fox, Hollyweird was supposed to premiere 9:00-10:00 but it was canceled due to a conflict with Shaun Cassidy.

Friday

Network 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Two of a Kind Boy Meets World Sabrina the Teenage Witch Brother's Keeper 20/20 (#14/9.9)
(Tied with The Drew Carey Show)
Winter
Spring Sabrina the Teenage Witch Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place
Follow Up Home Improvement (Repeats) Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Summer Two of a Kind
Mid-Summer Home Improvement The Hughleys America's Funniest Home Videos
August Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place
CBS Fall Kids Say the Darndest Things Candid Camera Buddy Faro Nash Bridges
Winter The Magnificent Seven
Spring Unsolved Mysteries
Follow Up Various Specials
June Unsolved Mysteries
Summer
Mid-Summer The Magnificent Seven
Fox Fall Living in Captivity Getting Personal Millennium Local programming
October Brimstone
Winter
Spring Guinness World Records Primetime
Summer The World's Funniest! MADtv Primetime
NBC Fall Dateline Friday (#25/9.2)
(Tied with Spin City and Walker, Texas Ranger) 		Trinity Homicide: Life on the Street
November Law & Order (Repeats)
Winter Providence (#16/9.8)
(Tied with 20/20 and JAG) 		Dateline Friday (#25/9.2)
(Tied with Spin City and Walker, Texas Ranger)
Spring
June Dateline Friday (#25/9.2)
(Tied with Spin City and Walker, Texas Ranger) 		NBA on NBC
Summer
Mid-Summer Providence (#16/9.8)
(Tied with 20/20 and JAG) 		Dateline Friday (#25/9.2)
(Tied with Spin City and Walker, Texas Ranger) 		Homicide: Life on the Street
UPN Fall Legacy Love Boat: The Next Wave Local Programming
Winter
Spring America's Greatest Pets America's Greatest Pets
Summer
Mid-Summer Legacy
August UPN's Night at the Movies

Note: On Fox, the one-hour drama Brimstone premiered at 8:00 on October 23, 1998.

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 America's Funniest Home Videos Fantasy Island Cupid
Winter The ABC Saturday Night Movie Fantasy Island
Follow Up Various programming and The ABC Saturday Night Movie
Spring America's Funniest Home Videos The Big Moment The ABC Saturday Night Movie
May America's Funniest Home Videos
June America's Funniest Home Videos The Big Moment
July America's Funniest Home Videos
August America's Funniest Home Videos Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
CBS Fall Early Edition Martial Law Walker, Texas Ranger (25/9.2)
(Tied with Spin City and Dateline NBC)
Winter Sons of Thunder
Spring Walker, Texas Ranger (25/9.2)
(Tied with Spin City and Dateline NBC)
Summer
Fox COPS COPS (R) America's Most Wanted:
America Fights Back 		Local programming
NBC Fall Wind on Water The Pretender Profiler
Follow Up The Pretender (Repeats) / Best of SNL Specials / Various Specials
Winter
Spring
Summer The Pretender NBC Saturday Night Movie

By network

ABC

CBS

Fox

NBC

UPN

The WB

Returning series

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.