The 1996–97 United States network television schedule for the six major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the

primetime Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to b ...

hours from September 1996 to August 1997. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 1995–96 season. PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary. Each of the 30 highest-rated shows released in May 1997 is listed with its rank and rating as determined by

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

.Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by

and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows'' (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. . New series highlighted in bold. Repeat airings or same-day rebroadcasts are indicated by . All times are U.S. Eastern and Pacific Time (except for some live sports or events). Subtract one hour for Central,

Mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

and Hawaii–Aleutian times. All sporting events air live in all time zones in U.S. Eastern time, with local and/or late-night programming (including Fox affiliates during the 10 p.m. ET/PT hour) by affiliates after game completion.

Legend

Sunday

Monday

Note: On CBS, the debut of Ink was delayed by a month due to production problems, resulting in another new sitcom,

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...

, which aired temporarily in its slot before moving to its own originally designated Wednesday time period in late October.

Tuesday

Wednesday

Note: On CBS, due to the effect of the debut delay of Ink on Monday, the first month of the new season on this night aired '' Almost Perfect'' at 8:30 p.m., followed by ''CBS Wednesday Movies'' at 9 p.m. The originally planned fall Wednesday lineup took shape at the end of October with

taking over at 8:30 p.m., '' Almost Perfect'' moving to 9 p.m., Public Morals debuting at 9:30 p.m., and EZ Streets debuting at 10 p.m. This lasted for only one week in late October. CBS cancelled Public Morals after it aired the 1st, and only, episode. This meant Almost Perfect would soon be cancelled. EZ Streets would be given a 2nd chance in the spring.

Thursday

Friday

Note: CBS picked up '' JAG'' after NBC cancelled it due to low ratings and it became a success afterwards. This is the last season of '' Family Matters'' and '' Step by Step'' and the only season of '' Clueless'' to air on ABC's TGIF block, until the following season, the former two shows were picked up by CBS and ''Clueless'' moved to UPN on Tuesdays.

Saturday

Note: '' America's Most Wanted'' would return in November at 9:00 on Fox. '' Married... with Children'' moved to Sundays at 7-8pm in November, Mondays at 9:30 in January, and Mondays at 9pm in February. '' Lawless'' which aired on March 27, 1997, replacing the second half of America's Most Wanted was canceled after one episode.

By network

ABC

;Returning series *'' 20/20'' *''The ABC Monday Night Movie'' *'' The ABC Sunday Night Movie'' *''The ABC Saturday Night Movie'' *''The ABC Thursday Night Movie'' *'' America's Funniest Home Videos'' *''

Boy Meets World ''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews ( Ben Savage) and his friends and f ...

'' *'' Coach'' *''

The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995, to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionaliz ...

'' *'' Ellen'' *'' Family Matters'' *'' Grace Under Fire'' *'' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'' *'' High Incident'' *'' Home Improvement'' *'' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' *'' Monday Night Football'' *'' Murder One'' *''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...

'' *'' Primetime Live'' *''

Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American television sitcom created by Matt Williams (producer), Matt Williams that originally aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May ...

'' *'' Second Noah'' *'' Step by Step'' *'' Turning Point'' ;New series *'' Arsenio'' *'' Clueless'' *''

Common Law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...

'' *'' Dangerous Minds'' *''

Gun A gun is a device that Propulsion, propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or water cannon, cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). So ...

'' *'' Leaving L.A.'' *'' Life's Work'' *''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...

'' *'' Relativity'' *''

Sabrina the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared ...

'' *'' Soul Man'' *'' Spin City'' *'' Spy Game'' *'' Townies'' *''

Vital Signs Vital signs (also known as vitals) are a group of the four to six most crucial medical signs that indicate the status of the body's vital (life-sustaining) functions. These measurements are taken to help assess the general physical health of ...

'' ;Canceled/Ended *'' Aliens in the Family'' *'' Before They Were Stars'' *'' Buddies'' *'' Champs'' *'' Charlie Grace'' *'' The Commish'' *'' The Dana Carvey Show'' *''

The Faculty ''The Faculty'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed and edited by Robert Rodriguez with a screenplay by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster in her film debut, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Ha ...

