The 2001–02 daytime network television schedule for the six major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States in operation during that television season covers the weekday daytime hours from September 2001 to August 2002. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2000–01 season.
Affiliates fill time periods not occupied by network programs with local or syndicated programming. PBS – which offers daytime programming through a children's program block, PBS Kids – is not included, as its member television stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary. Also not included are stations affiliated with Pax TV, as its schedule is composed mainly of syndicated reruns although it also carried some first-run programs.
The September 11 attacks hindered the ability to start airing daytime programming in a timely manner.
Legend
Light yellow indicates talk shows.
Green indicates soap operas.
Pink indicates game shows.
Gold indicates news programming.
White indicates local programming.
Gray indicates encore programming (e.g., reruns of prime-time programming).
Light teal indicates sporting events.
Light purple indicates children's programming.
New series are highlighted in bold.
Schedule
All times correspond to U.S. Eastern and Pacific Time scheduling (except for some live sports or events). Except where affiliates slot certain programs outside their network-dictated timeslots, subtract one hour for Central, Mountain, Alaska, and Hawaii-Aleutian times.
Local schedules may differ, as affiliates have the option to pre-empt or delay network programs.[1] Such scheduling may be limited to preemptions caused by local or national breaking news or weather coverage (which may force stations to tape delay certain programs in overnight timeslots or defer them to a co-operated or other contracted station in their regular timeslot) and any major sports events scheduled to air in a weekday timeslot (mainly during major holidays). Stations may air shows at other times at their preference.
† Fox returned its daytime programming hours back to its affiliates when Fox Kids ended its weekday block in December 2001. Many Fox affiliates preempted kids programming in daytime or deferred it to other television stations, opting to air syndicated programs or local news instead.
On September 11, 2001, all six major networks suspended their daytime programing due to live coverage of the September 11 attacks. Daytime programming resumed for Fox and The WB on September 12, while the Big Three networks resumed their regular daytime programs during the week of September 17. UPN, which did not carry any daytime programming at the time, resumed normal programming on September 13.