1989–90 United States Network Television Schedule

The 1989–90 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers primetime hours from September 1989 through August 1990. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1988–89 season.

Beginning this season, Fox started their prime time expansion starting with Mondays.

This is the first season to feature entirely closed captioning programs on the Big Four networks.

This was the first time that two programs were tied for the no. 1 spot in the Nielsen ratings.

PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary.

New series are highlighted in bold.

All times are U.S. Eastern and Pacific Time (except for some live sports or events). Subtract one hour for Central, Mountain, Alaska and Hawaii–Aleutian times.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.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. .

Legend

Sunday

Note: In Living Color premiered Sunday April 15 at 9:30 PM on Fox.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Notes: ''Seinfeld'' premiered July 5, 1989 at 9:30 p.m. on NBC. '' FM'' aired at 9:30 p.m. on NBC from August 23 to September 6, 1989. Molloy aired at 9:00 p.m. on Fox from July 25 until August 15, 1990. Fox aired movies at 8:00 p.m. on an irregular basis.

Thursday

Notes: '' The Eddie Capra Mysteries'', which CBS aired from July 26 to August 30, consisted of reruns of episodes from the 1978-79 NBC series. '' FM'' premiered August 17, 1989 at 9:30 p.m. on NBC and aired its fifth episode on September 14.

Friday

Saturday

Note: '' Comic Strip Live'' aired at 11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. on Fox.

By network

ABC

;Returning series
*'' 20/20''
*''The ABC Monday Night Movie''
*'' ABC Mystery Movie'' (moved from Monday to Saturday)
*'' The ABC Sunday Night Movie''
*'' Anything but Love''
*'' China Beach''
*'' Coach''
*'' Father Dowling Mysteries'' (moved from NBC)
*''Full House''
*'' Growing Pains''
*'' Head of the Class''
*'' Just the Ten of Us''
*''MacGyver''
*'' Mission: Impossible''
*'' Mr. Belvedere''
*'' Monday Night Football''
*'' Perfect Strangers''
*''Roseanne''
*'' Thirtysomething''
*'' Who's the Boss?''
*'' The Wonder Years''

;New series
*'' America's Funniest Home Videos'' *
*'' Brewster Place'' *
*'' Capital News'' *
*'' Chicken Soup''
*'' Doogie Howser, M.D.''
*'' Elvis'' *
*'' Equal Justice'' *
*'' Family Matters''
*'' Free Spirit''
*'' H.E.L.P.'' *
*''Homeroom''
*'' Life Goes On''
*'' Living Dolls''
*''The Marshall Chronicles'' *
*''Monopoly'' *
*'' New Attitude'' *
*'' Primetime Live''
*'' Sunset Beat'' *
*'' Super Jeopardy!'' *
*'' Tim Conway's Funny America'' *
*''Twin Peaks'' *
*'' The Young Riders''

Not returning from 1988–89:
*'' ABC Saturday Night Movie''
*''Dynasty''
*'' A Fine Romance''
*''Great Circuses of the World''
*'' Have Faith''
*'' HeartBeat''
*'' Hooperman''
*'' Incredible Sunday''
*'' Knightwatch''
*'' A Man Called Hawk''
*''Men''
*'' Moonlighting''
*'' Murphy's Law''
*'' Police Story''
*'' The Robert Guillaume Show''
*'' Studio 5-B''
*'' Thursday Night Baseball''

CBS

;Returning series
*'' 48 Hours''
*''60 Minutes''
*''Beauty and the Beast''
*'' CBS Sunday Movie''
*''Dallas''
*'' Designing Women''
*'' Doctor Doctor''
*'' Falcon Crest''
*''Jake and the Fatman''
*''Knots Landing''
*''Murder, She Wrote''
*'' Murphy Brown''
*'' Newhart''
*''Paradise''
*'' Tour of Duty''
*'' Wiseguy''