'' *'' Hudson Street'' *''

The Jeff Foxworthy Show ''The Jeff Foxworthy Show'' is an American sitcom television series created by Tom Anderson, starring comedian Jeff Foxworthy and based on Foxworthy's stand-up comedy routine. The series originally aired on ABC from September 12, 1995, to May ...

'' (moved to NBC) *''

The Marshal ''The Marshal'' is an American action-drama television series that aired on ABC for two seasons in 1995. The show starred Jeff Fahey as the title character, a United States Marshal charged with pursuing fugitives across the nation. In 1 ...

'' *'' Maybe This Time'' *'' The Monroes'' *''

Muppets Tonight ''Muppets Tonight'' is an American live-action/puppet family-oriented comedy television series, created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. The series ran for two seasons between March 8, 1996 to February 8, 1998, originally ...

'' *'' The Naked Truth'' (moved to NBC) *'' World's Funniest Videos''

CBS

;Returning series *'' 48 Hours'' *''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...

'' *'' Almost Perfect'' *'' CBS Sunday Movie'' *'' Chicago Hope'' *'' Cybill'' *'' Dave's World'' *'' Diagnosis Murder'' *'' Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' *'' JAG'' (moved from NBC) *'' Murphy Brown'' *'' The Nanny'' *'' Nash Bridges'' *'' Touched by an Angel'' *''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action fiction, action Crime drama, crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norr ...

'' ;New series *'' Cosby'' *'' Early Edition'' *''

Everybody Loves Raymond ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' is an American television sitcom created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning nine seasons. It was produced by Where's Lunch and Wor ...

'' *'' EZ Streets'' *'' Feds'' *'' Ink'' *'' Life... and Stuff'' *'' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' *'' Moloney'' *'' Orleans'' *''

'' *''

Promised Land In the Abrahamic religions, the "Promised Land" ( ) refers to a swath of territory in the Levant that was bestowed upon Abraham and his descendants by God in Abrahamic religions, God. In the context of the Bible, these descendants are originally ...

'' *'' Public Morals'' *'' Temporarily Yours'' ;Canceled/Ended *'' American Gothic'' *'' Bless This House'' *'' The Bonnie Hunt Show'' *'' Can't Hurry Love'' *'' Central Park West'' *'' The Client'' *''

Courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

'' *'' Due South'' *'' Dweebs'' *'' High Society'' *'' The Louie Show'' *'' Matt Waters'' *''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' *'' My Guys'' *'' Picket Fences'' *''

Rescue 911 ''Rescue 911'' is an informational docudrama television series that premiered on CBS on April 18, 1989, and ended on August 27, 1996. The series was hosted by William Shatner and featured reenactments (and occasionally real footage) of emergenc ...

'' *'' New York News''

Fox

;Returning series * '' America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back'' * '' Beverly Hills, 90210'' * '' Cops'' * ''Fox Tuesday Night Movie'' * ''

Living Single ''Living Single'' is an American television sitcom created by Yvette Denise Lee that aired for five seasons on the Fox network, from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centers on the lives of six New York City friends who share perso ...

'' * '' Married... with Children'' * ''

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

'' * '' Melrose Place'' * '' Ned and Stacey'' * '' New York Undercover'' * '' Party of Five'' * ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'' * '' Sliders'' * ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...

'' ;New series * '' Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction'' * '' Big Deal'' * ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...

'' * '' Lawless'' * '' Love and Marriage'' * '' Lush Life'' * ''

Millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

'' * '' Pacific Palisades'' * '' Party Girl'' * '' Pauly'' * ''

Roar A roar is a type of animal vocalization that is loud, deep and resonating. Many mammals have evolved to produce roars and other roar-like vocals for purposes such as long-distance communication and intimidation. These include various species of ...

'' ;Canceled/Ended * '' The Crew'' * '' Encounters: The Hidden Truth'' * '' Kindred: The Embraced'' * '' L.A. Firefighters'' * '' The Last Frontier'' * '' Local Heroes'' * '' Misery Loves Company'' * '' Partners'' * '' The Preston Episodes'' * ''

Profit Profit may refer to: Business and law * Profit (accounting), the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market * Profit (economics), normal profit and economic profit * Profit (real property), a nonpossessory inter ...

