This was the television schedule on all three commercial television networks in the United States for the fall season beginning in September 1978 . All times are Eastern and Pacific.
New fall series are highlighted in bold . Series ending their original runs are in italics .
The highest-rated show for the year is colored in lime yellow cyan magenta [1]
PBS , the Public Broadcasting Service , was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station. On ABC , its news brief, airs all seven nights at 9:58, pm.
Fall Schedule [ ] 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
The Hardy Boys Battlestar Galactica The ABC Sunday Night Movie #15 22.6 rating
CBS
official
60 Minutes #6 25.5 rating
Mary All in the Family #9 24.9 rating
Alice #13 23.2 rating
Kaz
follow-up (Oct. 15)
All in the Family
Alice
Kaz Dallas
NBC
official
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Big Event
Lifeline
follow-up (Dec.)
Centennial
Lifeline Sword of Justice
Monday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Welcome Back, Kotter Operation Petticoat ABC NFL Monday Night Football #28 19.8 rating
follow-up
Lucan
CBS
official
WKRP in Cincinnati People M*A*S*H #7 25.4 rating
One Day at a Time #18 21.6 rating
Lou Grant #30 19.7 rating
follow-up
The White Shadow
NBC
Little House on the Prairie #14 23.1 rating
NBC Monday Night at the Movies #21 20.9 rating
Tuesday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Happy Days #3 28.6 rating
Laverne & Shirley #1 30.5 rating
Three's Company #2 30.3 rating
Taxi Starsky and Hutch
CBS
The Paper Chase The CBS Tuesday Night Movies
NBC
Grandpa Goes to Washington The Big Event
Wednesday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Eight is Enough #11 24.8 rating
Charlie's Angels #12 24.4 rating
Vega$
CBS
official
The Jeffersons
In the Beginning The CBS Wednesday Night Movies
follow-up (Dec. 13)
Good Times
NBC
Dick Clark's LIVE Wednesday NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies
Thursday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Mork and Mindy What's Happening!! Barney Miller #16 22.6 rating
Soap #19 21.3 rating
Family
CBS
The Waltons
Hawaii Five-O
Barnaby Jones
NBC
official
Project UFO Quincy, M.E.
W.E.B.
follow-up (Nov. 2)
David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
Friday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Donny & Marie The ABC Friday Night Movie
CBS
The New Adventures of Wonder Woman The Incredible Hulk
Flying High
NBC
official
The Waverly Wonders Who's Watching the Kids The Rockford Files
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
follow-up (Nov. 3)
Diff'rent Strokes
Saturday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Carter Country Apple Pie The Love Boat #17 22.1 rating
Fantasy Island #22 20.8 rating
follow-up (October 7)
Welcome Back, Kotter Carter Country
CBS
official
Rhoda Good Times The American Girls Dallas
follow-up (Nov. 18)
The CBS Saturday Night Movies
NBC
official
CHiPs #25 20.3 rating
Various
Sword of Justice
follow-up (Nov.)
Weekend
Mid-Season Schedule [ ] 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
Donny & Marie Battlestar Galactica The ABC Sunday Night Movie
CBS
official
60 Minutes
All in the Family
Alice
The CBS Sunday Night Movie
follow-up (March 4)
One Day at a Time
Alice
Stockard Channing in Just Friends The Mary Tyler Moore Hour
NBC
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Big Event
Weekend
Notes: The one and only airing of Co-Ed Fever Mr. Dugan
Monday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Salvage 1 How the West Was Won
CBS
official
Billy Flatbush M*A*S*H
WKRP in Cincinnati Lou Grant
follow-up (March 5)
The White Shadow
NBC
Little House on the Prairie
NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Tuesday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Happy Days
Laverne & Shirley
Three's Company
Taxi Starsky and Hutch
follow-up (March 20)
The Ropers 13 Queens Boulevard
CBS
The Paper Chase The CBS Tuesday Night Movies
NBC
Cliffhangers The Big Event
Wednesday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Eight is Enough
Charlie's Angels
Vega$
CBS
official
Married: The First Year One Day at a Time
The Jeffersons
Kaz
follow-up (March 28)
The Jeffersons
Miss Winslow and Son Dear Detective
NBC
official
Supertrain NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies
follow-up (April 18)
Real People
Thursday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Mork and Mindy Angie Barney Miller
Soap
Family
follow-up (April 5)
Carter Country
CBS
The Waltons
Hawaii Five-O
Barnaby Jones
NBC
official
Little Women Quincy, M.E.
Mrs. Columbo
follow-up (March 15)
Harris and Company
follow-up (April 12)
Whodunnit! Hizzoner
Highridge Manor Specials (5/17-6/14)
Presenting Susan Anton
Friday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Makin' It What's Happening!! The ABC Friday Night Movie
follow-up (Apr. 6)
The Mackenzies of Paradise Cove
CBS
The Incredible Hulk
The Dukes Of Hazzard Dallas
NBC
official
Diff'rent Strokes Joe & Valerie The Rockford Files
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
follow-up (Jan. 26)
Brothers and Sisters Turnabout Hello, Larry Sweepstakes
follow-up (Feb.)
