This was the television schedule on all four networks for the fall season beginning in September 1990. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football.
New series are highlighted in bold.
The highest-rated show for the year is highlighted in lime. The top ten rated programs are highlighted in yellow. The top 20 rated programs are highlighted in cyan. The top 30 rated programs are highlighted in magenta. The top 40 rated programs are highlighted in orange. The top 50 rated programs are highlighted in silver. Rankings determined by Nielsen Media Research.[1]
All ratings data from TVTango.com
PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, was in operation, but the schedule was set by each local station.
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 | Life Goes On #68 8.92 rating | America's Funniest Home Videos #12 16.49 rating | America's Funniest People #14 16.14 rating | The ABC Sunday Night Movie #35 13.36 rating | ||||
| CBS | 60 Minutes #2 20.6 rating | Murder, She Wrote #8 17.23 rating | The CBS Sunday Night Movies #26 14.36 rating | |||||
| Fox | True Colors #93 5.60 rating | Parker Lewis Can't Lose #87 6.38 rating | In Living Color #58 10.31 rating | Get a Life #73 8.28 rating | Married... with Children #41 12.40 rating | Good Grief #80 7.37 rating | Comic Strip Live #95 4.72 rating | |
| NBC | Hull High #89 6.15 rating | Lifestories #83 6.98 rating | The NBC Sunday Movie #49 11.66 rating | |||||
Monday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | MacGyver #45 12.10 rating | Monday Night Football #9 17.08 rating | ||||
| CBS | Uncle Buck #67 9.18 rating | Major Dad #20 15.62 rating | Murphy Brown #6 17.62 rating | Designing Women #7 17.46 rating | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill #53 11.38 rating | |
| Fox | Fox Night at the Movies #91 5.76 rating | Local Programming | ||||
| NBC | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air #34 13.44 rating | Ferris Bueller #57 10.41 rating | The NBC Monday Movie #21 15.43 rating | |||
Note: On NBC, the sitcom Blossom (#44, 12.12 rating) premiered on at 8:30 on January 7, 1991.
Tuesday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Who's the Boss? #23 14.89 rating | Head of the Class #29 13.79 rating | Roseanne #3 18.32 rating | Coach #17 15.86 rating | thirtysomething #54 11.22 rating | |
| CBS | Rescue 911 #31 13.73 rating | The CBS Tuesday Movie #43 12.19 rating | ||||
| NBC | Matlock #16 15.95 rating | In the Heat of the Night #18 15.69 rating | Law & Order #46 12.00 rating | |||
Note: Law & Order premiered Thursday, September 13, 1990 at 10:00 PM on NBC.
Wednesday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | The Wonder Years #27 14.19 rating | Growing Pains #25 14.46 rating | Doogie Howser, M.D. #40 12.45 rating | Married People #38 12.71 rating | Cop Rock #85 6.52 rating | |
| CBS | Lenny #84 6.56 rating | Doctor Doctor #82 7.19 rating | Jake and the Fatman #39 12.61 rating | WIOU #69 8.88 rating | ||
| NBC | Unsolved Mysteries #19 15.66 rating | The Fanelli Boys #55 10.50 rating | Dear John #50 11.61 rating | Hunter #47 11.84 rating | ||
On NBC, Seinfeld replaced The Fanelli Boys.
Thursday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Father Dowling Mysteries #56 10.41 rating | Gabriel's Fire #64 9.31 rating | Primetime #60 9.83 rating | |||
| CBS | Top Cops #66 9.21 rating | The Flash #71 8.54 rating | Knots Landing #30 13.74 rating | |||
| Fox | The Simpsons #28 14.01 rating | Babes #78 7.62 rating | Beverly Hills, 90210 #88 6.37 rating | Local Programming | ||
| NBC | The Cosby Show #5 17.62 rating | A Different World #4 18.06 rating | Cheers #1 21.88 rating | Grand #24 14.62 rating | L.A. Law #13 16.31 rating | |
Friday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Full House #15 16.05 rating | Family Matters #22 15.37 rating | Perfect Strangers #32 13.47 rating | Going Places #52 11.53 rating | 20/20 #33 13.46 rating | |
| CBS | Evening Shade #37 12.87 rating | Bagdad Café #76 8.02 rating | Over My Dead Body #62 9.63 rating | Dallas #48 11.83 rating | ||
| Fox | America's Most Wanted #90 5.99 rating | DEA #97 3.49 rating | Local Programming | |||
| NBC | Quantum Leap #59 9.92 rating | Night Court #51 11.55 rating | Wings #42 12.20 rating | Midnight Caller #75 8.09 rating | ||
Saturday
| Network | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | The Young Riders #70 8.75 rating | China Beach #74 8.18 rating | Twin Peaks #79 7.59 rating | |||
| CBS | The Family Man #81 7.21 rating | The Hogan Family #86 6.51 rating | E.A.R.T.H. Force #77 8.00 rating | 48 Hours #61 9.73 rating | ||
| Fox | Totally Hidden Video #94 4.83 rating | Haywire #96 4.14 rating | COPS #92 5.72 rating | American Chronicles #98 3.07 rating | Local Programming | |
| NBC | Parenthood #72 8.34 rating | Working It Out #63 9.48 rating | The Golden Girls #11 16.57 rating | Empty Nest #10 16.84 rating | Carol & Company #36 13.29 rating | American Dreamer #65 9.21 rating |
Pickups and Shows
Full Season Shows
ABC
- 20/20
- America's Funniest Home Videos
- America's Funniest People
- Anything But Love
- China Beach
- Coach
- Cop Rock
- Dinosaurs
- Doogie Howser, M.D.
- Family Matters
- Father Dowling Mysteries
- Full House
- Gabriel's Fire
- Going Places
- Growing Pains
- Head of the Class
- Life Goes On
- MacGyver
- Married People
- Monday Night Football
- Perfect Strangers
- Primetime Live
- Roseanne
- thirtysomething
- Twin Peaks
- Who's The Boss?
- The Wonder Years
- The Young Riders
CBS
- 48 Hours
- 60 Minutes
- Bagdad Cafe
- Dallas
- Designing Women
- Doctor, Doctor
- E.A.R.T.H. Force
- Evening Shade
- The Family Man
- The Flash
- The Hogan Family
- Jake and the Fatman
- Knots Landing
- Lenny
- Major Dad
- Murder, She Wrote
- Murphy Brown
- Over My Dead Body
- Rescue 911
- The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
- Uncle Buck
- WIOU
Fox
- Against The Law
- American Chronicles
- America's Most Wanted
- Babes
- Beverly Hills 90210
- Comic Strip Live
- Cops
- DEA
- Fun House
- Get A Life
- Good Grief
- Haywire
- In Living Color
- Married… With Children
- Parker Lewis Can't Lose
- The Simpsons
- Totally Hidden Video
- True Colors
- Yearbook
NBC
- Amen
- American Dreamer
- Blossom
- Carol & Company
- Cheers
- The Cosby Show
- Dear John
- A Different World
- Empty Nest
- The Fanelli Boys
- Ferris Bueller
- The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
- The Golden Girls
- Grand
- Hull High
- Hunter
- In The Heat Of The Night
- L.A. Law
- Law and Order
- Lifestories
- Matlock
- Midnight Caller
- Night Court
- Parenthood
- Quantum Leap
- Seinfeld
- Sisters
- Unsolved Mysteries
- Wings
- Working It Out
References
- ↑ "1990-1991 Television Season Top Rated Shows". Archived from the original on 2006-10-31. http://web.archive.org/web/20061031060505/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/ratings/1990_1991.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-16.
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