'' * '' Saturday Night Special'' * ''The Show'' * '' Space: Above and Beyond'' * '' Strange Luck'' * '' Too Something'' * ''What's So Funny?''

NBC

;Returning series *''

3rd Rock from the Sun ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' is an American television sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner, which originally aired from January 9, 1996, to May 22, 2001, on NBC. The show is about four Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrials who are on an e ...

'' *'' Boston Common'' *'' Caroline in the City'' *'' Dateline NBC'' *'' ER'' *'' Frasier'' *''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

'' *'' Homicide: Life on the Street'' *''

'' (moved from ABC) *'' The John Larroquette Show'' *''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...

'' *'' Mad About You'' *'' The Naked Truth'' (moved from ABC) *'' NBC Sunday Night Movie'' *''

The NBC Monday Movie ''The NBC Monday Movie'' was a television anthology series of films that debuted on February 4, 1963 (in the middle of the 1962-63 season). It was referred to as ''Monday Night at the Movies'' prior to the mid-1980s. Contrary to popular contem ...

'' *''

NewsRadio ''NewsRadio'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from March 21, 1995, to May 4, 1999, focusing on the work lives of the staff of a New York City AM news radio station. It had an ensemble cast featuring Dave Foley, Stephen R ...

'' *''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...

'' *'' The Single Guy'' *'' Unsolved Mysteries'' *'' Wings'' ;New series *'' Chicago Sons'' *'' Crisis Center'' *'' Dark Skies'' *'' Fired Up'' *''

Just Shoot Me! ''Just Shoot Me!'' is an American sitcom television series originally aired on NBC from March 4, 1997, to November 26, 2003, with a total of 145 half-hour episodes spanning seven seasons, including 3 episodes aired on syndication. The show, cre ...

'' *'' Men Behaving Badly'' *'' Mr. Rhodes'' *'' The Pretender'' *'' Prince Street'' *'' Profiler'' *'' Something So Right'' *'' Suddenly Susan'' ;Canceled/Ended *'' Brotherly Love'' (moved to

The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...

) *'' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' (returning on HBO Max in 2020) *'' The Home Court'' *'' Hope and Gloria'' *'' In the House'' (moved to UPN) *'' JAG'' (moved to CBS) *'' Malibu Shores'' *'' The Pursuit of Happiness'' *'' seaQuest 2032'' *''

Sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to r ...

UPN

;Returning series *'' In the House'' (moved from NBC) *''

Moesha ''Moesha'' (, ) is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars Contemporary R&B, R&B singer Brandy Norwood, Brandy as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with ...

'' *'' The Sentinel'' *'' Star Trek: Voyager'' ;New series *'' The Burning Zone'' *'' Goode Behavior'' *'' Homeboys in Outer Space'' *'' Malcolm & Eddie'' *'' Social Studies'' *'' Sparks'' ;Canceled/Ended *'' Deadly Games'' *'' Live Shot'' *'' Minor Adjustments'' *'' Nowhere Man'' *''The Paranormal Borderline'' *'' Swift Justice''

The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...

;Returning series *'' Brotherly Love'' (moved from NBC) *''

Kirk Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning 'church'. The term ''the Kirk'' is often used informally to refer specifically to the Church of Scotland, the Scottish national church that developed from the 16th-century Reformation ...

'' *'' The Parent 'Hood'' *''

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

'' *'' Sister, Sister'' *'' Unhappily Ever After'' *''

The Wayans Bros. ''The Wayans Bros.'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 20, 1999. The series starred real life brothers Shawn Wayans, Shawn and Marlon Wayans, comedian John Witherspoon (actor), John Withe ...

'' ;New series *'' 7th Heaven'' *''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...

'' *'' The Jamie Foxx Show'' *'' Life with Roger'' *'' Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher'' *'' Smart Guy'' *'' The Steve Harvey Show'' ;Canceled/Ended *'' Cleghorne!'' *'' First Time Out'' *'' Pinky and the Brain'' (moved to Kids' WB in daytime) *'' Simon''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1996 97 United States Network Television Schedule United States primetime network television schedules United States Network Television Schedule, 1996 97 United States Network Television Schedule, 1996 97