Hello, Larry Brothers and Sisters Turnabout
follow-up (Apr. 6)
The Rockford Files
The Duke
Saturday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Delta House Welcome Back, Kotter The Love Boat
Fantasy Island
follow-up
What's Happening!! Delta House
CBS
official
The White Shadow The CBS Saturday Night Movies
follow-up (March 24)
The Bad News Bears Billy
NBC
official
CHiPs
B.J. and the Bear Weekend
follow-up (Feb. 10)
The Rockford Files
follow-up (Apr. 14)
Supertrain
Summer Schedule [ ] 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
The Hardy Boys Battlestar Galactica The ABC Sunday Night Movie
CBS
official
60 Minutes
All in the Family
One Day at a Time
Alice
Stockard Channing in Just Friends Moses the Lawgiver (repeats)
follow-up (Jul. 29)
The Jeffersons
Kaz
NBC
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Big Event
Prime Time Sunday
Monday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Monday Night Baseball
CBS
The White Shadow M*A*S*H
WKRP in Cincinnati Lou Grant
NBC
Little House on the Prairie
NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Tuesday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Happy Days
Laverne & Shirley
Three's Company
Taxi Having Babies
follow-up (Jul. 3)
Detective School Starsky and Hutch
CBS
The New Adventures of Wonder Woman The CBS Tuesday Night Movies
NBC
The Runaways The Big Event
Wednesday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Eight is Enough
Charlie's Angels
Vega$
CBS
official
The Jeffersons
Good Times The CBS Wednesday Night Movies
follow-up (Aug. 8)
Dorothy Hanging In
NBC
Real People NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies
Thursday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
Mork and Mindy Angie Barney Miller
Carter Country 20/20
CBS
The Waltons
Hawaii Five-O
Barnaby Jones
NBC
Project UFO Quincy, M.E.
David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
Friday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Operation Petticoat Welcome Back, Kotter The ABC Friday Night Movie
follow-up (Aug. 24)
Fantasy Island
CBS
The Incredible Hulk
The Dukes Of Hazzard Dallas
NBC
official
Diff'rent Strokes Hello, Larry The Rockford Files
The Eddie Capra Mysteries
follow-up (Aug. 24)
The Facts of Life
Saturday [ ]
Network
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
ABC
official
Battlestar Galactica The Love Boat
Fantasy Island
follow-up (Aug. 18)
Carol Burnett and Company Hart to Hart
CBS
official
The White Shadow The CBS Saturday Night Movies
follow-up (March 24)
The Bad News Bears Billy
NBC
official
CHiPs
B.J. and the Bear Weekend
follow-up (Feb. 10)
The Rockford Files
follow-up (Apr. 14)
Supertrain
Pickups and Cancellations [ ] Full Season Pickups [ ] ABC
Angie Barney Miller Battlestar Galactica (mid-season)Charlie's Angels Detective School Eight is Enough Family (mid-season)Fantasy Island Happy Days Laverne & Shirley The Love Boat Monday Night Football Mork and Mindy The Ropers Salvage 1 (mid-season)Soap Taxi Three's Company Vega$ CBS
60 Minutes Alice The Bad News Bears Barnaby Jones Dallas The Dukes of Hazzard Hawaii Five-O The Incredible Hulk The Jeffersons Lou Grant M*A*S*H One Day at a Time The Waltons WKRP in Cincinnati The White Shadow NBC
B.J. and the Bear The Big Event CHiPs Diff'rent Strokes Hello, Larry Little House on the Prairie Quincy, M.E. Prime Time Sunday Real People The Rockford Files The Wonderful World of Disney Cancellations and Endings [ ] ABC
Apple Pie Carol Burnett and Company Carter Country Delta House Donny & Marie The Hardy Boys How the West Was Won Lucan The Mackenzies of Paradise Cove Makin' It Operation Petticoat Starsky and Hutch Welcome Back, Kotter What's Happening!! CBS
All in the Family (would transform into Archie Bunker's Place The American Girls Billy Co-Ed Fever (aired once)Dear Detective Dorothy Flying High Good Times Hanging In Husbands, Wives and Lovers In the Beginning Kaz Married: The First Year Mary Miss Winslow and Son Mr. Dugan (cancelled before airing)The Mary Tyler Moore Hour The Paper Chase (would return on Showtime in 1983)People Rhoda Stockard Channing in Just Friends Wonder Woman NBC
Brothers and Sisters Cliffhangers Dick Clark's Live Wednesday The Eddie Capra Mysteries Grandpa Goes to Washington Harris and Company Hizzoner Joe and Valerie Lifeline Little Women Project UFO The Runaways Supertrain Sword of Justice Turnabout W.E.B. The Waverly Wonders Weekend Whodunnit! Who's Watching the Kids Technically Part of Next Season [ ] ABC
Hart to Hart (early premiere)NBC
The Facts of Life (four-week tryout run)References [ ] Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television . New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
McNeil, Alex. Total Television . Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8 .
Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1985). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1 .
Shapiro, Mitchell E (1989). "Television Network Prime-Time Programming, 1948-1988". Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-89950-412-4 .