;New series
*'' Bagdad Cafe'' *
*'' The Bradys'' *
*''City'' *
*'' The Dave Thomas Comedy Show'' *
*'' The Famous Teddy Z''
*'' Grand Slam'' *
*'' His & Hers'' *
*'' Island Son''
*''Major Dad''
*'' Max Monroe: Loose Cannon'' *
*''Normal Life'' *
*'' Northern Exposure'' *
*'' A Peaceable Kingdom''
*'' The People Next Door''
*''Prime Time Pets'' *
*''Rescue 911''
*''Room for Romance'' *
*''Saturday Night with Connie Chung''
*''Small Talk'' *
*'' Snoops''
*'' Sugar and Spice'' *
*''Sydney'' *
*'' Top Cops'' *
*'' Top of the Hill''
*'' Wish You Were Here'' *
*''Wolf''

Not returning from 1988–89:
*'' Almost Grown''
*'' Annie McGuire''
*'' The Cavanaughs''
*''CBS Summer Playhouse''
*''Coming of Age''
*''Dirty Dancing''
*'' Dolphin Cove''
*'' The Equalizer''
*'' First Impressions''
*'' Hard Time on Planet Earth''
*'' Heartland''
*'' High Risk''
*'' Jesse Hawkes''
*'' Kate & Allie''
*''Live! Dick Clark Presents''
*'' Live-In''
*'' Raising Miranda''
*''Simon & Simon''
*''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour''
*'' TV 101''
*'' The Van Dyke Show''
*'' West 57th''

Fox

;Returning series
*'' 21 Jump Street''
*'' America's Most Wanted''
*'' Beyond Tomorrow''
*'' Cops''
*''Fox Night at the Movies''
*'' It's Garry Shandling's Show''
*'' Married... with Children''
*'' The Reporters''
*'' Totally Hidden Video''
*'' The Tracey Ullman Show''

;New series
*'' Alien Nation''
*'' Booker''
* '' Comic Strip Live''
*'' Glory Days'' *
*'' In Living Color'' *
*'' Molloy'' *
*'' Open House''
*'' The Outsiders'' *
*''The Simpsons'' *

Not returning from 1988–89:
*''Duet''

NBC

;Returning series
*''13 East''
*'' 227''
*'' ALF''
*'' Amen''
*''Cheers''
*''The Cosby Show''
*'' Dear John''
*'' A Different World''
*'' Empty Nest''
*''The Golden Girls''
*'' The Hogan Family''
*''Hunter''
*'' In the Heat of the Night''
*''L.A. Law''
*'' The Magical World of Disney''
*'' Matlock''
*'' Midnight Caller''
*'' My Two Dads'' +
*'' NBC Sunday Night Movie''
*'' NBC Monday Night at the Movies''
*'' Night Court''
*'' Quantum Leap''
*'' Unsolved Mysteries''

;New series
*'' Ann Jillian'' *
*''Baywatch''
*'' Brand New Life''
*'' Carol & Company'' *
*'' Down Home'' *
*''A Family for Joe'' *
*'' FM''
*'' Grand'' *
*'' Hardball''
*'' Mancuso, F.B.I.''
*'' Nasty Boys'' *
*'' The Nutt House''
*'' Real Life with Jane Pauley'' *
*''Seinfeld'' *
*'' Shannon's Deal'' *
*'' Singer & Sons'' *
*'' Sister Kate''
*'' True Blue'' *
*'' Wings'' *
*'' Working Girl'' *

Not returning from 1988–89:
*'' Baby Boom''
*'' Day by Day''
*'' Dream Street''
*'' Family Ties''
*'' Father Dowling Mysteries'' (moved to ABC)
*'' Highway to Heaven''
*'' The Jim Henson Hour''
*'' Knight & Daye''
*''Miami Vice''
*'' Nearly Departed''
*'' Nightingales''
*'' One of the Boys''
*'' Something Is Out There''
*'' Sonny Spoon''
*'' Tattingers''/'' Nick & Hillary''
*'' Unsub''

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.

+ These shows returned as "backup" programming in midseason

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1989-90 United States network television schedule
United States primetime network television schedules
1989 in American television
1990 in American television